The BEST Thin Mints (V/GF)

GFVGVDF
Jump to Recipe
Plate of our vegan gluten-free thin mint cookies

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!

Peppermint extract, tapioca flour, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, baking soda, sea salt, coconut oil, maple syrup, and almond flour

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.

Almond flour, tapioca starch, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt in a food processor

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!).

Food processor with thin mint cookie dough

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!

Rolling pin next to thin mint cookie dough

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).

Dipping chocolate mint cookies into melted chocolate

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!

Plate of the best thin mint cookies

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!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Plate piled high with thin mint cookies and fresh mint leaves
4.86 from 99 votes
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 14 (cookies)
Course Dessert
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 1 Week

Ingredients

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 powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp solid refined coconut oil
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp peppermint extract

CHOCOLATE COATING

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

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @minimalistbaker on Instagram and hashtag it #minimalistbaker so we can see all the deliciousness!

If you love this recipe...

Get Our Fan Favorites eBook Here!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rating!

Have a question? Use ctrl+f or ⌘+f on your computer or the "find on page" function on your phone browser to search existing comments! Need help? Check out this tutorial!

My Rating:




  1. Nishta says

    I’m making these for the second time and doubling the batch! They are INSANE. I normally don’t even care about Thin Mints, but I can’t be alone in my house with these! No one I’ve given them to can believe they’re GF – I couldn’t find tapioca starch, so I subbed arrowroot successfully. Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy them, Nishta. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your successful modification! xo

  2. Raman says

    I never write reviews but I had to for this recipe. These cookies are SOOOO good. I used the Doterra peppermint essential oil. 3 drops for the cookies and 2 drops for the chocolate dip. It was perfect!! I haven’t had girl guide cookies since I was a kid so these brought back all the feels. Thanks for creating this one!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Raman! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! xo

  3. The Vegan Goddess says

    I made these cookies a while back and don’t see a review from me on here so I must have forgotten and will make up for that transgression now.

    I loved these cookies and will definitely make them again! I’m impressed that you were able to replicate and even improve on the Girl Scout cookies so we can make our healthier versions of our favorites, including these.

    You guys inspired me to cook and experiment with different combinations and dishes that are new to me and would never have thought of on my own. I feel like I turned into a good cook after following your amazing recipes.

    Your photos and descriptions are inspirational and your website is the best that I’ve seen. You guys win the internet!

    Thanks for all your great work!

  4. Alyssa says

    Made these, and they honestly turned out at least as good as, if not better than, the original thin mints! Would definitely make again. I also put a light dusting of sea salt on top of them before the chocolate dried, which helped bring out the minty chocolate flavor more.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed this homemade version so much, Alyssa. Thank you for sharing! xo

  5. Dalatias says

    These are sooo worth the extra effort.

    I doubled the recipe (usual practice for, since I’m going to all the effort to drag out the ingredients and equipment, anyway, as a reluctant ) and the only problem with doubling the recipe was that the melted chocolate started hardening before I could finish coating all the cookies. But I just popped it back in the microwave to soften, so no problem.

    For the remaining melted chocolate once the cookies were all coated, I dumped in a bunch of mixed nuts (raw, unsalted, organic), stirred ’em up until they were coated, and they are now sitting in the refrigerator waiting for a snack attack.

    BTW — I opted to use UNrefined coconut oil. I looked up how refined coconut oil is made (with a de-gumming agent, lye, bleaching and deodorizing) and decided it was not worth the risk. All the refining also removes the anti-inflammatory properties.* Instead, I used Trader Joe’s organic, vrigin, cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil and the cookies were mmmmmmarvelous. Maybe it’s just my lead palate, but I didn’t taste the coconut oil.

    * https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/refined-vs-unrefined-coconut-oil#production

  6. Leah says

    Has anyone tried subbing out 1/4 cup of the almond flour for coconut flour with any success? I have all the ingredients needed but I’m low on almond flour.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Leah, coconut flour is more absorbent and will likely create a more dense result. If you want to try it, we’d recommend using less!

  7. Micaela says

    Makes about 20 cookies per serving (which I am NOT mad about!) they’re outstanding. Easily kept in fridge or freezer.

