The Ultimate Healthy Homemade Thin Mints

 
During the fall of 5^th grade, Mom signed me up for Girl Scouts. I loved the first two meetings! In November, we painted rectangular wooden boards with an undersea scene, complete with waving kelp and a pair of goldfish, and in December, we made little snowman figurines by painting miniature terra cotta pots white, gluing Styrofoam balls on top, and pressing on googley eyes and felt for their faces and clothing.  

At my third meeting in January, the troop leader handed out Girl Scout cookie sales sheets. Each sheet unfolded multiple times, until it stood half as tall as me, and contained over a hundred lines for names, addresses, and boxes ordered. Before sending us on our way, the troop leader mentioned she had extra order forms for when we completed that first one.

When I walked out the door, I felt a growing pit in my stomach, and by the time I reached Mom’s car, I was nearly in tears. As an incredibly shy child, I completely dreaded what our troop leader instructed us to do: go door-to-door through our neighborhood to ask every family, friend or stranger, to buy boxes of Girl Scout cookies.
 

 
Mom immediately reassured me the world wouldn’t end if I didn’t walk door-to-door or fill up the entire form. When I handed it back at our troop meeting the following month, I had four orders: one for each set of grandparents, one for the sweet lady across the street who loved us like her own children, and one for my family.

For our own order, Mom inked in one of every flavor, plus an extra box of Tagalongs and Samoas (my brother and my favorites!) and multiple extras of Thin Mints. She and Dad loved those the most, and my brother and I still enjoyed them too!

Every time Girl Scout cookie season comes around, I remember what Mom did and how she reassured me that she and Dad would still love me, regardless of how many boxes I sold… And how she bought enough boxes to make it look like I sold some to every family on our cul-de-sac to the other girls in my troop. Thank you Mom! ♡
 

 
Since I haven’t had any Girl Scouts knock on my door yet this year, I decided to try baking my own… And these Ultimate Healthy Homemade Thin Mints taste just as good—if not even better!—than the ones in those green cardboard boxes! They’re perfectly chocolaty and crunchy, with lots of bright peppermint flavor, and they’re just 43 calories!

WHAT ARE THIN MINTS?

If you’ve never had a Thin Mint cookie, then… I hope that changes ASAP with these homemade ones! The Girl Scout originals were first introduced in 1951. They’re thin, round cookies, about 1 ½ inches in diameter, that are extremely chocolaty, crunchy, and full of peppermint flavor. After baking, they’re coated in a thin layer of melted chocolate. Many people swear that freezing Thin Mints and then eating them cold is the best way but… My boxes always seem to disappear before I remember to try that! 😉
 

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE THIN MINTS

Nerd alert! Because I want to make sure you can make the best homemade Thin Mints, I’m going to share lots of tips and information about the ingredients and instructions with you!

Before I started recipe testing, I researched what makes cookies crunchy… But I found very little information. Instead, I found lots of tips about how to make cookies chewy. It seems like many people, myself included, tend to gravitate towards those soft and chewy varieties! So instead, I made notes on how to make chewy cookies… And then tried to do the opposite to make these crunchy homemade Thin Mints!

Nearly every source agreed that eggs contribute to soft and chewy cookies, especially the yolks, so… I omitted them. Yup—no eggs in these cookies! (Plus they aren’t an ingredient in Thin Mints either!) Instead, I added a touch of milk to give the cookie dough the correct texture.
 

 
I also came across multiple articles stating that melted butter contributes to chewier cookies (that’s one reason why I use melted butter in nearly all of my cookie recipes… and because it’s easier!), so I decided to beat softened butter with coconut sugar (like this!) to aim for a crunchy texture.

Tip: If you’d like to make these homemade Thin Mints vegan and dairy free, see the Notes section of the recipe for my recommendations on how to do that!

Coconut sugar is exactly what it sounds like: an unrefined sweetener that comes from coconuts! However, it does not actually taste like coconuts. It has a rich caramel-like flavor, similar to brown sugar, but it has the same dry texture as granulated sugar. If you can’t find coconut sugar, then use granulated instead!
 

 
Before we continue with crunchy tips, we can’t forget the rest of the ingredients! You’ll need peppermint extract (like this!) to get that true Thin Mint flavor. It’s pretty strong, so you only need a little bit!

