Crunchy chocolate cookies coated with a chocolate mint coating. This is an easy recipe for homemade Thin Mints and you only need four ingredients to make them.
The other day I saw a Girl Scouts’ cookie booth nearby my house. Is it that time of year already? I love to buy boxes of the cookies but this year I decided I wanted to try making copycat thin mint cookies. I had seen quite a few recipes and thought it might be fun to try.
How to Make Copycat Thin Mints
How to Make Copycat Thin MintsInstead of making them totally from scratch, I wanted to try a method I’ve seen where you use Oreo cookies to make them. The crunchy chocolate cookie, without the cream filling, is very similar to the cookie in a thin mint. I thought it would work well.
So, for this recipe you only need four ingredients:
- Bittersweet chocolate chips
- Vegetable oil
- Mint extract
- Oreo cookies with the cream center removed
Because you don’t make the actual cookies from scratch, this is a pretty quick recipe that doesn’t require any baking time.
To make the chocolate coating, melt the chocolate in a saucepan on the stove. Add the mint extract and, once the chocolate is melted, add the oil. The oil will thin the mixture and make it easier to dip and coat the cookies.
Dip the cookies in the melted chocolate and coat them evenly. The easiest way to do this is to place the cookie on a fork to dip it, allow the excess chocolate to drip off before you place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Chill the cookies until the chocolate is set.
These homemade thin mints were delicious and a good quick fix. I always try to buy a few boxes every year but I run out of the cookies so quickly, so this is a nice alternative. And since they are homemade, you can also decorate them and use different types of chocolates if you want to customize them.
More Recipes to Try
Homemade Thin Mints
Ingredients
- 8 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp mint extract
- about 20 Oreos
Instructions
- Twist Oreos in half, removing the cream center. Discard or eat the cream.
- Melt chocolate and mint extract on the stove. Stir in oil to thin chocolate, making it easier to dip and coat the cookies.
- Place Oreo half into chocolate, coating the back and front side with a fork and then setting on parchment paper. I found the best way to make the coating even and smooth is to coat half of the cookie in chocolate and hold it upside down, shaking slightly and allowing the chocolate to fall and coat remaining parts of cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Place finished cookies in fridge or freezer to chill until chocolate hardens.
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
I never thought of using Oreo cookies. I have always made these with Ritz crackers and around the holidays they have some awesome designs. Thanks for the tips about adding some oil.
I hope you try it with Oreo cookies!
sarah, here’s a good recipe if you want to make your own chocolate shortbread cookies instead of using the oreos… https://allrecipes.com/recipe/emilys-famous-chocolate-shortbread-cookies/
though i’m just fine with the oreo hack! 🙂 thanks for posting it, kirbie!
thanks for sharing Jill!
Yeah I have some left over oreos from that brownie oreo cookie bar thing so this will be a fun recipe to try out with my nephews.
Is there a reason to use vegetable oil and not butter/cream? I was always curious about that. I always heated the chocolate without any oil/cream/butter. Is it just to thin the chocolate out?
Adding a little oil will thin out the chocolate, otherwise it’s hard to dip and have the cookies come out nice and smooth.
“Discard or eat the cream” made me chuckle, too. I’m sure there’s lots of various cookies you can cover in this manner for a little something different.
I came across a recipe that used Ritz crackers!
How can you call a cookie “homemade” when the main ingredient is Oreo cookies? If you have to go to the store to buy Oreo cookies to make cookies, why not just mosey down the aisle 2 feet and buy thin mints?
This is a lazy recipe.
This is a shortcut recipe and you make it at home. It allows you the freedom to change the chocolate flavors, decorate, etc.
Stop being a crank. It tastes great and would be a great recipe to make with the kids. Love thin mints. Thanks for the tecipe..
It’s just oreo in these things?! I didn’t know that! I’m so making this cookie soon.
I was laughing at your “Discard or eat the cream” instructions…
Some poor fella is going to have a tummy ache (or a big smile) if they don’t follow the discard part.
Well the Girl Scout version makes their own chocolate shortbread cookie, so they don’t just use Oreos, but Oreos are very similar in taste and texture which is why you can use them as a cheat.