Homemade Thin Mints
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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! 😉
More Girl Scout Inspired Treats
- Healthy Tagalongs
- 4-Ingredient Samoas
- Do-Si-Dos
- Samoa Energy Balls
- Date Caramel Apple Slices
- Banana Samoas Cookies
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Homemade Thin Mints
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, I like using Lily’s dark chocolate chips to keep these low-sugar
- 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 10-15 minutes. Watch them closely because the timing depends on thickness of your cookies. 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.
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
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.