Homemade Thin Mints ~ this is the recipe you’ve been waiting for ~ the perfect copy cat Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookie that is even better than the original!
Lets just say I don’t have the purely nostalgic associations that some of you might have with these cookies.
Even so, when I came across this wacky scheme to make Thin Mints from scratch, I was intrigued. It might have had something to do with the fact that I was stuck inside all day during a freak March blizzard. But Thin Mints are truly unique cookies. They’re the all time top seller for the Girls Scouts, and people have been known to hoard them in their freezer. Couple that with the fact that no commercial bakeries are allowed to market them, and you’ll understand why I jumped on this one.
It’s not often that a recipe hums along, step by step, without a hitch. Especially when it’s a copy-cat recipe that depends on an exacting replica of the original. The color, shape, texture and taste of these cookies was perfect. Eerily perfect. I can tell you without hesitation that this is the perfect Thin Mint recipe. If you’re one of those people who loves Thin Mints, put your face right up close to the screen and listen carefully…run, don’t walk, to the nearest store to get what you need to make these. Seriously.
I could tell the minute I cut out the cookies that something special was about to happen. Even unbaked, the cookies already look like they’re going to be the perfect Thin Mint. An added bonus is that the dough itself is wonderful to snack on, and there are LOTS of little leftover bits in between all those perfect little circles!
I tasted one of the cookies just out of the oven. Still perfect. I was getting really excited.
By the time I dipped the cookies in the peppermint infused chocolate I was positively giddy. These are exact replicas of Thin Mints. Clones, actually.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 oz, or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutched dark cocoa powder which worked well)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour (fluff the flour before scooping and leveling the cup, too much flour will result in a dry dough)
- 16 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- 1 tsp vegetable or coconut oil
- Approximately 1 teaspoon peppermint extract or oil (Make sure you get peppermint, not spearmint, and make sure you get extract, or oil, not flavoring) I used McCormick's Pure Peppermint Extract
Instructions
- Set the oven to 350F
- Cream butter until light and fluffy, then add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Stir in the salt, vanilla and cocoa powder. Mix until the cocoa powder is integrated and the batter resembles a thick frosting. Add the flour and mix just until the flour is combined, making sure to not over mix.
- Form dough into a ball. Knead a few times to bring together, then flatten into a disk between half an inch and one inch thick, cover in plastic wrap then place in freezer for 15 minutes.
- Remove dough from the freezer and roll it out really thin on a floured surface, about 1/8-inch. Cut cookies using 1 1/2-inch cutter (I used a small cordial glass that measured almost 2" and it was the perfect size).
- Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. While the cookies bake, make the peppermint coating. Chop the baking chocolate into very small, thin pieces. Place in a glass measuring cup or similar container along with the oil and microwave in short 15-20 second bursts. Stir in the peppermint extract. Feel free to add more peppermint as you see fit. (Don't add any more, the amount is perfect)
- Gently drop the cookies, one at a time, into the coating. Turn to coat entirely, then lift the cookie out of the chocolate with the fork and bang the fork on the side of the pan until the extra coating drips off. Place on a parchment or plastic wrap-lined baking sheet, and repeat for the rest of the cookies. Place the cookies in the refrigerator or freezer to set. (I didn't need to do this, they set up fine after about 1/2 hour at room temperature, but then again, we were having a blizzard, "room temperature" is relative!)
Notes:
- Be sure that your butter is truly at room temperature before you start. If your butter is cool the dough will not come together well.
- Use the ‘fluff and scoop’ method to measure out your flour. That means fluff up the flour in the canister or bag to loosen it BEFORE you scoop or spoon out your measurement. Level the top of the measuring cup gently with the back of a knife to get the most accurate measurement. This goes without saying, but use a measuring cup meant for dry solids, not liquids for measuring flour.
- Some people are having trouble adding the peppermint extract to the melted chocolate. I have updated the recipe to add a bit of vegetable oil to the chocolate, this should help. You can also try putting the extract right in with the chocolate before melting. Remember everything must be clean and dry, with no moisture in the bowl, and you must use an oil based flavoring, so definitely read the labels on your peppermint extract. Candy flavoring oils are also a good choice. I used McCormick’s Pure Peppermint Extract. If you can’t find it in your grocery store you can buy it from Amazon, HERE.
I think I just earned my cooking badge.
More Girl Scout Thin Mint love…
Easy No Bake White Chocolate Thin Mints
Lazy No Bake Thin Mint Cookies
136 Comments
Sandi
October 12, 2016 at 3:36 amJust a little humor here, when I looked quickly at the 2nd picture, I thought you had them on lettuce leaves….huh…why cookies on lettuce?
Sue
October 12, 2016 at 7:31 amOther people have thought that too lol!
Alice
December 7, 2016 at 4:30 pmI thought the same thing! Funny!
