Make healthy Thin Mints at home with this easy recipe! These crispy cookies are made with almond flour and maple syrup and coated in dark chocolate. Vegan + gluten-free.
My top 3 favorite Girl Scout cookies are Samoas, Thin Mints, and Tagalongs – in that specific order. It’s funny because I’m such a peanut butter and chocolate fan, you’d think that Tagalongs would be my #1, but Samoas are just so good . . . they win! With this in mind, I’ve been on a journey of making a healthy version of these iconic classics. First, I made homemade energy balls that were inspired by Samoas and Thin Mints – see my Sinless Samoas and these Thin Mint Energy Balls – but now I’m starting a collection of actual cookie recreations.
Last year, I shared these healthy homemade 4-Ingredient Samoas and they have been such a hit! 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 at least two people on Instagram have called them LIFE-CHANGING!). If you haven’t tried them yet, finish reading this post and then pop over to the 4-Ingredient Samoas and check out that recipe, too!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY THIN MINTS:
Given all the Samoas love, I decided I needed to recreate my other two favorites. First up, the classic Thin Mints! Lots of people have requested the Tagalongs so they’re next . . . don’t you worry!
For this Thin Mint recipe, were using almond flour for the cookie, which was actually inspired and adapted from my 3 Ingredient Almond Flour Crackers! I love using almond flour for baking because it gives everything a rich, nutty flavor that isn’t too overpowering. It works perfectly for these thin and crispy chocolate shortbread cookies! For cutting the dough into a round cookie shape, you can use a cookie cutter but I found that a shot glass makes the perfect size cookies and works just as well.
Once the cookies have baked and cooled, you’ll dip them into a delicious chocolate coating. The chocolate coating is simply chocolate chips, a little coconut oil, and peppermint extract. Dip the cookies into the chocolate coating and then place them back on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in the fridge or freezer to let them set.
That last step is probably the hardest . . . I know 30 minutes of waiting is painful, but it’s worth it I promise!
Are you a Girl Scout cookie fan? What’s your favorite flavor?
If you make these thin mint cookies, please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how they turn out. Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.
Make healthy Thin Mints at home with this easy recipe! These crispy cookies are made with almond flour and maple syrup and coated in dark chocolate. Vegan + gluten-free.
Ingredients
Cookies
1 cup almond flour
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Chocolate Coating
1 cup dark chocolate chips
2 teaspoons coconut oil
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
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.
While the dough is in the fridge, preheat your oven to 350°F and prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
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.
Place cookies in the pre-heated oven and bake for 13-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
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.
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.
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.
Category:Dessert
Method:Bake
Cuisine:American
Nutrition
Serving Size:1 cookie
Calories:108
Sugar:8g
Fat:8g
Carbohydrates:11g
Fiber:1g
Protein:1g
Keywords: thin mint cookies
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Hey Emi – The coconut oil is used to help thin the coconut to make it easier for dipping and it also helps the chocolate harden in the fridge/freezer. You can skip this and just melt the chocolate on its own, but the chocolate will likely be thicker and harder to dip. I do recommend using coconut oil if you can!
I made these cookies many times I love them so much 😍😍 but later when I roll the dough it get cracked from the middle ( as if it dry ) although the flour is super fine .. so I am wondering what the problem is
Oh. My. Goodness. This really tastes like the healthy version of a thin mint. My husband and I both love these. They are our favorite of Brittany’s desserts SO far. If you don’t have a microwave, I suggest using 1/2 cup of chocolate chips with 1 tbsp of coconut oil and double boil on low until all cookies are dipped. 🙂 We have already made this recipe twice in 2 weeks.
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Stephanie!! I’m so glad these cookies were a hit. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
Would this work if I substitute the almond flour for regular all-purpose flour, and the coconut oil for corn/olive oil? I’m allergic to coconuts and almonds, so…could you let me know if this would work? I’d appreciate your feedback on this, since I really want to try and make these.
Hey Brittany – I haven’t tried AP flour, but I think it would work just fine as a substitute. And yes, another oil should also work just fine. 🙂 Let me know how these turn out for you if you make them!
Hey Wendy – I wouldn’t use coconut flour as that soaks up way more liquid than other flours. You could try all-purpose flour instead if you have that on hand.
The first batch I made burned in the oven. I think it was too high heat and too long of a time to cook… at least in my oven. I made a second batch and cooked them in the air fryer at 325 degrees for about 6-7 min. switching the racks at the 4 min. mark. They turned out great.
Hey Leah – Sorry to hear that your first batch burned. The temp could have been too high depending on your oven as some get hotter than others. I’m glad your second batch turned out though! 🙂
I made these as a gift for my dad on father’s day, who is a big fan of the girl scout brand thin mints and he LOVED these!! My whole family thinks these are even better then the original ones! Thank you so much for this recipe Brittany, I have a feeling that I’m going to be making these very often!!
