Everyone loves Girl Scout cookies. What’s not to love? You get a sweet treat while supporting community programs.
The first Girl Scout cookie sale happened in Oklahoma in 1917, when a troop sold homemade sugar cookies to pay for activities. In 1934, Philadelphia Girl Scouts hired a commercial baker, and by 1936 the cookie sale had gone national. Today, more than a million Girl Scouts sell roughly 200 million boxes each year, generating over $800 million in annual sales.
Across the decades, Girl Scouts have offered 63 varieties of cookies. Below is a clear, concise, and SEO-optimized ranking of them, written in natural, fluent English and preserving the original structure and headings.
How the Girl Scouts Sell So Many Cookies
Clarion Books
In 2024 the Girl Scouts offered 12 cookie varieties, and the organization’s sales success is the result of decades of strategy. CEO Bonnie Barczykowski, a long-time Girl Scouts veteran, led a $50 million “Her Future Is Our Future” campaign to fund scholarships, programs, and the endowment—helping sustain the organization and its cookie program.
Barczykowski says, “Girl Scouts prepares girls to lead—in their communities, workplaces and homes. I’ve watched our youngest Daisies grow into high school seniors, develop skills and become courageous, confident leaders.” That leadership vision guides cookie program decisions as well.
Thinking Outside the Cookie Box
Girls Scouts of the USA
The organization still follows disciplined sales rules: set sale dates (which vary by region), defined territories, and clear guidelines for volunteers. Those rules matter because cookie sales fund local troop activities and help pay for camps and facilities.
Top sellers can earn prizes like free annual memberships or camp credits. Beyond funds, the program teaches practical skills: younger girls learn to manage money and make change; older girls learn budgeting, marketing and communication. The cookie program is both a fundraiser and a learning experience.
Who Wants Cookies?
Girls Scouts of the USA
Everything starts with the cookies themselves. Below is a ranking of every Girl Scout cookie ever produced, from the least-loved to the most popular and enduring, with context on ingredients, bakeries, release dates and what made each variety memorable.
63. Golden Yangles
Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan
Bakery: Burry Biscuit Corporation
Released: 1981 — Discontinued: 1992
Main ingredients: Flour, cheddar cheese
These triangular cheese crackers were sold in the 1980s—a surprising savory entry in a cookie lineup. They didn’t fit the cookie expectation and were ultimately retired.
62. Cinna-Spins
The Cookie Life
Bakery: ABC Bakers
Released: 2008 — Discontinued: 2009
Main ingredients: Flour, cinnamon
Cinnamon-flavored, roll-shaped cookies sold in 100-calorie packs. They were convenient for lunches but priced higher per ounce than favorites, and few returned for more.
61. Daisy Go Rounds
Ain’t Got No Lemons
Bakery: ABC Bakers
Released: 2009 — Discontinued: 2010
Main ingredients: Flour, cinnamon
Daisy-shaped cinnamon cookies that replaced Cinna-Spins. Pretty to look at but cinnamon cookies have a limited fan base, so they didn’t last.
60. Sugar-Free Little Brownies
Little Brownie Bakers
Bakery: Little Brownie Bakers
Released: 2008 — Discontinued: 2009
Main ingredients: Flour, chocolate, artificial sweetener
Marketed as sugar-free, these brownies came with a laxative warning and failed to win fans. They were phased out after one season.
59. Sugar-Free Chalet Cremes
Diets in Review
Bakery: Little Brownie Bakers
Released: 1997 — Discontinued: 1998
Main ingredients: Flour, lemon, aspartame
The first sugar-free cookie aimed for shoppers on restricted diets, but the artificial taste diminished its appeal and it was quickly retired.
58. Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips
thevegansnuts
Bakery: Little Brownie Bakers
Released: 2007 — Discontinued: 2008
Main ingredients: Flour, chocolate chips with artificial sweetener
A crunchy chocolate chip cookie with a noticeable artificial aftertaste; not a strong seller.
57. Lemon-Ups
Girl Scouts
Bakery: Little Brownie Bakers
Released: 2020
Main ingredients: Flour, lemon
A crisp lemon cookie with sweet glaze and an uplifting message stamped on each cookie. It received mixed reviews—positive messaging, but some tasters felt flavor was lacking.
56. Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Bar
yummly
Bakery: ABC Bakers
Released: 1994 — Discontinued: 1997
Main ingredients: Oatmeal, raisins, cinnamon, icing
A fat-free cookie-bar hybrid, sold as a low-fat option and popular enough to last several seasons despite mixed appeal to traditional cookie lovers.
55. Rah-Rah Raisins
Delish
Bakery: Little Brownie Bakers
Released: 2014 — Discontinued: 2016
Main ingredients: Oatmeal, raisins, yogurt-flavored chunks
Raisin lovers appreciated these crumbly oatmeal cookies; others bought them mainly to support Girl Scouts or to share with relatives who favor raisins.
54. Snaps
Tasty
Bakery: Little Brownie Bakers
Released: 1993 — Discontinued: 1997
Main ingredients: Oatmeal, raisin, icing
A modest, low-fat oatmeal and raisin cookie with a light icing—pleasant with tea and sold for several seasons before retirement.
53. Granola
Getty Images
Bakery: Little Brownie Bakers
Released: 1977 — Discontinued: 1978
Main ingredients: Rolled oats, molasses, wheat germ, sesame seeds, brown sugar
A short-lived healthy option likely ahead of its time; replaced after one year by a similar, simpler recipe.
52–1: Highlights and Top Picks
The remainder of the list includes many discontinued and seasonal favorites that reflect shifting consumer tastes—from attempts at healthier options to limited-edition gourmet cookies. Notable entries include nostalgic classics like Scot-Teas, perennial best-sellers such as Shortbread (Trefoils), and modern favorites that quickly earned loyal followings, including Adventurefuls, Toast-Yay!, and the vegan Lemonades.
Among modern and classic favorites, the top-ranked cookies are:
3. Tagalongs — Peanut butter layered and dipped in chocolate; a consistent favorite across bakers.
2. Samoas — Vanilla cookies topped with caramel, toasted coconut and chocolate; loved for their sweet-toasted contrast.
1. Thin Mint — The top seller and cultural icon: a crisp chocolate-mint wafer coated in peppermint-flavored chocolate. Thin Mints are beloved for their refreshing flavor and are often enjoyed frozen for an extra crisp bite.
Other popular choices include Double Dutch (a chocolate-lover’s dream), Aloha Chips (white chocolate and macadamia), and Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies (Do-si-dos/Savannahs).
Over the years Girl Scouts have experimented with flavors, formats and dietary options—gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan and reduced-fat—while keeping the program’s educational and fundraising goals front and center. The cookie lineup continues to evolve, balancing tradition with new tastes, and providing girls with hands-on lessons in entrepreneurship, finance and leadership while delighting generations of cookie fans.