Called Copycat Girls Scout Thin Mints, this recipe came in my inbox from chef and foodie blogger Averiecooks.com.  She describes these cookies as a clone of the original and you know what? When I made these and left them out for the kids to try, they were blown away and commented on how delicious and just like the original these cookies tasted!!!

Love thin mint cookies?

Are you like me and love thin mints?  Especially those delectable girls scout cookies?  I absolutely love those minty cookies!!  I wait all year to buy them from girls scouts who are usually selling them outside grocery stores.  Minty chocolate all enrobed around a crunchy cookie – these are so addicting and I love them so much that I can never stop at just one, or two or three! It’s a good thing I only buy them once a year 😀.  Now, I am in a quandary.  Because I’ve found the easiest recipe possible to make these thin mint cookies at home at anytime of the year!

Easy recipe with just 4 ingredients

What’s even better is how EASY these are to make! I don’t put the word easy in caps normally, but these are EASY!!  Just melt chocolate until smooth and creamy, then add peppermint extract, and dip the cookie in the chocolate. Voila! You get a delicious thin mint cookie that tastes like the real thing. 

What’s the “secret” cookie you wonder?  It’s a ritz cracker!! 

Homemade Thin Mint Cookies
Homemade Thin Mint Cookies. Copycat Girls Scout Thin Mints on Averiecooks.com

INGREDIENTS

•  18 Ritz Crackers
•  1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
•  1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, optional but recommended
•  3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Directions:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.