Delish Homemade Thin Mints Recipe

There’s just something obnoxiously satisfying about biting into a snappy, minty, chocolatey cookie that tastes like a Girl Scout classic but came out of your own slightly chaotic kitchen. These homemade Thin Mints bake up as crisp cocoa wafers and then get dipped—fully, dangerously, gloriously—in a peppermint-dark-chocolate shell. They set shiny, they smell like a winter candle you can eat, and they’re weirdly easy for how impressive they look. You’ll want to stash a secret bag in the freezer and act surprised when the “last one” somehow keeps reappearing.

My husband swears these are his “after dinner vitamins.” The first time I made them, he hovered like a golden retriever waiting for crumbs, then took one bite, grabbed three more, and announced we were “a Thin Mint house now.” Our kiddo calls them “minty coins” and negotiates chores in exchange for “two coins and one crumb.” Honestly? Fair.

How to Make It

Okay, here’s the vibe: we make a simple cocoa shortbread, roll it thin (like, thinner than you think), bake it till it’s dry and crisp, and then dunk every single cookie in peppermint-spiked melted chocolate. You’ll feel powerful.

Ingredients you’ll need:
– 1 cup (2 sticks/226 g) unsalted butter, softened
– 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
– 1 large egg, room temp
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (for the cookie)
– 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
– 3/4 cup (65 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
– 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
– 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
– 1–2 tablespoons milk, only if the dough seems crumbly

For the coating:
– 12–14 oz dark chocolate or melting wafers
– 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (taste and go slow—peppermint gets loud fast)
– 1–2 teaspoons neutral oil or coconut oil (only if using regular chocolate, not wafers)

Here’s the play-by-play:
– Cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Toss in egg, vanilla, and peppermint. It might look a little split—don’t panic.
– Whisk flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Add to the wet stuff on low speed. If it’s sandy, add a splash of milk. You want a soft dough that holds when pressed.
– Roll between two sheets of parchment to about 1/8 inch. Slide onto a sheet pan and chill 30–45 minutes. This is the secret to clean, sharp cookies.
– Cut 2-inch rounds (a small cutter or even a jar lid), reroll scraps, and keep them cold while you work.
– Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 12–14 minutes till dry and set, not puffy. Cool completely so they’ll snap.
– Melt chocolate gently (microwave 20–30 second bursts or a double boiler). Stir in peppermint and oil if needed. Dip, shake off excess, and set on parchment. Let them firm up at room temp or chill 10 minutes if you’re impatient like me.

Yields about 38–42 cookies. Active time: about 35 minutes. Total time with chilling/dipping: around 2 hours, mostly hands-off.

✔Ingredient Notes

– Peppermint extract: Use extract, not mint “flavor” that tastes like toothpaste. If using peppermint oil, it’s stronger—start with 1/4 teaspoon and taste the chocolate first.
– Dark chocolate: Melting wafers are the easy route for a smooth, snappy shell. If using regular chips or bars, add a teaspoon of oil to keep things glossy.
– Cocoa powder: Natural cocoa is great. Dutch-process makes them deeper and slightly less bitter. Black cocoa gives that classic cookie color—do half black, half regular if you want drama.
– Butter: Room temp means soft, not greasy. Too cold and your dough crumbles; too warm and it gets sticky fast.
– Flour: Measure by weight if you can. If you pack the cup, the cookies get dense and won’t spread thin enough.
– Milk (optional): Just a splash to bring the dough together. I’ve added too much before and ended up with puffy cookies—still good, not Thin Mint-y.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in egg, vanilla, and 1 teaspoon peppermint.
3. Whisk flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder; mix into wet ingredients on low, adding 1–2 tablespoons milk only if needed.
4. Roll dough between parchment to 1/8 inch; chill on a sheet pan 30–45 minutes.
5. Cut 2-inch rounds; transfer to sheets and bake 12–14 minutes until dry and crisp at edges.
6. Cool completely; melt chocolate, stir in 1 teaspoon peppermint (to taste), then dip cookies and set on parchment to firm.

