A Definitive Ranking of Girl Scout Cookies
Photo by Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar/Creative Commons Food Lists Girl Scout Cookies
I did Girl Scouts for several years as a kid, and honestly, there’s not a lot I remember about it. There were crafts and the colorful badges I so desperately wanted to affix to my vest, but I’m not sure the program actually helped me build “courage,” “confidence” or “character,” as the mission statement of the organization suggests. One thing I do remember, though, is the cookies. I’d get so excited when the shipment of colorful boxes arrived, each box filled with what I truly believed to be the most delicious cookies on the planet.
It’s been a while since I was a Girl Scout myself, and the cookie lineup has changed a lot during that time. There are some new varieties that are undeniably delicious, although they don’t necessarily beat out the classics that you can still source from a Girl Scout in your neighborhood. For the sake of the internet’s taste buds, I’ve cleaned out my local Girl Scout’s supply and ranked these iconic cookies from worst to best. Where do your favorites land in the lineup?
12. Lemon-Ups
The messages on these cookies are cute, but when it comes to the flavor, I’ll have to pass. Lemon-Ups are somehow both too sweet and too tart at the same time, and they also have a distinct dryness to them that’ll prevent you from eating more than one before your mouth gets too dry to carry on.
11. Trefoils
These are the most basic cookies of the bunch. They’re basically just shortbread cookies, and although they’re better than a lot of shortbread cookies we’ve had in the past, Trefoils just aren’t as exciting as basically any other cookie on this list.
10. Do-si-dos Peanut Butter Sandwich
These oatmeal sandwich cookies boast a peanut butter filling, and the result is just as dry and nondescript as you’d probably expect it to be. These are the ideal cookies for picky kids who want to eat nothing but peanut butter, but there are much, much better Girl Scout cookie options to choose from.
9. Lemonades
I’m not sure what’s up with the preoccupation with lemon-flavored cookies, but Lemonades aren’t that much better than their slightly more boring lemon-flavored companions on the Girl Scout cookie lineup. The addition of lemon-flavored icing is a step in the right direction, but the end result is still a cookie that’s too sweet and too, well, lemony.
8. Girl Scout S’mores
Graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows are a match made in heaven, but I’d personally rather just have some real s’mores than indulge in a box of these cookies. They’re not bad, but I hope Girl Scout troops are still going hiking and camping these days so they can experience real s’mores how they’re meant to be enjoyed.
7. Caramel Chocolate Chip
If you’re looking for a cookie that tends toward the chewier end of the spectrum versus the crunchier side of things, you’re probably going to enjoy these Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies, which just happen to be gluten-free. I feel like the caramel in these cookies makes them a bit too sweet, but luckily, all that sugar is balanced out by a generous sprinkling of sea salt.
6. Toast-Yay
I love French toast-flavored anything, which is why the Toast-Yay cookies from Girl Scouts have landed in the top half of this list. Ultimately, this is a simple cookie with a somewhat neutral flavor, but because of that, it can appeal to a wide range of snackers. The sweet icing keeps it from being too boring.
5. Toffee-tastic
I love that Girl Scouts now offer gluten-free cookies for all the celiac sufferers out there, but you don’t even have to be gluten free to appreciate a Toffee-tastic cookie. The cookie itself has a lovely butteriness to it that’s only enhanced by the tiny toffee bits you’ll find throughout. These are especially delicious alongside a cup of coffee.
4. Peanut Butter Patties Tagalongs
If you’re going to make a peanut butter cookie, it needs to have plenty of chocolate in the mix, and that’s just what you’re getting with Peanut Butter Patties Tagalongs. They are a marked upgrade from the aforementioned peanut butter sandwich cookies, although they can still tend toward dryness.
3. Caramel DeLites Samoas
One viewpoint I’ll always stand by is that nearly any dessert can be improved with the addition of coconut, and that certainly holds true for the Caramel DeLites Samoas, which are essentially what would be created if Fudge Stripes and Almond Joys had a baby. Admittedly, they are quite sweet, but on the bright side, that prevents us from bringing the entire box.
2. Adventurefuls
I’m sad that Adventurefuls weren’t in existence when I was a Girl Scout because these brownie-inspired cookies are definitely one of the best options in the whole lineup. The soft, almost gooey cookie is enhanced by a caramel-flavored crème and just the right amount of sea salt to keep things interesting.
1. Thin Mints
You didn’t even need to scroll to the bottom of this article to know that Thin Mints were going to land in the number one spot. They’re wildly popular for a reason: It’s hard to beat the mixture of mint and chocolate, especially when it’s delivered in a perfectly crisp, slightly crunchy package. If you can avoid finishing a box of these in one single sitting, you’re a better person than I am.
Samantha Maxwell is a food writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter at @samseating.