Aldi roasted for selling Girl Scouts cookie dupe in US with ‘near identical’ taste
Aldi is being ruthlessly mocked online for selling a cookie that tastes just like the Girl Scouts’ iconic Samoas.
The popular retailer was called out in a Reddit post featuring a picture of Benton’s Caramel Coconut Fudge Cookies sold at stores in the U.S. The cookies, sold at Aldi, were placed next to a box of Samoas from the Girl Scouts, a youth leadership organization for girls in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Although the two cookies vary slightly in size, they both had the same chocolate strips and toasted coconut flakes. And according to someone on Reddit who tried both, they have a pretty similar taste, too.
“They may look a bit different, but taste damn near identical. Girl Scouts need to up their game. If Aldi can dupe the thin mints, I can tell my coworker’s daughter to get lost!” the Reddit user joked in the caption.
In the comments, multiple people said they, too, compared the two cookies and seen the similarities. However, they still made an argument for buying the Girl Scouts ones instead of the Aldi ones.
“I’ve done my own comparison and review, and I can say with absolute certainty that I’m able to finish an entire pack of the Aldi version as well as the original GS cookies,” one wrote.
“Another key difference is that one helps fund girl-led experiences for girls in your community, like camping and more. The other doesn’t. Thanks for buying Girl Scout cookies!” another wrote.
“I hate when retailers try to cash in on the Girl Scouts’ market,” a third wrote.
In other Reddit posts, Aldi shoppers shared their “dupes” for Girl Scout cookies. Along with Benton’s Caramel Coconut Fudge Cookies, one Reddit user shared a picture of the Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies, with people in the comments saying that they taste just like the Girl Scouts’ Peanut Butter Patties and Caramel DeLites.
Others said they prefer the cookies they get from Aldi over the ones from Girl Scouts, which often cost up to seven dollars per box. Meanwhile, the cookies from Aldi cost about three dollars.
“They make thin mint and peanut butter patties. The Aldi peanut butter patties are way better than Girl Scouts,” one person wrote on Reddit.
“The Aldi version of Tagalongs is soooo much better,” another said. “ I swear the Girl Scout ones used to taste like Aldi’s version but something changed. And they’re less than half the price.”
However, Girl Scouts has taken notice of the growing cookie knockoffs in major grocery stores.
“When you buy Girl Scout Cookies, you’re getting more than just a delicious treat: you’re helping to power experiences that help girls learn, grow and thrive,” a spokesperson for Girl Scouts told Nexstar last month. “That means funding trips that spark curiosity, camp experiences that build independence, service projects that teach compassion, and outdoor adventures that grow courage and confidence.”
“While we understand that the love for Girl Scout Cookies runs far and wide, efforts to replicate Girl Scout cookies and sell them in stores directly impact girls’ ability to take part in these life-changing experiences, which for many girls would not be possible without cookie sales.”
The Independent has contacted Girl Scouts for comment.
