In 2024, Lady Scout Cookies have absolutely staked their place within the American culinary zeitgeist. Whether or not you’re a Samoas fan or a Skinny Mint devotee, almost everyone seems to be completely satisfied to shell out as a lot as $6 to attain a field of their favourite Lady Scout cookie — and help a longstanding group that advantages women throughout the nation (to not point out argue endlessly about what cookie is really The Greatest One). With the 2024 Lady Scout cookie season formally upon us, right here’s every thing it is advisable to find out about this beloved cookie custom.

When is Lady Scout cookie season?

The precise timing is determined by the place you reside, however typically talking it happens for under six to eight weeks every year. The vast majority of cookie gross sales are held between January and April, however some troops start slinging cookies as early as September. Discover out when cookies go on sale in your space right here.

The place can I purchase Lady Scout cookies?

Good query. The Lady Scouts web site has a helpful cookie locator that may enable you observe them down by coming into your zip code. Normally, Lady Scouts are likely to arrange store outdoors high-traffic areas frequented by individuals who in all probability like cookies — suppose grocery shops and big-box shops comparable to Goal and Walmart.

In 2014, the Scouts launched on-line ordering, and even in case you don’t purchase in particular person, your buy can nonetheless profit a neighborhood troop. The Scouts’s web site prompts consumers to enter their zip code, after which redirects them to a neighborhood troop’s web page to finish the acquisition. For those who want cookies ASAP, the location may even serve up an inventory of places the place yow will discover a gaggle of Scouts promoting IRL.

Who makes Lady Scout cookies?

To start with, the Scouts baked their very own sugar cookies and offered them door-to-door; it wasn’t till the late Thirties that the group started contracting business bakers to supply the cookies en masse. Right this moment, each Lady Scout cookie offered in America is produced by considered one of two massive bakeries: Little Brownie Bakers (which is definitely a subsidiary of Keebler), or ABC Good Cookies. Troops select which baker they buy from, and every baker makes them utilizing barely completely different recipes and completely different names. That’s proper, Peanut Butter Patties and Tagalongs are mainly the identical factor from completely different corporations, as are Caramel DeLites and Samoas, and Peanut Butter Sandwiches and Do-Si-Dos. (Skinny Mints are Skinny Mints regardless of the place you’re within the nation, although.)

What are the Lady Scout cookie flavors in 2024?

The 2024 lineup of flavors is as follows:

Skinny Mints: a crispy chocolate-mint wafer coated in chocolate

Samoas: crispy coconut and caramel-coated ring-shaped cookies with chocolatey stripes

Tagalongs: crunchy cookies topped with a layer of peanut butter and dipped in chocolate

Trefoils: shortbread cookies

Do-Si-Dos: a peanut butter sandwich cookie

Adventurefuls: a chocolate, brownie-ish cookie with a dollop of caramel “creme” within the middle.

Caramel Chocolate Chip: Gluten-free, chewy cookies with caramel and chocolate chips.

Lemonades: lemon-iced shortbread cookies

Lemon-Ups: additionally a lemon cookie, however with “inspirational messages” printed on it.

Lady Scout S’mores: graham cracker sandwich cookies full of chocolate and marshmallow fluff.

Toast-Yay: icing-dipped, French toast flavored cookies

Toffee-tastics: a gluten-free buttery toffee cookie

What’s one of the best Lady Scout cookie taste?

Whereas many will argue that the highest Lady Scout cookie is the cool, chocolatey Skinny Mint, the crispy, creamy, candy and just-a-little-bit-salty peanut butter and chocolate Tagalongs may very well be the queen of all cookies, Lady Scout or in any other case. The caramel and coconut Samoas even have hordes of devoted followers. These are simply the highest three flavors, and after that there’s a pointy drop-off: Trefoils are boring outdated shortbread; Savannah Smiles are lemon and actually, who will get enthusiastic about lemon cookies? The peanut butter sandwiches referred to as Do-Si-Dos are weirdly dry and crumbly and somewhat bit bland; and lots of the others aren’t even price mentioning. Stick to the highest three and also you received’t go fallacious. (Professional tip: Skinny Mints and Tagalongs are unbelievable straight from the freezer.)

The place does all of the cookie cash go?

How precisely funds are distributed between native Lady Scouts and the nationwide group is a bit sophisticated. In response to the Scouts, the “web proceeds” from every year’s cookie gross sales are directed to native council, which distributes the cash among the many troops it oversees to fund actions and “impactful girl-led neighborhood initiatives.”

Sometimes, politically motivated posts will go viral on-line, claiming that the Lady Scouts have donated cash from cookie gross sales (or cash generally) to organizations like Deliberate Parenthood. The Lady Scouts have made clear that they don’t have any reference to the group, and that each one proceeds from cookie gross sales — after the bakers are paid — keep inside the regional council that oversees the annual cookie bonanza.

How can I get Lady Scout Cookies out of season?

You’ll be able to’t, until perhaps you discover some scalper on Craigslist who retains inventory of their freezer year-round. For those who’re actually jonesing for a GSC repair, knockoffs might be discovered within the cookie aisle from each Keebler’s and Walmart’s Nice Worth model that approximate Skinny Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs — however they’re not as tasty as the true factor, and maybe extra importantly, they lack the charitable side that comes together with shopping for direct from the Lady Scouts.

The Lady Scouts have collaborated with various meals corporations on GSC-inspired merchandise, nevertheless, together with Breyers ice cream, a cereal collab with Normal Mills, Coffeemate espresso creamer, even a Dairy Queen Blizzard. There’s even Skinny Mints flavored whey protein powder at GNC. (There’s additionally a pressure of marijuana referred to as Lady Scout Cookies, however that’s a decidedly unauthorized use of the GSC identify.)

Like many fantastic issues in life, Lady Scout Cookies are fleeting — and actually, ready 10 months for them to return again in season makes them style even higher.