  8. Laura says

    Everyone went gaga over these, I blinked and they were gone. They are soooo gooood. After step 3 I went rogue.

    Modifications: no rolling pin, floured surfaces etc. I took the chilled dough ball from the fridge, “picked off” ~1 tbsp chunks, rolled in my hands, flattened in palms, put on the cookie sheet. They aren’t perfectly flat/evenly distributed BUT when they were done in the oven, I pressed them a bit with the back of a spatula to flatten/distribute. Let cool, dip in chocolate, done. Thanks MB!!

  9. Nina says

    You have to make these!! They taste exactly like thin mints. I’m blown away. I never thought I would get to eat them again with all my dietary restrictions. I tried with gluten free flour mix and they turned out a little dry when making dough but I was able to fix them. Next time I will try with almond flour. But honestly just make them if you are looking at this recipe.

  10. Taylor says

    These are SO GOOD and taste identical (or dare I say even better) than regular Thin Mints! Stored them in the freezer and loved them that way. Will definitely make again!

  11. Melissa Gillaume Cappaert says

    I made these icebox cookie style as another commenter suggested. I used vegan butter, mixed in a bowl, then placed on plastic wrap and shaped into a long cylinder, then l wrapped tightly before freezing. A few days later I sliced the cookies (I really hate rolling out dough, too putzy for me), and baked and followed the rest of the recipe. Were they as pretty and uniform as rolled out cookies? Nope. Were they easy and absolutely delicious? YES! My celiac daughter was in 7th heaven to be able to eat thin mints again. Everyone loved this recipe. We will definitely make these again! Thank you for this incredible recipe.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We love to hear this! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Melissa. So glad you all enjoyed these!

  12. Mariana says

    Began making these the other day before checking to make sure I had the peppermint…ugh…I did not ,so subbed good quality vanilla extract and the “cookies”were still beautiful. Today I will shop for the peppermint extract and double the batch because my originals were well received. The new batch won’t last long. Guaranteed! Thank you !

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Mariana. Thanks so much for the lovely review! We hope you enjoy the peppermint ones even more!

  13. Ali says

    I just made these and have twice made the chocolate coating and both times it thickens and solidifies when I add the peppermint extract. There’s no way on earth I can dip the cookies into this thick mixture. What am I doing wrong?????

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ali! It sounds like the chocolate is seizing! This is common so don’t feel discouraged! What kind of chocolate are you using? Are you adding the coconut oil to the chocolate, it should prevent the chocolate from solidifying. One more thing, is the peppermint extract you’re using alcohol or oil based?

      • Ali says

        Thank you for the quick response! Yes, I did add the 2 tsp coconut oil to the chocolate before heating it. The ingredients in the peppermint extract have both alcohol and oil in the list. What I did that worked great was to add another teaspoon of coconut oil and reheat it briefly. It melted the mass of chocolate and I was able to dip the cookies in it. They turned out great!

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          We’re so glad it ended up working out, Ali! Thanks so much for the lovely review!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ali, We haven’t tried it, but it might work! We’d suggest omitting or reducing the peppermint extract. Let us know if you try it!

  14. Eliza says

    WOW THESE TURNED OUT SO GOOD!!!! I followed the recipe as is and just WOW. They taste just like GS cookies but I love that they have better ingredients!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Eliza. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo

  15. Marissa says

    Soooooo yummy!! A shot glass worked well to cut the cookies. I only had half a cup of chocolate chips so I made a half batch of the glaze and just dipped the tops in. It was enough! I also substituted peppermint essential oil for the extract and it worked perfectly. (4 drops in the cookies and 3 drops in a half batch of the chocolate glaze.). Will DEFINITELY be making again!! Yummmmmmmmm.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Love it! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Marissa!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Stacy, coconut oil is ideal here because it’s solid, so we aren’t sure if another oil would work. You could use butter (vegan or dairy) in the cookie dough, and omit the coconut oil from the coating (but it will be thicker).

  16. Beth says

    I love your recipes!
    Since I have to stay away from saturated fats, is there a good alternative to using the coconut oil?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Beth, coconut oil is ideal here because it’s solid, so we aren’t sure if another oil would work. Possibly 1/2 the amount of avocado oil for the dough? You could also use butter (vegan or dairy) in the cookie dough. You could omit the coconut oil from the coating but it will be thicker.

