Homemade Thin Mint Cookies

By: takestwoeggs•Posted: 13/12/2021 •Updated: 30/11/2023
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 1 hour 45 minutes
How can you resist these perfect chocolaty homemade thin mint cookies with just the right hint of mint? These thin mints contain double the chocolate and peppermint flavor for an immersive mint chocolate flavor experience right at home!
Homemade Thin Mint Cookies

How can you resist these perfect chocolaty homemade thin mint cookies with just the right hint of mint? These thin mints contain double the chocolate and peppermint flavor for an immersive mint chocolate flavor experience right at home!

A bitten cookie sitting on top of another to show off the crumbly inside

Don’t get me wrong I love the Girl Scouts. I was one for 10 years! But I hate waiting all year long to get my box of thin mints. Sometimes I crave them randomly throughout the year. Last year, when I checked to find my reserved box of Girl Scout cookies in the freezer I found that they all have been eaten by my roommates. (THE AUDACITY). So now I have found a solution to my thin mint cravings with this homemade thin mint cookie recipe! Plus, these homemade thin mint cookies make a delicious addition to your holiday cookie boxes as well.

All you need for this recipe is some high-quality cocoa powder, peppermint extract, and pantry staples! This recipe can be whipped up pretty easily and is perfect to cozy up with a warm cup of hot cocoa or milk. These cookies will yield a softer thin mint cookie than the Girl Scout version but it is equally as delicious! If you love cookies, make sure to check out my browned butter chocolate chip cookies, matcha crinkle cookies, yuzu Linzer cookies, and Hojicha gingerbread cookies!

A stack of chocolate thin mint cookies
Looking down at thin mint cookies on parchment paper with a sprig of mint leaves

Thin Mints

Thin mints are a crunch mint and chocolate-flavored cookie coated in minty chocolate. They are flavored with peppermint oil to achieve that delightful minty flavor. They gained immense popularity with the Girl Scouts of the USA. Every year the Girl Scouts of America have a fundraiser selling a variety of Girl Scout cookies. Thin mint cookies are the quintessential cookie that was introduced in 1951 and now account for over 25% of their sales.

This homemade thin mint recipe pays homage to the traditional Girl Scout cookie but does not have the same texture. They are softer and less crisp than the Girl Scout cookies.

Someone holding up a thin mint cookie broken in half to shake the crumble inside

Kitchen Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale: a kitchen scale is NECESSARY if you want to have foolproof bakes. This will ensure you have the exact measurements for each ingredient. My little pink kitchen scale is both aesthetic and precise.
  • Nesting Glass Mixing Bowls: This is one of my main kitchen essentials for almost all of my recipes. These duralex glass nesting bowls are really sturdy and dishwasher safe!
  • Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer: you can use either a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer to cream the butter together with the ingredients. It may need a lot of elbow power if you decide to do this by hand.
  • Rolling Pin with leveling attachment: you will need a rolling pin with a leveling attachment to roll out the dough evenly for that clean crisp edge.
  • Baking Rolling mat: I love using these silicone baking rolling mats for baking because it allows me to have an easy cleanup.
  • Half-sheet Baking Sheet: you will need multiple baking sheets for this recipe. I have always used Nordicware aluminum baking sheets and they have never failed me.
  • Slipmat: the cookies fall right off the slipmats which makes the baking process incredibly seamless.

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour: all-purpose flour is all you need for this recipe
  • Dutch-processed cocoa powder: because this recipe requires very few ingredients, using high-quality cocoa powder is important for rich delicious flavor. Dutch processed cocoa powder has a richer deeper cocoa flavor. I always use my Rodelle’s cocoa powder. It’s the best-tasting cocoa powder!
  • Baking powder: the baking powder aids in the rise of the cookie to make it slightly airy.
  • Salt: a touch of salt balances out the sweetness of the chocolate and sugar.
  • Unsalted butter: for all my bakes I use unsalted butter so that I can adjust the salt level. Using salted butter varies in salt level so you never will know how salty the bake will turn out.
  • Granulated sugar: sweetens the cocoa powder and cookie.
  • Large egg: acts as the binding agent that holds all the ingredients together.
  • Vanilla extract: adds a touch of vanilla flavor to the cookie.
  • Peppermint extract: avoid using just min extract which has more of a spearmint taste. Peppermint extract has a lovely cool mint taste that blends beautifully with the chocolate.
  • Dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped: Use high-quality melting chocolates like Callebaut’s semi sweet chocolate chips. Opt for a less sweet outer chocolate to balance the sugars of the cookie. Or if you prefer to use white chocolate or milk you can too!
  • Vegetable oil: thins out the chocolate to make it thinner and more manageable to dip.

How To Make Homemade Thin Mints

This homemade thin mint cookies recipe requires only a few simple steps, time to chill in the fridge, and voila! Chocolatey, minty, and delicious thin mints.

