I Tried And Ranked Every Single Girl Scout Cookie

Girl Scout cookie season is upon us, and as a former member who used to sell them, it's always a fun time of year. Aside from going door-to-door (which was expected and generally safe in those days), my parents would also bring the little paper order form to work to ask colleagues to stock up on their own little cookie stash. That always felt like something of a cheat code, but having seen plenty of Girl Scout cookie order forms in break rooms as an adult, I've come to appreciate it, eagerly ordering my own supply. Today, in addition to the occasional door-to-door visitor, Girl Scouts sell cookies in front of grocery stores and even through online forms.

Though cookies come and go from the Girl Scout lineup, several classics and stalwarts remain. And since it's time to get your orders together (or in some cases, re-orders), I set out on a most important mission: Taste, compare, and rank every Girl Scout cookie based on taste, texture, and overall appeal. All Girl Scout cookies come from two different bakers (Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers), and I was curious to see if that might have any impact on how I slotted these confections — particularly the newer editions. From Thin Mints to Samoas and every cookie in between, I've got the full rundown to help make filling out your order form a little easier.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.

If you follow a gluten-free diet, you no doubt know the struggle of finding tasty alternatives to your non-gluten-free favorite foods. Unfortunately, I can't recommend the Girl Scout Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies, one of the two gluten-free offerings from the Girl Scouts. Though the website promises that these cookies are "chewy," I found them unbearably dry, with barely a trace of visible chocolate chips (or flavor for that matter).

Between the two bakeries, Girl Scouts selling cookies from ABC Bakers will be the only ones offering this flavor. Each serving allows for three cookies with 160 calories, 7 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbohydrates, and 11 grams of sugar. Though I can imagine these tasting marginally better dipped in milk to provide some degree of moisture, the flavor wasn't really there either. Of all the Girl Scout cookies I sampled, these were easily my least favorite, failing to meet my expectations with a texture that was so distracting, the flavor was barely noticeable. I hoped for something like those mini, crunchy Famous Amos cookies, but these didn't even come close.

It seems every Girl Scout cookie season brings its fair share of changes to the offerings. Some offerings inexplicably disappear, and occasionally lineup newcomers can feel unexpected and out of place. In the 2026 lineup, you'll find a favorite introduced to the cookie-loving public in 2022: Adventurefuls. ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers both create these allegedly brownie based cookies with a caramel crème and chocolate drizzle. Nutritionally, the metrics between the companies' cookies are close, though slightly different. ABC Bakers' cookies have 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbohydrates, and 11 grams of sugar per two cookies. Little Brownie Bakers also have two cookies per serving with 120 calories, 6 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbohydrates, and 9 grams of sugar.

Though I wasn't promised a chewy cookie here, with the suggestion that these were to be like brownies, I was disappointed in just how hard the cookies were. The combination of flavors was nice, but it was totally ruined by the sheer crunch of the cookie. No one wants a cookie that could break a tooth, and one that claims to be like a brownie is all the worse. I ranked these slightly above the gluten-free Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies since there's some enjoyable taste here, but even that can only take us so far.

Since Girl Scout cookies come from two different bakers, there are several flavors that are basically the same, but go by different names, one for each baker. This cookie is one of those. Little Brownie Bakers called these "Do-si-dos," while ABC Bakers went with a much more obvious name: Peanut Butter Sandwiches. As you might imagine, this is a sandwich cookie with peanut butter slathered between the two biscuits. The Do-si-dos I was sent for sampling had a three-cookie serving with 160 calories, 7 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbohydrates, and 11 grams of sugar. ABC Bakers' alternative also had a three-cookie serving with 170 calories, the same fat and carbohydrate content, and 9 grams of sugar.

Though these cookies were on the dry side, the peanut butter definitely helped provide moisture, but not enough to make these cookies one of my favorites. I was hoping for something like a Nutter Butter, which is the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and peanut butter, but these tasted closer to peanut butter crackers, rather than peanut butter cookies. These wouldn't be one of my first orders from a Girl Scout, but they also weren't my least favorite of the bunch. That said, when I compared these peanut butter sandwiches to the alternatives from Aldi, I far preferred the Aldi variety. In truth, Aldi has some pretty excellent copycats of Girl Scout cookies that definitely help soothe some of that longing at the end of cookie season.

