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Girl Scout Cookie lovers! Fret no more. I’ve paleo-ized the fan favorite Thin Mint for your guiltless snacking pleasure.
The Girl Scout cookie booths and door-to-door {flawless/brilliant/sadistic marketing} scheme may have come to a close, but if you’re like me, the cookies are still haunting you. I have sleeves of Thin Mints stashed in my freezer, boxes of Trefoils hiding in my pantry, and quite possibly a few stashes of Samoas hidden in the house for a rainy day. The problem is, I can’t say no!
I was a Girl Scout allllll the way to the end. I got my Gold Award {equivalent to an Eagle Scout for you newbs} and stayed on as an advisor through college. I love the organization and experienced it a little differently than its reputation sometimes grants. I opted for the rugged, camping, stargazing, bugs everywhere, cooking with fire, horseback riding, cookies galore, hold the glitter & macaroni art, service opportunities out the wazoo, public speaking Girl Scout experience. It was an empowering experience and one that I reflect on as foundational for who I am today.
As such, when I see a Girl Scout selling cookies, I MUST buy a box. I must. There’s no way around it. Ringing my doorbell (when I’m home) or setting up a booth at my grocery store is a guaranteed sale. My purchase, however, always comes with a pep talk revolving around their Gold Award plans, college plans, and professional dreams.
The poor Girl Scouts selling cookies have to put up with this person. Yep, that’s me …sporting mah minty pants! Thank goodness for colored denim and for mint fashion sticking it out in 2013. I hope the neon trend hangs on too. I don’t know if I’m ready for the 60’s fashion revival.
Anyways, I’ve been dreaming of the day that I feel confident enough in my paleo baking skills to try out a healthier version. Thanks to everyone who voted last week on my “Thin Mints” vs. “Trefoils” paleo remake contest on Facebook and Instagram!
Although the Thin Mints won by a landslide, I promise to perfect and share my Trefoil recipe. After all, Trefoils are my Dad’s favorite and tomorrow happens to be his birthday …a perfect excuse for a trial batch!
If you’re not familiar with the Girl Scout Thin Mint, I’ll (first wipe the shock off my face and then) explain…
Thin Mints are a glorious mint-flavored chocolate cookie coated in a thin, minty, velvety chocolate frosting. They’re really refreshing, addicting, and are especially tasty when frozen.
My paleo version hits the spot. I recommend you keep them in the refrigerator so that the chocolate coating stays firm.
Enjoy!
To start off, preheat your oven to 350 F. Then, combine all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. I used Ghirardelli’s 100% Natural Unsweetened Cocoa powder for the batter. In a separate bowl, melt the coconut oil into the honey (so that it has a more liquid consistency), whisk in the egg and the mint extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir until its texture is even.
Using a melon scooper or spoon (of about 1 Tbl) scoop and place the cookie dough balls on either parchment paper or a Sil-Pad lined baking sheet.
To flatten the cookies into their “thin” size, cut a square of parchment paper to place on top of each dough ball. Using the bottom of a glass or bowl, press down to flatten the cookies.
Bake at 350 F for 13 minutes. Note: I recommend you check the cookies at about minute 11 to ensure they don’t burn … different ovens heat differently. The cookies will be soft when you take them out. Let them rest for at least 15 minutes to harden and cool before you frost them.
While the cookies are resting, begin the frosting with a double boiler. In a small/medium-sized saucepan, heat about 1” of water to a light boil. Place a glass bowl on top of the pot and fill with the dark chocolate chips. Stir constantly until they’re completely melted.
Add in the coconut milk and mint extract. Keep stirring until it’s nice and creamy.
Remove from the heat and place the cookies individually in the frosting. Using a couple forks, flip and drain the cookies over the frosting bowl.
You can either place the cookies over wire-cooling racks so that they may further drain or on parchment paper. In the example here, I used the wire racks. With this method, the cookies stuck somewhat to the racks. Next time I make these, I’m going to use parchment paper.
Place the freshly frosted cookies in the refrigerator. Let them cool/set for at least 1 hour.
Enjoy and store in the fridge!
Paleo Thin Mint Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 3 cups Sifted Fine Almond Meal like Bob's Red Mill
- 4 tablespoons 100% Natural Unsweetened Cocoa I prefer Ghirardelli
- 1/8 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/3 cup Honey
- 2 tablespoons Liquid Coconut Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mint Extract
- 1 Egg
Frosting:
- 2 cups Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
- ½ teaspoon Mint Extract
Instructions
Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Combine all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, melt the coconut oil into the honey (so that it has a more liquid consistency), then whisk in the egg and the mint extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until its texture is even.
- Using a melon scooper or spoon (of about 1 Tbl) scoop and place the cookie dough balls on either parchment paper or a Sil-Pad lined baking sheet.
- To flatten the cookies into their “thin” size, cut a square of parchment paper to place on top of each dough ball. Using the bottom of a glass or bowl, press down to flatten the cookies.
- Bake at 350 F for 13 minutes.
- Note: I recommend you check the cookies at about minute 11 to ensure they don’t burn … different ovens heat differently.
- The cookies will be soft when you take them out. Let them rest for at least 15 minutes to harden and cool before you frost them.
