Girl Scout cookie season is almost here, continuing a legacy that has spanned more than 100 years.

The annual fundraiser for the nonprofit began in 1917, just five years after the organization was founded. Every year, cookies go on sale starting in January and run through March or April, depending on the region.

The cookie program has two goals: to enhance the financial literacy of young women and to raise funds, Girl Scouts of the USA Chief Revenue Officer Wendy Lou told Forbes. Each year, Girl Scouts sell more than 200 million boxes and raise around $1 billion, according to the Forbes reporting.

“It’s the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world,” Lou said, and Girl Scouts learn “skills around decision-making, business ethics and goal setting.”

It’s hard to imagine cookie season without classics like Thin Mints or Caramel deLites (also known as Samoas), but other flavors fall out of favor. In January 2025, the group announced it would discontinue two flavors.

Ahead of the 2026 sales season, in September 2025, Girl Scouts said the new year would also feature one new flavor for the 2026 sales period.

Girl Scout cookies earn the organization $1 billion every day.

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The new Girl Scout cookie flavor for 2026

The cookies that were canceled this year were the Girl Scout S’mores and Toast-Yay! 

Girl Scouts announced in a press release that the new flavor for 2026 is “Exploremores,” inspired by rocky road ice cream.

Exploremores are sandwich cookies filled with layers of chocolate, marshmallow, and toasted-almond-flavored cream.

Other discontinued Girl Scout cookies

  • Savannah Smiles were sold from 2011 to 2019 before being replaced by Lemon‑Ups.
    Source: Little Brownie Bakers
  • Raspberry Rally, a thin, crispy raspberry‑flavored cookie introduced in 2023, was discontinued the following year.
    Source: CBS News
  • Thanks‑A‑Lot, chocolate‑dipped shortbread stamped with “thank you” messages were sold for many years and phased out in 2021.
    Source: Tasting Table
  • All Abouts were shortbread cookies with chocolate coating and embossed messages sold by Little Brownie Bakers from 2001 to 2008.
    Source: Tasting Table
  • Lemon Chalet Cremes, the lemon‑filled cookies sold in earlier decades, were replaced by Savannah Smiles around the early 2010s.
    Source: Little Brownie Bakers

Girl Scout cookie prices hit by inflation

Prices for cookies and other bakery goods have been rising alongside broader food inflation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In the most recent CPI release, the index for cakes, cupcakes, and cookies — which tracks retail price changes for cookies and similar bakery items — rose 1.7% year over year. This reflects modest price increases amid ongoing food-cost pressures.

Overall, the food at home category, including groceries purchase to eat at home, like cookies, has also registered inflation, with many staple items seeing higher prices compared with recent years.

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For example, broader CPI data shows the food at home index climbed modestly and contributes to the higher cost of everyday grocery items.

The bottom line is that many Americans are having to make difficult choices when it comes to spending, which could mean cutting back on discretionary purchases — like cookies — in order to free up money for essentials such as milk, bread, and eggs.

A package of Girl Scout cookies is more expensive than a box of Oreos. At a Walmart in the Western U.S., a 13.9 oz. package of Oreos is currently less than $4, while a 9-oz. box of Girl Scout Thin Mints costs at least $6 or more, depending on the region.

Cookies are one of the world’s most popular snacks

Cookies are one of the most-consumed snacks in the U.S., and the category is growing. Revenue in the Cookies & Crackers market amounts to $150.65 billion in 2025. The market is expected to grow annually by 6.19% (CAGR 2025-2030), according to Statista.

  • Size of the U.S. cookie market: The U.S. cookies market is projected to reach about $10.6 billion in annual revenue by 2025, up from $7.5 billion in 2018, reflecting continued growth.
    Source: Grand View Research
  • Flavor innovation drives demand: Cookies with unique and exotic flavor combinations continue to fuel consumer trial and repeat purchases — a trend that benefits limited-edition or new cookie varieties, such as Girl Scout cookies.
    Source: MarkWide Research
  • Seasonal purchasing boosts cookie sales: Seasonal cookies can represent 35 % of annual revenue for many cookie makers, showing consumer enthusiasm for time-limited offerings.
    Source: MarkWide Research
  • E-commerce growth in cookies: Online cookie sales have seen about 42% growth in recent years, giving brands (and even Girl Scouts’ Digital Cookie platform) new channels to reach buyers.
    Source: MarkWide Research

Do Girl Scouts bake Girl Scout cookies?

Girl Scouts troops do not bake their own cookies. The organization works with just two commercial bakers, ABC Bakers in Downers Grove, Ill., and Little Brownie Bakers in Louisville, Kentucky, to produce the millions of cookies they sell each year.

Customers can find out which flavors are available near them by checking the “Find cookies” page on the Girl Scouts website.

Eleven cookie flavors will be available this year:

  • Exploremores
  • Adventurefuls
  • Caramel deLites/Samoas
  • Peanut Butter Sandwich/Do-Si-Dos
  • Gluten-Free Caramel Chocolate Chip
  • Lemonades
  • Lemon-Ups
  • Peanut Butter Patties/Tagalongs
  • Thin Mints
  • Toffee-Tastic
  • Trefoils

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