Homemade Thin Mints (Vegan & Gluten Free)
These Homemade Thin Mints taste like the real thing but are much healthier! Just 7 simple ingredients. Vegan, gluten free & refined sugar free.
Girl Scout cookie season is upon us and it has me reminiscing on days after school when I would come home and munch on a box while watching the Disney Channel – ah, the good ole days. Among all the different flavors of Girl Scout cookies, thin mints were my favorite. My mom used to keep them in the freezer so they were very cold (which enhances the peppermint flavor) and extra crunchy – the best way to eat them. Did anyone else follow this method? Plus, seeing as today is Saint Patrick’s Day, what better way to celebrate than with some minty chocolate goodness?
As delicious as thin mints are, they aren’t exactly the healthiest cookie. That’s where the inspiration for this recipe came from. Lately I’ve had a strong craving for these minty cookies and thought, it can’t be that hard to make them? It’s just a crunchy, minty cookie enveloped in chocolate. When I tell you these taste like the real thing, they really do! My family and I prefer these over the real thing – for both the taste and the health benefits!
Homemade Thin Mints Ingredients
• Cocoa Powder
• Cornstarch
• Maple Syrup
• Refined Coconut Oil – make sure to use refined coconut oil as it’s neutral flavored and doesn’t taste like coconut.
• Peppermint Extract – I use McCormick’s Pure Peppermint Extract.
• Vegan Chocolate Chips – I typically use Enjoy Life, Hu Kitchen, or Trader Joe’s brand (yes it’s naturally non-dairy!)
How To Make Homemade Thin Mints
In a bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients, then stir in the wet ingredients until a dough forms. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Next, roll out the dough, cut out small circle, place them on a parchment lined baking tray and place the tray in the freezer while the oven preheats. Bake, let them cool completely, dip in chocolate, and enjoy! It’s as simple as that.
I like to store these in the refrigerator or freezer as the peppermint flavor is enhanced when they are cold — such a refreshing treat! Plus, if kept in the freezer they will last extra long. These thin mints are kid-approved, and even Girl Scout approved – perks of having Girl Scouts as neighbors. I hope you will try these homemade, healthier thin mints, whether it be a solo baking session, or an after-school activity you do with your kids – you won’t regret it!
More Healthy Girl Scout Cookie Recipes (V + GF)
• Samoas
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
Homemade Thin Mints (vegan & gluten free)
Ingredients
Cookie
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- pinch salt
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp refined coconut oil, melted
- 3/4 tsp peppermint extract
Chocolate Coating
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp refined coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Stir in the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and peppermint extract until a sticky dough forms. If the dough is too wet, add more almond flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. It should be sticky but not too wet.
- Shape the dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare two long pieces of parchment paper and place the dough in the center of one piece and place the second piece of parchment paper on top of the dough. Roll the dough between the 2 pieces of parchment paper until about 1/4 inch thick. We want the dough to be pretty thin to match the real thing, but not too thin that you can't pick it up.
- Using a 1 1/2 inch cookie cutter (or shot glass), cut out circles and transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet. If the dough becomes too wet while you're cutting the shapes, pop it back in the freezer for a little to firm up. Re-roll the scraps of the dough and continue cutting into cookies until all the dough is gone.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the tray of cookies in the freezer until the oven is heated.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, or until completely cooled. This is important, since we are using almond flour, the cookies need to properly set. They will feel underbaked when you take them out of the oven, but once cooled they firm up.
- Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in 30-second increments. Once melted, stir in the peppermint extract.
- Using a fork, dip each cookie into the chocolate mixture until fully coated, then place each cookie onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze/refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until set. If you have extra melted chocolate, drizzle it on top of your cookies once the chocolate shell has set.
- Once the chocolate has hardened, dig in! These cookies taste best cold.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 8-10 days, or in the freezer for a few months.
