S’mores Leaving You Wanting S’more?

By Lucas Huss

November 17, 2023

"mmm yummey hirlsvout ookie" -Angus McNellie

Girl Scout Cookies have been a favorite seasonal treat nationwide for decades, but as of late, it seems that they’ve taken a dip in quality. While this can be attributed to us getting older and our memories of them just not matching the quality we remember, it could be something else that’s not adding up.

These cookies have been loved for decades, but why now do they taste worse than we remember?

Over time, observations have been made about the taste of the cookies changing, with student Luke Konjoyan stating, “[The cookies] taste like tasty cardboard.” However, these changes can potentially be attributed to the two different manufacturers of the cookies: ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers. Neither ABC nor Little Brownie Bakers have changed their recipes in recent years, with the most recent changes happening in 2015 to Thin Mints.

“The cookies were like delicacies, when we were kids. Like they were gifts from heaven. But now they’re just kinda… cookies.” says Angus McNellie, another student. “I think at this point certain people only buy them to support the Girl Scouts’ cause and to remind them of their childhood, when they might’ve seemed better.” This quote represents a sentiment that’s seemingly everywhere, that the cookies lose their “sparkle” as we get older.

According to NPR, Girl Scout Cookies sell more than 200 million boxes, which is more than significantly larger brands like Oreos. However, this hegemony over cookies gives them leverage over the market. This year the price has increased for these beloved cookies, from 5$ a box to 6$. While this jump does not seem like much, it’s still a 20% increase. I believe this change isn’t due to the quality actually dropping, but instead the expectations growing with the cookies’ quality remaining the same.