These healthy Thin Mints are even better than the original! Crispy, mint chocolate cookies surrounded by a delicious homemade coating made with cocoa powder, coconut oil, and maple syrup.
As a kid, my dad would buy a few boxes of Girl Scout cookies to support his co-worker's daughter. I'd always demolish the Thin Mints before anyone else had a chance to get their hands on them.
Because of ingredients like hydrogenated oils, invert sugar, and artificial flavors, however, I've opted to create my own healthy version using chickpea flour.
Chickpea flour is awesome! It's high in protein, it doesn't require eggs to bind it together, and it can be used without the need for other flours, starches, or gums.
The one thing to remember when working with it is DON'T TASTE THE BATTER!
Before being baked, chickpea flour has a universally unpleasant taste, which is really the only drawback (you can't eat the dough).
The flour lends a crispy texture to these cookies that's unique to traditional Thin Mints, making the recipe that much more legitimate, and the chocolat-y coating sets the whole cookie off perfectly so that you WON'T feel like you're missing out on anything!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chickpea flour
- Cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Coconut oil - Cocoa butter could also be used.
- Maple syrup
- Peppermint extract - I like the brands Simply Organic and McCormick.
Recipe steps
Begin by mixing the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Next, add in the oil, maple syrup, and peppermint extract and stir until a dough forms.
Using your hands, create about 10-12 small cookies and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until solid to the touch.
While the cookies bake, whisk together the ingredients for the chocolate coating. Make sure to use room temperature ingredients to prevent the mixture from clumping.
When the cookies are done baking, press down on each one to expel any air. This helps create a crispy cookies, like a real Thin Mint!
Cool the cookies, then coat each one with the chocolate mixture. Freeze to harden and repeat this process as desired for a thicker candy coating.
Recipe notes
Be certain to bake the cookies as stated. If you taste anything 'off', chances are the cookies did not bake long enough, and the chickpea flour taste is still present.
Use room temperature ingredients when making the chocolate coating. If there is a cold ingredient, it will cause the fat in the coating to seize and clump.
Make sure to use peppermint extract, NOT spearmint.
If you like chocolate and mint, take a peek at my husband's favorite no-bake Andes' Mint Pie!
Healthy Thin Mints
Ingredients
COOKIE:
- ⅔ cup + 1 Tablespoon chickpea flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
CHOCOLATE COATING:
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix together the dry ingredients for the cookies: flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda.
- Make a well in the center of the dry mix and add the wet ingredients (maple syrup, coconut oil, mint extract).
- Stir everything until well combined.
- Using wet/damp hands (so the dough doesn't stick), make about 10-12 small, round Thin Mint-sized discs (the dough should be about 1/8 inch in thickness).
- Place the cookies onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until solid to the touch.
- Immediately out of the oven, press down on each cookie with a fork to further flatten the tops and eliminate the small amount of air present (this contributes to making the cookie crispy).
- Place the cookies in the freezer while you prepare the chocolate coating (or for about 10 minutes until cool to the touch).
- Using room temperature ingredients, whisk together the ingredients for the chocolate coating until smooth. If anything is cold, it will cause the coconut oil to clump.
- Once cooled, dip each cookie into the coating, covering it completely.
- Place the cookies onto a large wax paper-lined plate and into the freezer to harden. There should be enough chocolate for another coating, if you like!
- Enjoy once the chocolate coating has solidified, but keep in the freezer for best storage.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
dawn
OH MY GOODNESS! i am soooo going to make these!!! Question: should my flour be cold on this one or no? AND what kind of mint extract do you use? i need to buy some. THANKS!!!
Lauren
Lol, the flour is room temperature for this one. 😉 I usually buy a peppermint extract by McCormick spices, which you can pretty much get anywhere. 🙂 Let me know how they turn out for you if you make them!
dawn
OH, i'll be making them! thanks Lauren!
Leah M @ love me, feed me
These look so awesome! I love chickpea flour - it's crisps up so well when baked!! I make the mistake of tasting the batter every time and always regret it haha!
Hinna
Do you think peppermint essential oil would work instead of mint extract?
Lauren
Hi Hinna,
I think it would, but you'd probably have to taste as you go, since I don't know the equivalent measurement.
Peggy
I LOVED LOVED LOVED thin mints. I am so going to try these!
Jessica
Hi! Love your blog! This recipe looks great (I make your chickpea chocolate chip cookie recipe all the time!). Quick question though, can I sub raw cacao powder for the cocoa?
Lauren
Sure!
Jessica
Awesome! Thank you!!
Karen Flammang
use doTerra essential oil...peppermint!! Cant wait to try!
Kayla
What a cool idea! I never would have thought about using chickpea flour in something like this. Thanks for the recipe!!
Gabby @ the veggie nook
I'm recently discovering me and legumes have a tricky relationship, but I wonder how I would do on a flour? Time to experiment with these cookies I think 🙂
Mike@TheIronYou
I know I've said this already but you are so creative, inventive, and innovative. Really, you never fail to amaze me.
This is such a great way to use chickpea flour, I've never seen something quite like this!
Lauren
Aw, thanks buddy! You are also quite creative, especially with the cauliflower! 🙂
Peggy
These are so awesome I'm sending my readers to you for the recipe!
Lauren
Thank you so much Peggy! 😀
kristi
Is there a sub for chick pea flour? Can you make chick pea flour?
Lauren
I'm not sure on either question, as I made these to be specific for chickpea flour, sorry! You can order chickpea flour on sites like Amazon or Vitacost.
Cheryl Dowling
Or just mill dried chickpeas to make a flour 🙂
Alice
Omg, these look out of this world delicious! I can't wait to try making them..
I just found your blog and am enjoying reading your creative and natural recipes. Thank you.
Lauren
Thank you Alice!
Begum Karim
Thanks for the recipe, Lauren.
If you have an East Indian grocery store near you; chickpea flour is much cheaper there.
Also at Sri Lankan store.
I make savoury pancakes and use baking powder, baking soda, 1 TSP. ACV, for leavening and I know you don't use flax seeds but you could use arrowroot powder about 1 tablespoon. Also black salt for eggy flavour. 😁
Lauren
Thanks for the tip, Begum! Those pancakes sound yummy too, I'm always up for a new pancake recipe! 🙂
Beth
Can honey be subbed for the maple syrup? I know it would not be vegan anymore.
Lauren
Hi Beth,
You might need to add a little more water, as honey is thicker than maple. 🙂
Jill
Gonna try these with almond flour. We're Keto here. Thank you for the recipe!
Stephanie
I can't wait to make these!!
Can I substitute butter for coconut oil?
Thanks so much!
Lauren
Hi Stephanie,
I think that would work - let me know if you try them out! 🙂
EMC
I’m super excited about this one!
1. I also LOOOOOVE Thin Mints. Especially from the freezer!
2. I am also crazy nuts about your chickpea chocolate chip cookie recipe. Quite literally my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, no matter most dietary preferences. I just think they’re amazing! Among the best flavor and texture of any I’ve made and the healthier-ness of them just makes it all the better! I make a double batch, portion and freeze them so we can have fresh baked cookies whenever we want!
Combine those two and oooooh yes. This may be on my todo list for tomorrow!
Lauren
Haha, thanks! I hope you like the thin mints if you try them! 🙂