The Copycat Girl Scout Cookies That Aren't Worth Your Money

With Girl Scout cookie season only rolling around for a limited time each year, it can leave you craving your Thin Mints and Trefoils. Luckily, some stores have cooked up their own copycats that can give you your fix (for instance, there's Aldi's Tagalongs knock-off).

With multiple supermarkets serving up their rendition of some of these favorites, Daily Meal ranked several copycat options to help you know which out-of-season Girl Scout cookie imitations to buy and which to skip. One option you shouldn't waste your money on is the Keebler brand Mint & Fudge Grasshopper Cookies.

Designed to be an alternative to Girl Scout's Thin Mints, these treats, at first glance, look pretty similar to the original. They're small, round, chocolate-covered cookies that will get your mouth watering. However, when you bite into them, you'll immediately see that they're noticeably lacking in flavor. You won't pick up on much mintiness, and even the chocolatey notes leave much to be desired.

The first issue with Keebler's Mint & Fudge Grasshopper Cookies is that the mint and chocolate notes, which should take the forefront in this treat, most certainly don't. For its part, the mint comes through with just a hint of freshness. Unlike Thin Mints, which have a definite burst of refreshing minty flavor, the taste of these cookies is just too subtle.

The chocolate notes aren't much better. The Grasshopper cookies contained what can only be described as hints of chocolate despite being coated in a layer of chocolate and using a chocolate cookie base.

Instead of mint and chocolate notes being the showstopper, the cookie is what stands out. While there's nothing wrong with biting into a plain biscuit, it's not exactly what you're looking for when you eat a cookie advertised as being mint chocolate flavored. Overall, it's a treat that can only be described as bland compared to Girl Scout Thin Mints.

While the flavor of Keebler's Mint & Fudge Grasshoppers might be decidedly different from that of traditional Thin Mints, in terms of nutrition, things actually look pretty similar. A single Thin Mint contains just a little above 40 calories, while Keebler's knockoff contains 37.5 calories. They also both contain just 1 gram of protein and 0 cholesterol, while Girl Scouts' Thin Mints clock 2 grams more of carbohydrates. The Grasshoppers only include 1 gram less of total fat.

However, things start to vary slightly when you look at sodium content. Thin Mints contain 122 milligrams of sodium, while the Grasshoppers include 75 milligrams. While this might sound better for your health, salt is a flavor enhancer, so extra sodium might contribute to Thin Mint's more potent taste. Whether it's the sodium content that makes the difference, one thing is for sure — next time you're after a Thin Mint knockoff, you're better off skipping Keebler's Mint & Fudge Grasshoppers. Instead, try making your own at home or wait for the real thing to come out when Girl Scout cookie season rolls around.