These Keto Thin Mints are sugar free cookies that everyone will love! My famous low carb and gluten-free Thin Mint Cookies are the perfect way to indulge in Girl Scout cookies without all the sugar and carbs. Instructional video included.
Keto Thin Mints! The low carb cookie recipe of your dreams. Or maybe my dreams. Perhaps we’ve been dreaming about this together. This thin mint cookies recipe was first posted in 2011.
But those Girl Scouts will knocking on your door soon, and I so thought it was time I gave these beloved sugar free cookies a little update. Because you need all the help you can get to ward of the sugary temptation.
You’re going to be really sad to hear this, but when I was growing up, we didn’t have Thin Mint Cookies. How heartbreaking is that???
We have Girl Guides north of the border, not Girl Scouts. But the organization is pretty much the same, providing the same activities and fostering the same core values. And every year we were charged with the task of selling cookies, just like little girls in America.
Watch my video and see just how easy it is to make your own Thin Mint Cookies
But unlike little American girls, we only sold one sort of cookie. Or rather, two sorts, chocolate and vanilla, contained in the same box. They were sandwich cookies, and they were boring. Really really boring.
People bought them from us because we were sweet little girls and they felt that they had to, not because the cookies were any good.
Imagine, then, my surprise and delight at discovering the vast array of cookies that the Girl Scouts had to offer. And also my infinite sorrow that as a child, I was sent out into the world to peddle boring sandwich cookies to my kind Canadian neighbours when I could have been enticing them with Samoas, Thin Mints and Tagalongs.
It’s just not right. Poor little Canadian Girl Guides.
This year, we made it through Girl Scout cookie season relatively unscathed, my husband purchasing a single box of Thin Mints. For which he apologized profusely, claiming that the little girls and their mothers had looked at him so beseechingly, he had to buy something.
But I was okay with it, because I actually already had a plan to create a low carb, gluten free version of my own. Mint and chocolate is always a good combination in my books and I was pretty sure I could make a decent approximation from diabetic-friendly ingredients.
How To Make Thin Mints
To start off, you need a good keto chocolate wafer cookie. And that part is actually pretty easy, I must say. Almond flour makes a great cut out cookie recipe and they bake up nice and crisp.
Be sure to roll the dough at least 1/4 inch thick. And use a 2 inch round cookie cutter to cut out as many circles as you can. You can re-roll the scraps several times.
Bake in a low temp oven, at about 300F. This way, they crisp up without burning. How many you get and how how long they need to bake will depend on how thinly you rolled your dough.
Be sure to line your cookie sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. I think the mats work best.
For the chocolate coating, you need a good sugar-free chocolate such as Lily’s. Do NOT use unsweetened chocolate. Some people have mentioned that they’re cookies seem bitter and that’s because they have mistaken unsweetened chocolate for sugar-free chocolate. These are two very different things.
I always melt my chocolate coating with a bit of cocoa butter or coconut oil, to help it melt more smoothly. I used to use butter (and that’s what you see in the video) but I’ve since found that coconut oil or cocoa butter helps the coating melt more thinly.
I add the peppermint extract only to the chocolate coating, so that the flavor isn’t overpowering.
Homemade Thin Mints Results
I may risk offending some die-hard Girl Scout cookie fans when I say this, but I honestly think homemade Thin Mints are as good as, or better than, the original Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies.
For one thing, they taste a far sight fresher, and for another, they contain no hydrogenated anything. They are crisp and chocolatey and minty, just ast they should be. They are the perfect low-carb treat to help diabetics and other low carbers not feel deprived. And they were remarkably easy to make!
Go ahead and buy some Girl Scout cookies to support the organization…and then feed them to someone else while you enjoy your own homemade, better-for-you version.
More Homemade Girl Scout Cookie Recipes to Try:
Homemade Tagalong Cookies (from A Mind Full Mom)
Samoa Bars (Low Carb and Gluten Free)
Do-Si-Dos (from Savory Sweet Life)
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup cocao powder
- 1/3 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, butter, or 1/2 ounce cocoa butter* (see cook's notes)
- 7 oz Lily's dark chocolate or other sugar-free dark chocolate (such as 90% Lindt chocolate), chopped
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
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Preheat the oven to 300F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, combine almond flour, cocao powder, sweetener, baking powder and salt. Add in egg, butter and vanilla extract and stir well until dough comes together.
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Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper to desired thickness, but no more than 1/4 inch thick. Lift off top piece of parchment and set aside.
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Using a 2-inch diameter cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and lift gently. Place cookies on prepared baking sheet. Gather up scraps of dough and reroll until too little is left to roll out.
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Bake cookies until firm to the touch,20 to 30 minutes (this will vary depending on how thinly you rolled your dough). Remove and let cool. They will continue to crisp up as they cool.
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Place a metal bowl over a pot of gently simmering water, not allowing the bowl to touch the water. Melt the oil and chocolate together in the bowl, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the peppermint extract.
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Dip the cookies into chocolate, using two forks to turn over and fully coat cookie. Lift out the cookie and gently tap the fork on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate, then place on a waxed paper lined baking sheet.
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Refrigerate until fully set.
*Cook's Notes: some chocolate melts more thickly than others. Cocoa butter is the best way to thin out the coating. Butter and coconut oil are okay but some chocolate seems to end up more thick when using dairy.
USED TO MAKE THIS GLUTEN FREE THIN MINTS RECIPE:
Foodiva says
I can imagine how the almond flour would make these cookies more delicious. I was a Brownie once too, but somehow never made it to the Girl Guides! LOL, those were the good old days…
Heather says
LOVE these! They are a winner!!
Question – can I use semi-sweet chocolate?
Is the NO SUGAR about health… or will choc with sugar impact the finished cookie somehow?
Carolyn says
Any chocolate will do, if you don’t care about being low carb.
Lauren at KeepItSweet says
I love thin mints and so does my gf sister, I can't wait to try this recipe!!!
ravienomnoms says
I love Thin Mints, they are one of my favorites (besides the caramel delight cookies with the coconut). I have always wanted to try and make these at home and now I have a recipe to help!
