Girl Scout cookies are here. What’s back — and what’s not — and how to buy a box
One thing to count on in the new year — a resolution to buy a box of Girl Scout Thin Mints, Samoas or Tagalongs.
You can cut calories elsewhere or add a cardio workout.
The two Girl Scout councils that manage troops throughout South Florida have both announced on-sale dates.
Girl Scout cookies will be on sale Saturday, Jan. 13, to Feb. 25 in Miami-Dade and the Keys.
In Broward, Palm Beach and several other counties, the cookies are on sale from Feb. 1 to Feb. 29.
After facing pandemic-era challenges and minor supply side issues in recent years, the report from both South Florida chapters is upbeat for 2024.
There are no new cookies this year, but all the favorites, including the Samoas, S’mores and Do-Si-Dos, are back. The 2023 newbie, Raspberry Rally, an online-only cookie, has not been renewed for another year. But 2022’s Adventurfuls, a brownie-flavored caramel and sea salt sensation, is back.
The price is the same as last year — $5 a box. Specialty flavors S’mores and the gluten-free Toffee-Tastic boxes are still $6.
Sales help local councils and troops fund year-round activities like travel and summer camp.
Touching on the 2024 “Unbox the Future” theme, Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida CEO Chelsea Wilkerson said in a statement, “When you buy a box of Girl Scout cookies you are fueling a girl’s dreams. From as young as six years old, our Girl Scouts develop all the skills it takes to launch a sales program, set and reach their individual goals through the cookie-selling experience.”
Sold? Here’s what you need to know about buying Girl Scouts cookies locally for the next two months.
Miami-Dade and the Keys
Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida manages troops and sales in Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys.
▪ Cookie season for Miami-Dade and Keys Girl Scouts, which number about 1,800 members, runs from Jan. 13 to Feb. 25.
▪ Returning favorites include Adventurefuls, Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Samoas, Lemon-ups, Do-Si-Dos, gluten-free Toffee-Tastic and S’mores cookies..
▪ Cost: $5 per box and specialty flavors are $6 per box.
▪ How to buy Girl Scout cookies this year: If you know a Girl Scout, reach out to her and ask her how she’s selling cookies. She’s probably told you already. Or,
Go online and enter your Zip code in the Girl Scout Cookie Finder at Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida at www.girlscoutsfl.org/en/cookies. That will tell you where you may buy a box and you can also order online for delivery. Or,
Just open your eyes when you go grocery shopping at retail locations like Publix, Milam’s Market, and Winn-Dixie, among others. Girl Scout troops set up booths by the stores’ front entrances.
▪ Hometown Heroes program. If you make a donation to the program, Girl Scout troops will coordinate deliveries of cookies to local first responders, military personnel, teachers and healthcare workers. Visit: www.girlscoutsfl.org/en/cookies/cookies-for-hometown-heroes.
Broward and beyond
Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida covers Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.
▪ Cookie season for Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, which has 6,700 members in its six counties, runs from Feb. 1 to Feb. 29.
▪ Returning favorites include: Adventurefuls, Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Samoas, Lemon-ups, Do-Si-Dos, gluten-free Toffee-Tastic and S’mores cookies.
▪ Cost: $5 per box except $6 for the gluten-free Toffee-Tastic and the S’mores. Just like Miami-Dade and Broward.
▪ How to buy Girl Scout cookies this year: Reach out to the Girl Scouts you probably know already. Or,
Girl Scouts in Broward will be hosting cookie booths at Walmart, Publix, Winn Dixie, Duffy’s Sports Grill, Hooters and some other local businesses. Or,
You can purchase cookies online through the Digital Cookie site with an option for delivery to a local address, shipment to your door, or have them donated. To find a cookie booth near you, call 561-427-0177 or visit www.gssef.org or text COOKIES to 59618.
▪ Cookies for the Military: For the 16th year, Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida is sponsoring the military program. You can have cookies sent to service men and women domestically or overseas. The goal this year is collect enough donations for 75,000 boxes of cookies. According to the chapter, Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida has sent more than 756,000 boxes of cookies to troops since 2009. For information, visit cookiesforthemilitary.org.
▪ The Give a Box, Get a Box deal is a special one-day only promotion to support the Cookies for the Military program. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, stop by one of 23 Duffy’s Sports Grill locations in South Florida for the Give a Box, Get a Box event. Anyone that donates a box of Girl Scout cookies to the Cookies for the Military program will receive a free box of Girl Scout cookies of their choice while supplies last. This event is sponsored in part by Publix Super Markets Charities and Duffy’s Foundation.
Fun cookie facts
According to Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida:
▪ In 2023, Girl Scouts in the council’s six counties sold 1,427,303 boxes of cookies — a 16.7% increase from 2022.
▪ Of the more than 1.4 million boxes of cookies sold, 464,300 were online cookie sales — an increase of 25.8% from 2022.
▪ The sales helped the troops earn nearly $2.5 million in proceeds.
▪ The per-girl average was 369 boxes of cookies compared to 326 boxes in 2022.
