General Mills to make Girl Scout cookie cereals in 2017

Food giant taps into the popular cookies to boost lagging sales of cereal.

October 25, 2016 at 1:07AM
General Mills and Girl Scouts partnered to release two cereals based on the popular cookies.
General Mills and Girl Scouts partnered to release two cereals based on the popular cookies. (CJ Sinner/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

General Mills plus Girl Scouts equals Thin Mints cereal.

The Golden Valley-based food giant, whose best-known cereal is Cheerios, is teaming up with the national nonprofit organization, whose annual cookie sale is anticipated by millions each winter, to make Girl Scout cookie-flavored cereals.

Shoppers will be able to buy the dessert-for-breakfast boxes in January, just in time to ruin New Year's weight-loss goals, General Mills confirmed Monday.

The news was leaked early, so the company is not providing many details. The two flavors — Thin Mints and Caramel Crunch — will be available for a limited time only.

According to the Girl Scouts website, Thin Mints is the organization's top-selling cookie, followed by Caramel deLites, also known as Samoas, which the Caramel Crunch cereal appears to emulate.

General Mills will release more information closer to launch.

The company has products in a variety of food categories, from yogurt to taco shells to soup, but it's best known for being a major cereal manufacturer. General Mills occasionally releases new, limited-edition cereals to harness excitement surrounding a pop culture event.

Last January, for instance, the company produced Batman and Superman cereals to coincide with the theater debut of the "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" movie. This fall, General Mills caused an outpouring of enthusiasm among a specific fan group when it released Pumpkin Spice Cheerios.

Girl Scout cookie season often creates its own cultural ruckus as fans flock to their favorite varieties. General Mills is likely hoping to latch onto that fervor and gain a bump in buyers. Cereal sales have stalled — or, for some companies, slid downward — in recent years as consumers opt for grab-and-go breakfast items or more traditional hot breakfasts, like bacon and eggs.

Kristen Leigh Painter • 612-673-4767

Photo shows the Caramel Crunch cereal that General Mills will sell for a limited time starting in January. The cereal is based on the Girl Scouts’ Caramel deLites cookies, also know as Samoas. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
General Mills early in 2017 will sell for a limited time two cereals based on Girl Scout cookies. Photo shows the Thin Mints cereal. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(Evan Ramstad/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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about the writer

Kristen Leigh Painter

Business Editor

Kristen Leigh Painter is the business editor.

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