I Tried Aldi’s Cookie Copycats vs. The Girl Scout Originals—Here’s What Surprised Me

There’s no denying the force that is Girl Scout Cookies. Each year, the organization sells about 200 million boxes of its cookies to loyal fans around the country. Many people have eaten these treats since they were children, tapping into a serious feeling of nostalgia with every bite.

I was a Girl Scout, and I vividly remember going door to door in my neighborhood to sell these iconic treats. Because my parents wanted to support my troop, they always bought a few boxes for us to enjoy, too. But the biggest challenges with Girl Scout Cookies are that they’re pricey and seasonal. You can only snag a box from January until about April. If you want to enjoy these treats outside of that time frame, you either have to hoard them or try to find something to fill the void.

And that’s where Aldi comes in. There’s a lot of buzz online about how the fan-favorite grocery store sells cookies that are quite similar to some of the core Girl Scout Cookie flavors. These copycat treats are made by Aldi’s Benton’s brand, and you can pick them up for a much lower price and also snag them year-round.

As a lifelong Girl Scout Cookie fan, I was instantly intrigued and had to check out these sweets for myself. So, I gathered 10 boxes of cookies and set up an Aldi copycat vs. Girl Scout Cookie taste test to try the grocery store lookalikes vs. the real thing. So, should you save some cash and pick up Benton’s cookies instead? Here’s what I found.

Related: Enjoy Girl Scout Cookies All Year Long With These 27 Copycat Recipes

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What Are Girl Scout Cookies?

Girl Scout Cookies are legendary treats that have been sold nationwide since the 1920s. The proceeds from cookie sales go to the local troop and council, making this a huge fundraiser for the organization. The fundraising aspect is why the cookies go for a higher price, $6-$7 per box, depending on where you live.

The Girl Scouts have added different flavors over time, but there are mainstays that have been part of the cookie collection for years, including Thin Mints, Samoas, Do-Si-Dos, Tagalongs and Trefoils.

And a quick note about cookie names: Because Girl Scout cookies are made in two regional bakeries, some of the flavors are known by two different names (Samoas vs. Caramel deLites, for example). In this test, I used the name of the cookie in my region.

Related: It’s Cookie Season! Get the Original Girl Scout Cookie Recipe From 1922

What Are the Aldi Benton’s Girl Scout Cookie Copycats?

Benton’s Girl Scout Cookie dupes aren’t specifically labeled that way, but many of these have such a similar look, taste and feel that it’s hard to deny what they’re trying to do. These cookies are significantly cheaper than standard Girl Scout Cookies (anywhere from $2 or so vs. $6-$7 or more for Girl Scout Cookies), but offer the same flavor combinations.

Related: Team Thin Mint or Team Samoas? The 12 Best Girl Scout Cookie Flavors—Ranked Best to Worst

What People Are Saying About Aldi’s Girl Scout Cookie Copycats

There’s a lot of online chatter around these cookies. “They taste the exact same,” one person wrote on Facebook of the dupes. Another swore that the Aldi version of Tagalongs is “so good,” adding, “and may even taste better than the Girl Scout version.”

A fellow fan said that the dupe versions of Samoas are “sooo amazing,” while others wrote that they pick up the boxes on every trip to Aldi.

Related: I Tried the Viral ‘Martha Stewart Fired Me Cookies’ and They’re Chewy, Crispy Perfection

How I Tasted These Cookies

Some Aldi Benton’s Girl Scout Cookie dupes look exactly like the real thing. In the case of Samoas and Tagalongs, I had to double-check the other cookies in the box to confirm what I was tasting. But others look slightly different. To try to avoid bias, I did a round of blind taste testing with my family, followed by “regular” taste testing to judge the cookies on their full presentation.

The cookies were tested head-to-head, as well as solo. Each cookie was rated on a range of factors, including appearance, taste, texture and value. If a cookie was a true dupe, I also looked at how similar it was to the original.

As a lifelong Girl Scout Cookie fan, I expected the originals to blow the Benton’s versions out of the water. But I was surprised at just how good some of the Aldi cookies were. Here’s what I learned.

Related: My Dad Cracked the Code to the Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Taste Test: Benton’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies vs. Tagalongs

Both of these cookies have a crunchy cookie interior, with a layer of peanut butter and a fudge coating and they look very, very similar.

Benton’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies, $2.45

Benton’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies are nearly identical to their Tagalong cousins—they’re just slightly larger. This cookie was one of the favorites of the entire testing. It has more creamy peanut butter than the Tagalong, along with a nice crunch when you bite into it.

Tagalongs Girl Scout Cookie, $6

There’s no denying that Tagalongs are a tasty cookie. The blend of peanut butter, chocolate and crunchy cookie gives fans the best of all worlds. The peanut butter in this cookie was slightly saltier than the Benton’s versions, really bringing out that chocolate flavor. But there was less peanut butter overall, and the cookie itself is smaller than Benton’s. It’s hard to justify paying more for a smaller cookie that’s nearly identical to something you can pick up year-round.