Ahh yay, that makes me so happy to hear, Ava!! So glad these cookies were a hit!! Thanks for making my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
I’ve never worked with peppermint syrup but from what I’ve read it’s just peppermint extract with sugar and water. I think you should be able to use the syrup as a direct sub (with the same amount). The peppermint flavor might be a little less intense, but I think they will still be yummy! Let me know if it works.
I’ve come back with a verdict! To compensate for maybe a weaker peppermint flavor, instead of using the 2T of maple syrup, I used 2T of peppermint syrup. These are sooooooooo yummy & definitely satisfied my craving. Thanks so much!
Ahh yay! That makes me so happy to hear. 🙂 So glad you loved these cookies! Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!
THESE ARE AMAZING. yall are tripping if you’re saying they don’t taste like thin mints. IDENTICAL but actually better! wowowow iin heaven eating these. thank you for posting! sharing w the world now. i maybe burned the cookie a little bit so watch them cause they are super thin. UNREAL GOOD!
Ahh yay!! That seriously makes me so happy to hear. So glad you loved these cookies. 🙂 Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me!
It could be that I’ve been eating fruit as a dessert for several weeks now in an attempt to cut back on sugar and lose the last bit of baby weight I’ve been carrying, but I really LOVED these cookies! They were satisfying in every way and didn’t taste “healthy”
I did have to modify because I didn’t have almond flour, so I ground some oats into a powder. But then my dough was extremely crumbly so I added chia seeds as an egg substitute and it came together perfectly. I followed the rest of recipe exactly and have now found a new favorite sweet treat! Thanks for the great recipe 🤗
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Crystal!! So glad you enjoyed these cookies. Thanks so much for making my recipe and sharing the subs you made. It’s super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it. 🙂
These are GENIUS! Been dreaming of them ever since I saw the recipe. I whipped them up while maybe hubby was washing my car. He’s very impressed! Thanks Brittany!
Ahh I’m so glad these cookies were a hit!! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. As always, I really appreciate it!
I LOVE these. They taste just like thin mints, with healthy ingredients. I’m a health nut, so I always have natural and healthy ingredients on hand. It’s nice to use the actual recipe instead of having to substitute for unhealthy ingredients. Also, the cookies were super easy to clean up and were quick–perfect to make in a pinch! Thank you for this recipe, it’s sure to be a family favorite!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed these cookies, Evly. 🙂 Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. The reviews are super helpful to other readers, so I appreciate it!
I really wanted these to work, but, they just kept falling apart. I got a 30% success rate, but, when I tasted them, very grainy and “healthy”, just like the title suggests.. haha. Not for me!
Oh no!! I’m so sorry to hear that these cookies didn’t turn out for you. 🙁 I haven’t heard of them falling apart before, did you change anything about the recipe?
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Sarah!! I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
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Leave a Comment
What can I use instead of oil?
Hey Emi – The coconut oil is used to help thin the coconut to make it easier for dipping and it also helps the chocolate harden in the fridge/freezer. You can skip this and just melt the chocolate on its own, but the chocolate will likely be thicker and harder to dip. I do recommend using coconut oil if you can!
Delicious! I flattened the dough before I chilled it and it was super successful!
★★★★★
I made these cookies many times I love them so much 😍😍 but later when I roll the dough it get cracked from the middle ( as if it dry ) although the flour is super fine .. so I am wondering what the problem is
★★★★★
Has this happened every time you’ve made the cookies? Are you changing anything about the recipe?
Oh. My. Goodness. This really tastes like the healthy version of a thin mint. My husband and I both love these. They are our favorite of Brittany’s desserts SO far. If you don’t have a microwave, I suggest using 1/2 cup of chocolate chips with 1 tbsp of coconut oil and double boil on low until all cookies are dipped. 🙂 We have already made this recipe twice in 2 weeks.
★★★★★
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Stephanie!! I’m so glad these cookies were a hit. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
Would this work if I substitute the almond flour for regular all-purpose flour, and the coconut oil for corn/olive oil? I’m allergic to coconuts and almonds, so…could you let me know if this would work? I’d appreciate your feedback on this, since I really want to try and make these.
Hey Brittany – I haven’t tried AP flour, but I think it would work just fine as a substitute. And yes, another oil should also work just fine. 🙂 Let me know how these turn out for you if you make them!
These are delicious 😋 went to make sone mire and forgot to get almond flour yesterday 😭can you use coconut flour?
★★★★★
Hey Wendy – I wouldn’t use coconut flour as that soaks up way more liquid than other flours. You could try all-purpose flour instead if you have that on hand.
The first batch I made burned in the oven. I think it was too high heat and too long of a time to cook… at least in my oven. I made a second batch and cooked them in the air fryer at 325 degrees for about 6-7 min. switching the racks at the 4 min. mark. They turned out great.
