Just like the Girl Scout original, expect a properly crisp chocolate cookie all wrapped up in a (to-die-for!) minted chocolate covering. In fact, not much is lost, if at all (!!), in these gluten free and keto thin mints inspired cookies!
Gluten Free & Keto Thin Mints! 🍃
Because The Girl Scouts Are In Town 👧🏾👧🏻👧🏼
If you’re American, Girl Scout cookies need no introduction. If you’re not, worry not, because one bite in and you’ll be fully acquainted with these most-addictive of cookies! My perennial favorites will forever be Thin Mints: think a nice and crisp chocolate cookie all wrapped up in a to-die-for minted chocolate covering.
i.e. ideal to dunk in milk. 🥛
And for real, not much (if at all) is lost in this gluten free and keto version. If anything, you’re gaining freshness and flavor. Which simply means that next time you hear a knock on your door, you’ll be able to buy a bunch to support the girls; but without fear that they’ll end up in your belly in a matter of minutes.
Plus, less than 1g net carbs a pop! I calculated nutrition info to yield two dozen cookies, but fact is I got more like 30 2-inch cookies (counting scraps is hard y’all!).
The Deets
Creaming the butter properly with the sweeter is paramount here to build a nice structure for the cookies (think rise and crunch!). And creaming with sweetener, in case you haven’t done it before, takes a bit longer to incorporate than with good-old sugar. But don’t give up, and keep going until you’ve got the sweetener well incorporated into soft and fluffy butter.
The other indispensable thing, is that the dough be thoroughly chilled before rolling and baking. Why? The butter in the dough has to solidify once again before you can roll it out and cut it up. Think 1 to 2 hours (or overnight).
And if the dough becomes too sticky while rolling and cutting, just pop it in the freezer for a few (and a sprinkle of cocoa powder always helps too).
The Chocolate
Cocoa or cacao? Both work great, just know that quality really matters here. Our favorite will forever be the Dutch-processed alkaline cocoa Valrhona, known to be one of (if not the) best cocoas in the world. But feel free to use a raw cacao powder (arguably more nutritional perks here), though keep in mind that your cookies will be lighter in color and more reddish in hue. Both are well and good, as long as they’re unsweetened.
How dark? Talking dark chocolate versus milk is a sure way to divide a crowd! And we like these keto thin mints with a nice and dark chocolate cookie, dipped into a 70-75% minted chocolate. But since we know dark isn’t for everyone, check the recipe notes for a more ‘milk chocolate’ version of these stellar cookies.
And for the chocolate-peppermint coating? Thin mints are traditionally coated with dark chocolate, and anywhere from 70-75% is truly ideal (think Lily’s dark chocolate chips). But if dark chocolate ain’t your jam, just go for milk. As long as it melts, you’re good to go.
The Flours
Thin mint cookies are traditionally a wheat cookie. To make them gluten free and keto, we found that super fine almond flour did a killer job (solo!). Add a touch of xanthan gum, and we’re golden.
In terms of brands, for the almond either Anthony’s or WellBees work great. Both are super fine grinds.
The Sweetener
This recipe works best with erythritol, without a doubt (Lakanto is my fav!) . Not only is it roughly 1-to-1 in sweetness to sugar (and the volume is important here), but it lends a very similar crunch and chew. No other sweetener does that.
Also keep in mind that, as much as I’m fans of allulose and xylitol in general, they result in chewy rather than crisp cookies.. So no xylitol or allulose here please.
And in case you’re wondering about Pyure, I’m never a fan of stevia (in any shape or form) coming in contact with chocolate (a not-so-nice aftertaste). But if you’re immune to it, technically Pyure also works here.
Girl Scout Cookies: Keto Thin Mints!
Ingredients
For the keto thin mint cookies
- 130 g almond flour *see. notes for a 'milk chocolate' version
- 65 g cocoa powder *see. notes for a 'milk chocolate' version
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 80 g unsalted (grass-fed!) butter at room temperature
- 128 g erythritol
- 1 egg
For dipping
- 340 g dark chocolate such as Lily's, melted
- 1-3 teaspoons coconut oil as needed (to adjust thickness)
- 1/4-1 teaspoon peppermint extract to taste
Instructions
- Add almond flour, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, salt and baking soda to a medium bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined and set aside.
- Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer, 1 minute. Add in sweetener and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes.
- Add in the egg, mixing until just incorporated. The mixture will appear slightly 'broken' (i.e. not thoroughly smooth).
- With your mixer on low, add in half of your flour mixture- mixing until just incorporated. Mix in the rest.
- Wrap cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (or overnight).
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and cutout the rounds (thin mints are roughly 2 inches).
- Transfer cutout cookies onto prepared baking tray and place in the freezer for 15 minutes prior to baking.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes. Since the cookies are dark already and you can't guide yourself by color, I suggest doing a trial with one cookie if possible. When ready, the cookies will have puffed somewhat and smell amazing (this is our best cue here), but you'll want to push the baking time to get them nice and crisp. So just keep an eye out for them.
