In 1912, the Girl Scouts were created by Juliette Gordon Low. The Girl Scout cookies were created when children of the scout groups would bake the cookies and their mothers would stand in as technical advisors. In 1917, the Mistletoe Troop from Muskogee, Okla. began to sell their cookies in their high school cafeteria for a service project, creating some of the flavors known today, according to girlscouts.org.
1920s
During the 1920s, cookie sales started going nationwide. In July of 1922, an article by Florence E. Neil, a director in Chicago, Ill., was featured in the American Girl magazine, which was published by the Girl Scouts of the USA. The article featured a recipe for a cookie, which had been given to the council’s Girl Scouts. Neil thought the cost of ingredients for about six to seven cookies to be within 26 and 36 cents, making the troops sell them for about 25 to 30 cents per dozen. While this was happening, children were still selling the previous way, but now going door-to-door and selling them for 25 to 35 cents per dozen of cookies, according to girlscouts.org.
1930s
The Girl Scouts of Greater Philadelphia Council began baking cookies and selling them in the city’s gas and electric company windows during 1933. The cookies were sold for about 23 to 44 cents per box, or six boxes being $1.24. The council used this money to raise funds for their local Girl Scout Council, and only one year later, The Greater Philadelphia council became the first council to commercially sell their cookies, according to girlscouts.org.
During 1935, the Girl Scout Federation of Greater New York also raised money through commercially selling cookies. The federation bought a logo in the shape of a trefoil cookie and began putting the words “Girl Scout Cookies” on the front of the box, according to girlscouts.org.
In 1936, the national Girl Scout organization started the process of licensing commercial bakers to produce the cookies and excitement for the official Girl Scout Cookies spread, allowing more than 125 councils to begin holding cookie sales, according to girlscouts.org.
1940s
The Girl Scouts kept selling their cookies around the country until WWII. During these times, there were sugar, flour and butter shortages, which caused the downfall of their cookie making. Despite this, the councils began selling the first Girl Scout calendars in 1944 to raise money. After the event, cookie sales were back up and running. By 1948, 29 bakers were officially licensed to help make the cookies, according to girlscouts.org.
1950s
In 1951, Girl Scout cookies began being sold in three different varieties of cookies: sandwich, shortbread and chocolate mint. Due to the increase of suburbs in America after the war, the Girl Scouts began selling cookies at tables in malls. Five years later, in 1956, four types of cookies were being sold: vanilla-based filled cookie, a chocolate version, shortbread and the chocolate mint, according to girlscouts.org.
1960s
Baby Boomers expanded the Girl Scout membership, which caused cookie sales to increase. With the increase, 14 bakers were now baking the cookies and began to wrap the cookie boxes with a printed aluminum foil or cellophane to try and preserve the cookies for selling. By 1966, more varieties of their cookies were available. For example, peanut butter sandwich cookies, according to girlscouts.org.
1970s
The number of Girl Scout bakers was lowered to four to ensure lower cookie prices, uniform packaging, good quality and good distribution. Throughout the industry, this is the first time where all the cookie packages were the same. In 1979, the logo for the cookies was created and appeared on the boxes, which allowed for better promotions, according to girlscouts.org.
1980s
During 1982, the bakers started producing a maximum of seven types of cookies, and having every council sell a minimum of three at a time. The boxes for them started to incorporate pictures of the girls working on the cover, according to girlscouts.org.
1990s
Only two licensed bakers kept supplying the Girl Scout councils with cookies to sell, but by 1998, the number had risen to three bakers. The scouts started selling low-fat and sugar-free options. The Girl Scouts of the USA started to introduce awards for the girls: Girl Scout Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes and Seniors, also including a Cookie Activity pin, according to girlscouts.org.
2000s
In this decade, the organization creating new designs for their cookie boxes. In the fall of 2000, boxes were created with a bold and bright design. Two of the licensed bakers for the councils started upping their produced minimums with cookies, including three mandatory. Also all of the cookies became kosher. Younger Girl Scouts, Daisies, started selling cookies, according to girlscouts.org.
2010s
During this decade, the announcement of National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend and gluten-free cookies arrived. They also started making a Digital Cookie platform in 2014, which was a safer way for young girls to sell cookies. The program taught the girls about online marketing, app usage and ecommerce, but this was mainly known for how it kept the personal approach of having the girl talk in person to a minimum, according to girlscouts.org.
2020s
This year marked the Girl Scouts’ 100th year anniversary and the launch of the S’mores cookie, which became one of their top sellers. In 2020, the Girl Scouts came out with new packaging that showcased all the things the groups did, also creating the Cookie Entrepreneur Family pin collection. In 2021, all of the cookies officially became kosher and Halal certified while still having vegan and gluten-free options as well, according to girlscouts.org.
2022 is when the Girl Scouts started selling their brand new cookie, Adventurefuls. And in 2023, they released the Raspberry Rally, which was the first cookie that allowed for online shipping, but this cookie was only available in 2023. Finally, 2025 is the last year people will be able to purchase the official S’mores and Toast-Yay! cookies from any Girl Scout location, according to girlscouts.org.
