Thin Mints
intro
Crisp, mint-kissed chocolate shortbread cookies coated in a snappy dark chocolate shell, replicating the iconic Girl Scout favorite for gifting or snacking.
Ingredients
Steps
Preheat and Mix Dry Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 180g all-purpose flour, 75g unsweetened cocoa powder, and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt until fully combined with no visible lumps.
Cream Butter and Sugar
In a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat 226g softened unsalted butter and 120g powdered sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale in color. Scrape down the bowl sides, then mix in 1.5 teaspoons peppermint extract and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract on low speed for 30 seconds until fully incorporated.
Mix and Roll Dough
Gradually add the dry flour-cocoa mixture to the butter mixture on low speed, mixing only until no dry streaks remain (about 45 seconds, do not overmix to avoid tough cookies). Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to a uniform ⅛-inch thickness, then cut into 2-inch round circles with a cookie cutter, placing cuts 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the Cookies
Bake the cookies for exactly 10 minutes at 350°F (175°C); the cookies will feel soft when removed from the oven but set fully as they cool. Let cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature (about 20 minutes) before coating.
Make Mint Chocolate Coating
While cookies cool, prepare the mint chocolate coating: Place 510g chopped dark chocolate and 28g refined coconut oil in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (double boiler, ensure no water touches the bottom of the bowl). Stir constantly over low heat until fully melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon peppermint extract, and let cool 5 minutes to 90°F (32°C).
Dip Cookies in Chocolate
Use a dinner fork to dip each fully cooled cookie completely into the melted chocolate, tapping the fork gently on the bowl edge to shake off excess coating. Place dipped cookies back on parchment-lined trays, then refrigerate for 20 minutes until the chocolate shell is fully firm and snappy before serving.
Tips
2.Ensure cookies are fully room temperature before dipping in chocolate; warm cookies will cause the chocolate to seize, slide off the cookie, or develop a dull, streaky white bloom as it sets.
3.Use refined (not unrefined) coconut oil for the chocolate coating to avoid a strong coconut flavor that clashes with the mint; substitute with equal amounts of cocoa butter if preferred for an extra-snappy chocolate shell.
OMG these taste EXACTLY like the real Girl Scout Thin Mints!!! I made a double batch for my kid’s soccer team snack and every single parent asked for the recipe. Total game changer now that cookie season is over, I don’t have to hoard boxes in my freezer anymore. SO easy to make too, I didn’t even break a sweat.
I’ve been making copycat Thin Mints for over 20 years, and this recipe is by far the closest I’ve ever gotten to the original. The tip to let the chocolate set at cool room temp instead of the fridge right away is genius, no more weird streaky chocolate coating! My grandkids are obsessed, they already asked for another batch when they visit next weekend.
As a broke college student with barely any baking supplies, I was shocked how easy these were to pull off! I didn’t even have a double boiler, I just melted the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts and it worked perfectly. My dorm floor went crazy for them, I already have three people Venmoing me to make them more batches.
I swapped the regular vanilla wafers for gluten-free shortbread cookies to make these for my daughter who has celiac, and you literally cannot tell the difference! She said they’re better than the actual Thin Mints she used to get before her diagnosis. I’m crying happy tears over here.
These were so good! I only had dark chocolate chips on hand instead of semi-sweet, and the coating set a little thicker than I wanted, but the mint flavor was perfect. Do you think I could add a tiny bit of coconut oil to thin the chocolate out next time?
These are my new go-to meal prep sweet treat! I make a batch on Sunday, portion them out into little snack bags, and they satisfy my after-dinner chocolate craving every single night without me reaching for a whole pint of ice cream. How long do these stay good in the freezer, exactly?
Took these to my office potluck today and got so many compliments! Only thing I changed was adding a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on top of half the batch, and that sweet-salty combo was chef’s kiss. Next time I’ll do the whole batch with salt, no question.
Made these for our neighborhood holiday cookie swap last weekend and they were the first plate to get cleared! I even snuck a few into my work lunch for midday treats all week, they hold up so well in the fridge. 10/10, will be making these every year from now on.
Taste was great, but I messed up the peppermint extract! I put in a full tablespoon instead of a teaspoon and they were so minty they made my eyes water. Don’t be like me, measure your extracts people 😂
I was a Girl Scout for 8 years and sold so many boxes of Thin Mints back in the day, so I take my copycat recipes very seriously. These are SPOT ON. The crisp cookie center, the snappy chocolate coating, that perfect cool mint hit — I swear I would not be able to tell these apart from the ones I used to sell door to door.