Gluten-Free Thin Mints

Gluten-Free Thin Mints

It’s Girl Scout cookie time again. At first I wanted to resist it; but then seeing the flood of tweets and Facebook statuses about them I knew I couldn’t and would have to give in. If the Girl Scouts ever start selling a gluten-free cookie, I’d be happy to support them; until then I guess I’ll be making my own. That feels like dangerous knowledge.

My favorite Girl Scout cookie has always been the Thin Mints. Have you ever eaten one straight out of a freezer? That’s good stuff. I also liked the lemon cream-filled shortbread cookies, but I hear they stopped making those. That doesn’t seem like a smart business plan, Girl Scouts.

Gluten-Free Thin Mints Piles

 To make these I used coconut and almond flour, which are two of my favorite gluten-free flours to bake with. They also happen to be grain-free and could presumably pass as a “paleo dessert” even though that’s a bit of an oxymoron. Remember to give yourself a little extra time making these because the dough needs to chill before it can be baked.

Gluten-Free Thin Mints

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes + more to coat

Ingredients(Makes 24 cookies):

  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 stick(4oz) butter, melted
  • 1 bag(12oz) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided

Method:

  1. Sift together the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar until it’s all mixed.
  2. Add in the egg, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract and mix until it forms a dough.
  3. Roll the dough into a log on some parchment paper and put in the refrigerator or freezer to chill.
  4. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  5. When the dough is solid, using a sharp knife, cut out cookies that are roughly 3/8-inch thick. Lay the cookies out on a baking tray(don’t worry if they’re close together since they don’t really really spread)
  6. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
  7. Remove the cookies from the oven. Let them cool until they’ve hardened.
  8. Make the coating by melting the chocolate chips and mixing in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of extract.
  9. One by one, dip the cookies into the melted chocolate to coat both sides. The chocolate should be fairly runny and only coat in a small layer. If the chocolate is thicker, heat it up until it melts more.
  10. Lay the cookies onto parchment paper and refrigerate to fully harden. These will keep 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Gluten-Free Thin Mints Stack

What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie? While I love thin mints, Tagalongs are a close second. I get the sense I might have to try my hand at making those.

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41 Responses to Gluten-Free Thin Mints
  1. Brittany @ GOtheXtraMile
    March 2, 2012 | 10:40 am

    I’ve been reading your blog for a while now, but I never comment. I just wanted to say, you are a genius. That is all 😀

  2. Alayna @ Thyme Bombe
    March 2, 2012 | 10:43 am

    Brilliant! I wonder if these are just as good cold as the originals.

  3. Faith @ For the Health of It
    March 2, 2012 | 11:13 am

    Seriously, are there any better girl scout cookies than thin mints? I think not.

  4. Abby @ Abz 'n' Oats
    March 2, 2012 | 1:50 pm

    Great recipe! I’d say my favorite Girl Scout cookies are definitely Do-Si-Dos (the peanut butter sandwich ones).

  5. Amber K
    March 2, 2012 | 3:06 pm

    Samoas were always my favorite followed directly by Tagalongs and then Thin Mints. I feel so bad whenever I get asked if I want some. Well not that bad because they are stinking expensive. But I probably would buy a gluten-free box if they ever had one just because I’d be so impressed! They’d probably make a gluten-free cookie on the same equipment though. Eh, I’ll just make these instead!

    • Wannabe Chef
      March 2, 2012 | 3:08 pm

      I looked for a gluten-free brand I could buy at the store for 2 weeks before I finally broke down and realized I’d need to make them myself.

  6. Sara N.
    March 2, 2012 | 7:41 pm

    Freaking awesome! My husband has been so sweet this year and hasn’t purchased any Girl Scout cookies since I am now on a GF diet. I will have to try these so we can both indulge. Thank you for your creative recipe.

  7. Luv What You Do
    March 2, 2012 | 10:03 pm

    Hands down…it is samoas in the purple box. I’m not a huge coconut person, but I do love me some caramel. I just saw a recipe to make these into bars that I will definitely be trying!

  8. chandra
    March 2, 2012 | 10:12 pm

    Evan, you are my hero. Thin mints are my favorite and I didn’t get to order cookies this year!

    Except I’m too lazy to make them… wanna send me some? 😉

  9. Friday Favorites
    March 2, 2012 | 11:19 pm

    […] buy processed cookies when you can make your own Girl Scout Cookies […]

  10. Hannah
    March 3, 2012 | 5:31 am

    Well, being Australian I’ve never had any kind of Girl Scout cookie, but I will say that I miss the king-size Caramello Koalas that kids used to sell as fundraisers in high school. Made SOSE so much better.

    Also, you had me at almond and coconut flour.

  11. Sally @ Spontaneous Hausfrau
    March 3, 2012 | 9:02 am

    These look delicious and are probably way better than the Girl Scout version because the ingredients are real. Love it!

  12. Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers
    March 3, 2012 | 10:37 am

    Yum! I bought a box of girl scout cookies and found out there’s Trans fat in them. I will be giving my box away. Now I plan on making your cookies to satisfy my thin mint craving!!

  13. Shayna
    March 3, 2012 | 5:26 pm

    How much cocoa powder do you need? It only says 1/4 cocoa powder.

    • Wannabe Chef
      March 3, 2012 | 7:32 pm

      I’m sorry about that. It should say 1/4 cup. I’ve fixed the recipe now.

