Homemade thin mint cookies come together using my chocolate sugar cookies recipe, a splash of peppermint extract, and a divine coating of chocolate. You’ll love these copycat thin mint cookies for when you have a craving and there’s no Girl Scout Cookie box to be found.
We can all agree that thin mints are the crème de la crème of the girl scout cookie world. Nothing tastes quite like a COLD thin mint cookie. We’re talking straight out of the freezer for that ultimate cool mint chocolate cookie experience. I was never a girl scout growing up, but my sisters were both girl scout “brownies” (that’s a thing!), so every March our freezer would be full of thin mint cookies.
Do you prefer your thin mints cold as well? If so, wait until you taste these homemade thin mint cookies after hanging out in the freezer for awhile. 🙂
Which, I’d like to add so there is no confusion, I fully support girl scout troops! I still purchase several boxes from my friend’s daughters and from the sweet troops outside my grocery store.
These Homemade Thin Mint Cookies Are:
- Slightly crunchy in the centers
- Perfectly pepperminty
- Packed with tons of delicious chocolate
- Dunked in a delightful mint chocolate coating
- Easier to make than they look
- Delicious straight out of the freezer
Video Tutorial
Use My Chocolate Sugar Cookies As the Base
Thin mint cookies are essentially a crunchy mint and chocolate flavored cookie coated in chocolate. To make them at home, you need a flat and round chocolate sugar cookie to cover in chocolate. I love using my recipe for chocolate sugar cookies to make homemade thin mint cookies—just like classic sugar cookies, but with cocoa powder subbed in for some of the flour. This gives the cookies their rich chocolate flavor.
To the chocolate sugar cookie dough, we add a scant 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Remember, that stuff is potent and a little goes a long way.
This is a simple, straightforward recipe and since it is homemade—it doesn’t use any unnecessary ingredients like high fructose corn syrup or artificial color.
If you love chocolate + peppermint together in these cookies, I know you’ll love this mint chocolate cake just as much!
How to Make Homemade Thin Mint Cookies
- Make the chocolate sugar cookies dough.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Using a rolling pin, roll each to about 1/4-inch thickness on a piece of parchment. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour—chilling is mandatory.
- Cut the cookie dough into circles. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used.
- Bake.
- Let the cookies cool completely.
- Make the chocolate topping.
- Dip each cooled cookie completely into the chocolate. Use a fork to lift out and let any excess chocolate drip off. Place each cookie onto a lined baking sheet and repeat the process for the remaining cookies. Refrigerate the baking sheet to help the chocolate set.
Best Cookie Cutter To Use
You need a round cookie cutter that’s approximately 2 inches in diameter. I had trouble finding one this small sold individually, so I purchased a set. Any of these options would work wonderfully (affiliate links): Ateco round cookie cutter set, Fox Run biscuit cutter set, or Ateco 2.5-inch round cutter.
- You might have better luck finding a 2.5-inch round cookie cutter—anything around 2-3 inches is perfect for these homemade thin mint cookies. Remember, the bigger your cookie cutter, the fewer cookies you’ll get out of each batch.
Mint Chocolate Coating
After the cookies cool, cover them in chocolate. Since there’s so much chocolate in every bite, make sure you’re using a quality brand. I really like Baker’s brand baking bars, Ghirardelli baking bars, or even Trader Joe’s “pound plus” chocolate bars. When it comes to coating candies and cookies in chocolate, always steer clear of chocolate chips. They don’t melt into the proper consistency for dipping or coating.
Flavor the chocolate with a little peppermint extract for a cool minty flavor. Add a little oil to the chocolate as well. Why are you adding oil? Extracts are alcohol based, so to prevent the pure chocolate from seizing, you need to add a little fat (aka oil). You can also use peppermint oil instead of extract. In which case you won’t need the added oil. Oil also helps thin out the chocolate, so the cookies are easier to dip.
Drizzle any leftover chocolate coating on top of the cookies. No such thing as too much chocolate!
Helpful tip: Use a fork to help dunk each cookie. When lifting the cookie out of the bowl of melted chocolate, let any excess chocolate drip off through the fork’s prongs. If the cookie gets stuck on the fork, a toothpick is helpful to slide the cookie off.
More Homemade Cookie Recipes
- Oatmeal Creme Pies
- Fudge Stripe Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies (just like Nutter Butters!)