Katrina says
We are on the same wavelength!!! I made Samoas and Thin Mints this week!! Yes – they are delicious!! 🙂
Katrina says
We are on the same wavelength!!! I made Samoas and Thin Mints this week!! Yes – they are delicious!! 🙂
The Souper says
Enjoy the annual GS Thin Mints, but homemade Thin Mints sound like a must try. Looking forward to preparing your recipe. Thanks for posting it.
The Souper
Sandra says
Ok Mrs. Guide:) these look awesome, perfect and so tasty!! Stunning photos!!!
Emily @ A Cambridge Story says
What a fantastic idea!! I have such fond memories of Thin Mints…
[email protected] says
Where can I find erythritol? I would love to make these for my Mom – she would go crazy for these!! 🙂
Tricia says
Buy Erythritol from Amazon
Fresh and Foodie says
Cool! These look great. I love keeping my Thin Mints in the freezer — they're so good cold. I'd love to try making them myself.
Pretend Chef says
Hands down my favorite Girl Scout cookie! Thin Mints make me giddy. These look so delicious and I have to make these now. Never would have thought to make my own. How will I ever be able to walk into my local grocery store now without having to see the sad little looks on their faces when I tell them "Tough luck. Carolyn's are way better!" It'll look as if I kicked their puppy.
JJ says
Do the same thing I do with Boy Scouts and their popcorn! Hand them a $5 donation and say this is for your troop. It is a fundraiser, so that’s a way to help them out without bringing a bunch of carbs home. I don’t think they make $5 off even 2 boxes of cookies so it works out.
Kim - Liv Life says
Well done, Carolyn!! My family always chooses the Thin Mints, and I'm thrilled to have not hydrogenation in the little guys. That was always one of my biggest frustrations with the cookies when I was a leader, here I was doing meetings on nutrition and the dangers of hydrogenated oils and then I asked my girls to sell cookies with the oils in them! And not just a little oil, lots.
One year our troop had 40 boxes left over and not wanted the Cookie Mom who had worked so hard and thru no fault of her own to get stuck with them I wrote a check. Yep… 40 boxes of cookies in my pantry! We gave most of them away, but I might add that they freeze well and the Thin Mints in particular are somewhat addiction frozen!
Cheryl and Adam @ pictureperfectmeals.com says
Thin Mints are among our favorite cookies and this is a great recipe especially free of the hydrogenated oils. Thankss for sharing this!
Brian @ howtobaker says
Wow…now I'm feeling better about not yet buying Girl Scout cookies this year! These look amazing and the fact that they are gluten free adds a very interesting twist. I'll have to make these next time our gluten-intolerant friends come over.
Susi says
I'm a samoa girl myself, but my daughter loves any and everything mint/chocolate and would love these. Your version looks so much better to me and I doubt the girl scouts use Lindt chocolate (yum) in their coating :o)
Cakewhiz says
I am loving the fact that i can eat these without having to worry too much about gaining weight! Thanks for sharing this healthified recipe 🙂
Btw, i really like your second picture!
Turmericnspice says
home made think mints…it is a must try…looks amazing!!
Jeanine says
Wow, those look amazing!! Fantastic job! At least you had the Brownies, we had nothing but boring school fundraisers that we sold for. 😛
Lindsey says
These Thin Mints look scrumptious and definitely give those little green boxed cookies a run for their money. 🙂 So glad you made it over the divide and discovered the Samoa. Those are my favorite too!
Dionne says
I'd like to place an order for two boxes, please. 🙂
briarrose says
Wow these look good. I would be all over these.
Laura says
These look so yummy!! I LOVE thin mints and miss them. I am going to whip these up this weekend. Thanks!!
Jess says
These sound amazing. I love mint and chocolate together. I definitely want to try this recipe.
Plateful says
Ooh, totally gorgeous. Nothing more to say…! 🙂
Lisa, motyok says
I would feel even less deprived it you would make them for me! When do you find the time?
rosanna says
Another of your recipes I must do, I really want to do! So fantastic and yummy and low carb and chocolatey…
Kimberly says
I had no idea girl scout cookies were different in Canada, so interesting! I am so glad you posted these! We love our thin mints, and when we did have our local girl scouts go around this year they were sold out 🙁 Now I can make my own!! YAY!!
Lizzy says
Gorgeous rendition, Carolyn! I'll keep your recipe for when our freezer is emptied of Thin Mints 🙂
Lynn @ I'll Have What She's Having says
I've always been so curious about Girl Scout cookies. I love mint chocolate, so I'm pretty sure I would be a thin mint addict. Maybe it's best that I live in Canada…
Yours look awesome 🙂
marla says
I really do need to try these thin mints – sweetened with stevia & all that almond flour. They have gotta be great!
Megan says
Ooh those look good! Your post made me laugh because I too was a Girl Guide and sold the boring cookies!
A Little Yumminess says
Gosh, these look AMAZING – home-made delights!!!!
Medeja says
Unbelievable! You made them so cute that they look almost like unreal 🙂 are they really baked not plastic? :)))
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
I never knew that they were called Girl Guides in Canada. You know the funny thing is, I was just eating a Thin Mint before I started reading this!
scratch-made wife says
I was so happy to find this recipe! I'll have to bookmark it. The husband recently challenged me to make him Thin Mints. We both love them, but we somehow missed the boat when it came to ordering Girl Scout cookies this year. All of the copycat recipes I looked up called for Ritz crackers, and I thought that was weird. Your recipe looks so much better!
Elle says
Pure genius! They look wonderful, too-and I'm sure they're way better than the mass produced version. So strange that they only have that one variety in Canada!
Rachel C - thinladysings says
What? How have I never come across your blog before? These look GREAT! Can't wait to try! What kind of liquid stevia do you use??
[email protected] says
Thank you for the info. Carolyn!! My Mom is not diabetic – yet. But the Dr. has her on a diet that is basically a restricted diet and reduced sugar. So any great tasting recipe I can make or pass on to her is so appreciated!!
