Make your own copycat Thin Mint Cookies at home! Crisp, thin, mint-flavored chocolate cookies covered with a dark chocolate coating. No Girl Scouts required 😉
While I am wholeheartedly in favor of supporting your local Girl Scout troops whenever and as frequently as possible, more than once I’ve found myself craving a very particular mint chocolate cookie, but not a single troop member to be found anywhere nearby.
When your cookie obsessions run as deeply as mine do, this gets to be a real problem, really fast.
So I did what any cookie-obsessed baker would do, and I’ve developed my own copycat Thin Mint Cookie recipe.
It’s a little dangerous how quickly, easily, and inexpensively you can now have copycat thin mints in your very own kitchen.
Sweet, thin, chocolate cookies drenched in dark chocolate with just the right amount of mint flavor. I start with a simple chocolate cookie base (adapted from my Galaxy Cookies) which is the perfect crisp, chocolatey base for these copycat thin mints.
The dough will need to chill for an hour before rolling it out, but once it has chilled it’s easy to manage and can be cut into any shape or thickness you desire (if you like a thicker cookie base you can certainly adjust, but I like keeping them thin, because, you know, “Thin” Mints).
Tips for Making Copycat Thin Mint Cookies
- The chocolate dough for this recipe is fairly dry, make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that all ingredients are well-incorporated.
- Make sure that you use “peppermint” extract and not “mint” extract. The “mint” version tends to taste like spearmint, which is not what you want for these cookies.
- Because the extract has the potential to completely seize your dark chocolate coating, and ruin it, I recommend melting it with a small amount of shortening before stirring it in to your melted chocolate (instructions are in the recipe). I have never had my chocolate seize when doing it this way, so don’t skip this step!
- Sprinkles on top are totally optional, but it’s a great way to make them holiday-friendly (how perfect are they for St. Patrick’s Day!)
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g)
- 1 cup sugar (200g)
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract (make sure it's "peppermint" and not "mint")
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (220g)
- ⅔ cups natural cocoa powder (67g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Mint Chocolate Coating
- 2 10oz packages of dark chocolate melting wafers divided
- 2 teaspoons Crisco shortening divided
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract divided
- Sprinkles, for decorating optional
Instructions
- Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and use an electric mixer to beat until creamy and well-combined.
- Add egg and stir well.
- Stir in extracts.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, stirring until well-combined (be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that all ingredients are evenly incorporated).
- Divide the dough into two parts and form each into a disk, flattening each to about 1" thick. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Transfer dough to a clean, lightly floured surface and sprinkle flour over the top. Use a rolling pin to roll dough to about ⅛-⅙" thickness (yes, you want it to be pretty thin!).
- Using a 1 ¾" round cookie cutter and cut out circles, transferring each to cookie sheet (the cookies won't spread so you can place them about ½-1" apart).
- Once you have cut out all of the circles that you can, be sure to re-combine the scraps and roll out and cut out again to get the maximum number of cookies from your dough.
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 8-9 minutes and allow cookies to cool completely before dipping.
Mint Chocolate Coating
- Melt one 10oz package of melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl according to package instructions.
- Once melted, set aside and in a separate, small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of shortening and ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract. Microwave until shortening is melted.
- Pour shortening and extract mixture into melted chocolate and stir until well-combined.
- Place one baked, cooled cookie on the tongs of a dipping fork (I use the fork from this set (affiliate), but a regular kitchen fork would work in a pinch!) and dip in chocolate. Lift out of chocolate and try to drain off as much as possible, transfer covered cookie to wax paper lined surface to cool completely. If using sprinkles, decorate immediately as the chocolate sets rather fast.
- Once you've used all of your chocolate, repeat with second set of melting wafers/shortening/extract.
- Allow chocolate to harden before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Here are some of the tools that I used to make today’s recipe:
Round cookie cutters || Glass bowls || Dipping tools
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Alexis
SUCH a good recipe, they really do taste just like the Girl Scout thin mints but so much better since they’re home made! I use so many recipes from here and they’ve never failed. I was craving a mint dessert and wanted to try this one but was reluctant to because it looked a bit intimidating. I have to say, it was really easy! I followed the recipe and had absolutely. No issues. I even substituted butter for the crisco as I never have any on hand. It came out wonderfully! Thanks again for another great recipe!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Alexis! Homemade is always better if you ask me. 🙂
Alexis
Do you know how how long these store and are good for in the fridge? And if they can be frozen? I’ve heard thin mints taste great coming from the freezer anyways 😄
Sam
Hi Alexis! You can store these in an airtight container at room temp, they’ll keep for about a week that way, or 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge 🙂 They could be frozen. I haven’t tried it myself, but it’s possible they could be eaten from frozen, I’m just not sure exactly how firm they will get.
Julie S
I used to be a Girl Scout, but these are even better than the original. There’s nothing like homemade!
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for trying our recipe and leaving a review, Julie! We’re honored to have your official stamp of approval ☺️
Carol Rolston
Good Evening
Love making your recipes with my grandkids!!!
What chocolate melt do you use?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Carol! I usually use Ghirardelli. 🙂
Carmen
Can I use butter instead of shortening for the melted chocolate?
Sam
Hi Carmen! I think butter should work fine here. The coating may not be quite as firm but it should still work. 🙂
C
Hi! I wanted to ask if there is anything else I can use in place of shortening?
I never use it and don’t have any.
Thanks for any info..
Ps.. I really like your recipes and enjoy reading your post!
Have a BLESSED day!!!
JESUS CHRIST LOVES YOU!!!!!!!
Sam
I think butter should work fine here. The coating may not be quite as firm but it should still work. 🙂
Coley
Hi Sam! What is the storage and shelf life of these cookies? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Coley! Store in an airtight container at room temp, they’ll keep for about a week that way, or 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge 🙂
Coley
I didn’t tell my family what these were supposed to be and had them guess. They said “These taste like Thin Mints but better.”
Yes!!!! I don’t eat Thin Mints myself so I wouldn’t even know but these didn’t last long enough to worry about storage. Thank you!
Sam
Yay! What a compliment, thank you for sharing, Coley! 🙂
Pam
Another excellent recipe! These are absolutely delicious!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Pam! I am so glad that you enjoyed them. 🙂
nancy Moore-Banta
how many does this make?
Sam
Hi, Nancy! Sorry about that! It should make about 75 cookies. 🙂
Cecelia
I really enjoyed this recipe. The flavor is fantastic! The only thing is I wish the baking time was a little more descriptive. I didn’t have the exact cutter and would have liked to have known what the feel of the cookie should be coming out of the oven. My cookies turned out less crisp than girl scouts so I’m not sure if that’s how this recipe intended them to be.