While some Girl Scout offerings are essentially the same cookie with different names, lemon seems to be the area of difference –  these cookies are joined by a similar idea but sport completely different names and are made by the two different bakeries. The Lemon-Ups are Little Brownie Bakers' variety of lemon cookies. These wafer-type cookies have empowering aspirations written on them, tapping into the Girl Scout mission of helping its members become strong people who believe in themselves.

I was hoping that these cookies would be something like a little bite of lemon bar, but I found them tasting too much like fake lemon to be very enjoyable. There was also somewhat of an aftertaste, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. The scent reminded me quite a bit of Pledge, which didn't do a whole lot to make the cookie feel appetizing. Little Brownie Bakers' cookies have a two-cookie serving, 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 20 grams of carbohydrates, and 7 grams of sugar. While these might not have been my choice, I can imagine them being fairly enjoyable to eat with a hot beverage. They weren't particularly refreshing as-is, but a cookie like this seems perfect for a little tea party.

Another iteration of similar but differently named cookies are the Caramel deLites and Samoas. ABC Bakers' Caramel deLites have a two-cookie serving, 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbohydrates, and 12 grams of sugar. Little Brownie Bakers' Samoas also use a two-cookie serving, 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, the same measure of carbohydrates, and 11 grams of sugar.

For this tasting, I tried Samoas. Growing up, I generally sold the Caramel deLites on my order sheets. Based on what I remember, those cookies are basically the same as these Samoas. They had a really nice wafer texture with a decent amount of coconut, caramel, and chocolate. If you like your desserts to be very heavily coconut in both flavor and texture, then you will probably really enjoy these (unlike Giada De Laurentiis). While I like coconut, it's never at the top of my desires when it comes to desserts, so I do admit that these are an enjoyable cookie, and the textures are decent to bite down on, but the flavor wasn't my favorite. I placed them in the middle of the pack because, unlike some of the previous cookie varieties on this ranking, the bite is much more pleasant, and the flavor is pretty good, even if it's not my personal favorite.

Exploremores was the newest flavor to join the Girl Scout cookie lineup in the 2026 cookie season. The cookie promised to offer flavors of rocky road, all wrapped up in a chocolate sandwich-style cookie. Both ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers have the same name for this newest cookie, but the nutritional information was notably different between the two bakers' iterations. ABC Bakers offered a three-cookie serving with 180 calories, 7 grams of fat, 26 grams of carbohydrates, and 14 grams of sugar. Little Brownie Bakers, on the other hand, have a two-cookie serving with 130 calories, 5 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbohydrates, and 8 grams of sugar.

These cookies were interesting because they were the newest ones to join the collection but also because they're a unique flavor compared to the others. Most Girl Scout chocolate cookies were heavily accented with other flavors (like mint or peanut butter), but these focused very squarely on chocolate. The impression on the top of the cookie really drove home the Girl Scout cookie feel, and it was a nice touch. 

Overall, the cookie's flavor was nice with a texture and construction similar to an Oreo. Even though Exploremores give the Girl Scout cookie lineup a chocolatey boost, I wish the chocolate flavor was a little less like cereal and more like a decadent chocolate bar. That said, these are definitely among the better Girl Scout varieties available. 

Trefoils are perhaps the most classic of all Girl Scout cookies. In my mind, these simple little cookies have always epitomized cookie season, and, while a couple of the flavors taste even better, I always purchase a few boxes of Trefoils. When I bit into one for this tasting, I'm reminded why: They're simple, buttery, and comforting.

ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers both call these simple shortbread cookies "Trefoils," named for the Trefoil logo representing the Girl Scouts organization. The patent for the badge of this three-leaves logo dates back to 1914, when Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts, patented it. It may have been this logo that reminded me of all those Girl Scout memories I had as a kid, and I can imagine those memories made the cookie all that much more tasty. I've always found them especially snackworthy, often eating several in one sitting rather than only two or three. 

Looking at the nutritional information, both ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers seem to agree. ABC Bakers had a four-cookie serving with 120 calories, 4 ½ grams of fat, 19 grams of carbohydrates, and 6 grams of sugar. The Little Brownie Bakers serving was even bigger at five cookies per serving, 160 calories, 7 grams of fat, 21 grams of carbohydrates, and 7 grams of sugar.