Ang says
My husband and I love buying the thin mints from the "girl scouts" when it's available, but yours looks so much better.
Torviewtoronto says
you have done a beautiful job with this delicious
Marly says
Looks so good. I can't wait to try these!
Kate @ Diethood.com says
These look so delicious! Those photos are amazing. I love thin mints but rarely make them/buy them because they will be gone in no time. I can't resist them!
Amy Bakes Everything says
OMG you are a genius. That's all I have to say about this. Genius.
Becky says
These cookies look amazing. My neighbor's granddaughter, who is 7 has Type I diabetes, so I'm saving the recipe for her. Do you buy almond flour at a health food store?
Unfortunately, we're not close to a Whole Foods.
Elisabeth says
Of all the girl scout cookies, the thin mints are everyone's favorite.
Never had them home made, and with the true goodness of the Lindt chocolate, this blows any thin mints cookies away…even the girl scouts ones…but then again, we are avid supporters of the girls scout cookies. Love their peanut butter cookies, as well.
Wonderful cookies, Carolyn, so chocolatey, and bursting with mint flavor! Beautiful!
Cake Duchess says
Carolyn-Gorgeous Thin Mints! Those are our favorites. I will try your recipe. We love to eat them when Girl Scouts start to sell them .:)
Kristen says
Don't these look delicious? Yum!
Mike @theflavorjunkie says
Carolyn, these looks ridiculously good! My mouth is watering because I know how good these cookies are I bet yours are even better.
Good news, the Canadian girls only sell the good cookies now. No more stale vanilla and chocolate garbage cookies! Hooray!
Great post!!
Stephanie says
I wouldn't be surprised if these are much better than the originals. Nothing beats a homemade version of processed foods, especially with high quality chocolate 🙂 I've been meaning to try making homemade versions of Girl Scout cookies for a while and I think this will be the recipe I try! Thanks for sharing.
Lindsay and James Cotter says
oh these are 10x better than the girls scout cookies! More nutrients and GLUTEN FREE! yes!
LC
Ana says
Hi! These look so good. I tried to make them but there was no way I could roll the dough. I used the exact amount of almond flour and everything else… maybe the egg was too small??
Carolyn says
Something was off… were they too dry? Then yes, more butter or egg would help. What brand of almond flour did you use? What cocoa powder?
Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels says
Wow homemade thin mints, I'm so impressed! Your cookies are just gorgeous. 🙂
Laurel {Make and Takes} says
Wow, these look and sound amazing! We're featuring cookies this week at the M&T Spotlight and I'd love for you to submit this. http://www.makeandtakes.com/spotlight
[email protected] says
I LOVED the vanilla sandwich cookies!! I can't believe you thought they were boring! They changed the supplier a few years ago and they're totally lousy now. But, they do sell the mint ones now and they are my favourite (although they are a bit different than these). Yours look wonderful!
Nicole says
I totally loved the vanilla ones to – always felt lucky because everyone else in my house liked the chocolate ones, so it was more vanilla for me! However, I DO love mint and chocolate and these ones are so much better than the original thin mints! I haven’t had the real ones for a few years now, but I remember them being waxy. I keep these in the freezer and they are perfect!
Romantic Dinner says
I loved this recipe and very nice details in the post. Great idea for Food and I Think very testy its food. interesting and beautiful recently post . really i loved that and thanks for nice sharing
A SPICY PERSPECTIVE says
Oh honey, I loved you before, but NOW… blowing air kisses your way!
Good-bye Girl Scouts. 🙂
Shelly says
Since I started low-carbing, when the cute little kids ask me to buy a box of cookies or a candy bar, I just give their leader/guide five bucks and tell them to keep their carbs; that if they tell HQ to start selling low-carb treats, I'll buy them by the truckload.
Kita says
Ok, so my foodbuzz inbox kept 'timing out' when I wanted to check out this recipe, it also wasnt letting me go to your profile for whatever reason – so I just want you to know my love of girl scout cookies just made me spend a solid 10 minutes getting here via cranky Foodbuzz today! And Im glad I made it! These look and sound great – thin mints are one of my favorites!! I cant wait to try these.
Montanna Honc says
You have a beautiful blog and I love reading!
I would like to present you with the “One Lovely Blog “Award. Please drop by my site to pick it up when ever you are free.
http://slab2626.blogspot.com/2011/02/one-lovely-blog-award.html
Charlie @ SweetSaltySpicy says
I love the chocolate & mint combo and these thin mints look delicious!
I practically always use Lindt 85% chocolate when I bake, it's so good!
Anonymous says
hey Carolyn, can I use unsweetened bakers choc?
Carolyn says
Anonymous: you can definitely make the coating with unsweetened baking chocolate, but you will probably want to sweeten it somehow. That unsweetened can be mighty bitter! And if you can get ahold of the Lindt bars, I recommend them because they actually have less carbs than unsweetened. I know that sounds crazy, but according to the package, there are 8g of carbs per serving, and 2.5 servings. It's a 3.5oz bar so that works out to 5.7g of carbs per oz, whereas most baking chocolate has 7-8g of carbs.
FamilySpice says
I have a box of GS thin mints in my freezer right now. I knew there was a GF version coming out somewhere! You saved me from trying to figure it out myself!
sweetpeaskitchen.com says
OH I love thin mints!! I can't wait to give this a try! 🙂
Kelly says
LOW CARB THIN MINTS??? You have created the greatest food ever. And with super dark chocolate. I'm dying to make these, they sound fabulous!
Spicie Foodie says
I never knew the difference in the Girl Scout cookies between Canada & the US. I was one of those who couldn't wait for them to show up at the house. My husband & I love thin mints, but they are not to be found here in Europe. Thanks for the recipe I can't wait to try it. They sound delicious and no junk in them:)
A little bit of everything says
since I've tried in the past some of your goodies I take your word for granted with this thin mints.
i'd like to ask you, if possible, to write also the amount of sugar needed for people like me.
thanks Carolyn.
