Girl Scout cookie season is once again upon us, and it’s definitely the second-most wonderful time of the year.
If you’re buying some Girl Scout cookies, the odds are that you’re not overly concerned with the calories. I mean, they ARE cookies after all, and you want to enjoy them as a delicious treat!
But with all the various nutrition guides I put together, I find it incredibly useful to know what I am eating. While I’m not necessarily concerned with whether or not a cookie is “healthy,” I like to know the calories & nutrition facts of the food I’m eating!
I’m not here to tell you which cookies are the so-called healthiest, because that is completely subjective. I can, however, break down the nutrition of each Girl Scout cookie to help you better understand what you’re consuming.
At the end of the day, taste is the most important factor in choosing a Girl Scout Cookie. And if you ask me, Samoas will ALWAYS reign supreme in that department.
In 2021, there are 12 different flavors of Girl Scout cookies. Let’s break them down!
I put this graphic together to make it very easy for you to compare the cookies! But keep in mind that for comparison purposes, I displayed the nutritional information for TWO cookies. Some cookies have larger serving sizes because the cookies are smaller!
So, we’ll break them down in full details below…
Thin Mints
Girl Scout council has two separate licensed bakers. Depending on where you are, the Thin Mints you receive may have slightly different ingredients and nutritional information.
ABC Bakers Thin Mints
Serving Size: 4 Cookies
Calories: 160
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Carbs: 22g
Sugar: 10g
Protein: 1g
Little Brownie Bakers Thin Mints
Serving Size: 4 Cookies
Calories: 160
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Carbs: 21g
Sugar: 10g
Protein: 2g
The Thin Mint cookie is easily one of the most popular Girl Scout cookies every single year. Personally, I don’t understand it, because I find mint & chocolate together to be disgusting. But, there’s no denying that I am in the minority there.
No matter which bakery sources your Thin Mints, the nutrition facts are incredibly similar! While the ingredients differ slightly, they are nearly identical.
Description of Thin Mints from the Girl Scouts website: Crisp, chocolaty cookies made with natural oil of peppermint.
Samoas/Caramel de-Lites
Girl Scout council has two separate licensed bakers. Depending on where you are, your box of cookies may say “Samoas” or “Caramel deLites”, but the nutritional information of each is quite similar. And let’s be real- we all know them as Samoas!
Samoas
Serving Size: 2 Cookies
Calories: 150
Fat: 8g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Carbs: 18g
Sugar: 11g
Protein: 1g
Caramel deLites
Serving Size: 2 Cookies
Calories: 140
Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Carbs: 19g
Sugar: 12g
Protein: <1g
Samoas are easily my favorite Girl Scout cookie! I’ll be honest: I don’t even like coconut. Something about this combination of the crispy cookie with the chewy caramel is just too good!
Description of Samoas from the Girl Scouts website: Crisp cookies with caramel, coconut, and dark chocolaty stripes.
Toast-Yay!
New for 2021 is Toast-Yay! cookies. These toast-shaped cookies taste like French Toast…
Serving Size: 2 Cookies
Calories: 140
Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Carbs: 21g
Sugar: 10g
Protein: 1g
Description of Toast-Yay! from the Girl Scouts website: French Toast-inspired cookies dipped in delicious icing and full of flavor in every bite.
Lemon-Ups
Serving Size: 2 Cookies
Calories: 140
Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Carbs: 20g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 1g
Description of Toast-Yay! from the Girl Scouts website: Crispy lemon cookies baked with inspiring messages to lift your spirits.
Lemonades
Serving Size: 2 Cookies
Calories: 150
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 4.5g
Carbs: 20g
Sugar: 9g
Protein: 1g
Description of Lemonades from the Girl Scouts website: Naturally and Artificially flavored savory slices of shortbread with a refreshingly tangy lemon-flavored icing.
Shortbread/Trefoils
Girl Scout council has two separate licensed bakers. Depending on where you are, your box of cookies may say “Shortbread” or “Trefoils”, but the nutritional information of each is quite similar.
Shortbread
Serving Size: 4 Cookies
Calories: 120
Fat: 4.5g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Carbs: 19g
Sugar: 6g
Protein: 1g
Trefoils
Serving Size: 5 Cookies
Calories: 160
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 2.5g
Carbs: 21g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 2g
If low fat and low sugar are what you’re after, shortbread is what you’re after! With no icing, coating, or toppings, shortbread cookies have some of the more favorable nutrition facts.
