With Girl Scout cookie season in full force, Americans are craving the classic cookie flavors typically offered by the organization. These popular cookies are sold by Girl Scouts to raise funds to support Girl Scout councils and individual troops. Councils typically conduct their cookie season for about a six-to-eight-week period per year, mostly between January and April.

Customers look forward to this time of year for these iconic cookies. Bakeries can get in on the action by mimicking the flavors in their own products. Just look to major retailers for examples of this.

Sprinkles Cupcakes looked to earn its own cupcake eating badge with new products based on Girl Scout cookies. Throughout the month of January, the chain offered three limited-time cupcakes, one per week, at its nationwide locations. Each cupcake represented a classic cookie flavor.

From Jan. 14-19, customers could get the Chocolate Mint cupcake. Based on Thin Mints, it featured a chocolate cookie crust, chocolate chocolate chip cake, chocolate peppermint frosting, chocolate cookie crumble, and ganache drizzle.

Following that from Jan. 20-26 was the Toasted Coconut, Caramel & Chocolate cupcake. Based on Samoas, it had a sugar cookie crust, Belgian chocolate cake, caramel frosting, toasted coconut, and was finished with ganache.

Finally, on Jan. 27-31, Sprinkles offered the Peanut Butter Ganache cupcake. Based on Tagalongs, it had a cookie crust, chocolate peanut butter cake, peanut butter frosting, cookie crumble, and was loaded with ganache.

Continuing its multi-year partnership with the Girl Scouts, Dunkin’ announced the return of two popular coffee flavors inspired by iconic Girl Scout Cookies. Through early spring 2020, Dunkin’ is offering Coconut Caramel and Thin Mints coffee beverages.

The Thin Mints coffee flavor features the classic cookie’s combination of cool mint and decadent chocolate, while the Coconut Caramel coffee flavor features toasted coconut and creamy caramel. They are both available as hot and iced coffee, Cold Brew, frozen coffee, and frozen chocolate.

As an additional focus of the partnership, Dunkin’ franchisees at select locations across the country once again welcomed troops to sell Girl Scout Cookies instore in early 2020.

“Girl Scout Cookie season is as welcomed and anticipated as the ball dropping on New Year’s Eve, and we’re thrilled to celebrate by bringing two smile-eliciting Girl Scout Cookie inspired flavors back to guests’ coffees in 2020,” says Patty Healy, Dunkin’s senior director of integrated marketing. “We are proud to support Girl Scouts of the USA’s mission to build the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders, as it’s the leadership and entrepreneurialism of small business owners that has fueled the success of our own brand, too. We are especially proud that our franchisees are committed to fueling the entrepreneurial spirit of the Girl Scouts by welcoming local troops to sell cookies at their restaurants.”

A sweet challenge

In Arizona, the Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC) holds its annual Girl Scout Cookie Dessert Challenge. The award-winning challenge is a friendly competition among esteemed Arizona chefs, with over 35 venues throughout central and northern Arizona going head-to-head to create a winning dessert with one of these Girl Scout Cookie flavors - Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-Si-Dos, or Trefoils.

Chefs re-imagine these classic Girl Scout Cookies into delicious dessert menu items, which will then be featured on their menus throughout the entire month of February. A portion of the proceeds from these sales support Girl Scouting in Arizona.

Among the items that have been created through this challenge include a Samoas Cookie Pecan Shortbread Coconut Caramel Trifle from 32 Shea in Phoenix, Tagalong Doughnuts from The Henry in Phoenix, and a Do-Si-Decadent Cheesecake from Tom’s Thumb in Scottsdale.