Magic of Spice says
Interesting background on these cookies. They have always been a favorite of mine, and I must say I am sure to prefer yours 🙂
kimmers says
If you REALLY want to cheat and not make these beautiful cookies …….. dip a ritz cracker in melted choc. chips after you melt stir in a few drops of mint extract. EASY and quick!
Ann says
Ritz crackers aren’t gluten-free, though. And have more carbs.
The Mom Chef says
Good grief, I had to scroll forever just to find the comment link! These are definitely a bestseller. I'll be giving them a try because Dudette and Hubby love them and I like the fact that they're home made. Many thanks for creating the recipe!
Linda says
Oh my… I just made this and they are sinfully sinful…❤ The only thing I did different is I only had 3/4 of a cup of almond flour so I substituted the other 1 cup with 1/4 cup of coconut flour (which means I also had to add one egg) . Then once I made the dough, rather than having to keep rolling it out o rolled it into a cylinder and wrapped it in plastic wrap. I then froze it for 30 minutes, took it out and simply sliced 1/4″ slices … they only needed to bake about 14 minutes so keep a good eye on them and be sure to let them cool completely before dipping them in your chocolate coating! Hope they turn out as great for you! Thanks so much for the recipe! We
Carolyn says
Glad it worked out!
Anonymous says
Can you make these with regular sugar?
Carolyn says
Anonymous – yes, you could make these with sugar. I'd probably replace my sweetener (erythritol and stevia) with about 1/2 cup of sugar, or more to taste.
Anonymous says
I made these, but rolled it out to make 120! yikes! Still came out delicious, but I think I may add the peppermint to the cookie 'dough' next time! give it more mint oomph! Thanks for this fabulous creative recipe..I love your blog!
Carolyn says
Wow, 120, that's impressive! I considered putting mint in the actual cookie base but I decided to just go with it in the coating. I love a lot of mint but some people don't so I didn't want to go overboard at first. Have fun with it and tailor it to suit your fancy, that's what recipes are for!
Anonymous says
I'm sure you checked the ingredients for the Lindt but as far as I can find Lindt isn't considered gluten free. They use barley malt in many of their chocolates so I never eat it. Maybe this has changed but I looked it up online and could only find info that says they can't say GF because of cross contamination. Do you have more info about Lindt? There are other GF chocolates so people should be able to find them and make these yummy looking cookies.
Elizabeth says
There is a happy girl in Japan tonight thanks to this recipe…AMAZING!
Mo 'Betta says
I made these for my diabetic husband over Thanksgiving (Thin Mints were always his favorite!) and he loved them! Thanks for the great recipe! Posted abt them today and have a giveaway starting today for NuNaturals Stevia if you are interested!
lgpars says
Carolyn, can you tell the sugar equivalent of the 10 drops of Stevia? I have Sweetzfree (liquid Sucralose) where 1 drop equals 1 tsp. sugar. How much of the Sweetzfree should I use to replace the 10 drops of Stevia? Thanks.
Carolyn says
Oh, wow, I am not sure of this one. But I think the sweetness of Swwetzfree is significantly less than that of stevia extract. So I would start with 10 drops, then taste and adjust as you go.
lgpars says
So how much sugar is one drop of your Stevia extract equal to? That way maybe I can figure out how much sugar you are replacing in the recipe with your 10 drops of Stevia extract and then I can go from there with my sweetener.
lgpars says
So Carolyn how much sugar are you replacing in your recipe with the 10 drops of Stevia extract and maybe I can go from there to figure out how much of my sweetener I need to use? Since there are so many different sweeteners, everyone needs to put the sugar equivalent out to the side of their sweeteners.
Carolyn says
Tricky, because I do so much of it by taste and stevia is really not a consistent exchange with sugar. But here's the way I do it. And for me, it's the interaction between erythritol and stevia that gives the sweetness I want. But I'd say that for these cookies (the cookies themselves), I am replacing about 1/2 cup sugar TOTAL between the erythritol and stevia. Does that help?
Diane says
To be truly gluten free, the maker needs to take care in the vanilla they use. Vanilla is made with alcohol, which may be made from a grain. Tricky little things that sneek into a diet. ;o)
Jeanette says
1/3 cup cocao powder? Do you mean cocoa powder or cacao powder?
Carolyn says
cocoa powder
Vicki says
What is erythritol and what is its’ purpose? Where can I find it or what can I substitute for it? here in NC, no one has heard of it. Also what amount of granular stevia can be substituted for liquid? thanks! Hesse sound great.
Ginny says
I had to look up erythritol – it goes by the name Truvia in the US.
Carolyn says
No, not exactly. Truvia is an erythritol based sweetener that also contains stevia. There are many brands of erythritol-based sweeteners and my favourite is Swerve.
Courtney says
HELP! I tried to make these for some christmas cookies. My dough would not come together. I did use regular flour because I don’t need them to be gluten free. I also used Truvia baking blend for the erythritol as I have many different forms of non-sugar and I wasn’t going to buy another one. How will this change the recipe? It was way too dry wouldn’t make a dough. I tried adding vanilla, mint extract, more butter, another egg trying to get it to make a dough. Any ideas?
Carolyn says
I am sorry but you cannot replace almond flour with regular flour. Almond flour has far more fat and moisture than wheat flour. You can never, ever make a direct exchange. So that was your problem right there.
Mary Canaday Gray says
Where are the nutritional numbers on these? Calories, carbs, etc???
mickie says
thank you is not enough to be able to have away to make these. To be honest I use to be the service leader for the cookie sale. The smell of those thin mints when I would first open the door would just over power me to the point of not being able to eat,smell or even look at thin mints for 19 years, yes I have not eated a Girl Scout cookie for almost 20 years. NOW I AM READY TO EAT THEM AGAIN AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING THEM BETTER. WE MADE A WOPPING 35 cents per box. Don’t know what they make now but I bet their not up to $1.00 yet. Do you have the TRIFOLDS (SHORTBREAD)they are so good when you dunk them in hot tea. However where in the USA do I find almond flour granulated erythritol, the 7oz cacao bars never heard of them. maybe you could put the items to make these cookies in a box and sell the box so we all would have what it takes to make them. now with a recipe. I can try a choc gunnash covering them
thin mints at least 1 batch then I’ll be a good girl scout and make them the healthy way. I have not seen a girl scout in my area in over 8+ yrs. We use to be the largest service unit in San Antonio, TX . THANKS AGAIN FROM ALL OF US CHOC. FANS!!!