Description of Trefoils from the Girl Scouts website: Traditional shortbread cookies made in the shape of the Girl Scout trefoil.
Do-si-dos/ Peanut Butter Sandwich
Girl Scout council has two separate licensed bakers. Depending on where you are, your box of cookies may say “Do-si-dos” or “Peanut Butter Sandwich”, but the nutritional information of each is quite similar.
Do-si-dos
Serving Size: 3 Cookies
Calories: 160
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Carbs: 22g
Sugar: 11g
Protein: 3g
Peanut Butter Sandwich
Serving Size: 5 Cookies
Calories: 170
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Carbs: 21g
Sugar: 8g
Protein: 3g
Many people would assume that these cookies are unhealthy due to the peanut butter, which is notoriously known for being high-calorie and high-fat. While these cookies do have a slightly more grams of fat than most other cookies, they also pack in some extra protein!
Description of Do-si-dos from the Girl Scouts website: These sandwich cookies give you crisp and crunchy oatmeal on the outside and creamy peanut butter inside.
Peanut Butter Patties/ Tagalongs
Girl Scout council has two separate licensed bakers. Depending on where you are, your box of cookies may say “Peanut Butter Patties” or “Tagalongs”, but the nutrition of each is quite similar.
Peanut Butter Patties
Serving Size: 2 Cookies
Calories: 130
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Carbs: 15g
Sugar: 8g
Protein: 2g
Tagalongs
Serving Size: 2 Cookies
Calories: 140
Fat: 8g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Carbs: 13g
Sugar: 8g
Protein: 3g
Personally, I find Tagalongs to be one of the most favorable cookies when it comes to nutrition! With only 13 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of protein, I find that to be quite impressive.
Plus, they are easily one of the most delicious Girl Scout cookies out there! You can never go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter.
Description of Tagalongs from the Girl Scouts website:Crispy cookies layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolate coating.
Caramel Chocolate Chip
Serving Size: 3 Cookies
Calories: 170
Fat: 8g
Saturated Fat: 3.5g
Carbs: 23g
Sugar: 12g
Protein: 2g
Description of Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Girl Scouts website: Rich caramel, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a hint of sea salt in a chewy, gluten-free cookie.
Toffee-tastic
Serving Size: 2 Cookies
Calories: 140
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Carbs: 19g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: <1g
Description of Toffee-tastic Cookies from the Girl Scouts website: Rich, buttery cookies with sweet, crunchy toffee bits.
Girl Scout S’mores
Girl Scout council has two separate licensed bakers. Depending on where you are, the Girl Scout S’mores you receive are going to be different. In this case, they are completely different cookies!
ABC Bakers Girl Scout S’mores
Serving Size: 2 Cookies
Calories: 190
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Carbs: 26g
Sugar: 16g
Protein: 1g
Description of ABC Bakers Girl Scout S’mores from the Girl Scouts website: Crispy graham cracker cookies double-dipped in a creme icing and coated in delicious fudge.
Little Brownie Bakers Girl Scout S’mores
Serving Size: 2 Cookies
Calories: 150
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 3.5g
Carbs: 21g
Sugar: 10g
Protein: 2g
Description of Little Brownie Bakers Girl Scout S’mores from the Girl Scouts website: Graham cracker sandwich cookies with chocolate and marshmallowy filling.
Are Girl Scout Cookies Vegan or Gluten-Free?
If you have allergy concerns, there are definitely options for you!
Both the Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies and the Toffee-tastic cookies are gluten-free.
If you are looking for vegan options, there are plenty of options for you:
- Thin Mints
- Peanut Butter Patties (not Tagalongs)
- Lemonades
- ABC Bakers S’mores (with the chocolate coating)
It’s worth noting that these cookies are made in a shared-facility where dairy ingredients are used, but the cookies themselves do not contain any dairy!
Which Girl Scout Cookie is the healthiest?
That’s up to you decide! Since there is no single definition of “healthy,” you need to make that determination based on your own preferences.
Some people prefer less sugar, some low saturated fat, and others may prefer specific ingredients over others. All I can do is provide you with the information to decide for yourself!
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that these are still cookies! If you want to enjoy some cookies, you should allow yourself to enjoy them without worry. Remember, there is no reason to EVER feel guilty about eating food you love.
In moderation, no food is unhealthy. Yes, even cookies. Especially cookies as delicious as Girl Scout Cookies!
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