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Looking for a healthier version of your favorite Girl Scout cookie? These Gluten-Free Thin Mints are just that! Crunchy, minty, chocolate-y, and just the right amount of sweetness!
They are the real deal, while also being gluten-free, grain-free and refined sugar free!
Homemade Healthy Thin Mint Cookies
Growing up I was definitely more of a Samoa or Tagalong kind of girl. But in adulthood, my palette switched to the Thin Mints. So naturally, I had to recreate them. I love being able to make my favorite childhood favorites at home, but with real, whole-food ingredients! This is no knock on the Girl Scouts and I’m all for supporting those sweet kiddos, but sometimes you just want to indulge in a long-time favorite treat but lighten it up a bit! And this recipe definitely is that.
These cookies are pretty simple to prepare, but if you are new to working with gluten-free cookie recipes we share all the tips below for how to be successful here!
These crunchy chocolate cookies are so delicious and the perfect treat to store away in the freezer for whenever your sweet tooth strikes.
Ingredients Needed
Scroll down for the full recipe!
- Almond Flour
- Tapioca Flour
- Cocoa Powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Peppermint Extract
- Honey
- Coconut Sugar
- Dark Chocolate
- Coconut Oil
Looking to substitute the almond flour?
This is a common question we get. Unfortunately, we can’t offer a substitute for this as it is the main ingredient in this cookie.
If you do try to replace it with another flour, please come back and comment/share how it went for you!
Tools Needed
- Rolling Pin
- 2.5″ Fluted Cookie Cutter
- Parchment Paper
- Sheet Pan
- Essentials: Mixing bowls, spoons, etc.
Tips for Making Gluten-Free Thin Mints
It is pretty simple to put this dough together, but you must have the correct temperature butter! This recipe calls for softened butter. Others have had an issue with the dough after they try to make this with melted butter.
Butter FYI
Using melted butter will make this dough way too soft. So please, take your butter out of the refrigerator at least two hours before you plan to make the dough.
Once you have the correct butter temperature, all you have to do is add the ingredients to a bowl and mix it together–it’s that simple! The dough should be thick, but still pretty sticky.
Once the dough is thoroughly mixed, wrap it in a piece of parchment and stick it in the refrigerator for at least an hour. If possible, let it sit to chill for 2 hours. Once it’s totally firm, it’s ready to roll!
How to Roll Out the Dough
This is the one tricky part about this recipe: rolling and transferring the dough to the baking sheet. But don’t worry, I’m sharing my best tips for working with this gluten-free dough.
- First, make sure your dough is chilled.
- Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper, and then sprinkle it with tapioca starch. Turn the dough over and sprinkle the other side with tapioca starch. Then place another piece of parchment on top of the dough. Now you are ready to roll it out! The parchment is used because it is an easy surface to remove from the cookies, and so you can transfer the dough on it in case your dough gets too warm.
- The dough should be rolled out to a thickness of 1/4″.
- Then, use your cookie cutter to stamp out as many cookies as possible.
- Once you’ve stamped your cookies, it’s time to transfer them to a (new) parchment-lined baking sheet. If your dough is quite warm, I recommend sticking it back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before transferring the cookies. To do this, just slide the dough directly on the parchment onto a sheet pan and into the refrigerator. Once the dough is chilled, it’s much easier to successfully move the cookie cutouts.
- To lift the cookies, dust a mini offset spatula blade with tapioca starch and slide it underneath the cookie to loosen the cookie from the parchment. Use the spatula to transfer the cookie onto the baking sheet.
There is some finesse to this, but it shouldn’t be very achievable if your cookie dough is the right consistency.
To Freeze or Not to Freeze
Many people, including myself, love to freeze thin mints and eat them straight from the freezer. And that is a great way to enjoy this gluten-free version.
Freezing: These cookies will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store them in an air-tight container.
Don’t want to freeze them? That’s fine, but they will need to be stored in the refrigerator since they’re coated in chocolate. The cookies will keep for at least 5 days.
Watch The Video:
More Cookie Recipes:
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Almond Butter Cookies
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
Paleo Thin Mints
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour plus more for rolling
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
- Pine fine sea salt
- 5 tablespoons butter softened
- 3 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Chocolate Coating:
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil or more as needed
Instructions
- Add almond flour, cocoa powder, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, and salt to a bowl. Whisk together until combined.
- Add in the softened butter, honey, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Using a heavy spoon, mix the dough all together until fully combined with no visible butter streaks remaining.
- Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment or plastic wrap, and wrap it up. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to 1 day.
- Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the dough on another piece of parchment paper on a work surface, and then sprinkle it with tapioca starch. Turn the dough over and sprinkle the other side with tapioca starch. Then place another piece of parchment on top of the dough. Roll the dough to a thickness of 1/4″. Then, use your cookie cutter to stamp out as many cookies as possible. You can reroll the scraps to get more cookies.
- Dust a mini off-set spatula with tapioca starch, and slide it underneath the cookie to lift it off the parchment and transfer to the baking sheet. If at any point the dough is too soft to handle, transfer it to the refrigerator to firm up for 10 minutes.
