Homemade Girl Scout Cookies – Thin Mints!
I couldn’t help myself. Maybe it was because my homemade Samoa experience was so fulfilling or maybe it was just for the satisfaction of crossing these off of my list. But I no longer have to wait for March to get my hands on these every year.<
YOU DON’T OWN ME, GIRL SCOUTS!!!
There is no shortage of versions of this recipe all over the Internet. I found about 5 or 6 during my initial search. Want to try a low carb and gluten free version? Love Thin Mints and do you want them all year round? You can really make these at home and the results are outstanding. I hope you try!
I hadn’t planned on taking pictures throughout the baking process with these but I didn’t think you would believe me that this recipe really will turn out if you give it a try. Just look at how crumbly this dough was at first! I was starting to have my doubts. But press on and you will be happy you did!
Chill, roll out the dough, cut out the cookies, bake, then dip! The rolling out can be tricky as it is crumbly. I used wet hands at times and even microwaved the dough for a few seconds before working with it. Next time I may not even chill the dough at all. I found these dark chocolate mint candy melts at Pat Catan’s. You could use chocolate chips and peppermint extract too.

Homemade Thin Mint Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- Chocolate Wafers:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour, all-purpose would work just fine
- Chocolate Peppermint Coating:
- 1 package mint dark chocolate candy melts
- -or-
- 1 pound good quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- peppermint extract to taste, about 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- Cookie dough: In a mixer cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and continue to cream, scraping the sides of the bowl a couple times if necessary. Stir in the vanilla extract, salt, and cocoa powder. Mix until the cocoa powder is integrated and the batter is smooth and creamy, resembling a thick frosting. Add the flour and mix just until the batter is no longer dusty looking but still a bit crumbly. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter, gather it into a ball, and knead it together into a nice, smooth mass. Divide the dough in 2, flatten into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 15 minutes.
- Rollout and bake: Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough out really thin, about 1/8-inch. These are called thin mints after all. You can either roll it out between two sheets of plastic, or dust your counter and rolling pin with a bit of flour and do it that way. If the dough is too firm to roll you can microwave it for 5 seconds. Cut out cookies and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the peppermint coating: Meanwhile, prepare your chocolate coating. Using a double boiler, slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally until it is glossy and smooth. You can add 1 tablespoon of shortening if your chocolate is too thick. Alternatively, use a microwave in short 15-20 second bursts to melt the chocolate. Stir in the peppermint extract if you don’t have the mint candy melts.
- Finishing the cookies: Using a fork gently drop the cookies one at a time into the chocolate coating. Flip to coat all sides. Lift the cookie out of the chocolate with the fork and bang the fork on the side of the pan to drain any extra chocolate off the cookie. You are after a thin, even coating of chocolate. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, and repeat for the rest of the cookies. Place the cookies in the refrigerator or freezer to set.






109 Comments on “Homemade Girl Scout Cookies – Thin Mints!”
I was so excited to make these. For the ladies who had trouble rolling the dough out, my dough came out nice and moist. I creamed the butter for a while, so I think that kept the dough moist. I also layed one sheet of clear wrap on the counter, put some dough down, and then added another sheet and I started to roll and that really worked nicely. It was so easy to cut them out. I did not have a cookie cutter so I used the top of my ground cinnamon jar. I figured a spice that wouldn’t affect the taste of the cookie was cinnamon. My only issue is with the cookie itself. The cookie tastes really bad without the mint coating. They taste like pure cocoa powder. It did not taste like a cookie. There’s no way I would have served them alone. I melted my mint chips and it made the cookies better but they taste like powder. I used exact measurements. What would you suggest?
Oh these do look delicious Katrina. Can’t wait to share the photo and the share about your camera. Thanks
Nicely said, Not bad at all! Interesting piece of information. I find it to be honest, useful and fresh so thank you so much for posting this! How to turn a girl on
I tried to make these too 🙁 but with no luck 🙁
Dough was crumbly and flakey and i just could not get it to roll out lol.
I finally just pressed it down enough with my hand to kinda cut them out, and once baked, they are dry, pasty and…….yeah…… I think I’ll just have to try again haha
In the process of making these right now for a friend that was lamenting the lack of GS Thin Mints available in the summer, and I seem to have a bit of trouble with the dough. I had a really hard time getting it to roll out smoothly – it just kept wanting to flake up, even though it wasn’t crumbly. After finally getting them all rolled, cut and baked, I’ve noticed that a good number ended up with hollow bottoms, again seeming to be a result of the dough being rather flaky. Any thoughts on where I might have went wrong? Or do these just need a cooler (i.e., not un-air conditioned in July) kitchen to get the butter to cooperate? Thanks!
