Not All Girl Scout Cookies Freeze The Same — What To Know Before You Store

It's the most wonderful time of the year: Girl Scout cookie season. Whether you're a Samoa stan or team Tagalong, you know how quickly boxes can run out in your home. It makes you wonder if it's worth buying even more boxes so you can keep some longer and stretch the season out, especially if your favorite Girl Scout cookie varieties are retired. After all, the money goes to a good cause — if you stock up on Adventurefuls, can you prolong their life in the freezer?

The short answer is technically yes for most Girl Scout varieties, and it's easy to know which cookies can be frozen because their boxes are helpfully stamped with a "use or freeze by" date. If a box just says "use by," that's the Girl Scouts of the USA telling you that particular cookie shouldn't be frozen. Of the 2026 lineup, Lemonades and Lemon-Ups don't have freeze-date recommendations, but most other varieties are acceptable to freeze.

Girl Scout cookies are usually good for six months from delivery, according to their "use by" dates. They'll last about another eight months in the freezer, but are at their best around three months. Now, just because Girl Scout cookies can be frozen, that doesn't mean every kind will taste the same when thawed. The freezer can impact their flavor and texture over time.

Once you know you're not talking about safety risks when it comes to freezing these treats, you'll want to know whether Girl Scout cookies actually taste better refrigerated. Many people already freeze their Thin Mints. Former chief communications executive of Girl Scouts of the USA, Kelly Parisi, even told Time magazine in 2015 that "the only way to eat" Thin Mints is frozen. The chocolate coating develops this perfect snap, the cookie inside stays crunchy, and the chill amplifies the refreshing mint flavor. But the freezer may not have the same elevating effect on other varieties. 

Frozen cookies' textures change. Soft, chewy cookies can harden, and crispy cookies can soften. Overall, flavors begin to fade as well. Samoas, for example, lose their luscious chewiness. Their caramel and coconut flavor, too, can become a little muted, as can the peanut butter of Tagalongs. The newest variety, Exploremores, has had people pondering the freezer because the flavor is Rocky Road-inspired — could they benefit from ice cream-like temperatures? The result may, again, just be less intense flavors, plus a softening of their crunchy sandwich cookies. 

If you decide to freeze your Girl Scout cookies, do it when the boxes are unopened, or transfer the cookies to an airtight container. This prevents them from becoming freezer-burnt or drying out for as long as possible. Just remember that while you can get more months from the cookies this way, you may not like most varieties other than Thin Mints from the freezer.