- Butter Cookies and Chocolate Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Homemade Oreos
Homemade Thin Mint Cookies
- Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 36 2-inch cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Here’s exactly how to make homemade thin mint cookies using a simple from-scratch cookie dough recipe with cocoa powder, real chocolate, and peppermint. Try them cold or out of the freezer—they’re incredible!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract*
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (or dutch process)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Topping
- 14 ounces (395g) quality semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract*
Instructions
- Make the cookies: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the baking powder and salt until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each portion out onto a piece of parchment to about 1/4″ thickness. Stack the pieces (with parchment paper between) onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling is mandatory. If chilling for more than a couple hours, cover the top dough piece with a single piece of parchment paper. You can chill up to 2 days.
- Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator and using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut in circles. Transfer the cut cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges appear set. The cookies will seem very soft in the centers. Make sure you rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before dipping in chocolate.
- Once the cookies are cool, begin the topping: Melt the chopped chocolate and oil together in a double boiler or (carefully!) use the microwave. For the microwave, place the chocolate and oil in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 15 second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Once melted, stir in the peppermint extract. Dip each cooled cookie completely into the chocolate and use a fork to lift out. Tap the fork gently on the side of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off. Place cookie onto a parchment or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator to help the chocolate set. Once set, enjoy!
- Cover and store leftover cookies at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The cookies taste delicious cold. I love eaten straight from the freezer!
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if desired. You can chill the cookie dough for up to 2 days (step 3). You can also freeze the cookie dough before rolling for up to 3 months. Then allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then allow to come to room temperature for about 1 hour. Then roll and continue with the recipe as directed.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Rolling Pin | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler or Glass Mixing Bowl | Round Cookie Cutters (such as Ateco Round Cookie Cutter Set, Fox Run Biscuit Cutter Set, or Ateco 2.5-Inch Round Cutter)
- Peppermint Extract: Avoid using mint extract; I find it more resembles the taste of spearmint toothpaste than anything else. Peppermint extract has that wonderful cool mint flavor which pairs wonderfully with chocolate.
- Slice ‘n’ Bake Option: I’ve been getting questions about using this recipe as a slice ‘n’ bake cookie to avoid rolling out the dough. This is doable, just keep in mind the dough is a little sticky. Roll the cookie dough into two 2-3 inch diameter logs, then chill for at least 1 hour as directed above. Slice each into 16-18 cookies, then continue with step 5.
Keywords: homemade thin mint cookies, thin mint cookies
This may be a silly question but can coconut oil be used in place of vegetable oil? I am a novice baker (at best) 🙂 Thank you!
Yes, absolutely!
These cookies are AWESOME! I’d like to include them in my cookie boxes that I’m sending out but I plan on freezing them until I have all of my different batches ready to go. Do you recommend freezing them with the chocolate or should I freeze them now and dip them before sending them?
Hi Elise, you can freeze the cookies with chocolate and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before packing them up for shipping. Glad you enjoy them!
I watched the video and it looks like WAY more than a half of a tsp of oil was added to the chocolate? Is that a typo?
Hi Bethany, there’s no typo in the recipe. You don’t need much oil. The video shows a little more than necessary and we have plans to crop that section out. Thank you for checking!
I made these for the first time. What I found is that the mint flavour is not as noticeable and the texture isn’t what it becomes until after the cookies have sat for a while so I recommend making these the day before serving. As other reviewers have said, my chocolate became too thick after dipping for a while and there didn’t seem to be enough chocolate for the entire batch so I melted more. I used Callebaut brand couverture at 54.5% minimum cocoa solids with a medium fluidity and melted it in my microwave along with the oil until there were still some callets visible so the chocolate wouldn’t become too hot and then I stirred it until fully melted. I am wondering how best to keep the chocolate fluid throughout the dipping process. I know overheating can cause thickness. In your opinion, is the double boiler method preferred for dipping rather than the microwave method? The cookies were delicious by the way! I would just like to make the dipping process go more smoothly, literally. Thank you.
★★★★★
Hi Michelle, I’m so glad you enjoyed these. Thank you for the comment! Do you have a double boiler, or can you place a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water? By keeping the chocolate warm, it keeps it fluid. The thicker it gets, the harder it gets to coat (as you know).
