Homemade Gluten-Free Vegan Thin Mint Cookies Recipe

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My gluten free thin mints are a faithful, homemade copycat of the classic Girl Scout-style cookie — crisp, chocolatey, and mint-coated. This vegan thin mint cookie recipe is allergy-friendly, easy to make, and perfect when you want that familiar chocolate-mint combo without gluten or dairy.

I love Girl Scout cookie season — who doesn’t? But when someone in the household has a gluten intolerance, store-bought options aren’t always available. That inspired this gluten free thin mint recipe. The result is a delicate, slightly crisp cookie with a rich mint-chocolate coating that really evokes the original.

These cookies are straightforward to make and rely on pantry staples: a gluten free flour blend, unsweetened cocoa powder for chocolate flavor, coconut oil as the vegan fat, and melted semisweet chocolate flavored with peppermint extract for the final coat. The dough is slightly crumbly — that’s normal — and chilling it helps it come together so you can roll and cut precise rounds.

If you enjoy Girl Scout-style cookies, you might also like my Samoa-inspired cookie bars or other mint-chocolate treats featured on this site.

Why You’ll Love These Gluten Free Thin Mints…

• Simple ingredients and an approachable method. Most likely you already have everything on hand, and peppermint extract is easy to find in the baking aisle.
• Authentic texture: crisp but not dry, with a satisfying snap and a glossy chocolate coating.
• Balanced mint flavor in the chocolate coating rather than in the cookie dough, so the mint complements the cocoa without overwhelming it.

What You’ll Need…

• Dry ingredients: a gluten free flour blend, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
• Flavor: unsweetened cocoa powder and granulated sugar for sweetness and chocolate taste.
• Fat: melted refined coconut oil as a vegan substitute for butter.
• Finishing touch: melted semisweet chocolate plus peppermint extract for the minty coating.

How To Bake With Coconut Oil…

Coconut oil works well as a vegan butter substitute in these cookies. I use refined coconut oil, which has a neutral flavor and won’t add coconut notes to the cookies. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature but melts easily: either place the sealed jar briefly in hot water or scoop the measured amount into a microwave-safe bowl and warm it at low power until just melted.

Measure carefully and allow the melted oil to cool slightly before combining with sugar so it doesn’t affect the texture of the dough.

How To Make Gluten Free Thin Mint Cookies From Scratch…

Start by whisking the dry ingredients — gluten free flour blend, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt — in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine melted coconut oil with the granulated sugar, stirring until well combined. Add the oil-and-sugar mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until a crumbly dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment and press it together into a compact round. Place another piece of parchment on top and roll the dough to about ½ inch thickness. Chill the rolled dough for about an hour to firm it up; this reduces spreading during baking and helps the crumbly dough hold together.

When chilled, let the dough sit 20–30 minutes at room temperature so it softens slightly and is easier to cut. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a small round cookie cutter to cut out cookies, rerolling scraps as needed. Arrange the rounds on the baking sheet and bake for 12–14 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before coating.

For the mint-chocolate coating, stir peppermint extract into melted semisweet chocolate and mix thoroughly. Use two forks to dip each cooled cookie into the chocolate, letting excess drip off before transferring to parchment. Chill the dipped cookies in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes so the chocolate sets completely.

Store these homemade thin mints in an airtight container in the refrigerator so the chocolate remains firm. They’re also delicious straight from the freezer if you prefer them extra cold.

Tips For Making Homemade Thin Mints…

• Weigh flour with a kitchen scale when possible to ensure consistent results — gluten free flours vary in density and accuracy matters.
• Chilling the dough is essential. It helps the mixture bind and prevents the cookies from spreading while baking.
• If the dough becomes very firm in the fridge, let it rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before cutting; that softens it slightly and makes cutting cleaner.
• When dipping cookies in chocolate, two forks are handy for lowering and lifting the cookie while letting excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.

Did you make these gluten free thin mint cookies? Leave a comment on the recipe or share a photo on Instagram with the tag #justastastyblog.

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