- Allow to cool for ten minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely, as they'll continue to crunch up (because of the sugar alcohol, this may take a few hours!).
- Once cookies are cool and crunchy, melt chocolate and coconut oil in a water bath or microwave and incorporate peppermint extract little by little to taste. Dip the cookies into the chocolate using a fork and transfer to a parchment paper until set. You can always pop them in the freezer for a few minutes to instantly set them.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week or in the freezer for a couple months. And keep in mind that these cookies can be baked, once shaped, straight from the freezer (the batter keeps well frozen for up to 3 months).
These are awesome. Best Keto cookie I’ve made to date snd I’ve made at least 25 recipes and most have went in the trash. Your recipes are the best I’ve found so far. I made your gingerbread, pecan rounds, chocolate chip all fantastic, but I must say you’ve outdone yourself on this one. Thanks so much
Have you tried forming the dough into a log, wrapping in plastic or parchment, refrigerating, then slicing discs off to bake? Use dental floss or a cheese wire (or a garotte if you’re Dexter-ish) for the slicing, that way the knife won’t squish the log.
How many Peppermint extract do you recommend? I’ve Tried using peppermint extract in the past and can’t figure out a good amount So it’s not overpowering. Thank you. 😊
Hi Paola! Mercy, I can’t thank you enough for all these amazing recipes…I’ve been almost sugar-free for so long, I’d forgotten about my most favorite cookie EVAH! My kitchen is ridiculously small, with almost zero counter space (ok, I’m dangerous with a rolling pin, lol). I wonder…if I managed to roll the dough into roughly a 2″ “tall” cylinder, once its well refrigerated, do you think it could be sliced, maybe with floss? I think the biggest squick would be getting them sliced thin enough…thoughts? 🙂 Every recipe of yours that I’ve tried are so easy and tasty…you ROCK! 😀
Hello Paola! I’m super excited to try these… my husband is a GS Thin Mint JUNKIE! My question, I’m a bit OCD, so how do I dip the cookies in chocolate without getting it all over my fingers and everything else in the kitchen? Is there a trick?
LOVE your website…. your Bread & Bagels ROCK! Thank you!
Best keto cookie I’ve ever made! My entire family thanks you! 😀
These are AWSOME!!! Thank you for sharing your recipes.
My pleasure June!
What do you use to make the cookies round? Cookie cutter? Size?
These are AMAZING!! I used sukrin gold, because it is what I have. I added 1/2 teaspoon of white granulated sugar because, believe it or not, since I’ve been on Keto for a year, I am so sensitive to sugar, I can detect even that tiny amount. A rolled them very thin, and use a small shot glass. So…. the recipe made about 80 chocolate wafers. With breakage, I got about 18 out of my first batch (quarter of the dough). It took four bars of moser roth 85% chocolate to coat them. I really pushed the peppermint. I used about 18 drops in 2 bars of moser roth. They are so rich that I find that after a very few, I am completely satisfied. These are absolutely delicious.
Thank you for your detailed comment, always super helpful! And yes, sukrin would work great too (erythritol too!) 🙂
How does it equal out to 1 net carb per cookie when 9oz of lily’s dark chocolate chips is 91 net carbs for a whole bag?
Hi Jessica! I suggest you calculate your own nutritional values as you see fit, the cookies are themselves less than 1g net carb each and for the amount of chocolate I used it came to 1g net for me xo!
How many cookies are in a serving??? It didn’t say in the nutrition label. :/
Hi Alexandra. It’s 1 cookie xo!
Hmm, I’ve always loved “mystic mint” cookies much better than thin mints. I don’t even think they’re made anymore! Mystic mints are like thin mints and Oreos had a baby: Chocolate wafer cookies sandwiched in minty creme filling then coated in fudge! I think I will mystic-mintify your Oreo recipe instead.
Oh, and, part of the Girl Scout cookies’ secret to their wonderful mint flavor is that they use peppermint OIL, NOT extract!
Hi! These look sooo good, thank you for all your great recipes! 🙂
A question, if I were to cook the whole batch, how would I have to store them to keep them crispy for a few days? In a glass jar at room temperature or maybe in the fridge?
30 cookies are a lot of cookies, but it would be so cool to have some on hand for when some guests come home, just like I used to back in the gluten and sugar filled days! Most keto baked goods spoil or lose the crunch too fast to keep them out too much time. Thoughts?
Hi Alba! It’s my absolute pleasure! I have kept these up to 4 days at room temp (stored in an airtight container) and they held up very well. Just keep in mind that this will also vary on your local humidity, but you can always pop them in the oven to refresh. Keeping them in the fridge wouldn’t work as it’s more humid, so that would be counterproductive 😉
I know that a few readers also keep them in the freezer like traditional thin mints? Alternatively could leave half the batch already shaped in the freezer and bake straight. Hope this helps and enjoy! xo
Hey thank you! I didn’t know you could keep them in the freezer, I’m from Spain and never had these cookies before, that sounds perfect 🙂
My pleasure! It’s an American thing to keep thin mints in the freezer, and they’re actually delicious! Yo soy mexicana pero vivi en USA uno anos! 😉 un beso y buen fin!
