Why Popular Girl Scout Cookie Flavors Get Discontinued

Forget about winter or spring, the time between January and April is Girl Scout cookie season. Since this pastry-peddling tradition began over 100 years ago, over 60 varieties of Girl Scout cookies have been sold. While some of these treats have stood the test of time, others have sadly met their end. From the Raspberry Rallys to the Thanks-A-Lot shortbreads, there are just as many flavors to miss as there are to love.

Now some Girl Scout Cookies seemed doomed from the start (we're talking about you, Cinna-Spins, which were short-lived, health-conscious takes on a cinnamon roll), but the cancellation of other flavors leaves us scratching our heads. Take the famous Scot-Teas, for example, which were shortbread cookies topped with sugar available from 1959 to 1980. Those zesty, powdered-sugar-covered Savannah Smiles were also a beloved choice, but after nine years in the rotation, were abruptly removed from the lineup. 

So why do popular Girl Scout cookie flavors like these get discontinued? The answer varies, but the reason is often because the bakers behind the cookie recipes say so. Little Brownies and ABC Bakers are the masterminds behind Girl Scout cookies, and they continue to innovate their recipes as years pass. Sometimes they decide to make a switch to the lineup if the production cost of a cookie is too high, or if the popularity doesn't match the rest of the iconic roster, and there are even more factors at play too.

Girl Scouts of the United States of America used to get their cookies from dozens of different bakers before the 1990s but now source from just two companies. A lot of the decisions made about the continued production of cookies before the 21st century came down to which of those relationships stuck around. When contracts ended with particular suppliers, Girl Scouts tried out others to see if they could create something that would match the popularity of their other established flavors.

A reason for the ever-changing lineup of today is simply that consumers' tastes change. Every year Little Brownies and ABC Bakers pitches the Girl Scouts organization with new cookie ideas, and if they like them, changes are made to the following year's lineup. Just eight or nine different cookies are offered to customers annually, so the competition is tough. The offering of new flavors is another incentive for customers to buy more cookies too, as new options are exciting, and knowing that a flavor is around for a limited time is enticing.

Of course, the main reason why a particular Girl Scout cookie is discontinued is that it simply isn't as popular as the others. Even if you love it, the masses might not, and at the end of the day, it's just business.

There are a lot of Girl Scout cookies we wish would make a comeback, but many of those past flavors have a solid reason for being replaced. For starters, let's talk about the Raspberry Rallys. These fruity, chocolate-covered cookies came out as an online-only offering back in 2023, and while the boxes proved popular for their likeness to Thin Mints, Girl Scouts pulled them out of the lineup anyway. The reason for its discontinuation was that the bakery was struggling to source the proper ingredients, and they couldn't even fulfill all the orders customers had placed. 

Animal Treasures were another delicious option available from 1995 to 2005. These shortbread cookies featured a fudge-dipped bottom, but the similar choice known as the Thanks-a-Lot shortbreads replaced them in 2006 and remained on the cookie roster until 2021.  

Now if you're worried about some of the more popular Girl Scout cookies disappearing, don't stress. While some cookies will come and go, the top five classic Girl Scout cookie flavors have come back every year since their introductions throughout the 1970s thanks to their consistent success. So, lovers of Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties, Samoas, Adventurefuls, and Do-si-dos, you're in luck. The Girl Scouts need to have a balance in their lineup to keep customers coming back, and they do that by holding onto old reliables while sprinkling in some exciting new creations too.