The Crowd-Favorite Girl Scout Cookie Giada De Laurentiis Doesn't Like
Every winter, the Girl Scouts' annual cookie program kicks off to the delight of millions. You see troops selling the famous confections at booths in parking lots, in front of stores, by the roadside, and at local events. It seems everyone gets in on the cookie mania, even famed Italian chef and author Giada De Laurentiis.
Like everyone else with a taste for the limited-time treats, she, too, has her favorite flavors — and ones she's underwhelmed by. In a video she posted on TikTok, De Laurentiis revealed her go-to Girl Scout cookies, from lowest-ranked to highest, and one of the flavors she doesn't care for comes as a total shock.
The shortbread, or Trefoils, are at the bottom of her list, but the runner up is the wildly popular Caramel deLites. According to the Girl Scouts, these coconut caramel cookies are the second best-selling flavor in America. However, they do contain lots of coconut, which is one of the three ingredients De Laurentiis can't stand, so it does make a bit of sense in her case.
@giadadelaurentiis It's that time of year again #girlscoutcookies #ranking #rankings
The celebrity chef rounds out her list (lowest ranked to highest) with Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies (Do-si-dos), Lemonades, Peanut Butter Patties (Tagalongs), and finally, Thin Mints, which also happen to be the country's favorite flavor, based on sales.
Caramel deLites are covered with coconut, which Giada despises
Caramel deLite Girl Scout cookies are made of a crunchy butter cookie base that's doused in caramel and a chocolate drizzle, which Giada De Laurentiis would probably adore if this was the extent of the cookie. But, they are also positively covered with toasted, golden coconut flakes. Many adore them, but the Giadzy founder has been very open in the past about her lack of enthusiasm for the tropical fruit. As she told Bravo in 2017, "I don't eat coconut. I don't like anything with coconut. Not [coconut] water. Just no coconut, at all. In anything."
Despite her strong feelings, De Laurentiis does realize that many people don't share her disdain for the hard-shelled fruit, so she has developed several recipes that include the shredded delight, like coconut orzo with peas, coconut yogurt parfaits, and Magic Bars which, ironically enough, slightly resemble Caramel deLite cookies as they contain caramel, chocolate, and plenty of coconut.
Caramel deLites have been a fan favorite for 50 years
While the very first Girl Scout cookies were homemade in 1917 and sold to raise money for activities, the business of baking them had to be transferred to professionals by 1934 because demand had increased so much. The best-selling Thin Mints have been in the organization's cookie lineup since at least the early 1950s, and Samoas (now Caramel deLites) came along in the 1970s. While several Girl Scout cookies have come and gone, including this popular flavor that debuted in 2023 but we're not getting back, Thin Mints and Caramel deLite are long-time staples in the cookie lineup, spawning several knockoffs.
Like Giada De Laurentiis, fellow celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay doesn't care for Caramel deLite cookies either. During an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, the British chef spat out the cookie after one bite. However, plenty of other famous names proudly adore Caramel deLites, as outlined by Us Weekly; among them are Chrissy Teigen, Amanda Seyfried, Kourtney Kardashian, Justin Timberlake, and Miranda Lambert.