Hi Sally, Yes, I do have a double boiler so I will use that next time . Thank you! We are addicted to these cookies, along with your Maple Pecan ones. Happy holidays to you and yours.
I followed your advice: I melted my chocolate using a double boiler, then kept the chocolate over the warm water while I dipped the cookies into it, rewarming as necessary over low heat. This worked perfectly and I had enough chocolate to coat 40 2-inch cookies. Thank you Sally!
★★★★★
I’ve made these a few times and they have been an unqualified hit! I used coconut oil for the glaze, and made them as slice & bake cookies. I appreciate that Sally mentioned that they could be a bit sticky. Accordingly, I dusted my work surface and hands with cocoa powder. Delicious! Thanks yet again, Sally!
★★★★★
Hello Sally! I was planning on making these for a coworker’s birthday coming up and saw that we can use dutch processed cocoa. I currently only have black cocoa, which is a dutch processed cocoa, but I’m not sure if I can use it here? I love your recipes so much, they are always a delight and great for new and seasoned bakers!
Hi Sarah, black cocoa should work here. Happy baking!
Hello! Thank you for getting back to me! The black cocoa turned out really well and gave it a gorgeous color! The flavor was perfect and the recipe was incredibly easy to follow, thank you so much for another lovely recipe!
★★★★★
I’ve made this recipe so many times and it is such a favorite. I’ve made it for my Christmas cookie boxes and my Girl Scout gold award award project. I’ve tripled this recipe before and it still works great! When I asked about what peoples favorite cookie was for my cookie boxes, most said this was their favorite out of the 12 options. Overall, if you like mint and chocolate, you’ll love this!! Also this dough is durable enough for fun cookie cutter shapes. Thank you Sally
★★★★★
Hi Riley, we’re so glad you love this recipe so much! Thank you for sharing.
These are amazing–they have the exact texture of GS Thin Mints without the palm oil and other “unnecessary” ingredients. The only thing I would change for next time is adding a bit more peppermint extract. Excited to have this option–hoping for a version of the GS Samoas/Caramel deLites in the future!
★★★★★
hey sally! i want to make these tomorrow but i’m a little nervous to. will this have a nice crispy snap to them like the real gs cookies do? and are there any tips to make them crispier?
Hi Trinity, these are crispy. Rolling the dough out a little thinner will help the cookies crisp up. You can also bake for an extra minute or two. Enjoy!
Instead of using rolling these and using a cookie cutter, could they be shaped into two logs and sliced after refrigerating? It seems like there would be less waste, and I hate to waste good cookie dough!
Absolutely! 2-3 inch diameter.
Hello Sally!
I was thinking of using a cookie cutter to make them into little trees. Do you think that they would still bake well?
Hi Maddie, We can’t see why that wouldn’t work! Enjoy
Can I substitute coconut oil for butter to make it vegan? Also, if I am freezing the cooked cookies, should I do it before adding the chocolate coating or after?
Thanks!
Hi Wendy! Coconut oil should work in place of the butter, obviously the flavor will be different and we’re not sure how the dough will roll out. Or you can try a a vegan buttery stick such as the Earth Balance brand in place of butter. Let us know if you give it a try! You can freeze the cookie with or without the coating. Enjoy!
This is one of my go-to recipes now. For the holidays, I make a batch of these and then another batch with orange extract instead of peppermint (2-3x orange extract to really taste it)
★★★★★
So delicious and better than Girl Scouts! I used chocolate chips, and they worked just fine. I ran out of chocolate for dipping, though, so I covered some with cream cheese frosting—yum!
★★★★★
First, i came out with exactly 36! dont know how that happened but im happy. they are so rich and crispy and crunchy i love them. i made them extra thin so i only dipped half in the chocolate. they were so good. the only thing i would change is adding more peppermint to the dough.
These are awesome – and very easy to make. I used more peppermint extract – so they are minty like the Girl Scout cookies. add a little, taste. add a little more….taste…
I started dipping them but it used so much chocolate so I wound up holding one over the melted chocolate and just spread the chocolate on each cookie.
I made 55 – 2 inch rounds.
THANKS FOR THE GREAT RECIPE!!!
★★★★★
I made these as a birthday gift for my brother. Was a hit!
★★★★★
The cookies came out great but the chocolate covering just didn’t work.
