Homemade healthy Thin Mints made with almond flour, pure maple syrup and coated in dark chocolate. Vegan + gluten-free.
I’ve been on a roll with Girl Scout cookie recreations.
It all started with my homemade Samoas. People are shocked by how easy they are to make and LOVE that they actually taste like the real deal cookies (some people say they taste even better) and a few people have called them LIFE-CHANGING!
Given all the Samoas cookie love, I decided I needed to recreate my other favorites… Tagalongs, Do-Si-Dos and now Thin Mints!
Healthier Homemade Thin Mints
To be honest, traditional Thin Mints aren’t as unhealthy as most Girl Scout Cookies, but they still contain artificial and processed ingredients.
For this version, we’re skipping all of those extra ingredients like white sugar, palm oil and artificial flavoring and making them with just seven simple ingredients to create a vegan and gluten-free version of this Girl Scout classic!
These Thin Mints aren’t necessarily low calorie or low sugar, but they are made with natural ingredients including natural sugars from the pure maple syrup and without preservatives.
In terms of the chocolate chips, I recommend using Lily’s chocolate chips or Hu Kitchen gems for less sugar, but feel free to use what you have on hand.
Instead of using white flour we’re using almond flour for the cookie, which was actually inspired and adapted from my almond flour crackers!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY THIN MINTS:
Ingredients Needed
almond flour – I love using almond flour for these cookies because it gives them a rich, nutty flavor that isn’t too overpowering. That said, I have tested these cookies with both all-purpose flour and oat flour and the cookies turned out well with both. Note: If you do use all-purpose flour, you’ll need to add a touch of liquid as the dough turns out quite dry. I added 1 Tablespoon of almond milk and it worked perfectly.
cocoa powder or cacao powder
pure maple syrup – maple syrup gives these cookies a nice subtle sweetness, but you can sub this for any liquid sweetener of your choice like honey, agave, monk fruit maple syrup, etc.
coconut oil – this is used to help make the melted chocolate thinner, which makes it easier to dip the Thin Mints. You can skip it, but your melted chocolate will likely be pretty thick. And I recommend using refined coconut oil if you don’t want any coconut flavor!
sea salt
peppermint extract – you can use peppermint oil instead fine, but the oil is much more concentrated than extract, so you probably will only need a few drops.
dark chocolate chips – I like to use Lily’s dark chocolate chips or Hu Kitchen gems to keep this recipe lower in sugar, vegan and dairy-free.
Steps for Making Healthy Thin Mints
Form dough: Combine almond flour, cocoa powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, sea salt and peppermint extract in a medium bowl until dough forms. The mixture might seem a little crumbly, but that’s okay. Place dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
Pre-heat oven + line baking sheet: While the dough is in the fridge, preheat your oven to 350°F and prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Cut cookies: Place the chilled dough on a piece of parchment paper. Cover it with a second piece of parchment. Pat it down with your hands and then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough.
You’ll want the dough semi-thin— about 1/4 of an inch thick. Use a small circular cookie cutter to cut out circular cookies and place each on your prepared baking sheet. I used a shot glass for this and it worked great.
Bake: Place cookies in the pre-heated oven and bake for 13-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Melt chocolate: Melt chocolate by adding your chocolate chips and coconut oil into a small bowl. Melt in the microwave using 30-second increments or use a double boiler. Once chocolate is melted, stir in the peppermint extract.
Coat cookies: Using a fork, dip cookies into the melted chocolate. Let any excess chocolate drip off before placing the cookie back on the parchment lined baking sheet.
Set chocolate: Place cookies in the fridge or freezer for the chocolate to set, about 30 minutes. Once the chocolate has set, you’re ready to enjoy!
How to Store Homemade Thin Mints
If you’re not eating these cookies right away I recommend storing them in an airtight container in your fridge or freezer.
They’ll stay good for up to a week in the fridge.
That said, I feel like everyone stores Thin Mints in their freezer and you can totally do that with this homemade version too! They should last 3 months in the freezer… but I bet they’ll be gone before then! 😉
If you make these homemade Thin Mints, please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how they turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.
Homemade Thin Mints
5 from 80 votes
Homemade healthy Thin Mints made with almond flour, pure maple syrup and coated in dark chocolate. Vegan + gluten-free.
Mix ingredients: Combine almond flour, cocoa powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, sea salt and peppermint extract in a medium bowl until dough forms. The mixture might seem a little crumbly, but that’s okay. Place dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven: While the dough is in the fridge, preheat your oven to 350°F and prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Roll out dough: Place the chilled dough on a piece of parchment paper. Cover it with a second piece of parchment. Pat it down with your hands and then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. You’ll want the dough semi-thin— about 1/4 of an inch thick.
