My definitive ranking of Girl Scout cookies

Image provided by Girl Scout Cookie media kit.

It's that magical time of the year where troops of Girl Scouts around the country hone their entrepreneurial skills by peddling delicious cookies to the public. I bought every flavor available to me in my location so you don’t have to. If you finish this and feel inclined to do the same, you can go online and order them right to your door. Support this great organization and find out if my taste buds are broken here.

Now on to the rankings!

#8. Lemonades

All these cookies are wonderful, and the Girl Scouts are a great organization, but someone had to be last. It just so happens these lemon iced cookies invoking flavors of a sugar cookie sprayed with lemon Pledge take our last spot. I’ll take my lemon in my sweet tea, not in my cookies.

Ranking: 1/5 Scout Badges.

#7. Adventurefuls

A new comer to the Girl Scout Cookies space I had high hopes for these soft brownie cookies with a caramel top. My high hopes were shattered after discovering these soft cookies fell to the same struggles other soft baked proceed cookies fall to — an indescribable off-ness and chemical-ly taste.

Ranking: 1.5/5 Scout Badges.

#6. Toast-Yay

I love the idea of this one — a French Toast-inspired cookie in the shape of a slice of bread is genius. Unfortunately, the Scouts could have leaned much harder into the French Toast flavor. I need more cinnamon, more maple, less Wonder Bread.

Ranking: 2/5 Scout Badges.

#5. Trefoils

This is a shortbread cookie. That is all it is, but it is a dang fine shortbread cookie and an O.G. Scout cookie favorite. This sweet crispy cookie is the base from which all cookies should be judge.

Ranking: 2.5/5 Scout Badges.

#4. Peanut Butter Sandwich

This cookie may just be an imitation Nutter Butter, but I don’t care. It may be that I am a sucker for peanut butter, but these things are great. The cookies have a subtle oatmeal flavor to compliment the peanut butter, which is very nice. Unfortunately, these cookies are not the best use of peanut butter the scouts have in their arsenal, keeping them out of the top three for me.

Ranking: 3/5 Scout Badges.

#3. Peanut Butter Patties

I like peanut butter, okay? I like chocolate, okay? These classic cookies are love-children of a Reese’s Cup and a Twix, and they're simply wonderful. If you’re not a fan of me loving the classics nor are you a chocolate fan, I would personally recommend not finishing this ranking.

Ranking: 4/5 Scout Badges.

#2. Thin Mints

Minty, crispy and perfect — what is not to love here? These thin cookies were a staple of my childhood. Around this time of year, a silver sleeve of these babies would be precariously tucked into the freezer for ultimate after-dinner enjoyment. If you’ve never eaten a frozen Thin Mint, do yourself a favor and try it.

Ranking: 5/5 Scout Badges

#1. Caramel deLites

Thin Mint fanatics are shocked, Peanut Butter Patty lovers are in tears. It was always Caramel deLites. Nothing brings a smile to my face quite like a beautiful purple box of these cookies. The most complex cookie sold by the scouts combines a shortbread cookie, caramel, flakes of coconut and chocolate into one of the most perfect confections to exist. Haters will say “I don’t like coconut." Yeah, I didn’t either, then I turned 11. This cookie is the pinnacle; this cookie is perfect; and this cookie is a delight.

Ranking: SCOUTS HONOR!