Girl Scout cookie creations

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The Girl Scouts come around every year to test my commitment to my every-single-year New Year’s resolution to eat better and shave off a few pant sizes. Okay, not really. But it honestly feels like I can’t walk into Walmart or Kroger without an adorable kiddo in a colorful vest full of patches asking me to purchase a box of cookies to support her Girl Scout troop. Being the mom to two Girl Scouts and having a garage full of the delicious, they-only-come-once-a-year delicacies makes resisting their goodness even tougher.

What to do with your extra Girl Scout cookies

So, each year, I end up with a cupboard overflowing with Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties, Lemonades and so many more delicious cookies. The cookies go by different names depending on the bakery your local Council gets cookies from. Though they are essentially the same cookies. Some troops sell Tagalongs and not Peanut Butter Patties, or Samoas and not Caramel Delites.

This year, my girls and I decided to start trying our hands at baking and creating with our cookies. Not because they aren’t delicious straight out of the box, but because variety is the spice of life, you know?

Thin Mint treats

Thin Mints are an obvious favorite for baking because they are already such a great chocolaty flavor that can be easily folded into your favorite dessert dish. We’ve enjoyed Thin Mints crushed into store-bought brownie and cake mixes for years. This time around, we decided to get a bit more creative with these cookies.

Girl Scout cookie recipes

My girls and I went gaga for no-bake cheesecake with a Thin Mint crust! We picked a random no-bake cheesecake recipe and substituted Thin Mints for the graham crackers. My girls loved this, because they — ages 8, 5 and 4 — can make this recipe almost unassisted! We topped our creation with raspberries and basically ate the whole thing in one sitting. You know, not unlike the rate at which we would consume an entire box of Thin Mints anyway.

Make your favorite Girl Scout cookies into ice cream sandwiches — and more

Shortbreads and Thanks A Lots are two more cookies with endless possibilities. Both make fantastic ice cream sandwiches! My personal favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip, which is just delicious between two Thanks A Lots!

recipes with Girl Scout Cookies

My girls loved making Thanks A Lots s’mores, a secret we learned from many Girl Scout moms before us! We grilled marshmallows on the stove with skewers and then wedged them perfectly between two Thanks A Lots. Because they have chocolate on the bottom already, there was no need for an additional ingredient!

A fellow Girl Scout mom also turned me onto home-made Twix bars. Take a Rolo (or two or three for more chocolaty yumminess!) and pop it in the center of a Shortbread. Pop the whole thing in the microwave until the chocolate and caramel has melted over the cookie and enjoy.

For kiddos that love dipping things (my kids will eat any veggie as long as they can smother it with ranch!), let them dip shortbreads in peanut butter and then sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips on top. This is essentially a Peanut Butter Patty, another favorite Girl Scout cookie of mine, but there is something fun and satisfying in creating your own custom version.

recipes with Girl Scout cookies

Girl Scout cookie creations full of lemon flavor

Lemonade cookies are the favorites in my house, hands down. My husband and middle daughter aren’t huge fans of chocolate, so Lemonades are their go-to cookies. We wanted to make a dessert she would love without chocolate. After scouring my cupboards, I found a Very Berry Mix from Wildtree with a great, tart-ish flavor. We used a teaspoon of this flavoring mixed in with plain Greek yogurt and honey. We then crushed several Lemonade cookies into the yogurt and served them in dessert cups purchased at Walmart and decorated them with berries. Let’s just say my middle daughter has found her favorite non-chocolate dessert.

I’m a self-proclaimed chocoholic (the struggle is real!), and even I found the tartness balanced with sweetness to be fantastic! Another great option here is to serve Lemonades with a lemon-flavored cheesecake dip — any online recipe will do. These were also a smash-hit with my non-chocolate loving kiddo!

Adding chocolate makes everything more fun

I’m not a massive fan of Peanut Butter Sandwiches myself, but I have found a way these cookies will make it to my mouth. Coating them with chocolate, obviously! A friend suggested I try these cookies coated in melted chocolate chips as a way to replicate a Nutter Butter. Although these cookies will never top my favorites list, I do think they are fantastic with a chocolaty touch.

Girl Scout cookie trail mix

We found both the Caramel Delites and the Peanut Butter Patties a bit hard to bake with, simply because they are both so rich and flavorful on their own! Caramel Delites are great crushed over vanilla ice cream — or even chocolate. These also make a great addition to any homemade trail mix. Try cutting the cookies into four pieces and then mixing them in a large bag with raisins, cashews, peanuts and dried fruit of your choice!

To get creative with your Peanut Butter Patties, try serving them as Peanut Butter Patty balls! Mix about 24 cookies in the food processor with 3 tablespoons of butter and then form into balls. Serve them with toothpicks for a mess-free treat! No matter your favorite Girl Scout cookie, go, eat, enjoy. Support the Girl Scouts!

What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie flavor?

Stephanie Jarrett contributed this post as a guest writer. Stephanie is a Midwesterner and total girl mom. Although she now lives in Arlington, TX, Stephanie will always call the Midwest home and is a proud Missouri Tiger. She enjoys reading, running and red wine. When she’s not chasing three little blondes all over DFW, you will find her working from her home office listening to country music.

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