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!
Were you a Scout? I was. But I was something of a rebel. I had stringy hair, wore my uniform skirt hiked up, my tie undone, sash askew, and my badges were sewn on crooked. I categorically refused to wear the beanie. It was the early 70s and that’s how we rolled. Both my daughters were Girl Scouts too. So I have ALOT of experience with Girl Scout cookies. I’ve schlepped them, loaded them, unloaded them, stacked them, stored them, inventoried them, counted, miscounted and recounted them, foisted them off on sold them to friends, relatives, and unsuspecting passers by, bribed teachers with them, gifted them, regifted them, froze them, thawed them, used them as dog treats, and of course eaten them. Many, many, many of them.
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.
These cookies are exact copy cats of the original thin mints!
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.
I think I just earned my cooking badge.
More classic cookie recipes
- DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- No Bake Vegan Thin Mint Cookies
- Harry and David Fruit Galettes
- Nutella Sandwich Cookies
- Maple Glazed Oatmeal Cookies
Homemade Thin Mints
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 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
For the coating:
- 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.
Don’t forget to pin these Homemade Thin Mint Cookies!
More Girl Scout Thin Mint love…
Easy No Bake White Chocolate Thin Mints
Lazy No Bake Thin Mint Cookies
I also would love to know how many cookies this recipe makes!
How many cookies does the recipe make?