Homemade Thin Mints — 🤎 These homemade Thin Mints require just 4 ingredients, and no one ever guesses what the “secret ingredient” is! Perfect for cookie swaps and potlucks!
Copycat Girl Scout Thin Mints
Thin Mints are those Girl Scout Cookies that I can eat an entire tube of in a sitting. Oh, you too?
I decided to try my hand at a homemade, no-bake, vegan version of Thin Mints. They should be called Thin Mints Cheater’s Mints. No-bake and so easy.
What’s the catch, you’re wondering? Ritz Crackers.
I promise these homemade Thin Mints don’t taste like crackers. The crackers provide a neutral base layer, nice crunch, and are a dead-ringer in size and shape for what will become cookies.
When they’re drenched in mint-flavored chocolate, you won’t know it’s a cracker or care that it started out as a cracker.
These copycat Girl Scout Thin Mints taste incredibly close to the real thing and take all of 15 minutes to make!
Ingredients in Homemade Thin Mints
These homemade chocolate Thin Mint cookies call for just four ingredients:
- Ritz crackers
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Vegetable shortening
- Peppermint extract
How to Make Thin Mints at Home
This is the easiest Thin Mint cookie recipe ever! Here’s an overview of how the no-bake cookies are made:
- Melt the chocolate and shortening.
- Add peppermint extract to the melted chocolate and get ready to dip.
- Place dipped crackers, which I now think of as cookies, on parchment paper. (Food goes from cracker status to cookie status the minute chocolate is involved.)
- Wait for the chocolate to solidify and firm up before digging in.
Chocolate Tip
I highly recommend adding a tablespoon of shortening for any chocolate dipping projects because it keeps the chocolate smooth, viscous, and much less likely to get that hard-before-you-want-it-to and clumpy consistency.
How to Quickly Firm Up the Chocolate Coating
Because of the shortening, it could take a half hour or more at room temperature for the chocolate to solidify, especially if you decide to do this project on an 80-degree day in the middle of summer without running your air.
Pop the tray in the refrigerator or freezer to speed things up. I like homemade Thin Mints better chilled anyway and store them in the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve never made these copycat Girl Scout Thin Mints with anything other than peppermint extract, so I can’t say for sure.
I’ve only made this recipe as written, but some readers have reported success using coconut oil or vegetable oil in place of the shortening.
Yes, although semi-sweet chocolate chips are a must if you want to make true Thin Mint copycats.
I’m sure you could easily make these gluten-free by using a gluten-free Ritz Cracker alternative.
There are different kinds of mint extracts available and are labeled as “mint,u0022 “peppermint,” “spearmint,” and more.
For this recipe, I used store-brand (Kroger/Ralph’s) “peppermint extract” sold in a small 1-ounce bottle. Select the version of “mint” you think sounds best as not all types are available in all areas.
Can You Taste That It’s A Ritz Cracker?
In a word, no. No one who has ever tried these ever guesses that it’s a Ritz Cracker.
The only thing that may give it away is that it’s of course golden in color rather than chocolate-colored like real Girl Scout Thin Mints. So after biting in and examining, yes, there are some clues, but if you did it blindfolded, no clues at all.
It’s actually so amazing that the cracker has an extremely similar texture to Thin Mints, and even though you’d think it’s too buttery tasting or too salty, after being dipped in the mint chocolate mixture, the crackers work amazingly well.
I have always made these with the original version of Ritz although now they have a reduced sodium version you could try. The salt content in the regular crackers I find though is perfect with chocolate.
Chocolate always tastes better to me with a hint of salt.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover Thin Mints in an airtight container in the refrigerator for many weeks.
In the freezer, I estimate that these could be kept for 3 to 6 months successfully.
Tips for Making Copycat Thin Mints
Be sure to place the chocolate-dipped crackers onto a parchment paper- or wax paper-lined baking tray. If you don’t line the tray, these cookies will never come off cleanly!
If desired, you can omit the shortening from this recipe. However, you may want to melt the chocolate in batches otherwise it may harden up before you can dip all the crackers into it.
