Cookie FAQ | Girl Scouts (2024)

FAQs

What percentage of cookie sales go to Troop? ›

The profits are divided by a formula, with local troops receiving about 10–15% of the retail price, the council more than 50%, and the manufacturer the remainder.

Girl Scouts should observe council jurisdictions when selling cookies at a parent's or guardian's workplace, unless other arrangements are made to accommodate all Girl Scout families connected to that workplace. For cookie booth sales, all booth locations are designated and approved by the council.

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, which has troops in western Ohio and southeastern Indiana, changed bakers for the 2024 season. Each baker makes their own Girl Scout Cookies, which means iconic favorites may differ in flavor and name – and new, specialty cookies are now available.

Those slight differences result in Caramel deLites having a higher cookie to caramel ratio. Samoas also tend to have more coconut, along with chocolate coating resembling dark chocolate, rather than the milk chocolate drizzle found on Caramel deLites. You can make your own Caramel deLites (or Samoas) at home!

The best-selling Girl Scout Cookies are: Thin Mints® Caramel deLites®/Samoas®

On average, troops sell 30-40 boxes of cookies per hour. So, for the typical three- hour cookie booth, approximately 90-120 boxes may be sold.

Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) does not sell cookies on Amazon or any other online platforms. Girl Scouts sell cookies through in-person sales, such as at booths set up in front of stores, and through pre-orders with the help of their families, friends, and the communities.

Girl Scouts and adults who do not follow procedures and etiquette should not be permitted to participate in booth sales. Please behave professionally and do not eat or drink while selling Girl Scout Cookies. Never leave girls alone and unsupervised at a booth sale. There always needs to be an adult present and engaged.

One hundred percent of the money that a council and its troops raise through the Girl Scout Cookie Program stays with that council and its troops. Let there be no question: all of the revenue from cookie activities—every penny after paying the baker—stays with the Girl Scout council.

According to the Girl Scouts website, Thin Mints is the highest-selling flavor of cookies nationally, followed by Samoas. The top 5 flavors of cookies sold nationally include: Thin Mints®

What Girl Scout cookie is being discontinued? ›

The Girl Scouts are officially discontinuing the popular Raspberry Rally. The Girl Scouts debuted the cookie last year, and for one whole season, the Raspberry Rally was one of the organization's most popular cookie offerings.

“Prices reflect the current cost of cookies and the cost of providing high-quality Girl Scout programming and experiences in an ever-changing economic environment,” GSUSA's website says.

Trefoils, or "Shortbreads", are shortbread cookies made in the shape of the Girl Scout trefoil. The national Girl Scout organization reviews and approves all varieties proposed by the baking companies, but requires only three types: Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos, and Trefoils.

Due to a licensing issue, the two bakeries don't always use the same recipe or even the same name. Samoas come from Little Brownie Bakers, while ABC Bakers calls them Caramel deLites. The two cookies look the same, but if you check the ingredients and compare how they taste, you'll notice the difference.

That's because the Girl Scouts use two different bakeries to distribute the cookies. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Thin Mint cookie that's "crunchier, with more mint than chocolate" comes from Virginia-based bakery ABC Cookies.

Troop Proceeds and Girl Rewards: Rewards and incentives as well as proceeds that go directly to troops, who can then use the funds for community service projects, program opportunities, travel, and more.

ABC Bakers is owned by Interbake Foods, and Little Brownie Bakers is owned by Italian confection maker, Ferrero. Girl Scouts pay the bakeries $1.30 for each box of cookies, which comes out to a whopping $260 million in revenue annually for these bakeries.

Many simple cookies sell for between $2.00 and $5.00 each, but it's not uncommon to see a dozen cookies cost $55 or more depending on the time and ingredients that went into making them. Some people charge $10 or more per cookie because of their decorative, custom designs.