Carolyn says
You’re welcome. Almond flour is widely available at most grocery stores now, but definitely you can find it at Whole Foods, Amazon, etc. The erythritol I like to use is Swerve brand and you can definitely get that online. And the cacao is just Lindt or another brand in very dark chocolate 70% or higher.
Ramona says
Amazing – Amazing – cookies – instead of pepermint extract – I used Doterra Essential Oils 6 drops – To die for!!!!!
Susan says
My son has an allergy to nuts and I am wondering if I could possibly use coconut flour instead of the almond flour?
Susan says
Carolyn, My son has an allergy to nuts and I am wondering if I could possibly use coconut flour instead of the almond flour?
Carolyn says
Not in this recipe, I am afraid. It just behaves so differently. How about sunflower seed flour?
Susan says
Caroline,
Hmm I didn’t know that was even available. I’ll get some and try it.
Thin mints (cookie) were always his favorite so want to surprise him
I’ll let you know if it works!
Meg Russell says
There’s no way this recipe makes 40 cookies and no way they need to cook 40 minutes. With only one and three quarter cups flour, I barely got 15 cookies. Is something wrong with the recipe?
Carolyn says
If something was wrong with the recipe, a lot of people would have had the same issue. They should be rolled pretty thin, so the only thing I can think is that yours wasn’t rolled thinly enough.
Lea says
I used a tortilla press to get the dough nice and thin and I managed to get 60 cookies although my cookie cutter (shot glass) wasn’t quite 2inches in diameter. These were so easy to press out with the tortilla press mine is a cast iron press and I use a silicone mat on top and bottom of the dough. I noticed that there was a lot of oil that seemed to leech from the dough? Could that have been the butter or was it the oil coming out of the almond flour?
Katie says
I am baking the cookies now and I easily obtained 38-40. Rolling them out thinly is key.
Kara says
I don’t have any stevia. Can I just make with regular sugar? And how much would I need?
Carolyn says
1/3 cup of regular sugar should be enough.
Katie says
I can’t thank you enough for the recipe! I bought my boys two boxes of Thin Mints and the smell is intoxicating. I can spell them three floors away. This was pretty easy and I had everything but the mint extract in the house even. Next time I will push the thinness. I thought they were very thin, but only got about 30 cookies. I did some very thin and some thicker. I was worried they would fall apart if they were not thicker. But even the thinnest held up well. I also will add more mint extract as I like things very minty. My seven year old was completely perplexed as to why I would make these when we had a box sitting on the counter. I will show him when he’s through his box and has to watch me eat mine lol.
Barbara says
Carolyn, Loved this post ! One because my daughter married a Canadian and all her friends want us to bring up cookies that they still can’t get in Canada (and the ones they do get taste differently) ! We brought up a few CASES. My cookie supplier was a happy camper ! Two-I have missed thin mints since going low carb ! I can usually get by with a taste of ONE, but more than that….no. Who eats just one ??!! Do these freeze well ? Always have some in the freezer for summer with ice cream. 🙂
Jo-Jo says
I could not wait to try these, and finally did! First, I followed the recipe exactly. I made 40 cookies with a little blob of about 3 TBPS. of dough left. I covered all in chocolate, and used exactly 7 oz. of chocolate and have quite a bit of melted chocolate remaining. The good news is that THESE COOKIES ARE SO GOOD that I am now making more dough to use the remainder of the chocolate! So I will go back into the kitchen and finish. Right now I have 38 wonderful cookies in the refrigerator ready for me and my family to eat. They are rich and chocolaty. I used Green & Black’s organic Dark 85% bars, two 3.5 Oz/100g and they were $3.99 a bar at whole foods. It is fair-trade organic chocolate.
Carolyn says
I wonder if your chocolate melts thinner than mine did? Hard to know know the issue was, but I say leftover chocolate is much better than not having enough.
Jo-Jo says
I completely agree! It was a pleasant surprise, because now I made 80 cookies. The kids love them too. I froze them and it is hot outside…..PERFECT!
Kathy L says
I LOVE these! I used 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for the sweetner, and it works great.
Meaghan says
As always a fabulous recipe Carolyn. Can’t get the gluten free choc over here in rural Victoria, Australia so I went for the Lindt. I just love how your recipes just work.
Thanks for the inspiration you’ve given me over the last 18 months of going low carb. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and the new year brings everything you hope for.
Carolyn says
Thank you, Meaghan! Have a wonderful holiday!
Kerri says
If I want to use just Pyure would that be okay or does it need to be Swerve and liquid stevia?
Carolyn says
I think it should be fine. I hope they crisp up enough because it does have a different texture than Swerve. But it’s worth a shot!
Robert says
These are absolutely amazing!! I was a little nervous but wow…We made them small so we got 48 of these babies, Not exactly thin mints…but sure close enough! Thank you
This Needs Fixed says
This recipe needs heavily adjusted. The peppermint extract should be added before heating the chocolate, otherwise the chocolate will seize. Following this recipe almost completely ruined these cookies for me.
Carolyn says
I’ve made chocolate coating multiple times and my chocolate has never seized upon adding the extract. It makes me think you are either over-heating your chocolate or you are using not a good quality chocolate that is more prone to seizing.
Nicole says
agreed – I added my peppermint extract after and it was just fine – perfect actually.
