One of the best seasons is Girl Scout Cookie season, the wonderful time of year when you can find groups of Girl Scouts on every street corner offering boxes of delectable cookies. The Thin Mint is America's favorite, but it's hard to go wrong with any Girl Scout cookies. Although we know how popular these wholesome sweets are, few realize just how much Girl Scouts make with their delicious cookies each year.
From citrusy Lemon-Ups to sweet Girl Scout S'mores, there's a Girl Scout cookie for everyone. There are currently 12 varieties, including Adventurefuls, Caramel Chocolate Chip, Caramel deLites (Samoas), Do-si-dos (Peanut Butter Sandwich), Girl Scout S'mores, Lemonades, Lemon-Ups, Peanut Butter Patties (Tagalongs), Shortbread (Trefoils), Thin Mints, Toast-Yay!, and Toffee-tastic.
The History of the Girl Scout Cookie Business
These tasty sweets first started being sold in 1917, over a century ago, when Girl Scout troop in Oklahoma sold cookies they'd made from scratch at their high school for a service project. Then, in 1922, a Girl Scout director put her own cookie recipe in Girl Scouts magazine and advised selling them for 20 to 30 cents a dozen.
From this moment on, the Girl Scout cookie program was in business, except for a break in sales during World War II due to shortages in sugar, flour and butter. The Girl Scout cookie program has grown in popularity and expanded over the years, from having three main cookie varieties to the 12 kinds there are today.
Currently, there are two commercial bakers who make Girl Scout Cookies- ABC Bakers and Little Brown Bakers. The Girl Scout council chooses one of these bakers to produce their cookies, which is why some cookies have slightly different names and recipes.
You can buy cookies from the Girl Scouts of the USA every year for six to eight weeks between January and April, filling your stomach and pantry with all of the deliciousness of these beloved treats. The cookies have already started being sold in some places, and others will be available soon.
The Girl Scouts sells these tasty cookies as a way to invest in future female entrepreneurs, giving the scouts an opportunity to practice goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.
How Much Money Do Girl Scout Cookies Make?
Girl Scout Cookies are so popular that during the season, they outsell leading cookie brands like Oreos, Chips Ahoy and Milanos. According to the Girl Scouts website, Girl Scout cookie sales reach $800 million every year! They reach this number by selling about 200 million boxes of Girl Scout cookies every season.
The most popular variety is the Thin Mint, and then Samoas and Tagalongs. The Girl Scouts use the money they make on activities and community projects for the scouts, which vary based on the Girl Scout council. To buy Girl Scouts this season, use the online Cookie Finder to see where your local Girl Scouts troop is selling their cookies!
READ MORE: New Adventureful Girl Scout Cookies are Here!
