Preheat your oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Baking at a low temperature ensures the shortbread cooks evenly without burning.

In a medium bowl, combine almond flour and maple syrup to form a smooth shortbread dough. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Use a rolling pin to evenly roll out the dough until it’s about ¼ inch thick, creating the perfect base for your cookies.

Use a circle cookie cutter, or the top of a glass to cut out cookies. Then, use a smaller cookie cutter, or a glass/metal straw to create the center hole.

Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the cookies are set and lightly golden. (27 minutes worked perfectly in my oven.) Let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack.

In the meantime, prepare the date caramel. Remove any pits from the dates and place them in a medium bowl. Cover them with hot, nearly boiling water and let them soak for 10 minutes.

Drain the dates and transfer them to a food processor or blender. I have found that a food processor work best for this. Process for 3–5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. Feel free to add in a tablespoon of water at a time to help break down the dates. Set the caramel aside.

Toast the coconut on the stovetop. You can also use the oven or air fryer and bake at 350F for 3-5 minutes. Watch it carefully as it will burn quickly.

Once the cookies are baked and cooled, spread a generous layer of date caramel on top of each cookie. Press the caramel-coated side into the toasted coconut, ensuring an even layer of coconut sticks to the caramel. Repeat for all cookies. Alternatively, you can mix the toasted coconut and date caramel together and spread it onto each cookie. It’s just about preference!

Melt dark chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. If using a microwave, heat in 30-second intervals with a small amount of coconut oil, stirring between intervals.

Dip the bottoms into the melted chocolate. Place them back on the parchment-lined sheet and drizzle chocolate over the tops to create that classic Samoa look.

Place cookies in the freezer for 20 minutes to set and enjoy! Store cookies in the fridge or freezer.