Britney says
Yes, my chocolate came out fine. Used Lilly’s chips and cocoa butter. It’s my cookies that didn’t turn out. Tasted burnt and i only cooked 20 minuets:-(
I have and kove your cookbook BTW..:-)
Ann says
Carolyn, love the idea of this recipe! I am, however, one of the people for whom it did not turn out well. My cookies were fine – they may have baked a little too long, but otherwise fine. I only got 6 coated cookies before the chocolate became too thick to work with. I used Lily’s chocolate chips – should I have used something else, like the Lindt you recommended? Those 6 cookies were good, but sadly, I still have a lot of uncoated ones left. 🙁 Any suggestions for keeping the chocolate thin and melted? Thanks!
Carolyn says
Yes! I should change this recipe to note that the best way to thin the chocolate is with either cocoa butter (about 1/2 ounce) or coconut oil (1 tbsp). Lily’s Baking Bar melts much better than their regular dark chocolate. That does end up quite thick. I recommend the cocoa butte as the best way to make a thinner coating. This is the one I use: http://amzn.to/2lyB8Ch
Tiffany Johnson says
Are these made with Blanched Almond flour or just Almond Flour?
Carolyn says
I don’t consider unbalanced almond flour to be flour, rather a “nut meal”. Both actually work in this recipe, though!
Angelique says
WOW! These are so good! I used peppermint essential oil to flavor the flavor chocolate. YUM! Thanks for all your hard work and sharing your genius with us all : )
JennyBakes says
This was a great recipe; thanks so much for sharing it! Girl Scout Cookie season can really make you feel like you are missing out.
Mel says
I am wondering if added oil or something. I followed your directions and mine stay nice and dirt like.
Rachel says
Hello. I noticed you have 1/4 cup of swerve mentioned twice in the ingredients for the cookies. Is it really a 1/2 cup or just a misprint?
After just ending or cookie season today as or troops cookie mom, it was VERY TOUGH not eating a single cookie since i am working on Keto. But I’m proud to say I didn’t touch a single one ?
Thank you for this recipe. Looking forward to trying it soon.
Carolyn says
Please read the ingredient list carefully. I am giving people the option of using stevia OR MORE Swerve. Hope that helps!
Daniel says
Just tried this recipe. I used xylitol in mine. I thought the cookie part came out pretty good, although slightly chewy. I guess a bit thick though.
The chocolate part, the only thing I could find without sugar was 100% cocoa by Ghirardelli. The chocolate coating was a bit bitter because of it. But thinking maybe some sweetener might help. Wife isn’t into low-carb anything and telling me to do it with white chocolate. Overall, I thought my attempt turned out well for the first time doing this.
Thanks. Something to think about if I decide to try this one again.
Carolyn says
Xylitol is more hygroscopic than erythritol, meaning it attracts more moisture, which is why the cookies weren’t crisp. You can definitely make the coating with unsweetened chocolate and add some powdered sweetener or stevia.
Daniel says
Thanks for the info. I wasn’t aware of the Xylitol and moisture… I’ll try again with a different sweetener and see how it goes.
Molly says
Not going to lie, I was skeptical…. and I was wrong. THESE ARE SO GOOD. Make them. You won’t regret it. I’m thinking I’ll make a batch and freeze them so I can have a few whenever I want. They’re also really rich so two is PLENTY.
Carolyn says
So glad I was right! 😉
Karen says
Your link to Lily’s chocolate has it for sale at Amazon for $16.50 per ounce! That comes to $115.50 for just the chocolate to dip these. Uh, at over five dollars per cookie they better be good!
Carolyn says
Actually, it’s not. If you look at the listing, it says (3×12), meaning there are 12 bars of Lily’s for $49.50. I don’t know why Amazon then says it’s $16 per ounce, but I think it somehow automatically calculates it off 3 ounces and not off 36 ounces.
Sara B says
I made these for the first time today after having them on my to do list forever. I was super excited. Dough came together and rolled beautifully and smelled (and maybe tasted) great. However after only 15 minutes the edges began to burn and after and additional 7 almost half the batch was burnt. I rolled to 1/8″ inch and baked at 300 on parchment, anyone else run into this problem? I’ll try them again soon, maybe just lower my oven temp.
Carolyn says
Okay, so your oven must run hot and I would also say to put them on a higher rack. And take them out earlier if they look like they are burning. If you have a silicone mat, bake them on that.
Gerri says
Fabulous & far superior to Girl Scout thin mints! Wow. Thanks, Carolyn.
Annette says
This recipe is called thin mints, but there is no mint in the recipe
where is it?
/
Carolyn says
Take a look at the ingredients…it clearly states peppermint extract.
Amy Sue says
Hi! I’m making these right now. I am going to use the Lindt 90 % chocolate. Will I need to add any sweetener?
Carolyn says
That depends on how much you like really dark chocolate. I like it so I wouldn’t add any.
Amy Sue says
Thank you! The cookies are cooling now. My house smells so good ? Thank you again for such a great recipe!!!
Cynthia says
I made the thin mints today. They are delicious but I had a problem with the coating. I had to substitute unsweetened chocolate for sugar free..so I added Splenda. It tastes good but the coating looks like it has sand in it. Is that the Splenda?
Carolyn says
Yes, that would be the Splenda, it does not combine well with chocolate.
Smatha says
Made these today, and they turned out great! I’ve always hated rolling and cutting out any cookie/crust, so I used two mini muffin silicone pans. Used a teaspoon cookie scoop amount in each well and pressed that down and baked them according to recipe time. Then, instead of taking the cookies out of the pan and dipping them, I melted some sugar free chocolate chips, added some coconut oil, and used the teaspoon scoop again to cover just the tops of the cookies with chocolate right in the pan. Cooled them a bit in the fridge and then popped them outta the pan. Pow! So easy and fabulous! Thanks, Carolyn!
Jennifer says
Is Stevia glycerite ok to use here?
Jenny Muth says
I had to add about 1/4 cup of THM super sweet (which is erythritol and stevia) to the dough because it didn’t taste like it would be sweet enough for me after it baked, and I only had a 1 1/2” cookie cutter, and my cookies accidentally got baked at 350 so I took them out after 10 minutes. They crisped up wonderfully! I also added peppermint to the dough! These are so yummy and addictive! Thank you!