While Little Brownie Bakers had the Lemon-Up cookies with empowering messages on them, ABC Bakers offers Lemonades. These cookies are a lemony take on shortbreads, but with an icing to offer a mellow tang. Each serving has a two-cookie helping with 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 21 grams of carbohydrates, and 9 grams of sugar.

I enjoyed these lemon cookies quite a bit more than the Lemon-Ups. The icing was on the bottom of the cookie, which made for a messy package upon arrival, but clearly still an enjoyable bite. These were reasonably tender and not dry at all. The lemon merged well with the shortbread, so it didn't taste too much like a cleaning product, and was somewhat more akin to a classic lemon bar recipe made with freshly squeezed lemon juice. They don't quite break into my top favorites, but they were definitely better than your average Girl Scout cookie. 

Any cookie experiencing a shortage promises to be excellent, and these cookies certainly delivered. Apparently, Toffee-tastic cookies are difficult to get your hands on due to strong sales and supply chain issues. One bite, and I understood why. If you love shortbread (as I do), these are the older sister of those basic cookies. With all the tastiness of a butter cookie with little sweet caramelly bits inside, they're just sweet enough to offer an extra special flavor that is easy to love. They were still very hard cookies, but as a shortbread-adjacent offering, it's to be expected.

Exclusive to Little Brownie Bakers, two cookies offer a complete serving with 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 19 grams of carbohydrates, and 7 grams of sugar. Gluten-free cookie lovers will especially appreciate these little sweet bites as they are one of the two gluten-free Girl Scout cookies offerings, and the only option from Little Brownie Bakers. As tasty as these are compared to the Caramel Chocolate Chip, I can't help but feel bad for those who need a gluten-free cookie, but are stuck with Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies, the only gluten-free option from ABC Bakers.

Thin Mints are the Girl Scout cookies that typically jump to mind before any other. My husband and son are absolutely obsessed with this flavor, so a box of these cookies never lasts long in our house. Thankfully, I was able to sneak a couple of cookies for this tasting, before they were gone. Though I enjoy Thin Mints, the only thing they're missing is just a little bit more of a tender bite. I don't mind the crunch, but I do enjoy a chewier texture when I bite into a cookie. I can imagine this is something of a hot take, and can see other Girl Scout cookie lovers putting Thin Mints at the top of this listing. After all, it's so popular that Dollar Tree has a dupe of this beloved Girl Scout cookie. You can even make homemade Thin Mints with two ingredients when you've finished your freezer stash long after cookie season wraps.

Thin Mints are easy to love because they are just so predictable, refreshing, and perfectly chocolatey. Both ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers offer this flavor at four cookies per serving, 160 calories, and 7 grams of fat. There is some slight divergence with the carbohydrates and sugar content with ABC having its cookies at 23 grams of carbohydrates and 11 grams of sugar while Little Brownie's are 21 grams of carbohydrates and 10 grams of sugar.

Since the time I was very little, my absolute favorite Girl Scout cookies were always Peanut Butter Patties. Apparently a great Girl Scout cookie to air fry, these treats are called Tagalongs when they come from Little Brownie Bakers. Like many of the cookie varieties, they're nearly exactly the same, regardless of the name and bakery and the nutritional information is predictably similar — ABC Bakers' cookies have a two-cookie serving with 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and 9 grams of sugar. Little Brownie Bakers also lists a two-cookie serving, 140 calories, 8 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbohydrates, and 8 grams of sugar.

The peanut butter here is perfectly soft with a decent layer to mix evenly with the chocolate. It's like biting into a slightly crunchy peanut butter cup, and for a chocolate and peanut butter lover, there wasn't much more I could hope for out of a cookie. They taste as great now as they did when I was a kid, and Tagalongs will always remind me of being a child selling Girl Scout cookies. That nostalgia might've given them an inside track on winning the top spot, but these tasty treats managed to earn the title on merit anyway.

To most accurately rank Girl Scout cookies, a collection from the two bakers arrived on my doorstep. During this sampling, I considered taste and texture. I looked for cookies that had an enjoyable flavor and pleasing mouthfeel. The best cookies would succeed in both, and my least favorites would likely miss the mark in these departments, typically being unreasonably dry and crunchy.