★★★★★
Hey Leah – Sorry to hear that your first batch burned. The temp could have been too high depending on your oven as some get hotter than others. I’m glad your second batch turned out though! 🙂
I made these as a gift for my dad on father’s day, who is a big fan of the girl scout brand thin mints and he LOVED these!! My whole family thinks these are even better then the original ones! Thank you so much for this recipe Brittany, I have a feeling that I’m going to be making these very often!!
★★★★★
Ahh yay, that makes me so happy to hear, Ava!! So glad these cookies were a hit!! Thanks for making my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
Is it ok to substitute peppermint extract with peppermint oil? It’s all I have
That should work just fine! Peppermint oil will be much more concentrated than extract though, so you probably will only need a few drops.
Hi! I could only get my hands on peppermint syrup. How do you suggest I replace the peppermint extract for your recipe? 🙁
I’ve never worked with peppermint syrup but from what I’ve read it’s just peppermint extract with sugar and water. I think you should be able to use the syrup as a direct sub (with the same amount). The peppermint flavor might be a little less intense, but I think they will still be yummy! Let me know if it works.
I’ve come back with a verdict! To compensate for maybe a weaker peppermint flavor, instead of using the 2T of maple syrup, I used 2T of peppermint syrup. These are sooooooooo yummy & definitely satisfied my craving. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Ahh yay! That makes me so happy to hear. 🙂 So glad you loved these cookies! Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!
THESE ARE AMAZING. yall are tripping if you’re saying they don’t taste like thin mints. IDENTICAL but actually better! wowowow iin heaven eating these. thank you for posting! sharing w the world now. i maybe burned the cookie a little bit so watch them cause they are super thin. UNREAL GOOD!
★★★★★
Ahh yay!! That seriously makes me so happy to hear. So glad you loved these cookies. 🙂 Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me!
It could be that I’ve been eating fruit as a dessert for several weeks now in an attempt to cut back on sugar and lose the last bit of baby weight I’ve been carrying, but I really LOVED these cookies! They were satisfying in every way and didn’t taste “healthy”
I did have to modify because I didn’t have almond flour, so I ground some oats into a powder. But then my dough was extremely crumbly so I added chia seeds as an egg substitute and it came together perfectly. I followed the rest of recipe exactly and have now found a new favorite sweet treat! Thanks for the great recipe 🤗
★★★★★
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Crystal!! So glad you enjoyed these cookies. Thanks so much for making my recipe and sharing the subs you made. It’s super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it. 🙂
Doesn’t taste at all like the originals, though they aren’t bad. Didn’t change the recipe at all. The almond flour makes it taste mealy.
★★
Hey Ivy – So sorry these cookies didn’t turn out for you! Did you use almond flour or almond meal?
These are GENIUS! Been dreaming of them ever since I saw the recipe. I whipped them up while maybe hubby was washing my car. He’s very impressed! Thanks Brittany!
★★★★★
Ahh I’m so glad these cookies were a hit!! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. As always, I really appreciate it!
Don’t know what I did wrong but these were not thin mints. They were like little dough pucks, not crumbly shortbread-like cookies.
★
Oh no!! I’m so sorry to hear that, Alison. Can you remember if you changed anything about the recipe?
These are crazy similar to the girl scout version thin mints. They were a hit and I will definitely make them again!
Yay!! So glad these cookies turned out for you, Brooke. 🙂
I LOVE these. They taste just like thin mints, with healthy ingredients. I’m a health nut, so I always have natural and healthy ingredients on hand. It’s nice to use the actual recipe instead of having to substitute for unhealthy ingredients. Also, the cookies were super easy to clean up and were quick–perfect to make in a pinch! Thank you for this recipe, it’s sure to be a family favorite!
★★★★★
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed these cookies, Evly. 🙂 Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. The reviews are super helpful to other readers, so I appreciate it!
love this recipe – I’ve made them twice and such a hit with my family. I used cacao powder for the cocoa powder, since that is all I had in the house.
★★★★★
I really wanted these to work, but, they just kept falling apart. I got a 30% success rate, but, when I tasted them, very grainy and “healthy”, just like the title suggests.. haha. Not for me!
★
Oh no!! I’m so sorry to hear that these cookies didn’t turn out for you. 🙁 I haven’t heard of them falling apart before, did you change anything about the recipe?
I made these for my family and they were a MASSIVE hit. Thank you, you make baking so easy!!!
★★★★★
Love how simple & easy these are! Taste exactly like thin mints.
★★★★★
These were amazing!!!! My picky teens ate them up in 2 days 🙂
Yay!! I’m so glad these cookies were a hit! Thanks for trying them and for coming back to leave a comment. I appreciate it!
Finally a great way to use all the almond meal i have from making almond milk. Yumm!
★★★★
I was really excited to make these and they had a really weird texture and did not taste good:(
★
Oh no!! I’m so sorry to hear that, Sydney. Did you change anything about the recipe?
These are so delicious!! They are even better than the originals.😋
★★★★★
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Sarah!! I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it. <3