Girl Scout Cookies have firmly cemented their place in the American culinary zeitgeist. Whether you're a Samoas fan or a Thin Mint devotee, almost everyone is happy to spend $6 to score a box of their favorite Girl Scout cookie — and support a long-standing organization that benefits girls across the country (not to mention ARGUE there is no end about what a cookie Granted The Best). With the 2025 Girl Scout cookie season officially upon us, here's everything you need to know about this beloved cookie tradition.
When is Girl Scout cookie season?
The exact time depends on where you live, but it usually only happens for six to eight weeks each year. Most cookie sales are made between January and April, but some troops start slinging cookies as early as September. Find out when cookies go on sale in your area HERE.
Where can I buy Girl Scout cookies?
Good question. The Girl Scouts website has one available cookie finder which helps you track them by entering your zip code. In general, Girl Scouts tend to set up shop outside of high-traffic areas frequented by people who are likely to like cookies — think grocery stores and big-box stores like Target and Walmart.
In 2014, Girl Scouts launched online ordering, and even if you don't shop in person, your purchase will still benefit the local troop. The Woman Official Scouts website prompts buyers to input their zip code, and then redirects them to the local troop's page to complete the purchase and have the cookies delivered to their home. According to a press releasethis feature will be available starting February 21 this year. If you need cookies ASAP, the site also serves up a list of locations where you can find a group of Scouts selling IRL.
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Who makes Girl Scout cookies?
In the beginning, Girl Scouts baked their own sugar cookies and sold them door-to-door; It wasn't until the late 1930s that the organization began contracting commercial bakers to make cookies in bulk. Today, every Girl Scout cookie sold in America is made by one of two major bakeries: Little Brownie Bakers (which is actually a subsidiary of Keebler), or ABC Smart Cookies. The troops choose which baker they buy from, and each baker makes them using slightly different recipes and different names. That's right, Peanut Butter Patties and Tagalongs are basically the same thing from different companies, like Caramel DeLites and Samoas, and Peanut Butter Sandwiches and Do-Si-Dos. (Thin Mints are Thin Mints no matter where you are in the country, though.)
What will the Girl Scout cookie flavors be in 2025?
In January, Girl Scouts of the USA announced it would retire two flavors after the 2025 season: Toast-Yay! and S'mores. This is not the first time that the organization has discontinued a flavor, Raspberry Rally cookies are being retired in 2023. The 2025 lineup of flavors is as follows:
- Thin Mint: a crispy chocolate-mint wafer coated in chocolate
- Samoa: crispy coconut and caramel-coated ring-shaped cookies with chocolatey stripes
- Tagalog: crunchy cookies topped with a layer of peanut butter and dipped in chocolate
- trefoils: shortbread cookies
- Do-Si-Dos: a peanut butter sandwich cookie
- Adventurous: a chocolatey, brownie-ish cookie with a little caramel “creme” in the middle.
- Caramel Chocolate Chip: Gluten-free, chewy cookies with caramel and chocolate chips.
- Lemonades: lemon-iced shortbread cookies
- Lemon-Ups: also a lemon cookie, but with “motivational messages” printed on it.
- Girl Scout S'mores: graham cracker sandwich cookies filled with chocolate and marshmallow fluff.
- Toast-Yay: icing dipped, French toast flavored cookies
- Toffee-tastics: a gluten-free buttery toffee cookie
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What is the best Girl Scout cookie flavor?
Opinions differ, of course. While many would argue that the ultimate Girl Scout cookie is the cold, chocolate Thin Mint, others vouch for the crispy, creamy, sweet and slightly salty peanut butter and chocolate Tagalong. Caramel and coconut Samoas also have legions of devoted fans. Those are easy the first three tastesand the best-selling flavors according to Girl Scouts. After that there is a sharp drop-off from a subjective perspective of taste: Trefoils are boring old shortbread; Savannah Smiles are lemon and really, who gets excited about lemon cookies? The peanut butter sandwich known as Do-Si-Dos is dry and crumbly and a bit bland; and many others are not even worth mentioning. Stay in the top three and you can't go wrong. (Pro tip: Thin Mints and Tagalongs are great straight from the freezer.)
Where does all the cookie money go?
How exactly funds are distributed between local Girl Scouts and the national organization is somewhat complicated. According to the organization, the “net proceeds” from each year's cookie sales are directed to the local council, which distributes the money to the troops it oversees to fund activities and “community-led projects of women.”
Sometimes, politically motivated posts go viral online, claiming that Girl Scouts donate money from cookie sales (or money in general) to organizations like Planned Parenthood. Girl Scouts have intrigue that they have no connection to the organization, and that all profits from cookie sales – after paying the bakers – stay within the regional council that manages the annual cookie bonanza.
How do I get Girl Scout Cookies out of season?
You can't, unless you find a scalper on Craigslist who keeps stock in their freezer year-round. If you're jonesing for a GSC fix, you'll find the grocery store knockoffs those approximate Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs from Keebler's and Walmart's Great Value brands – but they don't taste as good as the real thing, and perhaps more importantly, they lack the charitable aspect that comes with buying directly from in the Girl Scouts.
Girl Scouts has partnered with several food companies on GSC-inspired products, however, including Breyers ice creama cereal collab with General Mills, Coffeemate coffee creamerand a Dairy Queen Blizzard. There is even Thin Mints flavored whey protein powder at GNC. (There is also a type of marijuana called Girl Scout Cookies, but that is an unauthorized use of the GSC name.)
Like many wonderful things in life, Girl Scout Cookies are quick — and in fact, waiting 10 months for them to come back in season makes them even tastier.