Frosting:
- While the cookies are resting, begin the frosting with a double boiler. In a small/medium-sized saucepan, heat about 1” of water to a light boil. Place a glass bowl on top of the pot and fill with the dark chocolate chips.
- Stir constantly until they’re completely melted.
- Add in the coconut milk and mint extract then stir.
- Remove from the heat and place the cookies individually in the frosting.
- Using a couple forks, flip and drain the cookies over the frosting bowl.
- You can either place the cookies over wire-cooling racks so that they may further drain or on parchment paper.
- Note: In the example here, I used the wire racks. With this method, the cookies stuck somewhat to the racks. Next time I make these, I’m going to use parchment paper.
- Place the freshly frosted cookies in the refrigerator. Let them cool/set for at least 1 hour.
- Store in the fridge and enjoy!
Brenda says
They look AMAZING! And I feel the exact same way about not being able to say no to the cookie sales!!
fedandfit says
Thanks, Brenda!
singlecera says
I can NOT wait to try these this weekend!!
fedandfit says
Awesome! I’d love to know how they come out! I’m constantly working to fine-tune recipes.
thesassyapron says
Amazing! I will definitely be trying these soon- love finding new paleo desserts to try!
fedandfit says
Thank you! Looks like you have some pretty incredible paleo desserts too! I’d love to know your thoughts on how the cookies come out 🙂
Sockmonkeys Kitchen says
They look great – but Paleo has no refined sugar – are your chocolate chips unsweetened? If so, what brand do you prefer? Thanks!
fedandfit says
Thank you! You are correct – 100% paleo foods contain no sugar. My paleo baking recipes all use honey and 70%+ dark chocolate (if the recipe calls for chocolate). It’s a stretch for the sake of coming up with a healthier accessible alternative built around the paleo lifestyle. I typically prefer Ghirardelli chocolate products. Their chocolate baking squares and chips have a really nice consistency. The frosting could be attempted with unsweetened baking chocolate (again, I would gravitate towards Ghirardelli) and then later sweetened with honey.
Sockmonkeys Kitchen says
Oh I adore Ghiradelli! I’m also a fan of E Guittard. I must send these on to the Thin Mint maniacs I know…(and of course, I’ll just “have” to bookmark the recipe for myself too…)
Thanks so much! =0)
fedandfit says
Of course! Thank you!! Putting E Guittard on my list 🙂
Amanda says
These look amazing!
fedandfit says
Thanks, Amanda!
Shirley says
Oh I must try this soon. I have been missing cookies. I am looking forward to the trifoil ones too
fedandfit says
I’d love to know what you think of them, Shirley! I’ll keep working on the trefoils until they’re absolutely perfect.
ecb5004 says
Reblogged this on Salt and Sunbeams and commented:
This looks like a really good idea
Courtney R. says
Oh my!! Those are my favorite cookies!!! I can’t wait to try these!
fedandfit says
They’re one of my favorites too 🙂 I hope you like them!
Elaina Ervin says
I have a tree nut allergy, therefore, i cannot use almond meal. What else would you recommend for this recipe besides almond meal?
fedandfit says
Hmm …I have not tried this recipe with any nut-free flours. I would probably begin by experimenting with a seed flour. Sunflower flour would be a good place to start. You can make your own by grabbing some unroasted sunflower seeds in bulk and blend until they’re an even powder. The nutrient profile of the sunflower seed will be different than the almond flour, so the cookies may take some tweaking before they come out right. Please let me know if you give them a try!
Rachel says
I wonder- could you use coconut flour? I have that in my pantry
fedandfit says
Hi Rachel! I haven’t made this cookie with coconut flour, so I can’t say what the conversion needs to be. Coconut flour behaves much differently than almond flour. CF is really absorbent and requires a different wet:dry ingredient ratios than AF. If you experiment with the CF, I’d love to know what modification worked for you!
Mallory @ Total Noms says
These look so freaking good! Way to go to make your own paleo recipe- I bet these taste even better than the original!
fedandfit says
Haha thanks, Mallory!
kayley says
these look amazing! about how many cookies does the recipe yeild?
fedandfit says
Hi Kayley! It should make ~3 dozen.
d'liteful cravings says
Reblogged this on d'liteful cravings.
yummychunklet says
Yes please! Thin mints are my favorite!
Jan says
Didn’t care for the Pepsid ad…..not a healthy product.
fedandfit says
Hi Jan! Thank you for your comment. For the time being, I work with an independent advertising company and have no control over the ads. This Fall, however, I am transitioning to a new platform that will give me ultimate control. I will filter the ads so that they’re all relevant to our high standard for health and well being. Again, thank you for your feedback. It gives me one more reason to be excited about the transition!
Lneill says
Can I use something else instead of almond meal because I’m allergic? I love the rest
Waiting for your reply…. Thanks so much
Cassandra says
Hi Lneill!! I’m so sorry I missed this comment. If you’re not sensitive to seeds, you could try substituting with flour made from ground sunflower seeds! Hope that helps.
