If you love Thin Mints, you need to try this vegan version! They’re crisp, chocolatey, and completely plant-based!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’ve ever found yourself hoarding boxes of Girl Scout Thin Mints in your freezer, this recipe is your new best friend. These Vegan Thin Mint Cookies have that same addictive crunch and rich chocolate coating, but no dairy, no eggs, and no mystery ingredients. They’re easy to make, freeze beautifully, and deliver the perfect sweet flavor all year round! I have to admit that I’m not personally the biggest fan of chocolate and mint together, but my friends and family can’t get enough!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour gives these cookies their structure and classic crisp bite. If you’d like a gluten-free version, try using a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
- Cornstarch helps make the cookies tender and crumbly, just like the original Thin Mints.
- Powdered sugar sweetens the dough and gives it a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Cocoa powder is the star here — regular or Dutch-processed both work. Regular cocoa offers a deeper chocolate flavor, while Dutch-processed gives a smoother, slightly milder taste.
- Baking powder adds a touch of lift so the cookies don’t turn out too dense.
- Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Vanilla extract adds warmth and depth — don’t skip it.
- Coconut oil provides richness and helps the cookies crisp up in the oven.
- Coconut cream brings the dough together and adds a subtle hint of coconut flavor. Make sure to use unsweetened coconut cream. You can scoop the solid cream from a chilled can of coconut milk.
- Dark chocolate forms the glossy coating. Use a bar rather than chocolate chips for a smooth, shiny finish. And be sure it’s vegan!
- Peppermint extract delivers that signature Thin Mint flavor. Start small because you can always add more.
- Coconut oil (for coating) gives the chocolate its silky dipping consistency.
How to Make Vegan Thin Mint Cookies
Tips for Perfect Cookies
- Avoid over-chilling the dough. Ten minutes is just enough to make it workable — any longer, and it’ll be too stiff to roll out.
- Use a fork to dip. It makes shaking off the extra chocolate much easier.
- Adjust the mint to taste. Peppermint extract is powerful! Start with ¼ teaspoon and add more only if needed.
- Cool before coating. Patience pays off! Warm cookies will cause the chocolate to seize.
Storage Tips
Once the coating has hardened, store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days, or freeze them for up to a month. In fact, they taste amazing straight from the freezer (just like the originals!).
Print
Vegan Thin Mints
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 40 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
If you love Thin Mints, you need to try this vegan version! They’re crisp, chocolatey, and completely plant-based!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp/135g all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp/32g cornstarch
- 1 cup/120g powdered sugar
- 7 tbsp/35g coco powder
- 1/2 tsp/2g baking powder
- 1 tsp/5ml vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp/2g salt
- 6 tbsp/90ml coconut oil, melted
- 3–4 tbsp/45-60ml coconut cream
Coating:
- 8 oz/225g dark chocolate (vegan)
- 1 tbsp/15ml coconut oil
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp/1-3ml peppermint extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir or whisk to evenly distribute ingredients and break up any lumps.
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine coconut oil, 3 tbsp coconut cream, and vanilla.
- Pour into flour mixture and stir, trying to get all powder incorporated until mixture just holds together. If too dry, add more coconut cream, 1 tsp at a time. Do not over moisten. Dough should just hold together when squeezed, but not be moist.
- Gather dough into disc, cover in plastic wrap and chill for 10 minutes. Do not leave for longer as dough will become to hard to roll. If leaving dough longer, allow to come to just below room temperature before rolling.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175 C. Line baking sheets with parchment. Between two sheets of parchment, roll out dough without adding any additional flour. Roll to 1/4” thick. Use a 1 1/2” cookie/biscuit cutter to cut desired shapes or cut into squares with a knife. Excess dough can be gathered up and rerolled for more cookies.
- Place on prepared baking sheets with 1” in between cookies (they do not spread much).
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until just dry to touch. Allow to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Chop chocolate finely and place in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water until mostly melted. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in blasts of 15 seconds or less, stirring after each one. Allow residual heat to finish melting chocolate.
- Add the coconut oil and peppermint extract and stir until smooth. Taste and adjust mint flavor. Adding extra extract (not oil based) can cause the chocolate to seize/thicken. If this happens, add more melted coconut oil, a small amount at a time, until a dipping consistency is reached.
- Use a fork to dip cookies into the chocolate, shaking off the excess before placing on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet. Allow to harden completely before moving to an airtight container.