I made these after they were recommended in a keto group on FB. I’m leaving a review because in all honesty I was still very hestitant, even though they said they were ‘properly good’. And indeed they are. It’s the first keto cookie I’ve tried that is actually crunchy, so kuddos.
My one advice for others is to roll them out very thinly as they do enlarge upon baking.
Hi Jessica! I’m sorry to have missed your comment…! So happy you enjoyed them and thanks for reporting back in detail, helps a bunch! xo!
Am I missing the serving size on the nutritional value? Surely that info isn’t for 2 dozen?
Hi Jessica! It’s per cookie! Just keep in mind that (depending on the size you cut them), you’re likely to end up with more than 2 dozen. xo
Can I replace almond flour with coconut flour
Hi Laba! Unfortunately no, you would end up with mushy rather than crisp cookies. xo
Well this also work with powdered swerve, or is the granulated swerved required for creaming with the butter?
Thanks! Can’t wait to make this!
Hi Dani! Powdered Swerve would work fine! xo
I made these last night and they were soooo amazing. And I forgot to add the baking soda! Although when I shared it with my wheatbelly diet page they frowned at the Xatham gum. What is wrong with Xantham Gum? I did find a couple of substitutes with chia seed and boiling water or flaxseeds and boiling water. Seems easy enough, but why?
Hi Jennifer! So happy you loved them! Xanthan gum is an ingredient which divides crowds (even though it’s actually completely natural). Some people are allergic to it or causes some stomach discomfort (like with all foods really). You technically can substitute with flax meal, but results are not the same. So just see how it agrees with your body (the most important thing with all foods really), and make a personal choice! xo Paola!
I used Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips and attempted to melt on low on stove top but couldn’t get it to thin out enough in order to dip. Should I have use a microwave to melt instead? I even added a little bit of coconut oil to try to thin the chocolate out and it didn’t work very well either. How are you able to get the chocolate to the consistency to dip?
Hi Amy! Mmmm I literally just melted it in a water bath on my stove top (I don’t own a microwave). It is thick, but it worked fine (not much different than a regular 70% chocolate behaves). Otherwise I would also suggest thinning it out with some coconut oil (I do that for my buttercream fat bombs…), as you did. Really not sure why, maybe try the microwave or a little longer? xo
I cannot find the US conversion.
Hi Betty, would you mind clicking on US Cups below the ingredients? It will switch everything to cups xo
Hi,
I tried clicking on the “cups” but my cursor turns from an arrow to a magnifying glass…I cannot seem to get the conversion from grams to cups.
Hi Shellie! My host screwed up a few things on the site and I’m working on getting it back on track. Would you mind checking back tomorrow please? xo!!
Made these earlier this week and they were very good too. My daughter is a girl scout and I actually don’t want her eating the cookies as they’re very processed nowadays. These were an excellent compromise
Hi Anna! I’m so happy you guys liked them! xo!
omg! so excited to try this!
No offense to the girl scouts but these are even better than the original. Homemade, freshly made and with an actual crunch. First keto cookies I’ve tried that are actually crunchy wow!
LOL! Probably what Girl Scout cookies tasted like when they were still homemade ;). So happy you enjoyed them! xo!
I’m not a fan of Swerve. I hear you can use Monk Fruit? Can you ?
Hi Lisa, if you’re talking about Lakanto (erythritol + monk fruit) it should work. I haven’t tested it myself, but readers use it quite a bit instead of swerve. xo!
Oh my my my! I was just contemplating a keto Thin Mint this morning and look what showed up on my FB feed! Thanks for this awesome recipe!
Would coconut oil work to replace the butter as cookies for my grandson need to be Dairy-Free. Thanks for your Great recipes
Hi Sharon! Technically yes it should, but tbh I’ve never worked with ‘creaming’ the coconut oil with the sugar so I cannot guarantee the result. BUT, if you do decide to go for it, please report back with your results! xo!
OMG!! I made the dark chocolate version and they’re like the gourmet bakery version of thin mints!! SO SO SO GOOD!! I cannot believe how crisp they are! Every other ‘crisp’ keto cookie from other sites I’ve tried has been totally bland. WOW THANK YOU!!!
LOL another dark chocolate fanatic in the room? 😉 Glad you loved them Monica! xo
I’m making these tonight!! Have been resisting them so bad! THANK YOU!
These are DELICIOUS WOW thank you!
NICE! So happy you loved them thank you Annie! xo
You have literally made my day with these, because I have a little girl scout dealer in my house and those thin mints have been looking particularly tempting lol!
If I use Cane sugar am I using the same measurement?
I haven’t made them yet, but I would like to sooon.
Hi Maryjane, yes you can sub 1-for-1 with cane sugar for these! xo and hope you enjoy them!