Abby
October 11, 2016 at 8:45 pmNot having read all the posts, this may have been covered already. The reason people are finding this so bitter could be because you say to use semi-sweet “baking chocolate” instead of regular semi-sweet chocolate, like chocolate chips for example. Baking chocolate has no sugar, and is horribly bitter on its own. There has to be a balance of something sweet, like sugar, to offset the baking chocolate. Hope this helps.
Annette
March 26, 2016 at 2:02 pmHi Sue,
I just made this recipe today for an Easter treat. Unfortunately, they came out extremely bitter- not good at all. Well, I can’t say ‘not good at all’ because my Dad LOVES them- but myself and the rest of the family do not. I am wondering if I did something wrong, but I followed the directions exactly. Because we are sensitive to bitter tastes over here, is there any way you think I could make them sweeter next time? Maybe adding sugar to the cookie dough batter? Using sweeter chocolate for the dip? The only thing different from your recipe is that I used Hershey’s cocoa powered brand. They look great, hopefully I can match the taste next time I try them.
~Annette
Sue
March 26, 2016 at 5:39 pmSorry they weren’t to your taste Annette, people have very different opinions when it comes to chocolate. You could definitely up the sugar in the cookies, and maybe you’d prefer a milk chocolate coating, which tends to be sweeter, too.
Annette
April 1, 2016 at 1:40 pmThank you so much, Sue. I also noticed that after they sat in the fridge for a few days, they grew sweeter. I will definitely try a sweeter coating next time- thank you again! :)
susan
April 23, 2016 at 5:16 pmwas your cocoa Hershey’s cocoa, semi sweet…I have a dark chocolate cocoa and it is very bitter…
Annette
March 25, 2017 at 3:43 pmI used the semi-sweet. (Sorry for the late reply #1yearlater). My grandma loves the original batch I made last year. I am going to make another batch for this Easter with the changes Sue suggested.
Sue
March 25, 2017 at 5:30 pmLet us know how it goes!
Kelly
February 13, 2016 at 6:44 pmJust made these using Gluten Free all purpose flour (bob’s red mill). They are fabulous!! My husband loves them!
Sue
February 14, 2016 at 4:27 amThat’s so great to know, Kelly, I bet you’ve just made a lot of people happy!
Sue
February 24, 2016 at 6:16 amI made these and posted today Kelly — http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/gluten-free-thin-mint-cookies/
Ana Luiza
January 21, 2016 at 4:57 pmthey were amazing! I used cocoa powder 50%, and the chocolate kind that is made for dipping: I melted it in water bath, no oil. The bath was pretty easy too, but you have to let the cookies get cold, otherwise they will break. Mine weren’t too bitter, they were perfect! Thanks for the recipe…
Sue
January 21, 2016 at 8:33 pmThanks for the feedback Ana, I appreciate your taking the time to let us know!
Jaime
January 13, 2016 at 3:32 pmHi, I tried to do the chocolate for dipping and as soon as I added the peppermint extract to the melted chocolate, it turned into sludge. Thick, unusable sludge….any suggestions?
Sue
January 13, 2016 at 7:33 pmI revised the recipe to mention that you can, if you have trouble, add a little vegetable or coconut oil to the chocolate before melting. Chocolate is fussy, and will ‘seize up’ if there is even a drop of moisture that comes in contact with it. Be sure you use an oil based extract, too.
Arielle
December 17, 2015 at 10:31 pmI just finished making these. I used 3/4 cups of unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of peppermint, and 20oz of chocolate. I ran just a little short on chocolate. I would recommend using 24oz. And if I ever did this recipe again I would use milk chocolate due to the bitterness. Other than that the recipe was spot on. It only took 3 hours. Lol
Sue
December 18, 2015 at 9:43 amThanks for your feedback, Arielle, I know it’s a big help to others attempting to make these :)
Sarah
November 19, 2015 at 4:05 pmThese look very good but there’s certainly way too much cocoa powder, specially so if you use Dutch-processed. I live in Belgium so maybe the unsweetened cocoa we have here is different but If I were to use the same ratio of cocoa to sugar, they would turn out with about the same amount of sweetness as an 75% dark chocolate. I’m wondering if the reason some people found them bitter wasn’t this :-/ I’ll definitely try them though, I’m very curious to know why people are so obsessed with Thin Mints ^.^
Kristen
November 15, 2015 at 4:22 pmI was very excited to make these but after I tasted the baked cookies (like a lot of other commenters) I found that it was extremely bitter, I thought dipping in chocolate would help mask the bitterness and it did a little bit there is still a terrible bitter after taste. And no I don’t think I’m extra sensitive to bitter taste I think it must be something in the recipe since me and and many others experienced the same problem.
Shelby
August 29, 2015 at 8:15 pmIve never been sooooo frustrated in my life than making these ? they were hard so so so bitter ?
Laura
August 17, 2015 at 11:03 pmThanks for such a great recipe!
I made these the other day and my hubby went nuts for them. We have barely gone through the first batch and he is asking me to make more.
