Small Batch Samoa Doughnuts
A soft and fluffy baked doughnut topped with toasted coconut caramel sauce and drizzled with chocolate. These small batch Samoa doughnuts will remind you of the Girl Scout Cookies!
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HOW TO MAKE SAMOA DOUGHNUTS
Samoa Girl Scout Cookies are definitely in my top 2 favorites. The base of this doughnut recipe is a light and fluffy cake that would be delicious with any flavor icing. The best part about this recipe is it makes 6 doughnuts for a small batch and whips up in a matter of minutes.
No Mixer is required and is best if folded or mixed by hand in a medium size bowl. Combine the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk to distribute. Combine the wet ingredients in a large measuring cup and whisk to combine, gently breaking the egg yolk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix by folding with a spatula or wooden spoon. It is really that simple!
While the doughnuts are baking, make the caramel sauce. The caramel sauce can easily be made well in advance. In fact, I make a big batch of our base Salted Caramel Sauce recipe and store in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
The signature taste of Samoa Cookies comes from the toasted coconut. Don’t skip this step! And make sure it is unsweetened coconut flakes. Sweetened coconut combined with the caramel sauce will make it unbearably sweet. Toast the unsweetened coconut flakes on the stovetop or under the broiler. Keep a close watch as it turns quickly!
In order to achieve a similar flavor to the actual cookie which is a buttery shortbread, we used Princess Cake and Cookie Bakery Emulsion. This adds additional creaminess and enhances the vanilla flavor. While this extract is not required, it does make the doughnut taste closer to a buttery shortbread compared to just using vanilla extract.
To fill a doughnut pan, use a piping bag or ziplock storage bag and fill with the batter and snip off the end. Using a spoon works just fine too, it may just be a bit more messy.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST DOUGHNUTS
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients– set egg(s) to sit a room temperature for 30 minutes before baking or in a bowl with warm water for 5-10 minutes. Allow buttermilk to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes as well.
- Measure Flour Accurately– Always scoop flour with a spoon into measuring cup and level off with a knife for the most accurate measurement (unless you have scale at home). Otherwise you may have a doughnut that is more dense. Tips on how to properly measure are on our Instagram Reel videos!
- Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are not expired– leaveners can expire within 5-6 months so writing the date it’s opened on the box will help. This may impact how much the cake rises.
- Do Not Over Bake– If the cake is over baked, it will taste a bit dry. When the doughnuts are baking and become fragrant, that is an indication that they are almost done baking. Set timer for 1-2 minutes before the minimum time suggested on the recipe card because every oven slightly varies. If the doughnuts spring back and are brown just around the edge, they are done.
- Use quality chocolate– Use quality chocolate chips whenever possible. I opted for dark chocolate but semi-sweet or bittersweet works great too. For semi-sweet chocolate chips, Ghiradelli which can be found at almost every grocery store.
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Small Batch Samoa Doughnuts
Ingredients
Doughnut Recipe
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbl unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp LorAnn Princess Cake and Cookie Bakery Emulsion or sub for 2 tsp vanilla extract (3 tsp TOTAL)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes toasted
- 1 cup Salted Caramel Sauce *Recipe linked in Notes
- dark chocolate chips melted
Instructions
Doughnut
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Spray a doughnut pan with neutral oil. Set aside
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt. Whisk to combine
- Combine buttermilk, egg, extracts, and melted butter in a large measuring cup. Gently whisk egg.
- Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and gently fold with a spatula until combined or until a few streaks of flour still appear. Careful to not over mix batter.
- Using a piping bag, snip off the end and fill the doughnut pan. Or a spoon works as well, piping bag not required but it is easier.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are starting to turn golden brown and fragrant.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before taking out of the pan to continue to cool on a cooling rack.
- Turn the oven on broil. Add coconut flakes to a baking sheet pan and toast until golden brown. This will happen quickly so keep a close watch! May only take 3-5 minutes. Check frequently.
- While the doughnuts cool, make the caramel and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Caramel can also be made weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds until runny.
- Add toasted coconut into the slightly warmed caramel sauce. Add as little or as much coconut as you prefer. Carefully dip the top of the cooled doughnut into the coconut caramel mixture.
- Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl on 30 second increments. Using a spoon or piping bag with tip cut off, sprinkle chocolate over the caramel coconut glaze.
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