- Bake the cookies for 15 minutes. Once done, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, over a double boiler, melt the chocolate, coconut oil, and extract together. Drop the cookie into the melted chocolate until fully coated. Use a fork to lift the cookie out of the chocolate, letting the excess drop off. Transfer cookies to a piece of parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- Let chill in the fridge (or freezer) for at least 10 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or the freezer for up to 3 months.
I was so excited to try these since I can practically inhale thin mints! I made them vegan by substituting EnerG egg replacer. I also had the same issue of having a gooey mess before rolling out the dough (it was looking great until I added the sweetener – then it turned to mush). About 5 minutes in the freezer was enough to cut the shapes, and then another 5 in the freezer so I could lift them off the parchment paper onto the pan. They’re cooling now…I too am worried that just melted chocolate will be too thick to dip the cookies – I’ll probably add a little coconut milk to the chocolate to make it a little more dunkable. Can’t wait to try the finished product!
I just made them again and my batter is not liquidy at all! My tip: don’t melt the butter. It should be softened and cold.
I’m confused, does the dark chocolate have sugar in it or is it an unsweetened kind? If so, what sweetens the chocolate?
The cocoa powder? Unsweetened. The chocolate to melt? Dark chocolate. The cookies are sweet.
Hi!
Sounds DELISH and I can’t wait to try these! Do you happen to have the nutritional facts for this recipe (calories per serving, etc.)?
Thank you! =)
I made these tonight! The end product was delicious but the making of them was a bit difficult. I had the same goo problem. I wasn’t getting a dough. After an hour in the fridge I put it in the freezer. I was able to cut out a couple of cookies before it got gooey again. I would freeze it about 10 more minutes and do the process over. I cooked them about 12 minutes then stuck them back in freezer until I was ready for the dipping part. The cookies are really good once said and done. I’m hoping to find a way to keep the dough from getting and staying gooey. Maybe I will leave sweetener out next time. But overall they are delicious!!
I just made them again and my batter is not liquidy at all! My tip: don’t melt the butter. It should be softened and cold.
The recipe has been revamped to work the gooey dough issue people have had! Enjoy!
OMG, these look wonderful! I am a former Girl Scout, so I have quite a bit of history with selling and consuming these cookies, particularly the Thin Mints and the Savannahs. I am on Weight Watchers and was wondering if by any chance you know how many fat grams, protein, carbs and fiber is in them? I don’t want to go out and buy some of these ingredients and then come to find out I won’t be able to have them. Thanks!
they look delicious!
First I love your site Lexi! Unfortunately I sometimes have a hard time recreating what u did & this recipe is the perfect example. My dough is goo. Goo, stick to your fingers, unworkable goo. Even after 4 hours in the fridge & 20min in the freezer. What gives?! What should I add to the batter to de-stickify? More almond flour? Should it be workable just out of the blender? I used butter instead of oil. Even still the dough tastes great, the piles of goo are in the oven now so I hope they end up ok. Please help! This isn’t the first time I’ve baked from your recipes & not ended up w your pictures. Paleo brownies was another flop. (Tasty but flat)
Hi Amelia! I’m sorry you had this experience. My first question/thought is when you said: “Should it be workable just out of the blender?” There is no blending involved with the recipe. Please elaborate on that part so I can further help. Also, surprised about the paleo brownies, I’ve never heard of anyone having that experience. Perhaps check the expiration on your baking powder. Sometimes if it’s old it’s not effective in a recipe.
sorry by ‘blender’ i meant my kitchen aide mixer. i’ll try the brownies again with new backing powder, i have had it a few years. my final product for the paleo thin mints are amazing! ugly but amazing!! i also had a hard time dipping in the chocolate, it was very thick…i really appreciate your feedback
These look amazing! Pinned for me to make asap!
OMG these look amazing! Thin Mints are actually my favorite girl scout cookie! I’m definitely making these this weekend!! Thanks for the amazing recipe. I can’t wait to try it.
Yum! So are the cookie ingredients everything except the dark chocolate and the peppermint extract? It’s not completely clear when you say “combine all cookie ingredients” – thanks!
Fixed!
Just need to collect a few ingredients and these are becoming a part of my life. Would there be a major difference if I used cocoa powder instead of cacao powder?
Use cocoa! 🙂
Love these! I have a similar version but low carb sweeteners in there to manage my blood sugar. Yummy!
OMGSH!!! So amazing looking!! I can’t wait to try them out!
Just pinned the crap out of this recipe! GORGEOUS MY LADY.
So determined to make these that I actually printed the recipe immediately…at work (gasp!)
Omg. I could live on thin mints. Seriously, the best. My fav since childhood. It is quite possible that this recipe has made my day/week/month… and also possible it will ruin my life if I can’t stop making them… 🙂
I realllly want to make these, but I don’t have arrowroot flour? Could I use xantham gum instead? I’m not gluten free so I don’t really know what the correct substitutes would be.
How many cookies do I get with this recipe?
12! It says it!
Omg I’m making these!!!!!!!! Well once my peppermint donuts are gone!
Thin Mints are my favorite! I swear I could eat an entire sleeve of them in one sitting haha.