I did do a couple of things differently though…I thought I had enough cocoa in the house, but I only had 3/4 cup of regular cocoa (not dark), which turned out to be more than enough. Maybe if people are finding the cookies bitter, they could try this amount of regular cocoa instead.
I didn’t have any baking chocolate and I don’t own a microwave, so I used 3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and a double boiler. The double boiler ensures the chocolate melts easily and stays smooth and thin enough for dipping.
We are going to try the Tagalong cookie recipe soon. I have never had them, as they don’t sell them in Canada, but they sound delicious.
Bridget
April 22, 2015 at 12:10 ammy boyfriend and I made these tonight and unfortunately they did not taste good. They looked delicious, but we’re so bitter we couldn’t even finish a cookie. Not sure what went wrong since we followed the directions exactly and they looked fantastic! Should we have added more sugar or something? We still had fun making them though!
Kat
April 5, 2015 at 5:59 pmWhile these are pretty darn good, they don’t taste like Thin Mints…I was able to eat one and then the other and they are definitely different. I think next time I would try putting some peppermint extract in the cookie dough, too. The biggest benefit?? I don’t have to eat the GMO-filled ones anymore :)
Christie
March 11, 2015 at 10:11 pmWhen you cool the baked cookies, do you remove them from the baking sheet to the rack?
Sue
March 12, 2015 at 2:09 amYes, I usually let cookies cool for a few minutes on the pan, and then remove them and let them finish cooling on the rack.
Sarah Veloz
February 5, 2015 at 12:52 pmHi. Really confused. I’m making a second batch of the cookie part, but it still tastes to bitter. idk what’s going on! 1 cup cocoa powder, 1 cup powdered sugar… i don’t know…… i added a lot more sugar to the first patch, but after baking, the after taste is still there. i was hoping that maybe after i coat them with chocolate they will taste better?? you also said the dough taste good by itself, but heck no, this was just too bitter :( please help me!
Sue
February 5, 2015 at 1:14 pmYou may be extra sensitive to bitter tastes, Sarah, I’m not sure. They will definitely taste sweeter after you coat them with the chocolate, so hopefully that will help you!
Sarah Veloz
February 5, 2015 at 1:47 pmeeeek! I am probably am. I’m going to go through with these cookies and hope other people like them lol, thank you!
Sue
February 5, 2015 at 4:03 pmYou’re welcome…it’s always hard to help when I can’t be there in person :) I hope you like them better when they’re chocolate coated!
Kristen
December 21, 2014 at 8:48 amSo excited to make this recipe, I love Thin Mints! When you say “vanilla” are you referring to vanilla extract or something else? Thanks!
Sue
December 21, 2014 at 8:51 amVanilla extract, Kristen — hope you enjoy them!
65 Bloggers Favorite Cookie Recipes - Cupcakes & Kale Chips
December 4, 2014 at 10:03 pm[…] Homemade Thin Mints from The View From Great Island […]
Aldine S.
April 6, 2014 at 11:52 amHello Susan!
I’m from California and my boyfriend is an airman stationed in Virginia and he has been craving Thin Mints for the longest time. Upon stumbling on your recipe from Pinterest, I thought to myself that this would be a perfect addition to his care package. Although I haven’t tried baking it, I’m just wondering how long these cookies will survive or stay fresh if shipped to another state? Or are there any changes I can make in order to keep them fresh? Hope to hear from you soon, thank you so much. :)
Sue
April 6, 2014 at 2:07 pmHi Aldine — well, I don’t think it’s so much a matter of staying fresh, as it is a problem with the chocolate melting. I know companies won’t ship chocolate during the warm months because of this problem. In any case I would ship them as quickly as possible, and hope that the temp stays low!
Thin Mints | Bundle-Of-Sweetness
April 3, 2014 at 6:22 pm[…] found this recipe from [TheViewFromTheGreatIsland], and these are surprisingly easy to […]
Sunday Sharing
March 9, 2014 at 10:46 am[…] *Y’all. Homemade THIN MINTS. For the other 10 months of the year when I don’t have these crammed in my freezer. […]
Anna
February 14, 2014 at 5:11 pmHi, thank you so much for having this recipe on your blog. I found you through Pinterest. These came out wonderfully! I used a double boiler to slowly heat some bittersweet chocolate chips (65% cocao) with oil based peppermint extract, because of the bitterness of my chocolate I ended up using about a tablespoon of the extract to get the flavor I was looking for. I also used 100% whole wheat in the cookie mixture, my cookies were brittle when they first came out of the oven (due to the high butter content I believe) but I let them cool on the pan and once they came to room temperature they were fairly structurally sound. I was able to dip with minimal crumbs.The recipe yielded 56 cookies just under 2″ in diameter for me, but I only had enough chocolate chips to coat half of them so I would have needed about 20 oz to coat all the cookies. Overall I am very pleased with the recipe, thanks again for sharing it!!!
Leigh
December 27, 2013 at 12:44 amI loved these! I did have some issue with the dough being so dry so I added about a tablespoon of coffee that I had brewed this morning to bind everything together.
