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10 Things You Didn’t Know About Girl Scout Cookies
Photo Modified: Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar / CC 4.0
Every year when Girl Scout Cookie season rolls around, thousands of troops take to the streets with a very noble mission: to sell as many boxes of cookies as humanly possible. Girl Scout cookies are win-win: Girl Scout troops get to keep the proceeds as a much-needed source of revenue, and everybody else gets cookies. But even if you've never missed an opportunity to stock up on Thin Mints, we bet that there are some things you didn't know about these popular cookies.
Girl Scouts Sold Calendars During WWII Because of Rationing
Shutterstock / Laborant
Everyone did their part to support the war effort during World War II, including the Girl Scouts. They weren't able to sell as many cookies as usual during the war, so they sold calendars as well, and also collected cans of fat to donate and sold War Bonds at no profit.
Thin Mints Are the Top Seller
Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock
About 25 percent of all Girl Scout cookies sold are Thin Mints. Samoas/Caramel deLites are in second place with 19 percent of sales.
Gluten-Free, Vegan Girl Scout Cookies Are Now Available
ABC Bakers / Girl Scouts Facebook
Both Little Brownie's Toffee-Tastic and ABC's Trios are now gluten-free. Little Brownie's Thin Mints and ABC's Lemonades, Thanks-A-Lots, Thin Mints, and Peanut Butter Patties are vegan.
There Are Dozens of Discontinued Varieties
Photo Modified: Flickr / Katherine Johnson / CC 4.0
Remember All Abouts? How about Cinna-Spins, Olé Olés, Savannahs, Snaps, or Van'chos? These are just some of the more than 40 Girl Scout cookie varieties that have come and gone throughout the years.
There’s a Mobile Cookie-Locator App
Girl Scouts Cookie Finder / iTunes
There Are More Differences Between the Two Bakeries Than You May Realize
Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock
While the main cookie varieties tend to look and taste more or less the same between the two bakeries, the recipes tend to be quite different. And while each bakery can offer up to eight different cookie varieties on any given year, only three are mandatory: Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Sandwich/Do-Si-Dos, and Shortbread/Trefoils. While the five additional options can be changed every year, all changes must be approved by Girl Scouts of the USA. Some of the cookies produced by ABC contain high-fructose corn syrup, but Little Brownie has phased the ingredient out entirely.
They Take Sustainable Ingredient Sourcing Very Seriously
Photo Modified: Flickr /oneVillage Initiative / CC BY-SA 4.0
The bakers are "required to provide assurance that cocoa sourced for Girl Scout Cookies is child- and slave-labor free," according to girlscouts.org, and they only use certified sustainable palm oil. While they don't deny using GMO ingredients, they also point out that "there is worldwide scientific support for the safety of currently commercialized ingredients derived from genetically modified agricultural crops."
Jimmy Fallon Helped Break the Record for Most Cookies Sold
NBCUniversal
Last year, 17 year-oldOklahoma City native Katie Francis broke the world record for most Girl Scout Cookies sold by one person: 101,106. She sold the record-breaking box to none other than Jimmy Fallon during an appearance on his show; he purchased a $4 box of Samoas.
Only About 65 Percent of Girl Scouts Sell Cookies
Photo Modified: Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar / CC 4.0
"Annually, about 65 percent of registered Girl Scouts choose to participate in the program," according to Girl Scouts of the USA.
Buying Them Can Be Tax-Deductible
Photo Modified: Flickr / David Lofink / CC 4.0
If you keep the cookies you buy for yourself, then you can't write them off because you've bought them at fair market value. However, if you buy the cookies but leave them with the Girl Scouts or donate them to another organization, you may be able to write them off as a charitable donation.
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