I followed the ingredients exactly (not using chips, actual bars) and precise measurements. The melted chocolate was incredibly thick and barely covered half of the batch.
Where did I go wrong? It wasn’t super cheap chocolate.
★★★
Hi Rob, Did you use canola or vegetable oil to help thin out the melted chocolate? If your chocolate is super thick you can add a bit more until it reaches your desired consistency.
I used regular vegetable oil. I’ll give it a shot and see how it goes!
I am so looking forward to making these but have had trouble finding some of the ingredients. I’ve tracked everything down except the semisweet baking bar. I understand I shouldn’t use chips, but can only find bittersweet or unsweetened baking bars. Do you think there are any adjustments that would make the recipe work with either of those options? Thanks so much – love your recipes, they’re always awesome!
Hi Megan, The bittersweet baking bar should work just fine (though will be slightly less sweet – still delicious!).
Can I use peppermint essential oils instead of extract?
Hi Liam, We haven’t tested these with peppermint oil. You can try it but just keep in mind that the oil is much stronger than extract so you would only need the tiniest amount!
I used 7 drops (about 1/8 teaspoon) of peppermint essential oil for the cookie batter and they turned out great!
★★★★★
These turned out AMAZING! So similar to the real thin mints, maybe even better! If I could, I would rate this recipe with 10 stars! Thank you.So glad I didn’t end up using amond flour!
★★★★★
Hi Sally! This recipe looks so yummy:) I was wondering of I could use almond flour in place of some or all of the all purpose flour? If so, how much? Thanks! I am really excited to make them!
Hi Sofia! Using almond flour would change the texture of the cookies too much, we don’t recommend substituting any of the all purpose flour. Hope you love them!
As usual, these came out perfect! Thanks Sally! (Eventhough I am a messy dipper!) Your recipes never fail me!
The best part about these cookies is that unlike Girl Scout cookies, they don’t contain palm oil. Our insatiable appetite for palm oil creates more plantations that destroy the habitats of orangutans and other wildlife. Please check boxes of pantry goods, cookies, crackers, candles, lipsticks and soaps for anything with the word palm or palmitate in it.
Yes! Thank you for bringing this up! I support the girl scouts, but I DO NOT support their bakers’ copout answer to why they continue to use palm oil. I haven’t bought a Girl Scout cookie in years because I love biodiversity, human rights, and animals far more than I love GS cookies. RSPO is the new “organic” labeling (i.e., often nonsense), and you are kidding youself if you think you are not continuing to harm orangutans and more when you buy products labeled with “sustainably-sourced palm oil” with the source being the RSPO label. I’m so happy to have found this recipe!
Made these last night because the Girl Scout craving is SO strong right now with family and friends back in the US posting about them social media.
These were absolutely PERFECT!! Easy, delicious, and they so closely resemble real Thin Mints that I wish I could do a comparison!
Our grocery store doesn’t carry peppermint extract, so I had to use Peppermint essential oil. I used about 1/3 the amount peppermint that the recipe called for, since oil is so much more potent, and it was perfect. My cookie cutter was also a bit less than 2″ in diameter, and I threw in some fun star-shaped ones for a bit of variety, so I ended up with 112 cookies in total.
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I’ll be coming back to it again and again (when I finally finish off this batch!)!!
★★★★★
is the vegetable oil enough to make the chocolate snappy or do i have to temper it
Hi Zeba! You can temper the chocolate if you prefer a more snappy bite.
Hiiii I’m so excited to make these today! I was wondering if I could substitute coconut oil instead of canola oil for the coating to make it set up better. Also, if I only have chocolate chips, do you think it could work?
Audrey
Hi Audrey, you sure can substitute the canola oil with coconut oil. For best results, we recommend using pure baking chocolate bars. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers that prevent them from melting properly, especially when it comes to dipping or coating. We’d love to know how you like these!
This cookies turned out amazing!!! Though I have no idea why I ended up with 64 cookies instead of 36. Definitely not complaining though they taste so good 😀
★★★★★
These are dangerously good ! I love all your extra tips …..it just makes all that time and expense you put into it be all the more successful!! Thank you for all your tips and delicious recipes!
★★★★★
Very good recipe, I recommend to every one
The process is also fun and I enjoyed the preparation
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