The Hands-Down Best Girl Scout Cookie Is A Classic That Never Misses

The Girl Scouts are a laudable, character-building organization, but let's face it, most of us associate them with cookies. Indeed, Girl Scout cookie season is highly anticipated nationwide, and we're quick to snatch as many boxes as we can to tide us over until the next season. New flavors are always popping up, but those tried-and-true classics remain as popular as ever. So, it's no surprise then, that in our taste test of nine 2026 Girl Scout cookies, the hands-down best is the classic Caramel deLites, most commonly known as "Samoas."

These mighty cookies have it all; a buttery shortbread base that melts in your mouth; a gooey yet not too sticky caramel layer; chewy, slightly crunchy toasted coconut flakes; and a smooth, milk-chocolate drizzle to finish it all off. The complexity of both flavor and texture is an unbeatable duo that no other Girl Scout cookie could touch. While you may think that all these ingredients would be competing, the mighty Samoa manages a harmonious flavor in which no one flavor outshines the other.

The nuttiness from the coconut complements the buttery shortbread, while caramel and chocolate are a famously delicious pairing. You get a pop of chocolatey, caramelly, nutty flavor in every bite, along with a texture that is both crunchy, chewy, and creamy. Plus, the proportion of each ingredient layer makes for impeccable structural integrity, so you can take a bite without worrying about half the cookie crumbling into your lap.

One TikTok video displays the lineup of Girl Scout cookies with new and old varieties, but the TikToker has already made up his mind. "I already know which the best flavor is," he explains, "now the answer is very simple, the Samoas. It doesn't come close; there's nothing that can come close." For this reviewer, these cookies have the "perfect balance of everything." He adds, "It's sweet, it's coconutty, it's caramelly, it's perfect."

According to votes on Reddit, Samoas and Thin Mints were the most popular favorites over the past few years. And our taste test represents this head-to-head rivalry well, as Thin Mints come in a close second. In fact, the classics tend to beat out the newcomers as the famous peanut butter patties are our third-place pick. That said, Samoas have always been in the running for best cookie, judging by our ranking of Girl Scout cookies in 2023. However, in that ranking, Thin Mints came in 5th, with the real competition being between Samoas and peanut butter patties (also called Tagalogs).

While the Girl Scout season is finite, you can buy Girl Scout cookie merch all year long, including cookie cutters, T-shirts, pins, books, and cookie-themed accessories. And if you're craving Girl Scout cookies in the off-season, name brand cookie companies like Keebler make Girl Scout cookie dupes. Also, Aldi, known for making dupes as good as name brands, sells their own version of Samoas that customers on Facebook say taste "exactly" like the real thing.