  17. Deb Z says

    Is there a reason that coconut oil is used as opposed to another oil? I really don’t like coconut oil as it has a really high saturated fat value.
    Suggestions?
    Deb

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Deb, coconut oil is ideal here because it’s solid, so we aren’t sure if another oil would work. You could use butter (vegan or dairy) in the cookie dough, though coconut oil is best for the chocolate coating.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Nyssa, we wouldn’t recommend almond meal here as it might make the dough too crumbly to handle and the flavor of almonds might be too strong!

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          We haven’t tried them with all-purpose flour either. It might work, you would probably need less that whats listed! Almond meal might make a better 1:1 replacement. Let us know how it goes if you do any experimenting!

  18. Camille says

    I’ve made this recipe many times because my friends and I LOVE it! I’ve always had difficulties with the dipping chocolate seizing when adding the peppermint extract. This time I accidentally added 2 tbsp of coconut oil instead of 2 tsp and also added 2 tbsp of almond milk. The chocolate did not seize and it was easy to dunk the cookies into! It did take longer to set though. I also used arrowroot starch instead of tapioca starch and the recipe worked fine :).

      • Dorcas Kosche says

        I did what Jennifer suggested and rolled in a cylinder and simply sliced the cookies rather than rolling. Worked out great. These are amazing, just like thin mints only I made mine much thicker and they don’t cost an arm and a leg. Thank you so much for this keeper recipe. Dorie

  19. Jennifer says

    I LOVE this recipe and have made it many times now. I don’t like rolling and re-rolling dough so I form it into a cylinder shape and freeze it hard (overnight), and then slice it thin with a sharp knife. The circles are not perfect but with the coating I find that it does not matter. Bonus: I can make a few dough blocks ahead, to save time on baking days.

  20. Jennifer says

    This is a delicious recipe. The two things I changed were that I only put about 20 drops of peppermint oil in the chocolate coating – which was plenty because I did put the full amount in the cookie. the other thing was that I read where the rolling out of the cookies can be sticky and so a lot of tapioca flour may have to be used. I just rolled the dough between two sheets of parchment paper – no stick. I only had to use the tapioca flour for the spatula to transfer them to the baking sheet, which I also lined with parchment paper. Worked great for me. Thanks for this recipe!

  21. Colleen Finnegan says

    This recipe turned out great! I don’t have a food processor so made the dough in my blender and that was so easy. Also subbed cornstarch in as that was all I had. I followed the advice from a review that melted the coconut oil before adding to the dough and that worked great. I used a smaller cookie cutter and wound up with way more cookies. I kept them in the frig as we like to eat thin mints cold. I can’t say enough good things about this recipe! Will definitely be making this again!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Colleen. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! xo

  22. Fran says

    I made these with great expectation and I was so proud with the results! The kitchen smelt with peppermint during preparation, loved it! It was difficult rolling the dough as it was very oily so I kept adding tapioca flour! The end result is worth all the trouble of rolling the dough thin :) they are exquisite! Not too sweet, which is a win, amd the chocolate flavour is the protagonist. Great and easy enough recipe, thanks!

  23. JP says

    I never review recipes, but every once in a while something is EXTRAORDINARY and I am morally obligated to tell other people. Here’s your recipe, folks. If you’re gluten free and have been missing Thin Mints for over a decade, wait no longer. If you simply love Thin Mints, but want a slightly healthier version, you’ve found it. These are suspiciously close to the “real” deal. (note: I did use vegan butter- Earth Balance- instead of refined coconut oil because that’s what I had). Doubled the recipe, and got 28 cookies.

  24. Ziad says

    Yo! Just came here to say I made these with vegan butter instead of the coconut oil and they turned out great! I realized my coconut oil was unrefined when I got back, and chose to take the risk over having these taste like coconut.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Ziad! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!

  25. AmyS says

    this is delicious! I made this with cacao powder. Rolled it as a log and sliced to 1/4 thick then pressed a bit thinner. I made nut butter cup with the leftover chocolate dip. can’t believe how easy it is to make. thank you!