Then to make these cookies taste just as chocolaty as the originals, you’ll use one part unsweetened cocoa powder (like this!) to two parts white whole wheat flour (like this!) Do not use Dutched or special dark cocoa! Their flavors are faint and dull compared to the robust chocolatyness of regular unsweetened cocoa powder. (I think Webster’s should add chocolatyness to their next dictionary edition, don’t you??)

As for white whole wheat flour, such a thing actually exists—and it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour! Regular whole wheat flour comes from a coarse and hearty variety of red wheat, whereas white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!). This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, which is perfect for these healthy homemade Thin Mint cookies!

Tip: Whole wheat pastry flour is a perfect substitute! And if you’d like to make your healthy Thin Mints gluten free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve included my favorite option there!

Okay, back to crunchiness! You’ll sift those dry ingredients into the creamed butter and coconut sugar, along with a pinch of salt and tiny bit of baking soda. I checked the Thin Mint ingredient labels, and one manufacturer includes baking soda, but the other does not! So I tried both versions, and I preferred the ones with baking soda. It provides just enough lift and tiny air pockets that the cookies aren’t as dense as rocks—and those air pockets also help with the crunchiness!
 

 
Once you’ve mixed up the cookie dough, you’ll put the cookie dough in the fridge to chill. Remember how melted butter = chewier cookies? We want that butter to be nice and cold to help with that crunchy texture!

Then you’ll roll it out to be 1/8” thick. I tried 3/16” to start, and that was a bit too thick compared to the original Thin Mints. To cut out the cookies, use a cookie cutter with a 1 ½” diameter. It’s sometimes hard to find that size individually, but you can usually get that size in a set like this!

Tip: If you can’t find one, then use a glass spice jar’s metal lid. Those tend to be a good size too!

Time to bake! To get chewy cookies, you typically remove the baking sheet from the oven after about 7-9 minutes… But to get crunchy cookies, you leave them in the oven longer—closer to 14 minutes! There’s a sweet spot between chewy cookies and burnt cookies, and that’s exactly what we’re aiming for. Crunchy, chocolaty, minty cookie bliss!
 

 
Still with me?? I know this is a lot of info… I want to make sure you bake the BEST homemade Thin Mint cookies!

Once your cookies are at room temperature, it’s time to dip them in melted chocolate! I originally used 70-72% dark chocolate (like this from Ghirardelli or this from Lindt!), and while I absolutely loved those cookies… They tasted much darker in flavor than the Girl Scouts’ Thin Mints. Therefore, something like Hershey’s special dark chocolate or Cadbury dark chocolate tastes much closer. (Both of those are milkier in flavor than 72% dark chocolate!) My taste testers slightly preferred the flavor of Cadbury dark chocolate.

Tip: Do NOT use chocolate chips! Those contain a stabilizer, which prevents them from melting properly.

I recommend using a small shallow bowl. This is the exact one I used! It means you’ll need to melt your chocolate in batches because it won’t all fit, but that smaller bowl size makes it much easier to dip and coat all sides.

My friend Dorothy shared an incredible tutorial on how to coat treats in melted chocolate here! She suggests putting the bowl on top of an electric griddle set to its lowest temperature, with a washcloth or dishtowel in between. I don’t own a griddle so… I used the metal top of my panini press instead! It gets hot while plugged in, so with a folded washcloth set on top, that kept my bowl of melted chocolate warm—so the chocolate wouldn’t harden and reset!

I used one fork to dip each cookie into the melted chocolate. Then I lifted out the fork, turned the fork + cookie at a 45° angle, and held another fork against the cookie’s side (so it wouldn’t slip back into the bowl!). This allows the excess chocolate to drip off. Then put your chocolate-dipped cookie onto a baking sheet covered with a sheet of wax paper and continue with the rest! Once all cookies have been dipped, slide that baking sheet into the fridge for a few minutes so the chocolate sets.

Tip: Once melted, bars of Hershey’s special dark chocolate and Cadbury dark chocolate tend to be thicker compared to bars of 72% dark chocolate, which results in a clumpy or uneven layer. I recommend adding a bit of oil to the melted chocolate so it coats the cookies in a more even layer!
 

FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY HOMEMADE THIN MINTS

Are these homemade Thin Mints vegan, egg free, dairy free, or gluten free?
Yes! As written, the recipe for these healthy homemade Thin Mints is egg free. I’ve also included options to make them vegan, gluten free, and dairy free in the Notes section of the recipe. Just look below the Instructions for those modifications!

What’s the best chocolate for dipping?
Bars of chocolate! If you scroll up, I covered the four different chocolate bars that I tried and the results. I don’t recommend using chocolate chips because they often contain stabilizers that prevent them from melting as well or as smoothly.

How did you get such a thin and even coating of melted chocolate?
I have a couple of tricks for this! First, keep your melted chocolate warm during the dipping process. I use a panini press with a folded washcloth to do this, but something like an electric pancake griddle would also work. (See my blog post above for more information!)

Second, go slow and be patient! Don’t rush the process. Let the chocolate drip off of the cookie after dipping for a few extra seconds (yes, even more than you think you might need!) before setting it down on the baking sheet.

Third, use higher percentages of dark chocolate. The higher the chocolate percentage, the thinner and more liquidy it is when melted. (That’s why I almost always use 70% and above for chocolate coatings. I’ve even used 90% or 95% chocolate!) However… I realize not everyone is a huge dark chocolate fan like I am (and that these homemade Thin Mints tasted exactly like the originals with lower percentages!), so if using bars that are less than 70% dark chocolate, add a bit of neutral-tasting oil to it to help thin it out and make it easier to coat your cookies in a thin, even layer.

How should I store homemade Thin Mints? And how long do they keep?
Store your homemade Thin Mints in an airtight container. If stored like this at room temperature, they should keep for at least a week. If you’d like them to last longer, pop your container in the refrigerator. These healthy Thin Mints freeze quite well too!

Regular Thin Mints are only 40 calories, but yours are 43 calories. Why is that?
Because my homemade version has a thicker layer of melted chocolate on the outside! And as a huge chocolate lover, I’m a-okay with that. 😉
 

 
Then it’s time to eat! I shared these with family and friends, and they all unanimously agreed… These truly are the BEST homemade Thin Mints—and they don’t taste healthy at all! And to me, that’s the best compliment there is. ♡

Then when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your cookies!

The Ultimate Healthy Homemade Thin Mints

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 36 cookies

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Inactive Time: 3 hours hrs

Total Time: 4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

These homemade cookies taste just like the original Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies! They’re crunchy, with lots of rich chocolate and mint flavor, and coated in melted chocolate. A dream come true for any chocoholic! They’ll keep for at least a week if stored in an airtight container.

4.46 from 11 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

• ⅔ cup (80g) white whole wheat flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
• ⅓ cup (27g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, softened (see Notes!)
• ½ cup + 2 tbsp (120g) coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp (30mL) unsweetened cashew milk
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• ¾ cup (168g) chopped chocolate (see Notes!)

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift them at least once to ensure no clumps of flour or cocoa powder remain. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and coconut sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the milk and peppermint extract. Gradually beat in the flour mixture.
• Transfer the cookie dough to the center of a large sheet of plastic wrap. Using a spatula, shape the cookie dough into a ½”-tall rectangle. Top with another large sheet of plastic wrap. Fold up the excess plastic wrap, and chill the cookie dough for at least 3 hours. (The cookie dough may be chilled for up to 2 days.)
• Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
• Leaving the cookie dough between the sheets of plastic wrap, roll it out to ⅛” thick. Using Using a 1 ½”-wide round cookie cutter, cut out circles of cookie dough, leaving as little unused dough as possible. Pull the unused dough away from the cut-out shapes, and transfer the cookie dough circles onto the prepared baking sheets. Gather the unused dough, squish it into a ball between your palms, and roll it out between the sheets of plastic wrap again. Continue to cut out circles until all of the dough has been used.
• Bake the cookies at 350°F for 13-16 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Line two large baking sheets with wax paper. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl. (This size is perfect! I also highly recommend keeping the melted chocolate warm while dipping – see Notes!) Carefully dip each cooled cookie in the melted chocolate using two forks, and let the excess drip off. Place onto the prepared baking sheets. Let the chocolate harden completely before serving or storing.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It's very important to measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That's the one I own and love!) Too much of either will dry out your cookie dough, and too much cocoa powder will make your cookies taste bitter instead of rich and chocolaty.