Lastly, note that mint extract is much, much more potent than vanilla extract. 1 teaspoon of mint extract has an extreme amount of potency compared with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
You cannot un-do mint once it’s added so be very, very careful to not over do it and end up with a bottle of Listerine-tasting food.
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Homemade Thin Mints
Ingredients
- 18 Ritz Crackers
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
- 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, optional but recommended
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract*
Instructions
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or wax paper; set aside. Clear out a spot in your refrigerator or freezer to accommodate baking sheet.
- In a shallow microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and shortening (the shortening helps the chocolate stay smooth when using it for dipping; it prevents that thick and gloppy, chocolate getting hard before you want it to phenomenon) and heat for 1 minute on high power to melt. Stir and heat in 10- to 15-second bursts until chocolate can be stirred very smooth.
- To the melted chocolate add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract* and stir. If you prefer it mintier, add another 1/4 teaspoon. I used 3/4 teaspoon in total, but because all brands and taste preferences differ, taste your chocolate and add peppermint to taste.
- Add 1 cracker to the chocolate, coat it, and remove it by lightly scooping it up from the underside with a fork, allowing excess chocolate to drain off through fork tines. Place cracker on parchment and repeat with all remaining crackers. If necessary, re-heat the chocolate in 10- to 15-second bursts if it starts getting too firm for smooth dipping.
- After all crackers have been dipped, place baking sheet in refrigerator. Although these will solidify at room temperature, the shortening in the chocolate lengthens the amount of time that will take; the fridge or freezer helps speed it up.
- Store extra Thin Mints in an airtight container in the refrigerator for many weeks. In the freezer, I estimate that these could be kept for 3 to 6 months successfully.
Notes
- *Note: Mint extract is much, much more potent than vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon of mint extract has an extreme amount of potency compared with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. You cannot un-do mint once added so be very, very careful to not over-do it and end up with a bottle of Listerine-tasting food.
- There are different kinds of mint extracts available and are labeled as “mint, “peppermint”, “spearmint” and more. For this recipe I used store-brand (Kroger/Ralph’s) “peppermint extract” sold in a small 1 ounce bottle. Select the version of “mint” you think sounds best as not all types are available in all areas.
- Recipe inspiration from Kraft.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Mint Dessert Recipes:
Peppermint Patty Chocolate Cookies — These cookies are fudgy and full of rich chocolate flavor thanks to both cocoa powder and chocolate chips. There are peppermint patties on the top for a burst of minty fresh flavor.
The Best Peppermint Chocolate Cake — I love this cake because it’s a fast, easy, one-bowl, no-mixer recipe that delivers amazing results every time without being fussy or complicated. The cake is soft, moist, decadently chocolaty, and perfectly pepperminty!
Fudgy Mint Chocolate Brookies — Chocolate and mint are a match made in holiday baking heaven. Especially when the result is a brookie: part rich, fudgy brownie with chewy edges; part soft and chewy chocolate cookie.
Andes Mint Brownies — The brownies have a box of 28 Andes diced and stirred into the batter, and another box of 28 mints that are diced on top. If you like mint, you’re going love these!
Chocolate Chip Andes Mint Cookies— These quadruple chocolate Andes mint cookies are big, bakery-style cookies that are rich, not overly sweet, and loaded with chocolate and mint chips.
Candy Cane Blossom Sugar Cookies — We’ve all had Peanut Butter Blossoms and these cookies are the holiday version The cookies are soft, chewy, covered in red sprinkles and there’s a Candy Cane Hershey Kiss in the center.
Triple Layer Fudgy Mint Oreo Brownies — These layered brownies are loaded with rich textures and flavors, from the dense fudgy brownies layer, to the soft, fluffy minty layer, with oodles of crushed Mint Oreos throughout.
Originally published July 29, 2012 and republished March 4, 2020 with updated text.
I am so happy I saw this photo on your sidebar. I think I may like quadruple the recipe so I can just use the WHOLE box of ritz crackers :-)
Have fun :)
I love the simplicity of this! I could eat 20 (or 40)!
