Girl Scout cookies are made by two licensed commercial bakeries: Little Brownie Bakers in Louisville, Kentucky, owned by the Ferrero Group, and ABC Bakers in Richmond, Virginia, owned by Makers Pride. The official cookie program details are at the Girl Scouts of the USA official website.
Girl Scout cookies are one of the most recognized fundraising products in American culture, with more than 200 million boxes sold each year through a network of millions of Girl Scout members across the country.
The Girl Scouts of the USA does not make the cookies itself. Instead, it licenses production exclusively to Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers, two separate companies that produce slightly different versions of the same cookie lineup for different regional councils.
Knowing who makes Girl Scout cookies helps buyers understand why the same cookie can taste slightly different depending on where you buy it and which baker your local council uses.
This article covers the two bakeries, who owns each, which cookies they make, why names differ by region, and when cookie season runs each year.
So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Who Are the Two Girl Scout Cookie Bakers?
Little Brownie Bakers (LBB) is based in Louisville, Kentucky and has been baking Girl Scout cookies since 1974. It is owned by the Ferrero Group, the Italian company behind Ferrero Rocher, Kinder, and Nutella. Ferrero acquired Little Brownie Bakers when it purchased the Keebler brand from Kellogg’s in 2019.
ABC Bakers is based in Richmond, Virginia and is now owned by Makers Pride, a US baking company that acquired the operations previously held by Interbake Foods and Hearthside Food Solutions.
Approximately 75% of Girl Scout councils in the United States use Little Brownie Bakers. The remaining 25% use ABC Bakers. Each local council chooses which baker supplies its troops.
Why Do Girl Scout Cookie Names Differ?
Because the two bakeries produce the cookies independently, they use slightly different names for the same core flavors. This explains why the same cookie has two different names depending on which baker your region uses.
The caramel and coconut chocolate-striped cookies are called Samoas when made by Little Brownie Bakers and Caramel deLites when made by ABC Bakers. The peanut butter patties are Tagalongs from LBB and Peanut Butter Patties from ABC. The peanut butter sandwich cookies are Do-si-dos from LBB and Peanut Butter Sandwiches from ABC.
Thin Mints is the one name both bakers use, though the recipe differs subtly between the two. LBB’s Thin Mint has a richer chocolate coating, while ABC’s version is crunchier with more pronounced mint flavor.
Where Are Girl Scout Cookies Made?
All Girl Scout cookies sold in the United States are baked domestically. Little Brownie Bakers produces at its Louisville, Kentucky facility. ABC Bakers operates out of Richmond, Virginia.
Both facilities are dedicated to Girl Scout cookie production for most of the year, ramping up production significantly ahead of and during the annual cookie selling season.
The cookies are made in the US, packaged in the US, and distributed directly to Girl Scout councils, which then allocate inventory to their local troops for sale to the public.
What Girl Scout Cookies Are Available?
The core lineup available from both bakers includes Thin Mints, Trefoils (shortbread), and caramel coconut cookies (Samoas or Caramel deLites), peanut butter cookies (Tagalongs or Peanut Butter Patties), and peanut butter sandwich cookies (Do-si-dos or Peanut Butter Sandwiches).
Additional flavors exclusive to one baker or available seasonally include Adventurefuls (brownie-inspired with caramel), Lemonades, Toffee-tastic (gluten free), Toast-Yays (French toast flavor, ABC only), and the Explorermores (LBB), among others.
Thin Mints remain the most popular flavor year after year, accounting for the largest share of overall cookie sales across both baker regions.
Who Owns the Girl Scouts?
The Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Georgia. It is not owned by any company or government entity.
GSUSA licenses the cookie production to the two bakeries and licenses the cookie trademarks and branding. The net revenue from cookie sales stays with local councils and troops to fund programming, camps, and community projects.
The bakeries pay a licensing fee to GSUSA for the right to produce and sell Girl Scout-branded cookies, and all marketing, pricing, and sales execution is managed at the council and troop level.
Frequently Asked Questions About Who Makes Girl Scout Cookies
Are Girl Scout cookies made by Ferrero?
Approximately 75% of Girl Scout cookies are made by Little Brownie Bakers, which is owned by the Ferrero Group. The remaining 25% are made by ABC Bakers, owned by Makers Pride. Ferrero is the Italian confectionery company behind Nutella and Kinder Bueno.
When is Girl Scout cookie season?
Girl Scout cookie season typically runs from January through April, though the exact dates vary by council and region. Most sales happen in February and March when troops are most active in selling and booth events are common at grocery stores and public locations.
Why do Thin Mints taste different in different parts of the country?
Because two separate bakeries produce Thin Mints using slightly different recipes, the cookie can taste different depending on which baker your local council uses. Little Brownie Bakers’ version has a richer, smoother chocolate coating. ABC Bakers’ version is crunchier with a more pronounced peppermint flavor.
How much of the cookie price goes to the troop?
After the bakery cost is covered, all remaining net revenue from cookie sales stays with local Girl Scout councils and troops. The percentage varies by council, but typically between 65 and 75 cents of every dollar spent on cookies funds troop programming, camp operations, and community initiatives.
I am Jack Neel, a mechanical engineer, researcher, and writer. I created this website to share my knowledge about different brands and products with you. I research the manufacturers behind the brands and provide you with the information you need to make smart buying decisions.