Lneill says
Maybe I could use gluten free all purpose flour from Bobs Redmill? Or maybe another nut meal?
fedandfit says
Hi Lneill! You can try all purpose flour or another nut flour. I haven’t tried with anything else, but it’d be worth an experiment!
Cassandra says
Oh I see my response now 🙂 Sorry for the confusion!
Melissa says
I’ve tried this recipe twice now, and both time the “frosting didn’t harden on the cookies… It’s very soft. Any ideas as to why this is happening?
Cassandra says
Hi Melissa! A lot of different factors can be at play – temperature, altitude, chocolate content, etc. You can try reducing the amount of coconut milk or just replace altogether with a tablespoon of coconut oil – it will give it a glossy sheen and hopefully will harden for you! Hope that helps.
Prissilla says
Hello,
What brand of chocolate chips did you use? 🙂
Cassy says
Hi Prissilla! I tend to use either Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips or, if I’m out of ELCC, I use a dark Ghirardelli.
Kayla Lewry says
Oh my goodness!! I have used another recipe for these cookies, but this one looks much better! I’ll be trying these out soon:D
Cassy says
Awesome! I hope you love them.
Michelle Quigley-Chapman says
These taste good, but the frosting is too wet — even in the freezer it did not harden. Next time I would certainly just add some coconut oil to the chocolate chips — maybe even just use coconut oil/cocoa/Stevia. Consequently, since the frosting is so soft, the crispy cookie is also softer than I was hoping for. As I said, they taste really good, just kind of sticky.
Susan says
These look wonderful and I want to make them for my son (he’s type 1 but should get great treats every now and then). Do you happen to know a carb count on them?
Kelly says
Hi Susan! No, I do not calculate the nutrition information, but feel free to add the ingredients to a free online nutrition calculator and it should calculate all that for you.
Ashley says
Any chance you know the nutrition information on these?
Kelly says
Hi Ashley! No, I do not calculate the nutrition information, but feel free to add the ingredients to a free online nutrition calculator.
Erin says
These are delicious! The only change I made was to the frosting. Instead of choc chips I used 3/4 cup melted coconut oil, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup (I imagine honey would work, too), 3/4 tsp peppermint extract (might add more next time) and about 1/2 cup of the coconut milk. I’ve been storing mine in the freezer and the frosting hardened perfectly. Not sure how they would do in the fridge. Also, my oven must bake fast b/c even at 8 minutes the bottoms got a bit too brown so I’ll reduce it to 5-7 minutes next time.
Kelly says
Love your rendition of the frosting! Glad you are enjoying them Erin!
Laurie C says
These look amazing! I was wondering if I would be able to use mint leaves (the kind that they sell in the spice aisle in a little jar) instead of extract since that is all that I have? Thanks!
Kelly says
Hi Laurie, I am not sure if that would work as peppermint extract is liquid form and is quite strong in flavor. If you do try it, let us know how they turn out.
Heather says
I have peppermint extract. Is that the same thing?
Kelly says
Hi Heather, yes the same thing!
Lindy Lou says
Hi, I am wanting to try these. I can’t have eggs, do you think I could sub a gelatin egg instead?
Kelly says
Hi Lindy Lou! The recipe hasn’t been tested with a gelatin egg, so we are unsure if it will work, but feel free to try it. If it does work, report back and let us know so others know they can use it as well.
Cami says
wow these were great! My fiancé inhaled them! Instead of coconut milk, I just used the chocolate chips, coconut oil and peppermint oil. They were great! Usually gluten free recipes never work out, but I’ve made these twice! Definitely my new go to dessert!
Kelly says
So glad you liked them Cami! Bonus for the fiancé loving them as well. Thanks for trying them out!
Shirley says
Is there any way this recipe can be adapted to use coconut flour or another gluten free flour if you’re allergic to almonds? I know you can’t make a straight 1:1 substitution. Usually I just don’t bother but I love thin mints and would like to try this recipe. Anyone else have the same issue with almond flour?
Kelly says
Hi Shirley! We haven’t tried it with a substitute, but I would think another nut flour would work just fine. I am thinking maybe cashew or pecan. I don’t think coconut flour will work as it is a lot more absorbent than almond. Please let us know if you try something else and it works!
Meghan says
Do you have the nutrition facts?
Kelly says
Hi Meghan, we don’t have the nutrition facts for our recipes, but feel free to enter the ingredients into an online recipe nutrition calculator to get the breakdown. My Fitness Pal is my favorite.
Wendy Hay says
Oh my, this is an amazing recipe so thank you for letting us lazy bloggers repost!!
Kelly says
You are welcome Wendy! Hope you enjoy them!
Ashley says
These are amazing! I could just eat the cookies pre-icing (and I may have). Thank you for the recipe.
Kelly says
Haha thanks Ashley! So glad you liked them!
Sandy says
Can’t wait for the other flavors you have planned.
Erin says
Hi,
I came across this recipe and I would love to try it. Do you know of any good egg substitute for this recipe by any chance (please say yes)? I just started following you, and look forward to checking out your website some more!!
Thank you!
Amber Link says
Hi Erin! We haven’t tested it but flax eggs may be a good substitute! http://detoxinista.com/how-to-make-flax-eggs-or-chia-eggs/