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With my homemade ultimate thin mint cookies recipe, you can enjoy the irresistible combination of rich chocolate and refreshing mint in a cookie that’s guaranteed to wow your taste buds. Plus, knowing that these delights are from scratch and gluten free and vegan will make every bite even sweeter.
❤️ Why You’ll Love These Thin Mint Cookies
Homemade thin mint cookies blend a rich cocoa cookie base with the cool, refreshing sensation of peppermint. Crafting them at home allows for a personal touch, from adjusting the thickness of the chocolate coating to the intensity of the minty flavor, ensuring a custom-made treat tailored to individual preferences.
Every bite will be a nostalgic journey back to cherished memories of childhood. Homemade Thin Mints embody not just a cookie, but a labor of love, inviting you to indulge in the joy of homemade goodness. And, plus, they are made with quality ingredients everyone can enjoy!
🍪 Thin Mint Cookies Ingredients
Baking with almond flour offers several benefits:
- Gluten-Free: Almond flour is naturally gluten-free, making it an excellent choice for those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease.
- Nutritional Profile: Almond flour is higher in protein, healthy fats, and fiber compared to traditional wheat flour, providing more nutrients in your baked goods.
- Low Carbohydrate: Almond flour is lower in carbohydrates compared to wheat flour, making it suitable for low-carb or keto diets.
- Moisture and Texture: Almond flour adds moisture and a slightly denser, nuttier texture to baked goods, resulting in moist and flavorful treats.
- Health Benefits: Almonds are rich in antioxidants, vitamin E, magnesium, and other nutrients, offering potential health benefits when included in your diet.
- Dietary Restrictions: Almond flour accommodates various dietary restrictions, including gluten-free, grain-free, and paleo diets, allowing more people to enjoy your baked goods.
- Texture Improvement: Almond flour can help improve the texture of gluten-free baked goods, making them less crumbly and more similar to their wheat flour counterparts.
- Reduced Blood Sugar Impact: Almond flour has a lower glycemic index compared to wheat flour, which means it has less of an impact on blood sugar levels, making it a preferable option for those managing diabetes or watching their sugar intake.
👩🍳 How to Make Thin Mint Cookies
- Chill the dough: Chilling the dough helps it firm up, making it easier to roll out and cut into shapes.
- Use quality ingredients: Use high-quality cocoa powder and chocolate for the best flavor.
- Work quickly with the chocolate: The melted chocolate will start to set as it cools, so work efficiently when dipping the cookies.
- Add a smooth finish: After dipping the cookies in chocolate, you can use a toothpick to smooth out any rough edges before the chocolate sets.
Watch me make these thin mint cookies on Instagram.
🗒 Variations
- Mint Chocolate Chip Thin Mints: Add mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough before chilling and cutting into rounds. This variation adds extra bursts of chocolate throughout the cookies.
- Double Chocolate Thin Mints: Mix cocoa powder into the cookie dough to make it even more chocolatey. You can also add cocoa powder to the melted chocolate coating for an extra-rich chocolate experience.
- Peppermint Crunch Thin Mints: Add crushed peppermint candies or candy canes to the chocolate coating for a crunchy, minty twist. Sprinkle the crushed candies over the cookies immediately after dipping them in chocolate.
- Spiced Thin Mints: Add a pinch of cinnamon or a dash of cayenne pepper to the cookie dough for a unique flavor profile. The spices complement the chocolate and mint flavors beautifully.
- Dark Chocolate Thin Mints: Use dark chocolate for the coating instead of milk chocolate for a more intense, slightly bitter flavor. Dark chocolate pairs exceptionally well with the minty freshness of the cookies.
🗒 Substitutions
Mint Extract: If you don’t have mint extract on hand, you can substitute peppermint extract or even spearmint extract for a slightly different flavor profile for thin mint cookies. Just be sure to adjust the amount used based on the potency of the extract.
🍽️ Best served with
- Any milk of your choice or that fits your dietary needs!
- Try them on a dessert bar with friends!
👝 How to Store
- Cooling: Allow the homemade thin mint cookies to cool completely at room temperature before storing them. This prevents condensation from forming inside the storage container, which can cause the cookies to become soggy.
- Airtight Container: Store the cooled Thin Mints in an airtight container. A cookie tin, plastic storage container with a tight-fitting lid, or a resealable plastic bag works well. Make sure the container is clean and dry before placing the cookies inside.
- Layering: If stacking the cookies in layers, place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper between each layer to prevent them from sticking together and to maintain their shape.
- Cool, Dry Place: Store the container of Thin Mints in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Exposure to heat can cause the chocolate coating to melt, and humidity can make the cookies soft or stale.
- Refrigeration: While Thin Mints can be stored at room temperature, you can also refrigerate them if you prefer. Refrigeration can help prolong their freshness, especially if you live in a warm climate. Just be sure to let them come to room temperature before serving to restore their crispness.
- Freezing: If you want to extend the shelf life of your homemade Thin Mints even further, you can freeze them. Place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or resealable plastic bag. Frozen Thin Mints can be enjoyed straight from the freezer or thawed in the refrigerator before serving.
🤔 Common Questions
Aim to roll out the cookie dough to about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thickness. This ensures that the cookies bake evenly and have the characteristic thin and crisp texture of Thin Mints. Using a ruler or spacer bars can help achieve an even thickness.
Yes, it’s recommended to chill the cookie dough before cutting out the cookies. Chilling the dough helps it firm up, making it easier to roll out and cut into shapes without sticking. It also helps the cookies retain their shape during baking.
After dipping the cookies in chocolate, allow them to set at room temperature or in the refrigerator until the chocolate coating is firm. This usually takes about 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the temperature of your kitchen or fridge.
Yes, you can freeze baked thin mint cookies for longer storage. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or resealable plastic bag. Frozen Thin Mints can be enjoyed straight from the freezer or thawed in the refrigerator before serving.
Thin Mint Cookies
Equipment
- Food processor
- Oven
- Refrigerator
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie
- ¾ cup almond flour
- 3 tbsp tapioca starch
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- ¼ Tsp baking soda
- ⅛ Tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp refined coconut oil, solid
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ Tsp peppermint extract
Chocolate Coating
- 1 cup chocolate chips, dairy free
- 2 Tsp refined coconut oil
- ⅓ Tsp peppermint extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cookie
- Mix flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor.
- Add solid coconut oil and pulse until crumbly.
- Add maple syrup and peppermint extract, pulse until dough forms.
- Shape into a disk, wrap in parchment, and chill for 15 mins.
- Roll out chilled dough to 1/8-inch thickness.
- Cut into 14 circles using a 1 ½ – 2-inch cutter.
- Transfer cookies to the baking sheet, spacing them 1-2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Cool.
Chocolate Coating
- Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in a saucepan on low heat or in the microwave, stirring until smooth.
- Stir in peppermint extract. Dip cooled cookies in melted chocolate and let cool in fridge 15 mins.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.