Small Bites, Big Smiles

As the beginning of spring arrives, we are greeted by warmer weather, a new Bridgerton season, and an astronomically large line outside of Sadler Center. The way this line trails all the way to the parking lot, you may think it’s a freebie giveaway. Alas, students walk away with their arms full of $5-a-box cookies. Suddenly, your mission of grabbing a bland Sadler dinner has changed — you are here for cookies. That’s right, Girl Scout Cookie season is back and better than ever. 

Each year, the College of William and Mary’s chapter of the Kappa Delta sorority hosts Girl Scout Cookie sales on Sadler Terrace for two weeks from the end of February to the beginning of March. As members of Kappa Delta, this year we had the privilege of volunteering at one of these cookie sales. We witnessed students strategizing on how to carry back all their boxes, Girl Scouts pitching their favorite cookies to customers, and a community brought together by a mutual love of the cookies. Classic picks such as Trefoils, Toffee-tastics, Do-si-dos, Tagalongs, Samoas, Adventurefuls, Lemon-Ups, and Thin Mints returned, along with a new rocky road-inspired cookie called Exploremores.

Did we order nine boxes of Girl Scout Cookies? Yes, yes we did. And we’re here to give you a breakdown of all of them...

Trefoils

Trefoils are inspired by the original Girl Scout Cookie and feature the iconic Girl Scout symbol, making it an undeniable classic. Surprisingly, this was our first time trying this cookie because it was never on our radar before. The design is very cute, very Girl Scout, and very recognizable. Without this detail, the cookie would not be the same. That being said, the taste was average, just a plain shortbread cookie. It is not super sweet or flavorful, but that might be the appeal. 

Toffee-tastic

It is common knowledge that gluten-free alternatives tend to taste significantly worse than normal gluten foods. However, this cookie is an outlier in this trend. While the actual cookie was a bit dry and crumbly, the toffee pieces were so delish. If you ignore the cookie base, the experience was basically eating a toffee candy. For that reason, it’s pretty impressive for a gluten-free option.

Do-si-dos

This cookie is like the expensive version of Lance’s ToastChee crackers — how is that for nostalgia? When we think of Girl Scout cookies, we usually think of sweet, sugary treats that we can indulge in once a year. These cookies are not that. Do-si-dos are a PERFECT snack for those who claim to “hate sweets.” For a dessert it is meh, but for a snack cookie, it is good.

Exploremores

2026 brought this new rocky-road flavored sandwich cookie to the Girl Scout inventory. We were very excited to try this new cookie, and it did not disappoint. It took you on an adventure in its combination of the familiar chocolate, marshmallow, and nutty flavor, all in one. We felt that it was reminiscent of the flavor of a dirt cake. 

Tagalongs

These cookies are very nostalgic for both of us. Tagalongs are essentially the Girl Scout version of Reese’s, but arguably better. The balance of peanut butter and chocolate is nearly perfect, and the crunch of the actual cookie part is simply divine. The combination of a chocolatey, peanut buttery, and crunchy bite is something that Reese’s simply doesn’t have. For all the non-peanut-free folks, this should be a definite go-to next cookie season.

Samoas

Your experience with Samoas is highly dependent on whether you like coconut. Setting that debate aside, this cookie is objectively good! The outside has a beautiful chocolate drizzle, the coconut and caramel give the perfect chew, and the cookie base adds a nice crunch. The balance of texture is phenomenal. While coconut haters may disagree, for all the normal people, Samoas are easily one of the most iconic cookies.

Adventurefuls

If you were expecting a soft cookie because of Adventurefuls’ brownie base and caramel center, this cookie will come with quite a surprise crunch. However, these cookies fell short of expectations, tasting blander than we had hoped.

Lemon-Ups

Lemon-Ups are a popular flavor amongst the Girl Scouts themselves, who often pitched it to customers asking for a recommendation. The lemon cookie base comes stamped with an empowering message on the top and lemon glaze on the bottom. This cookie has a very sweet lemon flavor, making it easy to see why it earns such high kid-approval ratings. So, if you have an extra-sweet sweet tooth, this one is sure to hit the spot.

Thin Mints 

We came to the consensus that out of all the Girl Scout cookies, Thin Mints are the tried and true classic. The cookie has a perfect balance of chocolate to mint without being overly sweet — no notes. The sales speak for themselves — Thin Mints boxes definitely disappeared the fastest. When shopping for the perfect Girl Scout cookie, you can’t go wrong with Thin Mints.