Baked them and they were an instant hit with the fam! Thanks so much for the recipe!
rainy day in Vail Colorado calls for an afternoon in the kitchen! I cannot wait to try these…and THANK YOU for the inspiration
Very enlightening and beneficial to someone whose been out of the circuit for a long time.nolvadex
Just found your blog and I love it! These cookies look (and I bet taste) EXACTLY like the real thing!!! So cool 🙂
Amazing! I missed Girl Scout season, and this totally satisfied my craving!
Wow these look great! I cannot wait to try them. Great blog!
lovely scalloping 🙂 saving to my online recipe keeper (https://cookmarked.com)!
Katrina these look amazing. You definitely have great talent. I visited Bakerella’s site as you suggest. This is an incredibly sad story … I can only pray for a happy ending
Perfect little cookies! I made some homemade thin mints last year.. they’re so easy!
Wow good for you for making these from scratch. I just made some cupcakes inspired by this type of cookie. Looks yummmmy!
ugh, I can’t tell you how badly I would love a few of these right now! yum!
Your cookies look so professional!! Love them.
Oh you are on a Girl Scout cookie roll! Love it!! And I like this version too because I know so many people who I can make it for and I know they would love it!
I have made do-si-dos and Samoas, but I have yet to attempt the thin mints. Your version looks spot on perfect.
One of my all-time favorite Girl Scout cookies!
Well I’m here, so I guess I’m awesome 😉
How absolutely gorgeous! The sound amazing! I would love to try making these! Have a lovely weekend, Katrina!xx,Tammy
I totally know how you feel. Unfortunately I caved and got some.
Looks great. You could have these for St.Patty’s Day.
Great recipe, so gorgeous, yay for top 9!
Beautiful cookies! Congrats on the top 9, these sound 100x better than storebought!
This is dangerous. The once a year opportunity to buy thin mints was the only thing allowing me to fit into my skinny jeans!
First of all Congrats on making the top 9!!! Now lets get down to business! Your cookies look amazing! I will be making these this weekend because I did not buy any thin mints yet and I NEED Chocolate mint cookie yummyness now!!! 🙂 I am glad to find your blog! Looking forward to future posts!
🙂 XOX
Becky Sue @ BS Cooks!
Thank you all so very much! I’m glad you like this recipe. I can’t say thank-you enough! What an adventure today has been!!
Hello to all of my new followers and Facebook fans!!!!! ♥- Katrina
Congrats on the top 9! Those cookies look incredible 😀
These look so wonderful! WOAH!
This looks so much like the REAL DEAL except without all the preservatives! Thank you for sharing!
They look sooooooo delicious!Wow!
Katrina – Simply divine! Thin mints are my favorite, and I will for sure have to give these a try. I’m bookmarking this page right now. 🙂 And I love the adorable flower shapes! How creative!
I would like the peanut butter one’s now please:) YUMMMMMMMMMMMM!! Good job!!
wow these are awesome!
Oh my gosh, I want to give you a big hug. In a house full of boys, I’m not rewarded during Girl Scout season and this year, I’ve been searching high and low (why is it kids won’t come door to door in San Francisco!). I love that you have just unlocked the Girl Scout handcuffs, thank you!
What I really want is a recipe for their old lemon cookies
Congratulations on top 1!
Those cookies look fantastic!
I am so proud of you!! Very nice recipe. I hope you are at top 9 every week!!
Great post and my favorite Girl Scout Cookie. I ordered one box back in October and it seems that the cookies have really shrunk while the price continues to rise. Girl Scouts don’t own me now either LOL!
congrats on top 9 ! The cookies are looking just heavenly, cant resist to try some. Love the addition of mint, it makes it more awesome !
i love that you have a home-made variety!! How delicious!
My favorite cookies ever!
wo these look super! congrats on your top 9! I was thinking this should be there!
wow! they are so professional looking too. YUM!
What a professional job on the cookies. These look amazing! The Girl Scouts would make a real killing with these homemade beauties. I’ll take two boxes.
Have always been my favorite G.S. Cookie! But if I make them i will have to hide them from my kids and husband!!!
Thanks for the recipe.
I agree with Kim. Thank you for this recipe!
Well done!! I love that this is “healthier” than the GS version. I so wish they would take out the hydrogenated oils from all of their cookies. I had a hard time having my girls sell something that I had preached at them to never have. But you gotta love the Think Mint. Great job!