 

IMPORTANT CHILLING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: If chilling the cookie dough for more than 6 hours, you may need to let it "thaw" for a few minutes on the counter before rolling it out.

 

IMPORTANT COOKIE CUTTER NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: To cut out the cookies, use a cookie cutter with a 1 ½” diameter. It’s sometimes hard to find that size individually, but you can usually get that size in a set like this! (← That's the set I own!) If you can’t find one, then use a glass spice jar’s metal lid. Those tend to be a good size too.

 

IMPORTANT CHOCOLATE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I originally used bars of 70-72% chocolate (like this from Ghirardelli or this from Lindt!), and while I absolutely loved those cookies… They tasted much darker in flavor than the Girl Scouts’ Thin Mints.

 

Hershey’s special dark chocolate or Cadbury dark chocolate tastes much closer to the Girl Scouts' Thin Mints. (Both of those are "milkier" in flavor than 70-72% dark chocolate!) My taste testers slightly preferred the flavor of Cadbury dark chocolate. However, once melted, bars of Hershey’s special dark chocolate and Cadbury dark chocolate tend to be a lot thicker compared to bars of 70-72% dark chocolate, which results in a clumpy or uneven chocolate coating layer. If you're not using 70-72% dark chocolate, I recommend adding at least ½ teaspoon of canola or vegetable oil to the melted chocolate so it coats the cookies in a more even layer.

 

You shouldn’t need to use all of the melted chocolate—but it’s easier to dip when you have more than enough in the bowl! Because it’s easier to fully dunk the cookies in a smaller bowl (I use this one!), I melt the chocolate in batches.

 

Do not use chocolate chips. They contain a stabilizer, which prevents them from melting properly.

 

HOW TO KEEP MELTED CHOCOLATE WARM: To keep your bowl of melted chocolate warm, {a} turn on an electric pancake griddle or a metal panini press (I don’t have the former, so I use the latter – mine is no longer sold in stores, but this panini press is very similar to mine!) and {b} place a washcloth that’s been folded in half in between the bottom of your bowl and the electric griddle or metal top of the panini press. If you use this set-up, your bowl of chocolate should stay warm and at the same consistent temperature, which makes coating your cookies so much easier. (They’ll also look prettier! If you let the bowl of chocolate sit on your counter and periodically reheat it, your cookies will look speckled.)

 

AFTER DIPPING IN CHOCOLATE: To help the chocolate harden faster, place your baking sheets in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes or in the freezer for 3-5 minutes.

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour may be substituted in a pinch, but the cookies will have a more wheat-y flavor.

 

COCOA POWDER NOTE: Do not use Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. In this recipe, their flavor is bland and flat, compared to regular unsweetened cocoa powder (also called "natural cocoa powder" or "natural unsweetened cocoa powder"). They also have a different acidity level, which affects the taste and texture. For regular unsweetened cocoa powder, I generally use this one.

 

BUTTER NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: Do not substitute coconut oil for the butter. Its melting point is much lower, which will affect the cookies’ texture. For a vegan or dairy free version, use stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) instead.

 

COCONUT SUGAR ALTERNATIVES: Granulated sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar. I haven’t tried any other solid-form sweetener, and I don’t know how those other options will turn out. Do not substitute any liquid sweetener (i.e. pure maple syrup, honey, liquid stevia).

 

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the cashew milk.

 

GLUTEN FREE VERSION: Most store-bought gluten free flour blends (I like this one by Bob's Red Mill) will work, if measured like this. Do not substitute coconut flour; it makes the cookie dough too dry and crumbly.

 

EGG FREE, DAIRY FREE + VEGAN VERSION: Substitute stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) for the unsalted butter. I don't recommend tub-style vegan butter or coconut oil; they won't produce the same texture.

 

HOW TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container. They should keep for at least one week, if not longer.

 

For more tips and information regarding the ingredients and instructions (especially the last dipping step!), please read my blog post above!

 

{gluten free, egg free, clean eating, dairy free option, vegan option, low fat}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
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