Donna
November 8, 2013 at 1:43 pmInstead of making the “cookie” , I use Ritz crackers. Works wonderful!!
Laurel
September 28, 2013 at 1:02 pmThe original recipe calls for peppermint OIL, not peppermint extract. Peppermint oil is FAR more potent than peppermint extract and would mix with the chocolate a LOT easier than extract. When I first read the recipe, my first thought was “why doesn’t that extract seize the chocolate”? After reading the comments, I realize it does. It’s also important not to heat the chocolate too fast or too hot. Sometimes slow is better. :)
Sue
September 28, 2013 at 5:25 pmI had no trouble mixing the extract with the chocolate…
Erin
August 3, 2013 at 6:56 pmI just made these tonight. They are very good, though not Thin Minty enough to call them the same. Reasons could be: I didn’t have dark cocoa so used regular (something about that always seems to come through in recipes…you can almost taste the powder), while my chocolate dip didn’t seize up, it wasn’t thin enough to dip – I ended up having to make a second batch of the dip to get them all covered. Not sure how to make it thinner – suggestions? I used Ghiradelli semisweet baking chocolate the first time around and Cadbury’s Dark Chocolate for the second batch. No difference in consistency between the two. I would make them again, but sadly I don’t see them as a substitute for Thin Mints.
cheryl
November 15, 2013 at 5:06 amuse paramount crystals to thin your chocolate….
Lisa
July 28, 2013 at 5:34 pmThe first time I made these, they were really crumbly, dry, and terrible. After rereading the recipe a billion times, I found it. This needs two sticks of butter (I read the 8 ounces as 8 tablespoons) if y’all had the same problem.
Sue
July 28, 2013 at 5:44 pmI just rewrote the ingredient so it’s extra clear, I’m so glad you kept at it! I’m actually planning to revisit this recipe and rework through it in light of people’s problems. I think it’s a good example of how reading (and writing) a recipe is tricky. Thanks for sharing your experience, Lisa!
Shawn & Kristin Lascelles
April 5, 2013 at 7:14 pmI see a lot of people had problems with the chocolate, but that was the only part that worked for me! I was a bit freaked out with the dough but I continued with it and it turned out right. I baked those perfect little circles and I was so excited that when the first set was cool i ate one plain…and it tasted terrible!! I have no idea why :( I followed the recipe exactly and it all looked perfect. I even went ahead and melted the chocolate thinking the unsweetened cocoa powder would be ok covered, but it was not :( any idea what happened?
Sue/the view from great island
June 1, 2013 at 11:23 pmAre you sure you added the powdered sugar to the cookie dough? That’s the only thing I can think of, because with the sugar you wouldn’t have any unsweetened chocolate taste. Hope this helps!
A.G.
March 24, 2013 at 2:13 amI’m not sure what I did wrong, but when I tried to make these tonight, they turned out as a big flop. :( The dough was extremely dry, and crumbled to bits when I tried to roll it. I got it back together by adding some water, but after they were cooked, they were dry and still crumbled apart. When I went to make the chocolate and peppermint coating, the moment I added the extract to the chocolate, it seized up to the point where it was impossible to dip anything into it. I ended up spreading it on as a frosting, but the pressure of doing that ended up making a lot of the cookies crumble to pieces. :( Needless to say, I was really disappointed.
Sue/the view from great island
June 1, 2013 at 11:26 pmSorry you had a bad experience A.G., this recipe is fairly complex, and with any baking project little things can go wrong. Sometimes the way you measure flour can make a difference, for instance you should always fluff the flour first and then lightly spoon it into your measuring cup, then level off with a knife. I hope you get a chance to try these again, they really are wonderful!
Audrey
October 12, 2014 at 10:06 amI had all the exact same problems, and I followed the recipe to a T!! I have been baking a while, so knew what I was doing, but for some reason this recipe and I did not mix. They still tasted good, just wasn’t enjoyable to make :( I was disappointed as well.
Sue
October 12, 2014 at 11:18 amSorry to hear that Audrey— what were the problems you had, maybe I can help…
willbakefortattoos.com
March 12, 2013 at 2:37 pmI’m making these today!
BellaSissa
February 23, 2013 at 9:29 pmWhen I found this, I was SO excited. I’m like the biggest thing mint fan and to be able to make them? Heaven! I decided to make them today!
However, I was so disappointed I didn’t read the latest comments about the chocolate seizing… Mine did just that with McCormicks peppermint extract. It wasn’t runny enough to dip the cookies in.
I also must have done something wrong with the dough. I followed the directions exactly but they came out very bitter and crumbly. It tastes like too much cocoa, not enough sugar. Not sure why, since I added the right amounts.
I can’t vouch for my baking skills, but I’m not so inept that I can’t follow directions. Really disappointed that I couldn’t do this. Biggest waste of 3 hours and a bunch of ingredients.
