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Mizzou | Culture

Girl Scouts and Keebler – They’re More Alike Than You Think

Lauren Johnson Student Contributor, University of Missouri
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Girl Scouts are recognized mainly due to the cookies they sell from January to April. Although the price keeps rising each year, buying these cookies helps support the Girl Scouts. 

Many consumers wish that there were Girl Scout cookies all year long. Either people will buy a lot of Girl Scout cookies or try to find an off-brand version.

@itsjdevinci

I normally cant wait year round for girl scout cookies because i love Samoas so much: so ive found the perfect alternative when i want to satisfy my cravings. @Keebler coconut dreams gone do it every time. #girlscoutcookies #samoascookies #keeblercoconutdreams #yummy #fyp #foodreview

♬ original sound – jdevinci

The Keebler Company was founded in 1853, while Girl Scouts was founded in 1917. Back then, Keebler was actually contacted by the Greater Philadelphia Council in 1934 to help bake and package the famous vanilla trefoil cookies – these are still sold by Girl Scouts today.

Due to this, Keebler became one of the first bakers of Girl Scout Cookies. The trefoil cookie is currently produced by Little Brownie Bakers – a division of Keebler.

If you go to the stores today, you can find a variety of cookies that look similar and taste very close to the original Girl Scout cookies. A fan favorite of mine is the Samoas and the Coconut Dream comparison. You can barely tell the difference, and it is nice to have when the Girl Scouts are not currently selling cookies.

I recently discovered that Keebler sells almost a replica of Thin Mints – it’s called Fudge Mint Delights. While the two cookies taste similar, the main difference is the shape. Girl Scouts recently collaborated with Wendy’s to introduce a new frosty flavor: Vanilla or Chocolate Thin Mints Frosty – you could even taste the cookie crumbs within the syrup!

Girl Scout cookies
Original photo by Lauren Johnson

If you have ever wondered why some cookies produced by Girl Scouts either look slightly different, it’s because there are two different bakeries involved.

The two officially licensed bakeries include Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers. Although both produce similar cookies each year, the names are different, except for Thin Mints.

Little Brownie Bakers, based in Kentucky, call their cookies Trefoils, Samoas, Tagalongs and Do-si-does.

ABC Bakers, based in North Dakota, calls their cookies Shortbread, Caramel Delights, Peanut Butter Patties and Peanut Butter Sandwich.

The next time you buy a box of Girl Scout cookies, you could be getting cookies made from either Little Brownie Bakers or ABC Bakers. If you’re a big fan of Girl Scouts, you’ll know which box you got.

Hey, I am Lauren Johnson! I am a senior journalism major emphasizing in reporting and writing with an art minor at the University of Missouri. My hobbies include writing, cooking, and playing video games.