Love this idea to make Thin Mints, as I’ve been making fake Tagalongs with club crackers for a few years now (pics and recipe here). One thing–instead of the chocolate chips and shortening, would chocolate almond bark work? I’ve never combined it with an extract before, but that’s what I use to coat my Tagalong things. Not sure if it’s vegan, though, so that may be why it’s not mentioned here? Any thoughts? Your post is the first ever to make me want to buy some peppermint extract though….
Almond bark would work, yes. If I say almond bark, that tends to create more confusion with readers than just saying ‘chocolate’. Most people aren’t candy-makers so just using easy terminology & products, i.e. chocolate…. tends to work the best.
Ohh! This is a great recipe! And each cookie is only about 55 calories! YUM!
BRILLIANT! At first I wasn’t sure the Ritz would work, but when I read through I see that these are great. And vegan! Shoot, heaven has arrived in cookie form.
OMG! I just made these and I AM IN HEAVEN!!! Although I did not have vegetable shortening and used butter, i had to put more butter though because the chocolate would not get smooth with just 2 tablespoons. I put almost half a stick in there. That can’t be good for my health (but sooo delicioussss). Next time I’m going to use vegetable shortening! I’m definitely going to be making these ALL THE TIME. Thank you!
P.S
mine don’t look as pretty as yours but I’m going to keep trying! :))
P.P.S
The saltiness of the crackers + the chocolate + the mint flavour = HEAVEN.
That’s the major difference between butter and shortening – It’s worth just keeping some on hand if you plan to melt/work with melted chocolate a lot. So helpful. And so glad you enjoyed them! Doesn’t matter how they look as much as how they taste :)
Made these today – absolutely AWESOME! It’s a keeper for us. Thanks for sharing
So glad to hear it, Sharon! Thanks for reading, making them, and the feedback!
The chocolate should be heated in the microwave right?
Completely forgot about the microwave-safe bowl and heated it over the stove instead, at high heat.
>.< chocolate was a little burnt cause after a minute the chocolate wasn't smooth yet, so I continued heating it.
Even then, it still tastes pretty darn good! that burnt taste didn't even bother me that much.lol.
Thanks for this recipe! This site is sooooo bookmarked :D
Yes you probably burned/scorched the chocolate and it has an absolutely horrid taste once that happens and you would probably need to start over. I melt all my choc in the micro BUT if you prefer the stove, you can. You just have to WATCH it! Good luck on the next round!
This looks super good and creative
Am definitely going to try it
I “accidentally” bought 3 big bags of crackers and didn’t know what to do with them
Thanks
LMK how it goes!
I made these. Holy crap. Mine aren’t pretty, but it doesn’t matter because they’re not going to last long!
Glad they are a success – even if they’re not going to win a beauty contest :) Thanks for trying the recipe & LMK about it!
Hi- These recipe looks amazing and I wanted to make this for my son who has a milk and egg allergy. However, I saw you used chocolate chips from Trader Joe’s, but on the back of the package it says it may contain traces of milk. Do you know of any other chocolate chip I can use? I looked at a lot of places and all packages say may contain milk or processed on equipment with milk. Thanks!
buy certified vegan such as the enjoy life brand if your son is extremely milk sensitive – they *may” contain traces of milk (the TJs ones) but I have heard anecdotally from those who are HIGHLY dairy sensitive that they tolerate the TJs chips just fine but of course, due as you see fit for your son.
Thank you! He is highly allergic and do not even want to take the chance. I will look into the enjoy life.
I know I’m all kinds of late to this thread, but Ghiradelli chocolate chip are dairy free :)
Yup, we use Ghiradelli because my daughter has MPI.
just made these!! they were SO easy i love this recipe!
Oh awesome – thanks for LMK and glad you liked them!
I was just wondering, could you use peppermint oil instead of extract? and how much would you use?
great recipe!!
oils and extracts have different potencies and concentrations and really, you need to play around with it based on your tastes – but yes you “can” use it; but I don’t have a guideline for you since I used extract. Have fun experimenting!
That’s exactly what we did, melted the chips and dipped the crackers in. Awesome.