What happens to unsold Girl Scout cookies at the end of the season?

'Tis the season! It's that time of year again when Girl Scouts across the country rally their troops and set out to see who can sell the most boxes of their iconic (and delicious) cookies.

From Thin Mints and Samoas to Exploremores, the Girl Scouts' newest cookie flavor, there are cookies for everyone in the family to enjoy, which is likely why their famous cookies are so high in demand.

Girl Scout Cookie season typically begins in January and lasts until mid-April. To ensure freshness, Girl Scouts "only sell cookies produced for the current season," the organization's website reads.

So, what happens to all the leftover cookies that don’t get sold? We have the answers.

What happens to unsold Girl Scout Cookies at the end of the season?

If a council or troop has extra cookies at the end of the annual Girl Scout Cookie sale, they'll work with local food pantries and other charitable organizations to distribute cookies "as a special treat for people seeking food relief services," per the Girl Scouts of USA website.

Additionally, the Girl Scouts work with licensed bakers to make sure an annual plan is in place for "responsibly managing leftover cookie inventory."

Girl Scout Cookie season is recognized nationally from January through April.

How to buy Girl Scout Cookies

If you know a Girl Scout, reach out to her.
If you don’t know a local Girl Scout, enter your zip code at gswo.org/findcookies. There, you can purchase cookies to be shipped directly to you or donate cookies for local community causes. In late February, this link can also be used to find cookie booths at nearby businesses.

When is the last day to purchase Girl Scout Cookies?

Girl Scout Cookie season is recognized nationally from January through April. In Greater Cincinnati, Girl Scout Cookie season ends March 29, according to the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio.

This season, the following cookie flavors are available in Western Ohio:

The Girl Scouts announced a new cookie flavor for the 2026 season. Exploremores are rocky road ice-cream-inspired cookies filled with flavors of chocolate, marshmallow and toasted almond creme.

Adventurefuls: indulgent brownie-inspired cookies with caramel-flavored crème and a hint of sea salt.
Caramel Chocolate Chip: chewy cookies with rich caramel, semisweet chocolate chips and a hint of sea salt. Gluten-free.
Caramel deLites: crispy cookies with caramel, coconut and chocolaty stripes.
Exploremores: sandwich cookies with chocolate, marshmallow and almond-flavored crème.
Lemonades: savory slices of shortbread with a refreshingly tangy lemon-flavored icing.
Peanut Butter Patties: crispy cookies layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolaty coating.
Peanut Butter Sandwich: crisp and crunchy oatmeal cookies with peanut butter filling.
Thin Mints: crispy chocolate wafers dipped in a minty chocolate coating.
Trefoils: iconic shortbread cookies inspired by the original Girl Scout recipe.