Ashley Jayne Leonard
February 24, 2013 at 12:23 amI just made these, I thought I was going to have the seizing problem everyone else had, (I used off brand chocolate chips, and the peppermint extract everyone else had) But with the right blend of heating and added milk, they turned out great!
Thanks for the recipe :)
Ashley
December 12, 2012 at 5:59 pmhow many does this make??
Anonymous
December 6, 2012 at 3:20 pmas to the seizing I used chocolate chips and it worked fine. When you put them in the microwave heat them up for 15 seconds ,stir them amd then add the peppermint extract and stir.Continue at the 15 second intervals until your chocolate is melted ,stirring in between. Hope this helps!!
Sue/the view from great island
February 16, 2013 at 5:37 pmGood advice, the short bursts in the microwave are key to melting successfully!
Mrsbusyb
October 14, 2012 at 12:14 amHeres the thing. These are freaking ridiculously close to the actual thin mints. Like, I’ve eaten atleast a zillion. I had Wilton Dark Cocoa Mint melts so I used those. Then when I ran out I used some andes baking chips melted with some shortening. SO GOOD. I popped them in the fridge for a bit. I like thin mints cold. Maybe because I usually eat them from the freezer. I mean, this recipe makes me feel bad for girl scouts. I’ll never have to buy again! Also, these would be a fantastic Christmas gift…it makes a TON like 2 or 3 gifts easily!
I had bought peppermint extract to use, and my 16 month old totally hid it on me. But after reading the comments about seizing and asking King Arthur Flour (they recommend using flavoring OILS so chocolate doesn’t seize) I’m glad I happened to have the Wilton Melts-which were delish….and the andes baking chips were just as great so why not!
Thank you for the recipe. I found you on pinterest and I’m delighted!
Jeremy
October 10, 2012 at 6:36 pmLooking for something simple, take a Ritz cracker, bag of Andes Mint Chips (the one in the baking aisle for cookies). Melt the Andes Mints down and coat the entire cracker, let set on wax paper and enjoy. You’ll find this taste very much like a Girl Scout Thin Mint also.
Hint: 2 Bags of Andes Mint Chips will just about do 1 box of Ritz Crackers.
Sue/the view from great island
February 16, 2013 at 5:36 pmThanks!
Natalie
October 7, 2012 at 3:04 amI made these tonight and am disappointed :( i was really hoping these would be perfect, the directions seemed so easy! The cookies part had GREAT flavor, but they didn’t harden properly. Instead of being crisp/hard, they were semi-firm and crumbled if you weren’t extremely gentle with them (which is hard to do if you have to dunk them in chocolate). Then, when I made the coating, the melted chocolate instantly thickened to almost icing-consistency as soon as I added the peppermint extract. Needless to say, I wasn’t able to coat the cookies, but instead iced them like sugar cookies. Again, the flavor was great, but the cookies did not hold up. I’m not sure how this went wrong—I was very meticulous with the instructions and ingredient list. Any idea why this didn’t turn out??
Sue/the view from great island
February 16, 2013 at 5:35 pmPossibly the cookies were rolled too thickly? I just laid my cookie on a fork and dipped them into the chocolate that way. As for the chocolate, make sure you don’t overheat it, and make sure you have oil based peppermint extract. Hope you give them another try!
Anonymous
September 24, 2012 at 4:06 pmMy daughter has a peanut allergy and reacts to the girl scout’s thin mints (along with all other girl scout cookies). Soooo glad that I found your blog and moreover, this recipe! Now we can, once again, enjoy our oh so favorite thin mints, as I will be able to monitor the ingredients and bake them in a safe environment. Thank you :)
Sue/the view from great island
February 16, 2013 at 5:33 pmI have a nephew who has severe nut allergies, and now all the food companies are putting that nut disclaimer on their labels—it’s getting hard to buy anything nut free!
Anonymous
August 30, 2012 at 10:58 pmI just finished making these; but was disappointed at my chocolate seized after adding the extract too. I used the same as you, semi sweet bakers chocolate.. I’m just wondering if it didn’t work since my extract may be a bit older? (it’s not expired yet though)
I didn’t have enough chocolate to do a full coating on all since I had to throw the seized stuff away, but did a drizzle on the rest.
Looking forward to tryin them!
Sue/the view from great island
February 16, 2013 at 5:32 pmBe sure you don’t accidentally overheat the chocolate in the first place, you should still have lumps of chocolate in the bowl when you take it out of the microwave, and then stir to complete the melting. And be extra sure you are using pure peppermint extract, (oil based)
Melissa
August 20, 2012 at 4:55 amMy sister and I do a different take on these. A MUCH cheaper take. Ready? Here you go…
1 bar of Almond Bark chocolate (we use milk chocolate)
1Tbsp of peppermint extract
Ready???
RITZ CRACKERS (if it’s Christmas, use the snowflakes)
I take the chocolate and melt a couple of chunks in a double boiler and then add the peppermint extract once melted, then continue to melt the rest of the bar. Once meted, dip crackers into chocolate, freeze and enjoy. We keep them in the freezer.