Winner: Benton’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies

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Taste Test: Benton’s Caramel Coconut Fudge Cookie vs. Samoas

These cookies feature a blend of caramel, fudge and plenty of coconut for a nutty, chocolatey taste with a crunchy cookie interior.

Benton’s Caramel Coconut Fudge Cookie, $1.55

Chocolate-caramel coconut cookies aren’t something you come across every day, making the Benton’s find an exciting one. But the excitement ended there. These cookies didn’t taste fresh, and they were soft instead of crunchy. The coconut flavor was a little off, too. The cookie wasn’t bad, but there was a clear winner in this taste test.

Samoas, $6

To be fair, Samoas are a legendary cookie with a massive fanbase, but the Girl Scouts completely crushed it with this cookie recipe. You can really taste the coconut and caramel, and neither flavor tastes fake. There’s a nice crunch once you get through the coconut, chocolate and caramel layer, making for a really satisfying bite. It also tastes like a candybar. This cookie is simply delicious—and totally worth the wait and the higher price.

Winner: Samoas

Related: The Girl Scout Cookie Flavor That Matches Your Zodiac Sign

Taste Test: Benton’s Peanut Butter Creme-Filled Cookies vs. Do-Si-Dos

Like peanut butter? You’re in luck. These cookies have a peanut butter exterior and interior, giving you double the nutty flavor.

Benton’s Peanut Butter Creme-Filled Cookies, $3.05

I’ll be honest: The peanut butter-on-peanut butter cookies were the least liked category overall, making it hard to choose a winner. Nobody was really into either of these cookies. That said, there are a few key differences to note. Benton’s Peanut Butter Creme-Filled Cookies don’t have a strong peanut butter flavor. It’s there, but it’s a little subtle. There is a nice crunchy exterior and creamy interior, though. It’s not a bad cookie, and you get a lot for the money. But it’s not the best you can do if you’re craving a peanut butter cookie.

Do-Si-Dos, $6

These cookies are a solid choice if you’re craving a wall of peanut butter hitting your tongue. The exterior and interior deliver in the peanut butter flavor department, and each has a nice blend of saltiness and sweetness. Overall, we thought this cookie needed something more, like a hint of chocolate or some other flavor in the mix. They do taste great as a topping when you crumble them over vanilla or chocolate ice cream, though.

Winner: Do-Si-Dos

Related: 30 Different Types of Cookies, All of Which You’ll Want To Eat

Taste Test: Benton’s Mint Striped Fudge Cookies vs. Thin Mints

These cookies combine mint, chocolate and fudge in a crunchy treat.

Benton’s Mint Striped Fudge Cookies, $1.25

There’s a lot of mint coming your way with the Benton’s Mint Striped Fudge Cookies. These cookies have a creamy mint interior, along with mint striping on top, making it hard to miss this flavor profile. The cookies have a nice crunch and strong flavor, but the mint can feel a little overpowering—and even a bit like toothpaste. If you’re a big fan of minty treats or if you’re even looking to freshen your breath while snacking, this one is worth a try. Otherwise, it’s a little much.

Thin Mints, $6

Thin Mints are consistently ranked America’s favorite Girl Scout Cookie, making them hard to beat. The Girl Scouts do a really nice job balancing the mint and chocolate flavors so that you’re not overwhelmed by either one. The mint is subtle and perfectly complements the chocolate. While there’s a thin fudge coating, these cookies are all about the crunch. This one is definitely worth the price.

Winner: Thin Mints

Related: I Made Copycat Thin Mints and They Were Surprisingly Delicious

Taste Test: Benton’s Danish Butter Cookies vs. Trefoils

Buttery, rich and only mildly sweet, these shortbread cookies are a classsic.

Benton’s Danish Butter Cookies, $4.29

Benton’s Danish Butter Cookies are a large, round cookie that really nails that shortbread flavor. They have a nice, buttery flavor, that really brings out the taste of the shortbread. The cookie tin has several varieties inside, including some that have oversized sugar crystals on top. These cookies are slightly larger than Trefoils, too, giving you more to dive into. They’re slightly crumbly, but that’s not unusual for a shortbread cookie.

Trefoils, $6

Trefoils are a shortbread cookie with a twist. They have that classic buttery flavor, but with a marshmallowy hint. They have a nice crunch, but even with the marshmallow notes, I didn’t find that they had a ton of flavor. They’re also pretty small—you could easily toss one back in two bites, and possibly even one—making the price tag a little hard to justify for what you get.

Winner: Benton’s Danish Butter Cookies

Final Takeaways

It’s important to point out that none of these cookies were bad, and each had its own special qualities. In the end, the Girl Scouts originals edged out the Benton’s cookies three to two in the head-to-head tastings, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

If a $6 box of cookies isn’t in your budget and/or it’s not Girl Scout season, by all means, hit up your local Aldi and go to town. The Benton’s varieties were all tasty, and some were closer in look and feel to classic Girl Scout Cookies than others. You also can’t beat the price.

But if you want a classic cookie that will bring back childhood memories, the classic Girl Scout Cookies are the way to go. Some options, like the Samoa and Thin Mints, just can’t be replicated. Plus, you’re making a donation to the organization in the process, supporting local kids.

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