Thin Mints (Copycat) are the recipe you need to have the popular Girl Scout cookies all year round. Use our cookie hack to make in less than 30 minutes!
While most of our Copycat Recipes are savory, sometimes we get a sweet tooth craving for our favorite big brand desserts. Like our Chocolate Caramel Pizookie recipe, these Thin Mints are a spot-on match for a popular, hard to find signature cookie.
THIN MINTS
Chances are really good that you’ve at least heard of these super popular Girl Scout Cookies. If you are like us, there’s probably a box (or two) of these delicious chocolate-covered cookies in your freezer right now.
It used to be that you had wait until the one magical time of year that sweet little girls were visiting your office, or standing outside every grocery store, so you could get your hands on these addicting cookies.
Well, no more waiting patiently required! We’ve come up with this recipe for Homemade Thin Mints that taste just like the real thing. Make an extra batch (or two) to keep in your freezer for whenever a craving hits.
While we came up with a great recipe for the cookie base, we also have a cookie hack below to save you time. No rolling dough or chilling needed, just another popular cookie plus the coating recipe.
Time-Saving Cookie Hack:
If you want to save a bunch of time – use Oreos! That’s right, milk’s favorite cookie is an easy substitute in this recipe. Simply dip Oreo halves, without the frosting, into the mint chocolate coating and voila! Thin Mints in less than 30 minutes.
MORE CHOCOLATE DIPPED DESSERTS:
HOW TO MAKE THIN MINTS
- Cream the Wet Ingredients Well: The butter and sugar need to be very light and fluffy before you add in the egg and extracts. Take extra time to be sure it is lightened in color.
- Dry Ingredients: Sift them very well to keep the cookie light.
- Refrigerate your dough: The dough must chill for an hour before you cut out the shapes or your dough will not bake in a perfect round.
- Cool: Cool the cookies completely before dipping or your cookies will crumble apart and the chocolate will become a mess.
- Melt Your Chocolate Gently: Be sure you don’t over-microwave your chocolate or it will seize. Be sure to stir between every 30 seconds of melting time.
Create a free account to Save Recipes
VARIATIONS ON THIN MINTS
- Chocolate: The original recipe uses semi-sweet chocolate, but feel free to mix it up by using dark chocolate or white chocolate. You can use one kind of chocolate to dip and then use another to drizzle as designs.
- Caramel: Make a Samoa/Thin Mint hybrid by adding a small spoon of Salted Caramel to the top of your cookie and chill so it hardens. Then dip the caramel chocolate cookie in the coating. Sprinkle the top with toasted coconut.
- Holiday Cookies: Make these more minty and festive by adding crushed candy canes and white chocolate.
- Gluten-Free: Substitute almond flour and ensure your chocolate is gluten free to make these friendly to dietary restrictions. You can also use coconut oil if you can’t have canola or vegetable oil.
TIPS FOR MAKING THIN MINTS
- Chilling is crucial. Chill your rolled dough for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days before cutting and baking.
- Use peppermint extract, not mint. The difference is slightly subtle but if you want them to taste like the real thing, use peppermint.
- We find that using a fork to dip the cookies is the easiest to get coating all over the cookie and to keep your hands clean. Tap the fork on the side of the bowl to get the excess off.
- Make the cookie dough ahead of time and freeze to make holiday baking on the fly easier. Your dough will last up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight when you are ready to use. Bring to room temperature for 1 hour before attempting to roll out.
MORE MINT CHOCOLATE RECIPES
HOW TO STORE THIN MINTS:
- Serve: These cookies are good at room temperature for about a week.
- Store: You can store your cookies in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Raw dough will keep for up 2 days in the fridge.
- Freeze: You can freeze your baked cookies or raw dough for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Thin Mints (Copycat)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg , room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Coating
- 14 ounces semi-sweet chocolate disks , coarsely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
In your stand mixer cream the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add in the sugar and beat for 1 minute until the color lightens a little.
Add in egg, vanilla and peppermint extract until fully combined.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl then add it to the stand mixer on low speed until just combined.
Roll the dough to a 1/4" thickness between two pieces of parchment paper then transfer to a large baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour.
When you are ready to bake the cookies preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a 1 1/2" cookie cutter, cut out 36 circles (you will have to re-roll the dough 1 time to get remaining cookies).
Bake for 7-9 minutes until they no longer glisten but are still soft.
Cool completely before making your coating.
Chocolate Coating:
Add the chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl and cook in 30 second increments, stirring after each 30 seconds until completely smooth.
Stir in the peppermint extract and dip each cooled cookie into the chocolate.
Using a fork, tap it very gently on the side of the bowl to ensure the chocolate layer isn't too thick, then place the chocolate dipped cookie on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Using excess chocolate on your fork sweep the fork back and forth quickly over the cookies to add a patten on top of the cookies then let them sit at room temperature or in a refrigerator until the chocolate hardens.
Fantastic and so easy using Oreos! Really these taste just like Girl Scout Thin Mints!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Sally.
Can I substitute the chocolate disk for something else? Can’t seem to find them.
I have a link in the recipe card and it looks like they’re still in stock with Amazon. You can substitute with any semisweet chocolate chips you can find in a pinch. Hope this helps!
I had to add almost 2 cups of flour to make these to where I could roll them out otherwise it was like the consistency of cake batter which I think really influenced the texture and dryness of them any advice I bake all the time and I double checked all the measurements and ingredients not sure where it went wrong
Oh no! The measurements are correct as it’s a copycat recipe. Did you make sure to sift the flour mixture?
Question:
How come the ingredients you use is almost exactly like Sally’s Baking Addiction? The only difference is that you use more salt and don’t add oil to your chocolate coating. Just wondering, thanks.
This is a copycat recipe so I’m assuming most people have a similar recipe. It only requires a few basic ingredients to get that yummy flavor of this cookie. I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know what you think.
These are even better than the real thin mints!! My family loved them!
Bonus: you never have to wait until selling season rolls around, haha!
Love this quick and easy copycat. Love that I can have my fave cookie anytime! Thanks Dinner then Dessert!
You’re welcome, Mel.
These are some of my all-time favorite cookies and I am SO excited to try and make my own!
I hope you enjoy them, Kimberly.