CHEAP and EASY recipe… Tastes JUST like them
Sue/the view from great island
August 26, 2012 at 1:55 pmWow, Ritz crackers are pretty amazing. I’ll try it!
Anonymous
August 16, 2012 at 6:25 pmHi Sue, thanks for posting your recipe. My partner is determined to make this recipe work, despite two unsuccessful attempts. I thought I would clarify something with you and see if I could help her out in the kitchen.
While your recipe calls for peppermint extract, it seems like it would make more sense to use a mint candy oil. I say this because upon adding the 1.25 tsp extract to our pure melted chocolate, the melted chocolate seizes. This makes sense because extracts with alcohol-based solvents burn at lower temperature and should cause melted chocolate to seize.
The cookies look scrumptious – please confirm the ingredient you used so ours turn out exactly like yours (alcohol-based peppermint extract OR mint candy oil).
Sue/the view from great island
August 26, 2012 at 1:54 pmWell, I used the extract that I found at my regular supermarket. I’m not at home right now or I would go to the cupboard and get the name for you, I’ll update with that later. I don’t know why the chocolate seized, but maybe the type of chocolate makes a difference. I used Baker’s Semi Sweet Chocolate Squares, if that helps. But I’m sure the candy oil would work just as well.
Anonymous
February 4, 2013 at 1:34 pmI had that problem too, with my chocolate seizing. I had picked up “peppermint essence” at the store (not knowing the difference). The ingredients in it are: glycerine, alcohol, WATER, and peppermint oil. That’s the problem right there!
Anonymous
August 15, 2012 at 10:14 pmPersonally I’m a fan of the old Thin Mints with the vanilla cookie on the inside so I’ll be trying these but tinkering just a little to see if I can recapture those from my childhood. Thanks for sharing..
Sue/the view from great island
August 26, 2012 at 1:50 pmI had no idea they used to make a Thin Mint with a vanilla cookie—that sounds really good…let us know how it comes out if you try!
The Prudent Homemaker
August 15, 2012 at 8:43 pmI was a Girl Scout in the 80’s with a 60’s garage sale uniform, and I DID wear that beanie, even though I was made fun of for doing it.
I just made homemade peppermint patties recently, and I was thinking I had to find a recipe for thin mints (I had seen some before) after making those. I happened upon yours from WFMW, so I’ll be making this recipe.
I know what my mom is getting for her birthday!
Sue/the view from great island
August 26, 2012 at 1:57 pmHope your Mom loves them, and you were pretty brave for wearing the beanie, it wasn’t the most attractive aspect of the uniform!
The Prudent Homemaker
September 4, 2012 at 10:21 pmI was mocked relentlesly. I still want to know how 9-year-olds knew to call me a member of the Green Berets. Seriously–do they go home and ask their parents, “How can I make fun of the Girl in the Girl Scout uniform at school?” What 9-year-old has heard of hte Green Berets? I was the only girl in my entire school who was a Girl Scout. On the plus side, I was the first one to sell cookies in my town, and I outside all of the girls in my troop who lived in another town.
Sue/the view from great island
August 10, 2012 at 10:59 pmThat’s one great reason for trying these, they won’t have anything in them that you didn’t put there! Let me know how they come out!
Anonymous
August 10, 2012 at 7:18 pmI’m so excited to try these. Thin Mints were always my favorite Girl Scout cookie until I became chemically sensitive and couldn’t eat these any more. My mouth is watering just thinking about them!! Thanks so much!!!
Aziza
August 10, 2012 at 3:13 amThese look delicious!
Anonymous
August 10, 2012 at 2:39 amRemember folks, the Girl Scout cookies are produced by a commercial bakery that makes their dough with lard instead of butter and the chocolate for dipping has parafin to make it solidify quickly and stay solid under a multitude of shipping and storage conditions. Of course homemade is better even when you don’t have visual perfection you get taste perfection.
Sue/the view from great island
August 10, 2012 at 11:00 pmI didn’t know about the lard, but the better quality chocolate coating in the homemade really does make a difference!
Anonymous
November 13, 2012 at 5:03 pmSeriously, no commercial bakery uses lard. It’s too expensive, for starters. It’s this kind of irresponsible rumor-mongering that causes all sort of headaches.
Cassie
June 7, 2012 at 10:36 pmI made these, and they were pretty good, but I wouldn’t say they are exact clones. I had to use twice as much semisweet chocolate and peppermint to dip all of the cookies.
Nic
May 29, 2012 at 10:13 amYum! What a great idea! If you can make mint thins at home I’m sure you could make Tim Tams too!
Sue/the view from great island
August 10, 2012 at 11:01 pmNow I’ve got to ‘Goggle’ Tim Tams!
