For many years, Girl Scout S’mores cookies were a beloved treat that people looked forward to buying every cookie season. Featuring graham cracker cookies with marshmallow and chocolatey coating, they perfectly captured the classic campfire treat in cookie form. However, in 2018, Girl Scouts of the USA announced that S’mores cookies would be discontinued and they have not returned since then. This has left many cookie lovers wondering: what happened to the S’mores Girl Scout cookies?
Background on Girl Scout Cookies
Girl Scout cookies have been sold by Girl Scouts since 1917 as a way to fund Girl Scout programs and activities. The program started small, with the girls baking cookies themselves with their mothers and selling them locally. Over the decades, as Girl Scouting grew, the cookie program grew with it. Commercial bakers were contracted to produce the cookies to meet the growing demand. Many classic Girl Scout cookie varieties like Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs have been around for over 50 years.
New cookies are occasionally introduced and some are retired over the years. At the peak, there were over 30 different Girl Scout cookie varieties available across the USA. Currently there are about 12 national core varieties like Do-si-dos and Trefoils that are available across the country. Plus local councils can sell an additional 1-2 specialty cookies unique to their region.
The Introduction of S’mores Cookies
S’mores cookies were first introduced in the 2017 cookie season. They were offered by select councils across the country as one of their specialty local cookies. S’mores cookies featured crunchy graham sandwich cookies with a marshmallowy filling and were coated in chocolatey coating to mimic campfire s’mores. They were an instant hit with cookie lovers and sold extremely well during their debut season. After such a successful launch, it was expected they would become a new core cookie flavor available nationally in future seasons.
The Discontinuation of S’mores Cookies
In May 2018, Girl Scouts of the USA announced that S’mores cookies, along with two other specialty cookie flavors, would not be returning for the 2019 cookie season. No reason was given for the discontinuation of S’mores at the time.
Many cookie fans were outraged and confused by the decision. Since S’mores cookies seemed so popular just a year earlier during their launch, why would the Girl Scouts get rid of them so quickly?
Possible Reasons for Discontinuation
While Girl Scouts did not give an official reason, there are some possible explanations for why S’mores cookies were discontinued:
Sales Performance: Even though S’mores performed well during their launch year, national sales data over the full season may have shown that they were not going to be a profitable addition to the national lineup long-term. Girl Scout cookie sales are a major source of funding for the organization, so keeping only the best-selling cookies is imperative.
Manufacturing Issues: There may have been issues with reliably producing S’mores cookies in large quantities nationwide. The marshmallow filling may have presented challenges or quality control issues. Discontinuing them could have been a logistical decision.
Cannibalizing Other Cookie Sales: Some speculate that S’mores may have cut into sales of other cookie varieties, rather than increasing overall profit. People may have purchased S’mores instead of their usual purchases of Thin Mints or Samoas for example. That could lead to less total profit if production costs were high.
Oversaturated Market: Girl Scout cookie season is only 6-8 weeks long. Some argue that adding new cookie flavors too quickly leads to an oversaturated market. It’s better to space out new products over a number of years to build more anticipation and excitement over them.
Regardless of the reason, the news was definitely disappointing for those who fell in love with S’mores during their first year on the cookie scene.
The Response and Aftermath
Many cookie devotees took to social media to complain about the decision to remove S’mores from the lineup. Some started online petitions pleading for Girl Scouts to bring them back. Others stockpiled cases of S’mores in their freezers during the last 2017-2018 season to enjoy for years to come.
But despite the outcry, as of the 2022-2023 season, the S’mores cookies have still not returned. Once a cookie variety is discontinued, it’s very rare for Girl Scouts to reverse that decision and bring it back.
While disappointing for S’mores fans, the constant changing of the cookie lineup does help keep the Girl Scout cookie program feeling fresh and exciting. It gives cookie lovers something new to look forward to with each cookie season. And introduces girls to the important entrepreneurial lesson of learning from their sales data rather than getting attached to any one product.
Alternatives to Get Your S’mores Fix
Though it’s unlikely that official Girl Scout S’mores cookies will be back, fans still have a few options to get their s’mores cookie fix:
- Some cookie bakers like ABC Bakers still sell s’mores cookies to the general public under a different name and packaging.
- Other major brands like Nabisco make s’mores sandwich cookies that are similar and available nationally.
- Fans can search eBay or other secondary markets to buy boxes of S’mores from the last season they existed.
- Home bakers can find copycat s’mores cookie recipes online to make at home.
While it’s just not the same as the official Girl Scout version, these options can help fill the void left by the discontinued S’mores cookies.
Will S’mores Cookies Ever Return?
As with anything related to Girl Scouts, “Never say never.” Though unlikely in the next few years, there is always a possibility that S’mores cookies could make a comeback someday.
Other discontinued cookies like Lemonades and Dulce de Leche have returned for “throwback” sales after a long hiatus. If sales of existing cookies start to dip significantly, Girl Scouts may decide to bring back fan favorites like S’mores to boost excitement around cookie season again.
Though the future is uncertain, devoted Girl Scout cookie lovers will surely be waiting and watching eagerly for any hint of the return of their beloved S’mores cookie.
Conclusion
The disappearance of Girl Scout S’mores cookies after just one season left many fans confused and disappointed. Though the exact reasons are unknown, it seems the organization decided that the logistical and business challenges of producing S’mores nationally were not going to be profitable long-term.
While the future return of S’mores is unlikely in the next few years, there are still ways for cookie lovers to get their s’mores fix through copycat recipes and similar cookies made by other companies. And Girl Scout cookies have a way of bringing back old favorites sometimes when people least expect it, so hopes for a S’mores comeback still live on. For now, cookie fans will just have to content themselves with the other delicious Girl Scout cookie flavors that return annually and await any future surprises.