Homemade thin mint cookies come together using my chocolate sugar cookies recipe, a splash of peppermint extract, and a divine coating of chocolate. You’ll love these copycat thin mint cookies for when you have a craving and there’s no Girl Scout Cookie box to be found.

We can all agree that thin mints are the crème de la crème of the girl scout cookie world. Nothing tastes quite like a COLD thin mint cookie. We’re talking straight out of the freezer for that ultimate cool mint chocolate cookie experience. I was never a girl scout growing up, but my sisters were both girl scout “brownies” (that’s a thing!), so every March our freezer would be full of thin mint cookies.

Do you prefer your thin mints cold as well? If so, wait until you taste these homemade thin mint cookies after hanging out in the freezer for awhile. 🙂

Which, I’d like to add so there is no confusion, I fully support girl scout troops! I still purchase several boxes from my friend’s daughters and from the sweet gals outside my grocery store.

These Homemade Thin Mint Cookies Are:

Super soft in the centers

Perfectly pepperminty

Packed with tons of delicious chocolate

Dunked in a delightful mint chocolate coating

Easier to make than they look

Delicious straight out of the freezer

Use My Chocolate Sugar Cookies As the Base

Thin mint cookies are essentially a crunchy mint and chocolate flavored cookie coated in chocolate. To make them at home, you need a flat and round chocolate sugar cookie to cover in chocolate. I love using my recipe for chocolate sugar cookies to make homemade thin mint cookies– just like classic sugar cookies, but with cocoa powder subbed in for some of the flour. This gives the cookies their rich chocolate flavor.

To the chocolate sugar cookie dough, we add a scant 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Remember, that stuff is potent and a little goes a long way.

This is a simple, straightforward recipe and since it is homemade– it doesn’t use any unnecessary ingredients like high fructose corn syrup or artificial color.

How to Make Homemade Thin Mint Cookies

Make the chocolate sugar cookies dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Using a rolling pin, roll each to about 1/4-inch thickness on a piece of parchment. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour– chilling is mandatory. Cut the cookie dough into circles. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Bake. Let the cookies cool completely. Make the chocolate topping. Dip each cooled cookie completely into the chocolate. Use a fork to lift out and let any excess chocolate drip off. Place each cookie onto a lined baking sheet and repeat the process for the remaining cookies. Refrigerate the baking sheet to help the chocolate set.

Best Cookie Cutter To Use

You need a round cookie cutter that’s approximately 2 inches in diameter. I had trouble finding one this small sold individually, so I purchased a set. Any of these options would work wonderfully (affiliate links): Ateco round cookie cutter set, Fox Run biscuit cutter set, or Ateco 2.5-inch round cutter.

You might have better luck finding a 2.5-inch round cookie cutter– anything around 2-3 inches is perfect for these homemade thin mint cookies. Remember, the bigger your cookie cutter, the fewer cookies you’ll get out of each batch.

Mint Chocolate Coating

After the cookies cool, cover them in chocolate. Since there’s so much chocolate in every bite, make sure you’re using a quality brand. I really like Baker’s brand baking bars, Ghirardelli baking bars, or even Trader Joe’s “pound plus” chocolate bars. When it comes to coating candies and cookies in chocolate, always steer clear of chocolate chips. They don’t melt into the proper consistency for dipping or coating.

Flavor the chocolate with a little peppermint extract for a cool minty flavor. Add a little oil to the chocolate as well. Why are you adding oil? Extracts are alcohol based, so to prevent the pure chocolate from seizing, you need to add a little fat (aka oil). You can also use peppermint oil instead of extract. In which case you won’t need the added oil. Oil also helps thin out the chocolate, so the cookies are easier to dip.

Drizzle any leftover chocolate coating on top of the cookies. No such thing as too much chocolate!

Helpful tip: Use a fork to help dunk each cookie. When lifting the cookie out of the bowl of melted chocolate, let any excess chocolate drip off through the fork’s prongs. If the cookie gets stuck on the fork, a toothpick is helpful to slide the cookie off.

More Homemade Cookie Recipes