Costco Just Gave Girl Scout Cookie Fans a Vegan Samoa—Sort Of

It’s Girl Scout Cookie season—sort of. Costco has rolled out bags of Girl Scouts Coconut Caramel Clusters Granola, a cereal-style remix of the iconic Samoas cookie (also known as Caramel deLites). But unlike the original cookie, which typically contains dairy, this new spin might offer plant-based snackers a way to get their fix without breaking from their values.

Why Samoas aren’t vegan

The Samoas cookie is made with chocolate, caramel, and toasted coconut layered over a crisp shortbread base. It’s one of the Girl Scouts’ top sellers every year—so popular that cookie season’s brief window often sparks panic-level enthusiasm online.

But Samoas themselves are not vegan. The cookies include dairy-based ingredients such as milk and whey, depending on which bakery produces them. (The vegan choices typically include Thin Mints, Lemonades, Peanut Butter Patties, Caramel Chocolate Chip, and Adventurefuls.)

Girl Scouts

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Samoas haven’t yet made the list. That’s why the arrival of an official Girl Scouts-branded Coconut Caramel Clusters Granola—spotted this month in select Costco warehouses—has shoppers buzzing. The new granola captures the flavor of Samoas, minus the dairy-laden shortbread. Each bag features crunchy clusters made from oats, chocolate, toasted coconut, and caramel. The label notes that it’s gluten-free and produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility, which has also sparked interest among celiac shoppers.  

A new fan favorite

Costco’s launch also underscores the growing crossover between nostalgic desserts and modern snack formats. Girl Scouts has been collaborating with brands in similar crossovers, like Skippy P.B. Bites and Frosted Thin Mint Pop-Tarts. These collaborations extend the brand’s reach beyond cookie season and appeal to year-round consumers who might crave familiar flavors in more accessible, everyday products.

Social media reaction has been frenzied, and it’s no surprise. One shopper summed up the collective excitement with a simple “WOAHHHH WHAT,” while another admitted they’d have “zero self-control” with a bag in front of them. On Reddit, one Costco member wrote, “We’ve been buying these our last few trips to Costco … Bought a few bags for the freezer.” The granola is already showing signs of selling out quickly, with some users noting it has disappeared from warehouse shelves within days of being spotted.

Vegan snacking goes mainstream at Costco

Although the new Coconut Caramel Clusters Granola hasn’t been formally labeled vegan, many online shoppers point out that the ingredient list appears free of animal-derived additives. Its use of oats, coconut, and chocolate makes it an easy contender for plant-based breakfast bowls or late-night snacking. For vegans used to passing on the classic caramel cookie, this release feels like long-overdue redemption.

The timing is smart. According to data from SPINS, plant-based snacks grew faster than conventional snacks last year, with double-digit gains in categories like granola and cereal. Costco, which already stocks several popular vegan brands such as Bobo’s and Purely Elizabeth, has shown a pattern of testing niche wellness trends in bulk-sized formats before expanding them nationwide.

Whether you pour it into a bowl with almond milk, sprinkle it over coconut yogurt, or eat it straight from the bag, this Girl Scouts Coconut Caramel Clusters Granola seems destined for pantry permanence—especially for anyone who misses Samoas but not the dairy.