It is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather is acting spring-y, there is less of a bite in the air and Girl Scouts are selling cookies.
I have already placed my order for this year: one box of Tagalongs, one Lemon-Ups, one Samoas and one Thin Mints. Though I would buy every kind of cookie if I had the chance, there are certain flavors that are far superior than others. Simply put, the top three best Girl Scout Cookies are Tagalongs, Thin Mints and Samoas, in that order.
Tagalongs, or Peanut Butter Patties, have been my top choice since I was a Brownie Scout in my hometown. It has the perfect ratio of chocolate to peanut butter to cookie, making a delicious blend in every bite. Tagalongs give a satisfying crunch due to the cookie center, but the peanut butter and chocolate bring back a smooth finish. Overall, this cookie can do no wrong and I will happily enjoy an entire box in one sitting.
Thin Mints are one of the original Girl Scout Cookies, which is one reason they are ranked second on my list. They are consistent, you know exactly what you are getting when you open a box: A subtle mint flavor paired beautifully with a crunchy chocolate cookie. Mint and chocolate are not usually in my top flavor profile, but there is something that a Thin Mint just does right.
The final item on my top Girl Scout Cookie list, Samoas, or Caramel deLites, are a complexly made cookie with caramel, coconut, chocolate and a simple shortbread base. The only cookie in a ring structure, Samoas get bonus points for their fun and unique shape. They are made with lots of caramel, one of the best baking flavors, so Samoas sit nicely at third. They lose points because of the mess factor created by the sticky consistency.
The rest of the cookies are not bad, for the most part, and I would thoroughly enjoy most of them, but they are lacking creativity and/or an interesting flavor profile.
At the very bottom of my list are S’mores and Toffee-tastic. These two are just not my cup of tea. S’mores has little actual marshmallow flavor and is more graham cracker than cookie. I do not like toffee, so there is not much else I can say about Toffee-tastic.
Next, at the most basic, Trefoils are almost as simple as simple gets. They are shortbread cookies. I have never bought a box of these, and I probably never will, but I do enjoy them on occasion.
Moving up the list towards the top three, Do-si-dos, Lemon-Ups and Lemonades are tied because of their simplicity. I am a fan of Lemon-Ups, but they are a more basic cookie. These three cookies have one flavor that they stick to, so you better be a big fan of peanut butter or lemon if you are to enjoy them.
The last four cookies, Raspberry Rally, Adventurefuls, Caramel Chocolate Chip and Toast-Yay!, I have never tried. But based on looks and descriptions alone, I think I would definitely enjoy Raspberry Rally cookies and the Caramel Chocolate Chips. Adventurefuls are a brownie base, which can be good or horrible with little in between. Toast-Yay! is French toast flavored and I do not like French toast, so a cookie that tastes like that would not be enjoyable.
My final official ranking for all the Girl Scout Cookies, not including the few I have not tried, is: Tagalong, Thin Mints, Samoas, Lemon-Ups, Do-si-dos, Trefoils, Lemonades, S’mores and Toffee-tastic.
Photo by Andrea Picaquadio via Pexels
