Two new gluten-free Girl Scout cookies will be offered in the group’s annual cookie sale in early 2015.
Girl Scout councils from Maine to California will be testing sales of peanut butter oatmeal cookies called Trios, made with chocolate chips, peanut butter and certified gluten-free whole grain oats. Other councils throughout the United States will be offering the Toffee-tastic, a buttery shortbread cookie with toffee bits. Trios will be produced in a dedicated gluten-free plant, and Toffee-tastics will be tested to make sure they meet gluten-free labeling standards.
In 2014, 20 councils throughout the country offered gluten-free chocolate chip shortbread cookies as part of a pilot program. According to Girl Scouts of the USA, the participating councils and consumers loved the new cookie. Ninety percent of consumers said they plan to buy gluten free again.
Looking for ways to improve the product offerings, ABC Bakers, which is overseeing the testing of the Trios, decided to offer a different gluten-free variety for the upcoming season. ABC will be conducting follow-up research to determine the effectiveness of the initiative and whether or not the gluten-free Trios will become a permanent part of the cookie program. The Toffee-tastic, which is being produced by Kellogg’s Little Brownie Bakers, is the first gluten-free variety offered by that bakery.
The Trios will be sold in re-sealable pouches since the bite-size cookies do not lend themselves well to traditional tray packaging, according to ABC. However, Trios will be slightly larger than the chocolate chip cookies, which were also sold in bags. The Toffee-tastic will be packaged in traditional boxes.
The gluten-free cookies will sell for about $5, though pricing will vary from council to council.
For information on when Girl Scout cookie season starts in your area, go to www.girlscoutcookies.org.
