Girl Scout cookie season is only once a year, but you can enjoy one of my favorites with this easy Homemade Thin Mints recipe!
Girl Scout cookie season is only once a year, and I know several people who buy a case of the oh-so-precious-thin-mints and keep them in the freezer so they can enjoy them year round!
I don't know about you, but we only have a side-by-side refrigerator, and no deep freezer, so that puts our space for hoarding to a minimum.
That's ok, because this recipe for Homemade Thin Mints requires just a few ingredients, a couple of hours, because you gotta let the dough chill, and you can make your very own thin mints...oh, for a fraction of what one box will set you back!
They are best frozen, for the texture to be just right, and that's ok, because I have room for these guys!
We're you a girl scout growing up? Is your daughter one now? I went to a few girl scout meetings in a room at the library, didn't have a vest or earn any badges, but I did go to a gym lock-in at some college (which was utterly cool), and I do have some ceramic ornaments from the leaders that painted and sold them.
I also vaguely remember us dancing to Mariah Carey's Vision of Love song. From what I can recall it was fun.
Kayla was never interested in being a girl scout, and at the time that Kelsie wanted to become one, I contacted the local troop and never heard back from them. She decided to get into dance, and we've never really looked back. She'll be 12 this year, and at this point, we sort of feel it's just too late to join up.
She would be way behind on badges, and even though it would be another chance to hang out with her homeschool friends (several of the girls are in a troop), she said she wants to stick to dance. Sounds good to me. Dance your heart out Kelsie!
Let's just talk about these Homemade Thin Mints for just a moment....there are several different recipes going around online, but I'm sorry, one of the most popular ones around, which happen to be the simplest, is not even close unless you count the mint and chocolate.
You can not dip a butter cracker...ahem, Ritz, into melted chocolate with mint extract and call that a thin mint.
Since when did you taste butter or salt in that green box of thin mints from the girl scouts? You didn't. So save yourself the time that you would have made those simple ones, and give these a try!
A little more work, but the rewards are totally worth it!
Homemade Thin Mints ingredeints:
- butter
- sugar
- egg
- vanilla extract
- peppermint extract
- flour + cocoa powder + baking powder + salt
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- canola oil
How to make Homemade Thin Mints:
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together.
- Beat the butter until light and fluffy.
- Pour in the sugar, and cream the butter and sugar together.
- Beat in the egg and extracts.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients in with the wet.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions, and roll each into ¼ inch thickness onto parchment paper. Place one disc on top of the other, with the parchment in between; and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out all the dough that is rolled, and re-roll and cut.
- Bake.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, melt the chocolate, oil, and extract together in a double boiler.
- Dip each cookie into the melted chocolate, and allow the excess chocolate to drip away, before placing on parchment paper to completely set.
A few of our favorite chocolate cookie recipes:
- Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Peppermint Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies
- Caramel Chip Chocolate Cookies
Homemade Thin Mints
Girl Scout cookie season is only once a year, but you can enjoy one of my favorites with this easy Homemade Thin Mints recipe!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 ½ sticks butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder I used Hershey's Speicla Dark
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Topping
- 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips I like Ghiradelli 60% Cacao for this recipe
- ½ teaspoon canola oil
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together. Making sure to remove any lumps. You can sift, but I didn't find the need too. Set aside.
- In a large bowl attached to a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about a minute. Pour in the sugar, and cream the butter and sugar together.
- Beat in the egg and extracts.
- On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients in with the wet, until thoroughly combined. This dough is sticky!
- Divide the dough into two equal portions, and roll each into ¼ inch thickness onto parchment paper. Place one disc on top of the other, with the parchment in between; and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out all the dough that is rolled, and re-roll and cut, until there is no more dough remaining.
- Bake for 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 8 minutes, before removing to a cooling rack.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, melt the chocolate, oil, and extract together in a double boiler. I would not recommend using the microwave for this. Dip each cookie into the melted chocolate, and allow the excess chocolate to drip away, before placing on parchment paper to completely set. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g
robin masshole mommy
Ok, you win the internet today! These are the best cookies of ALL TIME and now I can have them whenever I want.
Karen
Yours look so yummy and easy to make! I love Girl Scout cookies (bought a few boxes this year) and also love the Thin Mints in the freezer! Delish!
Allison
Oh now these look so delicious! I love thin mints and really love that you can make these at home!
Jessi
oh man! i just ran out of my ones that I bought, so this came at a perfect time!
Angela Tolsma
The mint cookies from Canada are so much better than the ones here! But I have never thought to make my own! What a great idea and I'm totally gonna try and see how close I can make to homes!
Terri Steffes
GS Thin Mint cookies are my favorites. I am no longer eating sugar, so I will have to just smile and let them pass me by!
Journa Ramirez
Oh my! I love chocolate and mint together! Such a lovely combination, your recipe is great. A must try!
Anna nuttall
Yum this look lovely. I should make some for mother's day. xx
Heather
This looks so good! The thin mints are my favorite and I have been known to stash a box or two to eat later in the year. This is a great way to recreate them and get your thin mint fix!
Rose Sahetapy
A cup of hot tea with these delicious chocolate mint cookies will make my day! Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
Melissa
There is nothing like a good thin mint and yours look perfect. They look better than the girl scouts but I am not the best baker so I might have to settle
Lydia
I've seen these (and made) them before! I need to try again, I live for thin mints!
Toughcookiemommy
I would love to be able to make thin mints like these right at home. I think it might put the girl scouts out of business since we buy so many cookies from them.
Tereza
These look so nice! I've been eyeing a recipe on Pinterest but yours is just so much simpler and less ingredients. Definitely bookmarking for next weekend x
Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com
These look so amazing! I had not thought of making my own, but my kids love thin mints, so I will definitely give these a try!!
Dawn McAlexander
I have always loved those thin mints, but I can never get to them in time when the Girl Scout cookies come out. I need this recipe to make them at home!
Nikki
These look so good! My hubs loves thin mints and I just don't really like spending that much on a box of cookies, that really aren't that great for you. I think maybe him and I could do a baking date night at home to make these!!
Karina
My sister is obsessed with these cookies! Cant wait to try making them with her! They look so good too. Thank you so much for sharing... now she can have them whenever she wants.