Campbell Kid says
I followed this to the T. Awful. Bitter. Tried sweetening the chocolate coating to no avail. Expensive fail.
Carolyn says
Why would you need to sweeten the coating? I suspect you used UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE and not sugar-free dark chocolate. Which yes…would result in awfully bitter cookies.
Christine says
Made these today! They are amazing I truly felt like
Was eating Girl Scout thin mints. Thank you so
Much!
Carolyn says
Yay!
Dee says
I see a nutritional info disclaimer, but I do not see any nutritional info at all on this page for this recipe-where is it?
Carolyn says
It’s all right at the bottom of the recipe.
Rachel says
These sound amazing!!! I can’t wait to try them. You mention Swerve Sweetener and/or Stevia in your recipe. I don’t see mention of Erythritol. I would love to use erythritol as I enjoy the taste. Is it a 1:1 substitute for what you have listed as the sweeteners in the recipe?
Rachel says
I just read your response about Swerve being a brand of erythritol. I didn’t realize that. So you are referring to plain erythritol when you mention “Swerve sweetener”?
Carolyn says
No, when I say Swerve Sweetener, I mean Swerve Sweetener. Because it’s a blend of erythritol and oligosaccharides designed to measure exactly like sugar.
Candice McClellan says
Can you use oils for the peppermint? Like Doterra brand.
Carolyn says
I don’t but I am sure you can. Just go lightly, they tend to be stronger.
Courtney says
Any idea what the nutrition information would look like without the chocolate coating? I am planning to use just the cookie part as a substitution for crumbled Oreos (without the filling) in a recipe. Thanks!!
Carolyn says
Not sure but you could enter it into My Fitness Pal.
Mary Kay Wetzel says
Would love some guidance! The cookies are really good, and the coating is where it became awful.
The 100% dark chocolate used was the Montezum bar from Trader Joe’s.
It melted beautifully with the butter and then I added the peppermint extract.
Without any sweetener they aren’t tasting anything like a thin mint. Since it doesn’t call for sweetener, could the chocolate be just to bitter/dry tasting?
Would love to be proud of them and so far, not even close.
Carolyn says
That’s just it. You’re not supposed to use 100% cacao, unsweetened chocolate. I make it VERY clear in my post that it’s sugar-free chocolate like Lilys. So yep, it would be pretty awful.
Suzy says
Love having a low-carb option for thin mints!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
SO PUMPED ABOUT THESE! I LOVE thin mints!
Jennifer Farley says
Yes! I need these!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
One of my all time favorites – love these cookies!
Jennifer Blake says
By far my favorite Girl Scout cookie EVER! I could eat the whole batch myself.
Esther R. says
Thin mints are my love of Girl Scout Cookies .Another fav.
Sarah says
We made these today but 30 minutes turned the cookies black kitchen to smoke. Second batch was amazing! Thanks for the great recipe!
Carolyn says
Yikes…sounds like your oven may run a little hot!
Cindy says
Is 30 minutes in the oven a misprint? I put mine in for eight mins but I think mine were thinner. I made 32.
Carolyn says
No, not a misprint at all. Sounds like your oven runs hot.
Cindee says
I’m actually wondering if the cookie before you dip them in chocolate are like the chocolate wafers you would buy to make that ice box cake? I believe they were by Nabisco, and it came in a sleeve. You then make your whip cream and put it all together. If you made it over night the cookies got soft from the whip cream. I’m just wondering if it would work with the cookie dipped, to make a Christmas mint icebox cake, keto style.
Carolyn says
Yes, that’s exactly what they are like. Please see this recipe: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/chocolate-strawberry-icebox-cake-low-carb-and-gluten-free/
Meli says
I set the oven at 30 minutes, looked at 20 minutes when I started smelling something, and they were burning 🙁
Shelly says
These are my FAVORITE flavor of Girl Scout Cookies!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! 🙂
Erin says
can’t believe how easy these are. These are going to disappear way too fast!
Stephanie says
This is my favorite cookie of all time! Can’t wait to try it.
Jessica says
These are amazing! Thanks so much!
courtney says
YUM! I love thin mints and this recipe!
Julie Blanner says
Yes! I love thin mints. Now I won’t feel as guilty eating them!
Jo Lynn says
You mention several times in the article that an instructional video is available. How do I access the video? I don’t see a link.
Carolyn says
It’s not in a link, it’s right in the blog post. But if you have an ad blocker on your browser, you can’t see it. Someone just told me that recently. She switched browsers and was able to see it just fine.
Stephanie says
I made these the other week- so perfect, thank you! My only issue was when I added the peppermint extract to the chocolate/coconut oil, it seized up. I made it work but the chocolate wasn’t smooth and hard to work with. Any idea why, or how to prevent it next time?
Carolyn says
Did you have it over a double boiler? If so, be sure the heat is very gentle and possibly even turn it off before adding the extract. Two other issues could be the quality of the chocolate, and you may want to try an oil-based peppermint extract.
Stephanie says
I did use a double boiler, I’ll definitely try those changes though. Double batch next time! : )
Carlyn says
These cookies are delicious, and I truly like them much more than the Girl Scout Thin Mints! I keep mine refrigerated which makes the cooling effect of the Swerve make sense. These are better the day after you make them and beyond. Really. You should make these. You will be happy you did!
Tammy says
Hi Carolyn,
Thank you this recipe definitely looks great to try!! Just a note Lindt chocolate is not gluten free for anyone that does not already know that. Have a great day!
Thanx
Tammy
Kim says
WOW…these are so good. Pricey due to having to use 2 lily’s dark choc bars (which are $6 each in Canada) but honestly they are worth it. I just have to figure out how to get the kids to understand that a little goes a long way and they don’t need to gobble them. I think they are going to be an occasional treat though due to price and how much work goes into making them. Thanks so much Carolyn for all these great recipes you keep sharing with us.