      • Shayna
        March 3, 2012 | 9:23 pm

        Thanks! I am going to make some this weekend! They look amazing 🙂

  14. Heather
    March 4, 2012 | 1:02 am

    these look delicious!!! i’m with you – thin mints were always my fave with tagalongs being a close second.

    i made your peppermint patties for my family tonight and they were a HUGE hit! thanks for the recipe 🙂

    p.s. i just started my first blog, and would love if you would check it out! i went to college in providence, too 🙂

  15. Linda Collier
    March 4, 2012 | 9:25 pm

    Have you tried any subs to the sugar in this recipe?
    Agave, palm sugar, honey, xylitol?
    I am in a weight loss round and am looking forward to trying these as soon as it is within my food list. I am using paleo as lifelong maintenance.
    Would love to hear your subs!

    • Wannabe Chef
      March 4, 2012 | 9:35 pm

      I think of those palm sugar or xylitol would work best because they wouldn’t add any moisture to the dough. Then again i haven’t tried either in this recipe so I can’t say for certain.

  16. […] I made my first batch of gluten-free thin mints, I still had half the batter to bake and no chocolate chips left to coat them with. All I had was a […]

  17. Stacy Malinow
    March 6, 2012 | 10:31 pm

    Please support my petition for the Girl Scouts to sell a gluten free and allergen free cookie. http://www.change.org/petitions/encourage-the-girl-scouts-to-sell-an-allergen-free-cookie

  18. Amelia @ Eating Made Easy
    March 7, 2012 | 1:52 am

    Wow. I’m normally a big gluten fan but these look so fantastic!

  19. jenny
    March 8, 2012 | 5:06 am

    LOOKS SO. GOOD.

  20. elise
    March 8, 2012 | 12:23 pm

    you are on a cookie mission!!! i actually dont like mint (no mojitos for me thanks), but these look so perfectly authentic!
    my fave GS cookie was the caramel & coconut ones. mmm

    btw thanks for answering my Q on the paleo thing.

  21. Katie @ Nourishing Flourishing
    March 18, 2012 | 7:47 pm

    Whoa. Whoa whoa whoa. Catching up on posts, so I’m a little late… but… whoa. Evan, thank you for making my dream come true — I never thought someone would make an almond flour version! I can’t tell you how delighted I am. I’ll be making these as soon as my break arrives. Thank you!

  22. janine hummel
    April 23, 2012 | 7:41 pm

    holy sh*t, just made these and they are AMAZING. i’ve been craving one since i was 14 and i’m now 46. thank you so so so so much! p.s. please melt that butter, guys. mine was soft for first batch and that Was Not Good!

  23. Randa
    December 8, 2012 | 1:46 pm

    Wow!!!!! I just made these and they are soooo good!! I doubled the batch (am making them for a group) and I am so glad I did! I’m only having trouble keeping my husband from eating them all. Ha haaa…

    The “rolling it into a log” step is a little humorous. I’m thankful it didn’t smell the way it looked at that step! 🙂 But it’s a great way to get them cut into uniform shape.

    Thanks for developing and sharing this recipe.

  24. Carolyn
    December 19, 2012 | 12:21 pm

    Out of all my Christmas baking these were the favourite, gluten free people and everyone else too! I got many comments “they’re just like the girl guide cookies!”.

  25. […] Chocolate Thin Mints – from The Wannabe Chef […]

  26. 12 Months Of Recipes | The Wannabe Chef
    December 29, 2012 | 11:27 am

    […] March: Gluten-Free Thin Mints […]

  27. […] Adapted from: The Wannabe Chef […]

  28. […] Adapted from: The Wannabe Chef […]

  29. Vera Zecevic – Cupcakes Garden
    March 3, 2013 | 3:05 pm

    I’ve never try girl scout cookie but these look so tempting, and it’s gluten-free recipe. Perfect!

  30. Suresh Urs
    May 29, 2013 | 1:04 am

    The thin mints are simply superb thanks fantastic post. Clickrecipe

  31. Wendy
    January 15, 2014 | 12:10 pm

    Hi — I cannot have the almond flour. Any idea what I could sub? (I’m no dairy, no nuts at all, no gluten, no eggs). I love your recipes and it think you are a trailblazer!

    • Wannabe Chef
      January 15, 2014 | 2:03 pm

      Hi, Wendy. In that case I would try gluten-free oatmeal flour as a replacement.

  32. Sherry
    January 15, 2014 | 1:12 pm

    I was wondering if you know the calories per cookie. Thanks for your help.

  33. Randi Chasst
    January 16, 2014 | 12:55 am

    This recipe is good.
    To make this a vegan recipe: Instead of eggs use 1tsp balsamic vinegar 1tsp baking powder (when it foams up add to mixture).
    Instead of butter use a soy butter you can also use “Enjoy life” choc chips which are soy, dairy, and nut free. Instead if sugar you can use applesauce and organic maple syrup or agave, or a sugar substitute.

  34. Chris
    May 30, 2014 | 7:38 am

    Could you make this using just 1 kind of gf flour? If so, what would the measurement be? Thanks!!!

    • Wannabe Chef
      May 30, 2014 | 12:24 pm

      I think you could make these with just coconut flour, however I’m not sure how I would change this particular recipe to do it that way. Coconut flour’s really tough to work with and takes lots of testing. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!

  35. Janine Hummel
    December 20, 2014 | 8:06 pm

    Back yet again to bake/make these for the GF chicklets in my life. Turns out, my Veterinarian was just diagnosed with Celiac. He’s getting some, also. LOVE to you at the holiday ~ and thank you again for this recipe. I cannot fathom life without Thin Mints.