Form cookies: Use a small circular cookie cutter to cut out circular cookies and place each on your prepared baking sheet. I used a shot glass for this and it worked great.
Bake: Place cookies in the pre-heated oven and bake for 13-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Melt chocolate: Melt chocolate by adding your chocolate chips and coconut oil into a small bowl. Melt in the microwave using 30-second increments or use a double boiler. Once chocolate is melted, stir in the peppermint extract.
Dip cookies in chocolate: Using a fork, dip cookies into the melted chocolate. Let any excess chocolate drip off before placing the cookie back on the parchment lined baking sheet.
Let cookies set: Place cookies in the fridge or freezer for the chocolate to set, about 30 minutes. Once the chocolate has set, you’re ready to enjoy! Store leftover cookies in the freezer and enjoy straight from the freezer – no need to thaw.
Video
Notes
Almond flour: You can use all-purpose flour or oat flour as a substitute for the almond flour. If you do use all-purpose flour, you’ll need to add a touch of liquid as the dough turns out quite dry. I added 1 Tablespoon of almond milk and it worked perfectly.
Maple syrup: You can sub this for any liquid sweetener of your choice like honey, agave, monk fruit maple syrup, etc.
Coconut oil: This is used to help make the melted chocolate thinner, which makes it easier to dip the Thin Mints. You can skip it, but your melted chocolate will likely be pretty thick. I recommend using refined coconut oil if you don’t want any coconut flavor!
Peppermint extract: Peppermint oil should work just fine, but the oil is much more concentrated than extract, so you probably will only need a few drops.
Good taste but the dough was way too dry and crumbly. I followed the recipe exactly and even after chilling, the dough would barely clump. I think maybe the wet ingredient quantities could be increased because I barely got 7 cookies out of this recipe. The melted chocolate was the saving grace to keep the cookie structure together. I wouldn’t say it’s a *bad* recipe but it did not turn out how I had hoped. 🙁
Let me start off by saying, I am not a baker. I tried these yesterday and it was a disaster. I left them in 14 minutes which was one minute too long. They went from smelling heavenly mint to burnt in seconds. I figured I’d try dipping them in chocolate anyway seeing as though I already melted it. Then proceeded to drop half of them on the floor on the way to the freezer. They weren’t bad a little burnt, but I tried again today. Learned from my mistakes and they are SO GOOD. Just like Girl Scout cookies. And the shot glass was a genius way to cut them perfectly.
For all of you who are nervous that will taste horrible and have a weird texture, if you make them correctly they taste just like the real thin mints! I made some and my family ate them in a day, so I made more today, but I made them smaller and they are super cute! I did not have any almond flour left over so I mixed some all-purpose flour and almond milk and they turned out great!
Soooooo good. Had to work fast to cut them out and refrigerate a few time to get them cut before then got to melt but figured it out and will be making them again!
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Good taste but the dough was way too dry and crumbly. I followed the recipe exactly and even after chilling, the dough would barely clump. I think maybe the wet ingredient quantities could be increased because I barely got 7 cookies out of this recipe. The melted chocolate was the saving grace to keep the cookie structure together. I wouldn’t say it’s a *bad* recipe but it did not turn out how I had hoped. 🙁
Let me start off by saying, I am not a baker. I tried these yesterday and it was a disaster. I left them in 14 minutes which was one minute too long. They went from smelling heavenly mint to burnt in seconds. I figured I’d try dipping them in chocolate anyway seeing as though I already melted it. Then proceeded to drop half of them on the floor on the way to the freezer. They weren’t bad a little burnt, but I tried again today. Learned from my mistakes and they are SO GOOD. Just like Girl Scout cookies. And the shot glass was a genius way to cut them perfectly.
Woo!! So glad these thin mint cookies were a hit! Thanks for making them and coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I’ve been making these weekly, they’re the perfect dessert! Question- how long can they keep in the freezer?
Woo! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying these thin mints, Tara! They should last about 3 months in the freezer. Thanks for the review!
For all of you who are nervous that will taste horrible and have a weird texture, if you make them correctly they taste just like the real thin mints! I made some and my family ate them in a day, so I made more today, but I made them smaller and they are super cute! I did not have any almond flour left over so I mixed some all-purpose flour and almond milk and they turned out great!
So glad these thin mints were a hit! Thanks for the review 🙂
Soooooo good. Had to work fast to cut them out and refrigerate a few time to get them cut before then got to melt but figured it out and will be making them again!
So glad these turned out for you, Andrea! Thanks for making them and for the review. I so appreciate it!