Love the Girl Scout's Tagalongs, but want them year-round? With this easy-to-make copycat Tagalong recipe, you can have the chocolate and peanut butter shortbread cookies at home any time you crave them!
(This recipe was originally published in January 2011, but has been updated with new photos and content in 2022).
I was a Girl Scout for many, many years. More accurately, I was a Daisy in kindergarten, worked my way up to become a Brownie, and then became a Girl Scout from there.
I'm sure I learned many important lessons throughout my time with the Scouts, but the things that stick with me are cookie selling and camping. Camping I hated. But cookie selling? I loved.
Today's world of Girl Scout cookie selling is a little bit different than it was in my day. We used to randomly knock on strangers' doors and beg them to purchase cookies from us. I don't think that happens much anymore!
To this day, I support the Girl Scouts of American 100% and would never discourage you from purchasing from them. But sometimes you can't get their cookies when you want them. And I pretty much always want them! Especially Tagalongs.
Which is why I've been making this copycat Tagalong recipe for years. I'm sure I initially adapted this recipe from somewhere, but it was so long ago that the website doesn't even exist anymore.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
If you like Tagalong cookies, you'll love this recipe because these taste just like them! And if you're not able to get Tagalongs currently, making your own at home is the simple solution.
If you've never had a Tagalong, but are a big fan of chocolate and peanut butter together, you'll also love these cookies.
They're not difficult to make and you'll be shocked by how much they taste just like the original Tagalongs.
Ingredients
The cookies are quite easy to make and simply require basic baking ingredients... You might even currently have them all in your kitchen and pantry. Here's what you need:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
- Creamy peanut butter
- Confectioners' sugar
- Milk chocolate (wafers or roughly chopped bars)
How to Make Homemade Tagalongs
There are lots of recipes for homemade Tagalong cookies on the internet and lots of different ways you can make them, but I love this easy slice and bake way.
It includes making a shortbread cookie dough, slicing it into rounds and baking them, topping them with a peanut butter mixture, and dipping them in chocolate.
You'll start by making the shortbread cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
Then add egg, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth.
Turn mixer to low and add flour. Mix until just incorporated, taking care not to over-mix.
That's it! Your dough is done.
Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic wrap over dough to completely cover and use your hands to roll the dough into a smooth log, about 2" in diameter.
Place in fridge to chill until firm, about 2 hours. You can also feel free to chill it overnight or for a few days.
When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a sharp knife to slice the dough log into ¼"-thick rounds and arrange on prepared baking sheet about 1" apart.
You should get about 60 rounds.
Bake the cookies for 9-12 minutes, until edges are just starting to turn golden.
Let them cool in the pan for a couple minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
While cookies are baking and cooling, make the peanut butter filling.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer or rubber spatula, combine peanut butter and confectioners' sugar.
Mix until well combined.
Put chocolate in a double boiler (or in a heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan filled with water) and bring water in the bottom of boiler to a boil.
I recommend using something like these milk chocolate wafers. But you can also buy chocolate bars and roughly chop them.
Stir the chocolate with a wooden spoon until it's evenly melted and smooth.
Spread a layer of peanut butter filling over each cooled shortbread cookie.
Put the cookies in the bowl with the melted chocolate.
Use two forks to flip cookies to coat entirely with chocolate.
Remove and set on piece of waxed paper or parchment paper and let chocolate harden.
Oooh la la!
You can chill the cookies if you want to speed up the process, though the chocolate generally hardens pretty quickly.
I do have to say that these cookies are EXTRA delicious when they're cold, so if you have room in your fridge, you may as well pop them in!
Serve the homemade Tagalongs with a big glass of cold milk.
And marvel how they taste pretty much exactly like those yummy peanut butter patties!
Everyone I've made these for is shocked by how similar they are to Tagalongs. They even look just like them.
I mean, how could you go wrong with a shortbread cookie topped with peanut butter and sugar and coated entirely in chocolate? You really can't.
