If you love samoa girl scout cookies, you will looove this samoa cheesecake! Made with chocolate wafers, caramel and fudge, and toasted coconut, it’s a cake that tastes even better than it looks!
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A couple months ago, my newsfeed blew up with posts about all of my friend’s children selling Girl Scout cookies, which, I am totally fine with. I ended up buying 6 boxes of different flavors, which of course included the samoa cookies.
Since then, I have been using the cookies as bribes to get my 4-year-old to behave. I had been getting almost daily reports from his preschool about his aggressive behavior. So every day that he doesn’t hit or push a classmate, he gets a cookie.
And, it worked! We have been 3 weeks without any incidents *knock on wood*.
Anyway – parenting hack for anyone trying to get better behavior out of your kids – Girl Scout cookie bribes totally work!
Because his behavior has improved so much, I decided to treat him (and me) with the best Samoa Cheesecake. It’s creamy, chocolaty, caramely, and has the hint of toasted coconut. It’s so yummy and makes for an absolutely gorgeous presentation.
Table of Contents
The Best Samoa Cheesecake
The Crust
You’ll add chocolate wafers* (or chocolate cookies) to a food processor and mix until they are crumbs. Add in 1/4 cup of melted butter and mix in the food processor until just blended.
NOTE: Chocolate wafers can typically be found in the cookie or baking isle at the grocery store. If you prefer to use graham crackers, substitute with 2 sleeves (about 20-22 crackers) instead.
Cut out a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a 10″ spring-form pan, then place the parchment paper in the pan. Press the crumb mixture into the pan and smooth out the crust so it is even.
Wrap the bottom of the pan with 2 large pieces of foil, bringing the foil about half way up the side of the pan. Transfer the pan into the freezer.
The Cheesecake
Add 6 8-ounce packages of softened cream cheese to a bowl. Use a stand or hand mixer to mix until the cream cheese is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl periodically while mixing.
Add 3/4 cup powdered sugar and mix well. Next, add in 1 cup of granulated sugar and mix well. Add in 1 1/4 tbsp vanilla extract and 2 1/2 tsp lemon juice, then mix until incorporated. Turn the mixer up to high and mix until fluffy.
In a separate bowl, whisk 5 eggs until they are fluffy and a light lemon color. Add the eggs to the cheesecake mixture and gently fold in the eggs, then stir the ingredients by hand until completely mixed.
Grab your crust out of the freezer, then pour the cheesecake filling into the pan. Place the pan in a shallow dish with 1/2″ of water in the bottom, then transfer pan to the oven.
Turn the oven on to 475 degrees and bake for 14 minutes. (Yes, you read that right – don’t preheat the oven prior to adding the cheesecake).
Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for 1 hour. Note: it may be tempting, but do not open the oven door!
Turn off oven and let cheesecake sit in the oven for 45 minutes.
Open oven door and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for another 30 minutes.
Remove cheesecake from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
The Topping
While the cheesecake is cooling on the wire rack, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1/2 package of coconut on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Toast coconut in the oven until it turns light brown, 10 – 15 minutes, turning every minute or two for even toasting. Remove from oven and let cool.
Once cooled, add coconut to a bowl with 1/4 jar of caramel sauce and stir to combine.
Once cheesecake is completely cool, spoon caramel coconut sauce evenly onto the top of the cheesecake. Drizzle remaining caramel sauce and fudge sauce on top of the cheesecake, in both directions, crisscrossing the caramel and fudge.
Cover the cheesecake and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. For best results, chill over night!
The Best Samoa Cheesecake
Your favorite Girl Scout cookie just got an upgrade! A samoa-inspired cheesecake made with toasted shredded coconut, caramel, and fudge drizzled on top of a delicious homemade cheesecake.
Ingredients
The Crust
- 1 package chocolate wafers
- 1/4 cup butter melted
The Cheesecake
- 6 8-oz packages of cream cheese softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 5 eggs
The Toppings
- 1/2 package shredded coconut
- 1 jar prepared caramel sauce
- 1 jar prepared chocolate fudge sauce
Supplies
- 10" spring-form pan
- parchment paper
- stand or hand mixer
- aluminum foil
- shallow pan to bake cheesecake on
Instructions
The Crust
-
You’ll add chocolate wafers (or chocolate cookies) to a food processor and mix until they are crumbs. Add in 1/4 cup of melted butter and mix in the food processor until just blended.
-
Cut out a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a 10″ spring-form pan, then place the parchment paper in the pan. Press the crumb mixture into the pan and smooth out the crust so it is even.
-
Wrap the bottom of the pan with 2 large pieces of foil, bringing the foil about half way up the side of the pan. Transfer the pan into the freezer.
The Cheesecake
-
Add softened cream cheese to a bowl. Use a stand or hand mixer to mix until the cream cheese is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl periodically while mixing.
-
Add powdered sugar and mix well. Add in granulated sugar and mix well. Add vanilla extract and lemon juice, then mix until incorporated. Turn the mixer up to high and mix until fluffy.
-
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until they are fluffy and a light lemon color. Add the eggs to the cheesecake mixture and gently fold in the eggs, then stir the ingredients by hand until completely mixed.
-
Grab your crust out of the freezer, then pour the cheesecake filling into the pan. Place the pan in a shallow dish with 1/2″ of water in the bottom, then transfer pan to the oven.
-
Turn the oven on to 475 degrees and bake for 14 minutes. (Yes, you read that right – don’t preheat the oven prior to adding the cheesecake).
-
Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for 1 hour. Note: it may be tempting, but do not open the oven door!
-
Turn off oven and let cheesecake sit in the oven for 45 minutes.
-
Open oven door and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for another 30 minutes.
-
Remove cheesecake from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
The Topping & Assembly
-
While the cheesecake is cooling on the wire rack, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1/2 package of coconut on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Toast coconut in the oven until it turns light brown, 10 – 15 minutes, turning every minute or two for even toasting. Remove from oven and let cool.
-
Once cooled, add coconut to a bowl with 1/4 jar of caramel sauce and stir to combine.
-
Once cheesecake is completely cool, spoon caramel coconut sauce evenly onto the top of the cheesecake. Drizzle remaining caramel sauce and fudge sauce on top of the cheesecake, in both directions, crisscrossing the caramel and fudge.
-
Cover the cheesecake and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. For best results, chill over night!
Pin it – Samoa Cheesecake
Save this samoa cheesecake to your favorite cheesecake pinterest board by clicking on the image below.
Are you sure you are using a 20 inch springform pan? Should it be 10 inch?
Hi – no, it should be 10″. I’ve updated the recipe. Thank you!
How many eggs?
Hi Susan – thanks for letting me know I missed that in the ingredients! It’s 5 and I’ve added it to the recipe card.