Anyone else practically live on Girl Scout cookies growing up? In our house, Thin Mints were a favorite, and we always had 1-2 boxes in the freezer for snacking. It doesn’t get much better than a crisp, cold, chocolaty Thin Mint dunked in milk (who’s with me?).
We wanted to bring the nostalgia of Girl Scout cookies into our kitchen and remake this classic cookie, but with a healthier spin. We’re happy to report that our inspired version is not only naturally gluten-free, vegan, and grain-free, but it’s also incredibly quick and easy to make and (no joke) tastes exactly like the real thing! Let us show you how it’s done!
The BEST Thin Mint Cookies
The crisp, cookie portion of these Thin Mints is made with simple ingredients: almond flour and tapioca starch, which combine for a seriously perfect, crisp cookie texture. Cocoa powder provides the chocolate flavor, baking soda the leavening, and sea salt a hint of extra flavor.
Coconut oil is added to create a moldable consistency. We used refined coconut oil because it helps the mint and chocolate flavors shine through without being overpowered by the taste of coconut.
For natural sweetness and additional binding, we sweetened with a little maple syrup. And for the minty element, we used peppermint extract (which can also be used for making peppermint patties, peppermint black bean brownies, peppermint drinking chocolate, and more!).
Once the dough has chilled to help the cookies keep their shape, they’re baked, cooled, and dipped into a 3-ingredient chocolate coating.
The chocolate coating is made from melted coconut oil, chocolate chips, and peppermint extract. The result is double chocolate, double mint goodness. These are the real deal, friends!
We hope you LOVE these Thin Mints! They’re:
Chocolaty
Minty
Perfectly sweet
Perfectly crisp
Melt in your mouth
& SO delicious!
They’re the perfect healthier alternative for Girl Scout cookie season and beyond! Enjoy on their own, with a glass of dairy-free milk, or as a topping for vegan vanilla ice cream (hubba hubba).
More Chocolate Cookie Recipes
Fudgy Vegan Brownie CookiesEasy No-Bake Chocolate Chip CookiesChewy Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
The BEST Thin Mints (V/GF)
The BEST Thin Mints that just so happen to be gluten-free, vegan, and easy to make! These cookies have a crispy base and minty, chocolaty coating. Just 9 simple ingredients required! Print SAVE SAVED
from votes Prep Time 40 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Total Time 50 minutes Servings 14 (cookies)Course DessertCuisine Gluten-Free, VeganFreezer Friendly 1 monthDoes it keep? 1 Week
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Ingredients
US Customary – Metric
CHOCOLATE COOKIE
3/4 cup almond flour (the best sub would be a gluten-free flour blend on its own or mixed with some oat flour – however, we haven’t tested this and can’t guarantee the results)3 Tbsp tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour // some readers have subbed arrowroot starch successfully!)2 Tbsp cocoa powder1/4 tsp baking soda1/8 tsp sea salt2 Tbsp solid refined coconut oil2 Tbsp maple syrup1/4 tsp peppermint extract
CHOCOLATE COATING
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (such as Enjoy Life)2 tsp refined coconut oil1/2 tsp peppermint extract
Instructions
To a food processor add almond flour, tapioca flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and pulse to combine.Add solid refined coconut oil (place coconut oil in the fridge if it has liquified) to the food processor and pulse until small crumbs are achieved. Add maple syrup and peppermint extract. Pulse until dough starts to form. Form the cookie dough into a disk and wrap in a piece of parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (you can use the same paper you used for chilling).Lightly dust a separate sheet of parchment paper with tapioca flour. Remove dough from the fridge and place on the flour-dusted parchment. Also lightly flour the top of the dough. Roll the dough out until it is about 1/8-inch thick.Using a 1 ½ – 2 inch cookie cutter (or similar-sized object such as a spice jar lid) cut out 14 circles. If you have excess dough, roll it into a ball and reroll/cut out the circles until all of the dough is used.Lightly flour a metal spatula with tapioca starch and use it to carefully transfer the cookies to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Space the cookies at least 1-2 inches apart to allow for slight spreading.Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly fluffy and expanded and they appear a little dry. Once baked and slightly cooled, remove the cookies from the tray and place them on a cooling rack.Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and 2 tsp of coconut oil (amount as recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) in a small saucepan over low heat stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted halfway. Once halfway melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir until completely smooth. Now add in the 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract (amount as recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). NOTE: This can also be done in the microwave in 30-second increments. Stop microwave and stir every 30 seconds.Make sure your cookie sheet will fit in the fridge (otherwise, transfer cookies to a large plate lined with parchment paper).Once the cookies are cooled, dip each one into the chocolate mixture until fully coated. A fork is helpful for dipping and gently shaking off excess melted chocolate. Then place each cookie back on the parchment-lined cookie sheet (or plate) and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set. If there is extra melted chocolate, you can transfer it into mini muffin liners to make mint chocolate cups (or wait until your cookies are cooled and drizzle the extra chocolate over the top).Once set, cookies can be enjoyed straight from the refrigerator or at room temperature. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition (1 of 14 servings)
Serving: 1 cookie Calories: 134 Carbohydrates: 11.9 g Protein: 2.2 g Fat: 9.6 g Saturated Fat: 4.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2.1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 44 mg Potassium: 62 mg Fiber: 1.7 g Sugar: 7.4 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 34.3 mg Iron: 1.2 mg