Carolyn says
Glad you liked them. Lily’s chocolate is about $4 a bar here, so that’s close, actually. I wait for a sale and buy a bunch. They had a big sale before Christmas and I have a bit of a stockpile…
Michelle Nash says
Sorry about your prices there. Have you tried looking at the Lily’s dark chocolate baking chips? The chips were about 27% cheaper per ounce than the bars at our local grocery store and worked beautifully for this recipe! (73 cents per ounce vs $1 per ounce for the bars! Also, I didn’t use a double boiler. I used my microwave on 50% power and stirred every 20 seconds or so. It did not overheat and was done in about 40-60 seconds!
Lori B. says
If Lindt 90%, 95% or 99% (depending on your taste) is available for less in your area or online, I always just use those for making treats. I don’t like artificially sweetened chocolate and an entire bar of 90% is just ~15 carbs or so. A darker chocolate would probably slow down the munching speed of people who are used to sweeter chocolate, too!
Btitney says
So bummed! Made these and the cookie tasted butnt. Trying a second batch. Maybe i rolled too thin?
Used Wholesome erythritol…
Carolyn says
Could be rolled too thin, could be the erythritol? Not sure, I have never used that brand. Also, your oven may run hot so bake them less if you think you need to.
Tanya says
Can you use truvia cane sugar blend for these instead of swerve?? Thanx
Carolyn says
Honestly, I don’t use it and I don’t know how it measures.
Stacey says
Can this be made as cake
Carolyn says
No, this is a cookie recipe. I have plenty of chocolate cakes and you could make a mint ganache for it.
Nicole says
Being from Canada and a girl guide in the past, I had to sell these boring sandwich cookies as well. It looks like I have all these ingredients on hand to make these. I am so making these! They look amazing!
Lea says
I followed the recipe exactly I used Lilly’s choc chips and coconut oil and it all melted nicely and then I removed from the heat and I added the peppermint extract and then the mixture ceased….I don’t know why it went the consistency of fudge so I thought I’ll just melt it again and I put it over the hot water pot again and the water was boiling but it would not melt so I wasn’t going to throw it out so I decided I would add more coconut oil I really had nothing to lose. So I the coconut oil melted and I stirred and stirred and finally the chocolate went liquid again and I used it.
Carolyn says
What brand of peppermint extract were you using? Glad you managed to save it, though!
Theresa Hayes says
Mine turned out ok, but not great. They look pretty and taste just alright. I wanted to make a keto friendly cookie for a cookie exchange but I am just not sure they are good enough to share. They are fine for me to help me have a treat without going off my keto diet but really just so so. I made exactly per the recipe.
Carolyn says
Sorry you didn’t love them. Tell me… what sweetener did you use? Also what chocolate for the coating?
Mary says
I followed the recipe exactly and baked for 20 min. The cookies are dry and the chocolate coating is bitter with no taste of peppermint. Not sure what went wrong. I would definitely add extract to cookie dough and replace with 80% chocolate.
Carolyn says
Did you use unsweetened chocolate for the coating? Because that would be the issue. It calls for SUGAR FREE chocolate… not unsweetened.
Lori B. says
Gosh, these are so good. I’ve come back to them at least once a year ever since you posted them. Today, I added a little espresso powder and put a dollop of swerve buttercream on top to soothe an Oreo craving set off by my family’s holiday munching. A thousand thanks for this recipe!
Someone might find this useful: There’s a really handy cutting technique from the Low Carb Friends forum days about making almond flour crackers/cookies crispy without repeated rolling as the dough gets warmer & stickier: Take a spice tin or can the desired size of the wafer, put plastic over the bottom, find a spoon that holds roughly the same amount of dough as the recessed area on the bottom of the tin, scoop out dollops of dough and smoosh them with the plastic-covered bottom of the tin.
Chelsea says
My only problem with this recipe, is why it is not a 100% FIVE STAR rating! This is so good, like, really good. Thanks Carolyn, your baked sweets are truly the best. I like to make these them freeze them for late night snacks. They freeze amazing, and last a while this way. YUM.
Carolyn says
You want to know why? Because people keep making the coating with UNSWEETENED chocolate, not sugar-free chocolate. Sigh… even as much as I explain and link, they still do it sometimes and then complain that it’s super bitter. Well, yes, it would be, if you use unsweetened chocolate.
Andrea says
If I use the lilly’s chocolate chips that are sweetened with Stevia, will I need to add coconut oil/butter to the double broiler?
Carolyn says
Yes, only to thin out the coating. It’s very thick, otherwise, and hard to dip your cookies in smoothly.
Char says
Hi Carolyn, I love your recipes. I am wondering would Creme De’ Menthe flavoring work ok for this?
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Carolyn says
Sure, as long as it has no added sugar!
Elita in L.A. says
I wanted to post a review of the cookies themselves, as that’s the info I want to read most when I’m looking at blog replies. I made the recipe exactly as written, using Lily’s chocolate and coconut oil (incidentally, I typically use this combo to make a delicious, keto version of magic shell topping for ice cream), I think I might have rolled my dough too thin, as I ended up with about 40 cookies. That also meant I over baked them slightly using the 20 minute timing. They came out of the oven firm, and appeared to be ok, but as they continued to cook a bit more as they cooled in the pan, they became a bit over done, some even maybe leaning to the burnt side. It took quite some time for them to completely cool and ultimately crisp up, but they did finally do so. Tasting them in their naked state, I wasn’t sure this was going to be a success. However, after coating them, I placed each on a wire rack over the baking sheet they had baked on originally, to catch the extra chocolate drippings and then chilled them in the fridge after which they proved themselves to be worthy of the time, effort and expense that went into making them…they were DELICIOUS!! Thank you Carolyn for yet another awesome recipe!
Laurie L says
These are my favorite go to cookies when I need a sweet treat. I did the chocolate coating the lazy way though and just melted Lily’s semi-sweet chocolate chips and it worked perfect. Thank you for your amazing recipes.
Heather says
5 stars LOVE these! They are a winner!!
Question – can I use semi-sweet chocolate?
Is the NO SUGAR about health… or will choc with sugar impact the finished cookie somehow?
I’ve tried it and it goes stiff when I add peppermint oil 🙁
Carolyn says
Should be fine.