But this definitely means trouble for me and it could for you, too. Once you realize how easy these are to make, you'll never have to wait for Girl Scout cookie season again!
Plus? This recipe makes 60 cookies. How many cookies are you getting in that box from the Girl Scouts?
But still support the Girl Scouts and buy from them, too... Because really, you can never have too many Tagalongs. Or Samoas. Or Do-Si-Dos. Or Thin Mints. I think those are all my faves.
How to Halve Recipe
If you think 60 Tagalongs is too many Tagalongs (how dare you!), don't worry because this recipe is very easy to cut in half.
You can either cut each ingredient amount in half (the egg is the only tricky part, but you can use this tip to make it easy).
Or you can make all of the dough and freeze half of it to bake at a later date. Any remaining dough can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap in fridge for 2-3 days and can be frozen for 3-4 months.
More Peanut Butter Recipes
I think peanut butter cookies are the BEST cookies. But I also just like peanut butter desserts in general and can never get enough of them. Here are some of my favorites:
- Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blondies with Chocolate Ganache
- Reese's Pieces Peanut Buttery Brownies
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies
- Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies
- XL Peanut Butter Cookies with Sprinkles
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Muffins
- Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
- Peanut Butter Mousse Brownie Pie (from Spicy Southern Kitchen)
And if you have a special peanut butter-loving pup in your life, you need to make him or her these Peanut Butter Pupcakes or these Peanut Butter Cheddar Bones.
If you are a Tagalong fan, you really must make these. If you've never had a Tagalong but love the chocolate-peanut butter combination, you also really must try these. I'm seriously in heaven.
In speaking further about supporting the Girl Scouts, here's an idea I've been hearing more and more people doing. Instead of buying 5 boxes of cookies and eating them all, buy 5 boxes and donate them to the troops, your local shelter, or church. OR, simply donate the money you would spend on cookies to the Girl Scouts without getting anything in return. Visit this site to find a Girl Scout cookie seller near you.
What's your favorite Girl Scout cookie? Would you replicate it at home if you could?
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- Β½ tsp salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 cups milk chocolate wafers or roughly chopped bars
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer,Β cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
- Add egg, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth.
- Turn mixer to low and addΒ flour. Mix until just incorporated, taking care not to over-mix.
- Place dough on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic wrap over dough to completely cover and use your hands to roll the dough into a smooth log, about 2" in diameter. Place in fridge to chill until firm, about 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove dough from fridge and use a sharp knife to slice log into ΒΌ"-thick rounds. Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheet about 1" apart. You should get about 60 rounds.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes, until edges are just starting to turn golden. Let cookies cool in pan for a couple minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
- While cookies are baking and cooling, make the peanut butter filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer or rubber spatula, combine peanut butter and confectioners' sugar and mix until well combined.
- Spread a layer of peanut butter filling over each cooled shortbread cookie.
- Put chocolate in a double boiler (or in a heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan filled with water) and bring water in the bottom of boiler to a boil. Stir the chocolate with a wooden spoon until it's evenly melted and smooth.
- Put peanut butter topped cookies in melted chocolate. Use two forks to flip cookies to coat entirely with chocolate. Remove and set on piece of waxed paper or parchment paper and let chocolate harden.
Notes
- This recipe can easily be cut in half to make 30 cookies. You can also make full dough recipe and slice and bake half of it at a time. Remaining dough can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap in fridge for 2-3 days and can be frozen for 3-4 months.
- If you prefer, you can melt chocolate in microwave (at intervals and stirring in between).
Useful Products
Angela says
These look delish! Can't wait to try the recipe. Now if only we could recreate Samoas...
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
I looove Tagalongs. Now I have to make these. There is no question.
Emily @ A Cambridge Story says
What a great idea. Can you make test a recipe for Thin Mints too?! π
Liz @ Blog is the New Black says
Yum!
