Girl Scout Cookies Might Taste Different Depending On Where You Live

Since the early 1910s, cookies have been synonymous with the Girl Scouts. With a variety of fan-favorite flavors and some discontinued cookies you'll likely never taste again, these sweet treats have amassed millions of fans across the country. Based on your specific location, however, there may be some variation as to the taste and style of the Girl Scout cookies you can get. This is because two bakeries are responsible for the majority of these beloved cookies: ABC Bakers in South Dakota and Little Brownie Bakers in Kentucky.

Although both offer many of the same traditional flavors, the names change depending on which bakery produced the cookies. For example, chocolatey caramel and coconut cookies produced by Little Brownie Bakers are called "Samoas," while the ABC Bakers versions are called "Caramel deLites." Other name differences include Tagalongs versus Peanut Butter Patties; Do-si-dos and Peanut Butter Sandwiches; Lemon-Ups and Lemonades; and the gluten-free Toffee-tastic versus Caramel Chocolate Chip.

But the differences don't always end at just the names. Some of the recipes differ, too, and devoted fans of these crave-worthy desserts definitely make the case for their preferred bakery. Redditors and foodies all over the U.S. have spent a great deal of time determining which of the two bakeries produces the absolute best Girl Scout cookies.

Looking at both bakeries, it's easy to see how some fans might have a preference for one cookie creator over the other. Some cookies — like Adventurefuls, Exploremores, Trefoils, and Thin Mints, which boast a 100-year-old history — have consistent names between the two bakeries but distinctly different textures. Some reviewers point out a noticeable difference in the shape of the cookies between the two styles, with the Little Brownie Bakers version offering a smoother top and slightly greater density, while the ABC version appears thinner with a slightly scalloped edge.

On the other hand, there are types of cookies that, while possessing the same flavor profile, have entirely different names and styles. For example, in taste tests, some cookie fans also report that Peanut Butter Patties taste less peanut buttery than Little Brownie Bakers' Tagalongs. And then there are the cookies that taste completely different — ABC Bakers' version of the gluten-free cookie adds chocolate chips, while Toffee-tastics are more straightforward toffee butter cookies. One enormous gulf of flavor can be found in the Lemonades from ABC Bakers and Lemon-Ups from Little Brownie Bakers. Lemonades are round shortbread cookies with an adorable design, resembling a slice of lemon, with a thin coating of lemon-flavored icing. The lemon flavor in these is not as pronounced as it is in the Lemon-Ups, which are crisp, tangy cookies printed with messages of inspiration. If you love Girl Scout cookies and want to explore on your own, it's worth checking with your local troops to see which bakeries are their supplier.