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Here's How You Can Satisfy Your Girl Scout Cookie Cravings On Your Next Grocery Run

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After growing up with Samoas and Thin Mints on the reg, I fully cop to having a soft spot for Girl Scout cookies and stocking up whenever I see a booth. That being said, it can be a struggle to get said Samoas and Thin Mints if they're out of season. If you're running low on your stash of cookies, you may be wondering: Are Girl Scout cookies in stores right now, and if so, can I pick them up with the rest of my groceries? Here's what to know about getting your cravings handled until Girl Scout cookie season is in session next year.

Unfortunately, Girl Scout cookie season only comes once a year, so no, grabbing a box or two of your favorite snacks when you're at the store is not an option for the rest of the year. On the flip side, there are quite a few dupes for the cookies you know and love from your childhood, so technically you can still savor your favorite flavors 365 days of the year if you want to. Keebler Coconut Dream cookies with fudge, caramel, and coconut are basically Samoas in disguise, while the Mini Dark Chocolate Mints at Trader Joe's or Keebler's Grasshoppers could easily pass for Thin Mints. Pretty much every cookie has a dupe, but in general I'd recommend checking out Keebler's varieties as they use Little Brownie Bakers (which is one of the bakers that the Girl Scouts use). Chances are high that you'll be digging into a cookie that's at least pretty similar to the GS version.

Even during Girl Scout cookie season, stocking up on your treat of choice is a little more complicated than just going to the store. Back before the digital era, I remember struggling to locate Girl Scout booths and being overjoyed when my family stumbled upon one by accident. Nowadays, it's a lot simpler. According to the Girl Scout website, you can plug in your zip code in the Find Cookies tool during Girl Scout Cookie season, and the page will populate with a variety of spots and dates that Girl Scout troops will be vending their cookies. You can choose the time you want to go, make your pick among all the mouthwatering options, and head back home with with all the Thin Mints you can carry.

A lot of the booth locations do happen to be in front of grocery stores, but unfortunately you can't buy Trefoils in the cookie section of your local store. After all, the Girl Scouts are all about fostering entrepreneurial skills and business acumen among young women, and selling the cookies directly to consumers is an important part of that.

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So, if you want to buy your favorite treats in person and don't know a girl scout personally, the Find Cookies tool is your best bet. There's also a Girl Scout Cookie Finder app, which you can download on both iOS or Android devices so that you can always locate your closest booth from your smartphone.

Courtesy of Girl Scouts

Speaking of going digital, my go-to method for getting cookies is ordering them online. Considering that we do almost everything on our phones nowadays, it's not surprising that ordering cookies is now part of that — and the Girl Scouts' Digital Cookie Platform makes it so easy to have your boxes of goodies delivered straight to your doorstep.

Depending on whether your local Girl Scouts are an LBB council or an ABC council, you'll either be using a Digital Order Card or the Smart Cookies Mobile app. If you're not sure which one your troop identifies as, it's super easy to check on the GS website.

Unfortunately, in order to take advantage of online ordering, you'll have to know a Girl Scout to get your favorite biscuits delivered straight to your door. Once you contact the Girl Scout you know in person, she can either enter your order herself on the app or you can choose to have you send an email to your inbox so that you can do the sale yourself. For safety reasons, the Girl Scout troop members will need to initiate the proceedings, however, so you're probably out of luck if you don't know someone personally.

Whether or not you know a troop member, there are a few different ways that you can look into to get all your Samoa cravings handled as efficiently as possible, so I'd look into the option that works best for you. In the meantime, there are plenty of grocery store equivalents to keep those withdrawals under control in the off-season. Happy snacking!