Finch
May 20, 2012 at 4:34 pmI’ve recently been having a massive craving for thin mints so I was very happy to find your recipe! I made these last night, but had to cut the ingredients in half (except for the peppermint extract) since I was low on butter and didn’t have any vanilla. Despite that, they still turned out great, only problem that even with over 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract they don’t taste very minty to me. I think next time I’ll try putting the peppermint in with the cookie mix instead of the coating for a real minty kick!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Mireya @myhealthyeatinghabits
May 19, 2012 at 11:51 pmI just found your recipe here. My sons are going to be so happy. These are their favorite cookies. Fantastic!
Sue/the view from great island
August 26, 2012 at 1:46 pmMaybe they can make them with you, Mireya!
Pam
May 9, 2012 at 3:22 pmYES!! This recipe is a find, and I’m so glad to have found it on Pinterest. I’m in love with Thin Mints. (Plus, now I can make them gluten free with my own flour.) Thanks!
Sue/the view from great island
August 10, 2012 at 11:06 pmI’m fascinated to know if you can make a gluten free version, Pam, let me know how they turn out!
Sam
March 10, 2013 at 12:21 amJust made them with all purpose gluten free flour. They are DELICIOUS and perfect (we just added in a little lemon juice and reduced the flour from 1 1/2 cup to 1 cup, 1 tbsp). Thanks so much for the great recipe :)
jak
December 20, 2014 at 2:10 amjust what I was looking for. What is the lemon juice for?
Anonymous
April 25, 2012 at 4:10 amThese are awesome! I made them with my 7 year old daughter today and she said that you definitely captured the spirit of the cookie :-). I couldn’t agree more! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Sue/the view from great island
August 10, 2012 at 11:08 pmSo glad they worked for you, I think it’s the perfect project to do with kids, especially if they are scouts themselves.
CJ @ Morsels of Life
April 22, 2012 at 8:52 pmi gotta try these! They’re not selling right now, and these are my favorites!
Sue/the view from great island
August 10, 2012 at 11:08 pmThat’s the beauty of these, when your freezer ‘stash’ runs out, you can make them yourself!
Mackenzie
March 30, 2012 at 4:49 amOh my gosh!
These look amazing! My family loves these cookies. I think that I will have to make these very soon. They look so yummy!
Susan Lindquist
March 23, 2012 at 8:19 pmI have clearly NOT been visiting you often enough in that I missed this post until today … and now I am obsessing on these cookies … at a time when I should not be thinking about baking and dipping Thin Mints! Phew! Get thee behind me Satan! These cookies are my all time favorite GS cookie! And the kicker with this recipe? They go en masse into a cookie jar. You can’t just say to yourself, “I’ll only eat one sleeve!”
Sue/the view from great island
August 10, 2012 at 11:09 pmlol! I forgot about that, I used to eat a whole sleeve at one sitting, too.
Unknown
March 16, 2012 at 4:40 amI just made these tonight. With my level of kitchen competency, it was a big mess and took a long time, but I can’t wait for them to set and try them.
Tricia @ saving room for dessert
March 6, 2012 at 1:21 pmHow did I miss this post???? These look fantastic. So creative and beautiful. Really outside the box :) I was a girl scout as well and loved selling cookies. I loved to freeze the thin mints and eat them cold. Thanks for taking me back!
Tricia @ saving room for dessert
February 21, 2013 at 8:39 pmAfter almost a year of seeing this little post on the right side of your blog, you know … at the top … the most popular recipe … ever? You know what I’m talking about. It has haunted me – and the time has come. I need to make these this weekend and hope you don’t mind! I’m going to post it and link to you sweet Sue!
Mandy
March 5, 2012 at 7:22 pmHow many did this batch make? :-)
Anonymous
September 6, 2012 at 11:03 amI made them last night. The dough made roughly 2 dozen but I ran out of the dip before I could get them all. They atelier very good and would make them again!
Linda A. Thompson Ditch
March 6, 2012 at 2:20 amI was a Girl Scout, and I think my mom still has my sash full of badges somewhere. This recipe looks too easy not to try! Can’t wait to give it a go!
From Beyond My Kitchen Window
March 6, 2012 at 1:53 amI think you earned that cooking badge a long time ago. Thin mints are not my favorite cookies, but my mom and daughter love them. I just might surprise them both with a batch of there beauties.
Sue/the view from great island
March 5, 2012 at 11:30 pmMandygirl—I used Baker’s semi sweet baking squares and a bar of Ghirardelli semi sweet baking chocolate, and I was surprised at how thin it melted up. I’ve had trouble before with melting other chocolates. I melted it in the microwave, too, if that helps. I’m glad they were good, anyway!
Sue/the view from great island
March 5, 2012 at 11:22 pmMandy—It made about 2 1/2 dozen,give or take, depending on how you roll and cut your dough. I’ll update the post, thanks!
Amy
March 5, 2012 at 9:11 pmAh these look great, Sue. My mom just emailed me telling me she bought a box of the thin mint cookies and she couldn’t even eat them because she’s been “spoiled” by the ones I made back when I was at home–homemade is always so much better, isn’t it? I really want to try this recipe out to compare to the Heidi Swanson ones I tried out… so curious! Thanks for sharing!