  1. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until combined.
Whisking together the cookie dry ingredients in a glass bowl
  1. Cream the butter and wet ingredients In the bowl of your stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the room temperature butter and sugar and beat on medium high speed until creamy. Next, add the egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Beat until combined.
The wet cookie batter mixed in a stand mixer
  1. Combine the ingredients. Pour in the dry ingredients Reduce the speed to low and continue mixing until just incorporated.
The wet cookie dough after the dry ingredients have been blended in with the wet ingredients
  1. Divide the dough in half and roll out. Divide the dough in half. On a piece of parchment paper, roll each half into 1/4 inch thickness. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 1/2 hours or in the freezer for 1 hour.
Rolling out the cookie dough on top of parchment paper before chilling it in the fridge.
  1. Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  1. Cut the cookies. Remove one of the slabs of dough from the refrigerator and cut the dough into 2-inch circles. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Chill the cookies for 10 minutes.
  1. Bake. Bake the cookies one tray at a time for 10-12 minutes or until the edges appear set. The cookies may seem soft and underdone in the center but that’s okay! Cool completely before dipping the chocolate.
  1. Melt the chocolate and dip the cookies. Melt the chocolate and oil together in a double boiler or use the microwave. Once the chocolate has melted stir in the peppermint extract. Dip the cookies completely in the chocolate and use a fork to lift them out. Place the cooke onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Tips for the Best Homemade Thin Mints

  • Use room-temperature butter. Using room-temperature butter will allow you to cream the butter much easier than cold butter.
  • Measure your dry ingredients with a scale. I will say this for every bake. The most accurate method of measuring ingredients is with a scale. That will yield the exact flavor that I have envisioned. If you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon, carefully drop it into your measuring cup and level it off. Do NOT pack the flour into the measuring cup.
  • Make sure to chill the dough! Chilling the dough allows the butter to solidify making the dough easier to mold and roll out. The second chilling is to keep the shape of the cookies and to prevent them from spreading too fast in the oven!
  • If the dough is too sticky to roll, use two parchment papers. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough and roll out the dough sandwiched between the two pieces of parchment paper.
  • Use a fork to lift the cookies out of the chocolate. For an even and clean dip, use a fork and avoid using your hands to lift the cookies out of the chocolate. Let any excess chocolate drip off the fork’s prongs.

Storage Instructions

You can store these easy thin mint cookies at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can also make these easy thin mint cookies in advance and freeze the cookies in an airtight freezer-proof container for up to 3 months.

Alternatively, You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. Simply thaw the dough overnight and allow the dough to come to room temperature before rolling and cutting.

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Up close of a stack of two cookies with a bite out of one of them

Homemade Thin Mint Cookies

4.75 from 4 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
How can you resist these perfect chocolaty homemade thin mint cookies with just the right hint of mint? These thin mints contain double the chocolate and peppermint flavor for an immersive mint chocolate flavor experience right at home!
Servings: 50 cookies
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Chocolate Mint Cookies

  • 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (45 g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (2 g) salt
  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter room temperature
  • ¾ cup (153 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Mint Chocolate coating

  • 2 cups (383 g) Semisweet chocolate chips
  • ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
  • ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

Instructions

  • Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until combined.
  • Cream the butter and wet ingredients In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the room temperature butter and sugar and beat with the stand mixer or a hand mixer on medium high speed until creamy about 2 minutes. Next, add the egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Continue to beat until combined about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and mix to thoroughly incorporate all the ingredients.
  • Combine the ingredients. Pour in the dry ingredients Reduce the speed to low and continue mixing until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and mix as needed.
  • Divide the dough in half and roll out. Divide the dough in half. On a piece of parchment paper, roll each half into 1/4 inch thickness. Leaving the dough on the parchment papers, place the dough on top of each other and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 1/2 hours or in the freezer for 1 hour.
  • Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • Cut the cookies. Remove one of the slabs of dough from the refrigerator and cut the dough into 2-inch circles. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll and continue cutting until all is used. Chill the cookies in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
  • Bake. Bake the cookies one tray at a time for 10-12 minutes or until the edges appear set. The cookies may seem soft and underdone in the center but that's okay! Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before dipping the chocolate.
  • Melt the chocolate and dip the cookies. Melt the chocolate and oil together in a double boiler or use the microwave. For the microwave, microwave the chocolate and oil in 15 second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Once the chocolate has melted stir in the peppermint extract. Dip the cookies completely in the chocolate and use a fork to lift them out. Place the cooke onto a parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet. (Optional) Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top for holiday cheer! Chill in the refrigerator to set.

Notes

  • Use room-temperature butter. Using room-temperature butter will allow you to cream the butter much easier than cold butter.
  • Measure your dry ingredients with a scale. I will say this for every bake. The most accurate method of measuring ingredients is with a scale. That will yield the exact flavor that I have envisioned. If you don't have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon, carefully drop it into your measuring cup and level it off. Do NOT pack the flour into the measuring cup.
  • Make sure to chill the dough! Chilling the dough allows the butter to solidify making the dough easier to mold and roll out. The second chilling is to keep the shape of the cookies and to prevent them from spreading too fast in the oven!
  • If the dough is too sticky to roll, use two parchment papers. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough and roll out the dough sandwiched between the two pieces of parchment paper.
  • Use a fork to lift the cookies out of the chocolate. For an even and clean dip, use a fork and avoid using your hands to lift the cookies out of the chocolate. Let any excess chocolate drip off the fork's prongs.

Storage Instructions

You can store these homemade thin mint cookies at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can also make these homemade thin mint cookies in advance and freeze the cookies in an airtight freezer-proof container for up to 3 months.
Alternatively, You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. Simply thaw the dough overnight and allow the dough to come to room temperature before rolling and cutting.

Nutrition:

Serving: 1g | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 12mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

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