It's almost the most wonderful time of the year: Girl Scout Cookies season! And if you follow a gluten free diet for any reason, you're likely wondering: Are Girl Scout cookies gluten free? To the joy of non-wheat-consuming people everywhere, the answer is yes! Both Girl Scout cookie bakers, Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers, offer a certified gluten free cookie — and they both sound delicious.
According to the ABC Bakers' Girl Scout Cookies Frequently Asked Questions page, determining which cookies are gluten free is actually really simple. Their Gluten Free Trios Girl Scout Cookies are made with peanut butter (sorry, people with peanut allergies), chocolate chips, and certified whole grain, gluten free oats. The Gluten Free Trios cookies are also made in a certified gluten free facility; furthermore, instead of the traditional Girl Scout cookies box, you'll receive your Trios in a resealable bag due to their slightly smaller size.
Little Brownie Bakers, on the other hand, offer a different gluten free option: The Toffee-tastic cookie, which is described as a "rich, buttery [cookie] packed with golden toffee bits bursting with flavor." According to the Little Brownie Bakers Girl Scout Cookie FAQ, Toffee-tastic cookies "have been certified gluten-free by the third party organization, NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) and verified through testing as meeting the FDA guidelines for labeling gluten-free." The NSF gluten-free logo appears on the Toffee-tastic box.
These aren't the first gluten free options to have been available — in which case, you might be wondering what happened to ABC Bakers' previous gluten free cookie, the Chocolate Chip Shortbread Gluten Free Trios. As explained in the FAQ, "We are always looking for ways to improve our product offering and generate excitement and enthusiasm around the Girl Scout Cookie Program." ABC Bakers knew that "peanut butter is one of America’s favorite cookie flavors," which hey, I certainly can't deny — hence, the current revamped gluten free option.
If you're wondering when you can buy gluten free Girl Scouts cookies, you're in luck, because they're available right along with the regular offerings. In terms of cost, both varieties will vary based on the Girl Scout council you order from. The ABC Bakers FAQ does warn that their gluten free cookie may be a higher price than the other cookie offerings; that's not unusual in the gluten free market, though, so you probably already had a hunch that would be the case.
So rejoice, gluten free cookie lovers! This year, the Girl Scouts have your back.
Images: makistock/Fotolia; Giphy