Mandygirl's foodie blog
March 5, 2012 at 8:41 pmThe cookies are AWESOME! but I had trouble with the chocolate…I did it exactly like you said with baking chocolate and it never got thin enough for me to dip…so I had to resort to a minty layer and then dipped in candiquick to give the hard coating…but oh my…SO GOOD!
Anonymous
February 4, 2013 at 1:30 pmI had that problem too. I think the issue was that my peppermint extract wasn’t pure oil, and it had some water in it. It made the chocolate seize and less drippy. Not so pretty, but still tastes like heaven.
grace
March 5, 2012 at 12:29 pmMAGNIFICENT! these look so similar to the real thing, and the taste can’t be too far off either. bravo!
on an unrelated note, ‘foist’ is a great word! :)
Bo
March 4, 2012 at 11:11 pmThey look just like the real thing.
Jacquelyn Grandy
March 4, 2012 at 10:42 pmHI Sue! These look awesome. My daughter wants me to bake these for her class party. How many cookies did this recipe make?
Noble Pig-cathy
March 4, 2012 at 2:44 pmI am thrilled to find this and your blog. I bet this put store bougt to shame. Can’t wait to try!
Cathy at Wives with Knives
March 4, 2012 at 2:28 pmI’m just tickled pink to have this recipe! Thin mints are our favorite Girl Scout Cookie and can’t wait to make them at home. Thanks for sharing.
Mary
March 4, 2012 at 1:53 pmThese are the best homemade Thin Mints I’ve ever seen made. Wow. You are talented! I highly doubt that my attempt would even resemble that famous cookie.
My Little Bungalow
March 4, 2012 at 1:42 pmThe only Girl Scout cookies I like are the Thin Mints, so I must try this recipe. The homemade version has to be even better!! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Claudia
Lea Ann (Highlands Ranch Foodie)
March 4, 2012 at 12:34 pmI am impressed that you made these cookies and they look so perfect! I was not a girl scout. Grew up in the middle of Kansas and 4-H was the thing.
gigiofca
March 4, 2012 at 9:50 amThank GOODNESS I have some mint chocolate candies on hand otherwise I wouldn’t know what to do w/myself after reading this at 2am. Your pics look awesome and the recipe very do-able. :)
Hearty Appletite
March 4, 2012 at 5:13 amFollowed you over from pinterest. Wow–excited to make these! I love Thin Mints, but don’t love the chemically after-taste. I can’t wait to have some made from scratch =)
Rolling Pin Claire
March 3, 2012 at 9:29 pmRespect. Need I say more?!!
Penny
March 3, 2012 at 8:46 pmThese are perfect thin mints. I am enjoying your blog so much. Thanks for stopping by. I am now a follower.
A Bigger Closet
March 3, 2012 at 7:12 pmI wasn’t a girl guide but I always supported their mint cookie sales. :)
Oh my, these look absolutely delicious!
Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes
March 3, 2012 at 6:57 pmLove thin mints. I wasn’t a girl scout, but my niece was, and I sold, and sold, and sold them for her at work! My biggest sale was 300 boxes! Which I schlepped into Boston on the train . . . during the course of a week! I may give this recipe a try for St. Paddy’s Day!
Rose
March 3, 2012 at 6:13 pmYeah… I’d get giddy too. LOL They look YUMMY!
Valerie
March 3, 2012 at 5:19 pmThese look Beyond delicious! I could easily the entire batch.
annie
March 3, 2012 at 4:49 pmI think you just earned your cooking badge too! I seriously can’t believe you made these…well actually since it’s YOU, I can. Seriously they are so perfect it’s like they came off an assembly line in a factory…in a good way…I hope you know that.
Heather @girlichef.com
March 3, 2012 at 3:53 pmTotally and completely PERFECT!! I’m making these soon…Thin Mints are mine and my daughter’s favorites :D
BeetleBuggy
March 3, 2012 at 2:25 pmO M G! I’m literally flying to the grocery store right after I read your blog to get on this! I have no words to describe how much I want to eat a whole batch of these right now! Love the way you write, Sue, hilarious! :)
Lizzy
March 3, 2012 at 2:17 pmSue, these are PERFECT! My kids would go nuts for these gems!
A Plum By Any Other Name
March 3, 2012 at 1:03 pmOh. My. God. These little ladies look amazing! I’m impressed; oddly proud for you; and likely dealing with a number of other emotions that I’ve been repressing about girl scout cookies. We won’t get into that here. Suffice to say I’ve got cookies to bake … and store in my freezer. ;)
yummychunklet
March 3, 2012 at 12:44 pmAw! How nostalgic! The thin mints were always a favorite behind the Samoas. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Stephanie
March 3, 2012 at 11:30 amThose put the girl scout cookies to shame! That coating of chocolate looks heavenly! I have to admit, I’m not a girl scout cookie kind of girl. Homemade is always so much better, isn’t it?