What to Serve It With

– A cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee—both win.
– Crumbled over vanilla ice cream with a warm fudge drizzle.
– After-dinner espresso martinis if you’re feeling fancy-fun.
– Cheesecake topping: smash and sprinkle, no rules.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Roll thinner than you think. Thick dough = soft middles, not the snap we’re after.
– Don’t over-bake past “dry.” They crisp more as they cool; charred cocoa isn’t cute.
– Taste your chocolate before dipping. Peppermint goes from “refreshing” to “mouthwash” real fast.
– Keep the dough cold. Warm dough sticks and loses shape.
– Work in batches when dipping so the chocolate stays fluid; re-warm in 10-second bursts.

✔Storage Tips

Room temp: Airtight container up to 1 week. They keep their snap if your kitchen isn’t super humid.
Fridge: Covered, 2 weeks—extra snappy and a little addictive.
Freezer: Up to 2 months. Eat them straight from frozen for that true Thin Mint experience. Also yes, I’ve had them for breakfast. No regrets.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend; chill longer so they cut clean.
– Dairy-free: Swap vegan butter and dairy-free dark chocolate. Texture’s still great.
– Extra dark: Do half Dutch-process cocoa and half black cocoa for that dramatic color.
– No cutter? Roll into a log, chill, and slice thin coins with a sharp knife.
– Sweetness tweaks: Reduce sugar to 2/3 cup if you like more bitter-chocolate vibes. Liquid sweeteners (honey ↔ sugar, maple, etc.) will change texture and make the dough sticky—wouldn’t recommend.
– No peppermint? Use 1 teaspoon vanilla in the dough and a pinch of espresso powder in the coating for a classy chocolate wafer moment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Delish Homemade Thin Mints Recipe

Make bakery-crisp, chocolatey mint cookies at home—ultra-thin chocolate wafers dipped in a peppermint-kissed dark chocolate shell. Perfect from the freezer.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 32

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour Cookie dough
• ▢ 0.5 cup unsweetened cocoa powder Prefer Dutch-process for deep color; cookie dough
• ▢ 0.25 teaspoon baking soda Cookie dough
• ▢ 0.25 teaspoon fine salt Cookie dough
• ▢ 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened Cookie dough
• ▢ 0.5 cup granulated sugar Cookie dough
• ▢ 1 large egg Cookie dough
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Cookie dough
• ▢ 0.75 teaspoon peppermint extract Cookie dough
• ▢ 1 tablespoon milk Use only if dough seems dry or crumbly; cookie dough
• ▢ 10 oz dark chocolate Chopped or chips; coating
• ▢ 1 tablespoon coconut oil Or vegetable shortening; thins chocolate for coating
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon peppermint extract Stir into melted chocolate; coating

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined.
• In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract until smooth.
• Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low just until a soft dough forms. If the dough looks crumbly, mix in milk a little at a time until it comes together.
• Roll dough between 2 sheets of parchment to about 0.125 inch thickness. Slide onto a baking sheet and chill 10 minutes to firm.
• Cut out rounds with a 2 inch cutter. Reroll scraps and continue cutting. Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on prepared sheets.
• Bake until set and just dry on top, about 9 to 11 minutes. Cool completely on a rack; cookies should be crisp once cooled.
• Melt dark chocolate with coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl at 50 percent power in 20 to 30 second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Stir in peppermint extract.
• Dip each cooled cookie into the chocolate, turning to coat. Lift with a fork, tap off excess, and place on parchment. Let set at room temperature or refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes until firm.
• Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 months. They taste especially great chilled.

Notes

For a stronger mint, add up to 0.25 teaspoon more peppermint extract to the coating. If using peppermint oil instead of extract, use about 0.25 of the amount called for. To keep the coating snappy at warmer room temps, temper the chocolate or use compound coating wafers. Gluten-free swap: use a 1 to 1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Rolling thinner (about 0.1 inch) yields extra-crisp cookies.