Edward - If You Can Read, You Can Cook says
Tagalongs are my favorite cookie! Definately going to make these.
That said, we had a girl scout (well, a daisy) ring our doorbell on Sunday. Her father was there with her, but she did the talking. I felt bad telling her that we had already bought ours.
sweeter salt says
oh emm gee. Tagalongs are my favorite girl scout cookie, so these look incredible. Side note: Did you know some people call them Peanut Butter Patties? I discovered this in college as 2 of us called them Tagalongs and the other two called them Peanut Butter Patties. I guess it depends on who the manufacturer in the area is.
Laura
Lexi says
Wow, I think I need to make these this weekend! Tagalongs and Samoas are my favorite!
Erica says
Homemade girl scout cookie? What a fabulous idea. Its funny, where we live down South all the kiddos still go door to door. And I am a SUCKER for a kid selling anything. Yup- I just bought 5 boxes of girl scout cookies
vanillasugarblog says
i really wish i didn't click on this. π God these look soooo good right now. Sorry Girl Scouts but these look way better.
Fun and Fearless in Beantown says
Susie, if I give you my address, will you come to my door and bring some cookies? Seriously though, I love it when the Girl Scouts start selling them on Charles Street right in front of the hardware store. And yes, I totally know their exact location every year!
Nicole says
Oh goodness. I now have access to a recipe for homemade Thin Mints and Tagalongs. This is dangerous information!
Katie says
mmm i have to try these...i have a homemade thin mint recipe (which is my fave) that i've been meaning to try, but these look really good too, i should probably just make both!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
While I may be more of a Samoas girl, I still can't resist a Tagalong. These look absolutely wonderful! I'll have to give them a try next time I'm craving Girl Scout cookies and can't find a box!
Megan says
Ha ha. We're the same! I made it to 5th grade as well... loved cookie selling, hated camping.
These look amazing!
A.Judy says
Thin mints were always my favorite until now............I can guarantee you that there will always be a roll of frozen Tagalongs in the freezer for emergency use only.............like when the grandchildren show up unexpectedly..............or when Grammy is having a sugar attack!
Rachel @ The Avid Appetite says
Wow, these look uh-mazing!!!!! I have been missing Girl Scout cookies...for some reason I can never figure out where to get them since there are no young girls in my life!
Haley says
I literally opened your site on my google reader and said, "oh no, what did she do NOW?" lol. Literally. I can't believe you just made Tagalongs. A-MA-ZING.
Karen says
Yum! Tagalongs are my favorite Girl Scout cookies. I need to make these, like now! π
Lauren at KeepItSweet says
Ok, I love you. Can't wait to try these myself!
Tania says
omg these are totally trouble!
Elizabeth says
My access to girl scout cookies was sadly limited when I was little, so other than thin mints, my knowledge of the other types came mostly in recent years from recipes recreating them. This one being PB, chocolate AND shortbread would clearly be my favorite. Want.
Shannon says
ok i would totally be a girl scout again if it meant i could win an ipad selling cookies!! these, and caramel delights are my favs. must make soon π
Camels & Chocolate says
Mother of pearl, Christmas came early this year! These are only my favorite cookies EVER.
lynn @ the actor's diet says
i don't think i ever had a tagalong?!? i always go for the samoas and thin mints
Disneypal says
Heaven's to Betsy - those look WONDERFUL!!!
Tag-a-longs are my favorite Girl Scout cookie - can't wait to try this.
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
I made these too about a year and a half ago since we have food allergies here. They were fun to make and so much fun to eat! Yours look beautiful!
Ann says
These look amazing.Better than tag a longs which is a big favorite around here.
Erin @ Cooking and the City says
Tagalongs are my absolute favorite - this recipe is dangerous!!
Amanda L. (Tales From A Kitchen Misfit) says
Homemade girl scout cookies?! GENIUS.
Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger) says
Wow. You had me from the very first photo of the batter. Then I saw the baked cookies, and I was drooling. By the time I got to the photos of the peanut butter dipped chocolate covered cookies I was practically putting on my boots and shoveling my car out of a foot of snow to get to the supermarket for the ingredients. I am DEFINITELY making these. SOON.
peachkins says
I love peanutbutter! this cookie is amazing!
Barbara says
These look super! And yes, I agree. Dark chocolate would make these perfect.
Love the Girl Scouts. I was one and was also a leader. (Didn't mind the camping, either.) My fave cookie is the thin mint,
Susan says
I think you're really going to cut into their market share this year π Those look amazing. I started out as a daisy too and went all the way through fifth grade!
Elina (Healthy and Sane) says
I didn't grow up with girl scout cookies so I never got my people were so obsessed with them... but this is one cookie I actually do like. The homemade version looks even better - you really can't go wrong with this ingredients list! π
5 Star Foodie says
These look perfectly delicious, a wonderful homemade version!
joan says
My favorite too. I would be in trouble too if I made these. π
Alicia says
This is a very dangerous recipe to be in possession of! The look yummy! The samoa's are my favorite - but i've never turned down a tagalong either!
Katie @The Small Boston Kitchen says
I used to love Tagalong cookies but didn't even think to make them at home...these look SO good!
abusynest says
YUM! I would have a harder time stopping at a few of these than the Girl Scout cookies.
semiURBAN says
These look amazing! Now if you could teach us how to make some homemade samoas...or caramel treats...whatever the pc GS cookie terminology is this year. Thanks!
Reeni says
These were always my favorite cookie too! I can't wait to make them - these actually look better!
Susan says
Both of my girls were girl scouts and the cookie sale was a big deal here. Oh my goodness these look delicious. I wish I had little girls in the house now to help me eat these π
Velva says
I am reading this and thinking, yes, it is that time of year again...Girl Scout cookie time. I buy way too many boxes, and freeze them to enjoy later.
Yes, my favorite is the thin mints but, these homemade tag alongs, I am loving it. Chocolate and peanut butter-yes!!!
Kelly says
I just bought cookies from one of my former students- Carmel Delights (Samoas) to be exact. I love those and thank god I don't know how to make them haha. I also love the Tagalong ones too though. So good.
Melissa @ Made in Melissa's Kitchen says
Yum! Those, along with Samoas, are my two favorites!
Kerstin says
Yum! I was a GS too and loved selling cookies! These look SOO good - I'm impressed π
Culinary Cory says
I have four sisters and all were in girl scouts. I've certainly had my fair share of GS cookies. Tagalongs are my fav. Now I can make them all year around.
Kelsey says
that's so clever! that was always my favorite kind.
To Kiss the Cook says
I mean, I think you've got a scout's honor hit on your hand. These look divine...now how about some Samoas?
Sharlene says
I love Tagalongs! They were my favorite of the cookie selection too. In my house, the Samoas went too quick for me to get my share whereas I could stuff several Tagalongs in my mouth before anyone noticed (they were too busy fighting over Samoas). I can't wait to try this out!
Monique says
OH ME
OH MY
this is amazing!
I havent had real food in DAYS. when i feel like baking again i need t make these
impressive!
missed you and chels like whoa
emily @ the happy home says
ooooh. drool.
can samoas be next? pretty please?
sally says
Yum! Brings back fond memories of my days in girl scouts. These were definitely one of my favorite cookies.
miss alley kat says
OMG!! You made these cookies yourself!!!! I have to save this recipe. I just finished eating the last Tagalong cookie in the box. Now, I can make my own. Thank you for sharing this. =)
-Miss Alley Kat
Michaela says
=o) MMMMMMMMMM! These were great... thanks for sharing!
Katherine says
Haha, I have those same glasses with the smoke colored bottom. I LOVE them! And my boyfriend loves tagalongs. I must try these soon! Thanks!
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