The 2-ingredient copycat Thin Mints I make after Girl Scout season ends

Thin Mints Are the Stars of Cookie Season
How To Make 2-Ingredient Copycat Thin Mints
Tips and Tweaks
More Sweet, Craveable Copycats

Girl Scout cookie season is fleeting—these quick treats are there for you when you need them.

Thin Mints Are the Stars of Cookie Season, How To Make 2-Ingredient Copycat Thin Mints, Tips and Tweaks, More Sweet, Craveable Copycats

Why Make This

You only need two simple ingredients to make Thin Mint-style cookies at home, with no baking required.
The recipe delivers a crispy, snappy texture and rich minty chocolate flavor, just like the original.
The whole process takes just 20 minutes from start to finish, including setting time.

I was never a Girl Scout, but I confess that I always wanted to be. I love a merit badge and look great in green! I’m a natural entrepreneur (see: Christmas caroling business I ran in high school, artisanal jam I sold at farmers markets for years, cooking classes I’ve taught all over) and I bet I would have sold the heck out of those cookies as a kid.

Though I’ll never have the sash to pin it on, if there were a merit badge for buying Girl Scout cookies, I’d be a shoo-in. I love supporting the Girl Scouts and am always good for a box (or two…or three) when my friends’ kids are selling them or when I see a popup sale in a strategic location (well done, gals, and thanks for taking Venmo). And no matter what, one of those boxes will always contain Thin Mints.

To me, the undeniable star of Girl Scout cookie season is the Thin Mint. It’s so minty and deeply chocolatey—other store-bought chocolate-mint cookies just can’t compare. I stash mine in my freezer and dole them out carefully, but someday, inevitably, the end of the last box comes.

That’s why, when my next Girl Scout cookie craving hits and there isn’t a scout to be found, I’ll be making these genius copycat Thin Mints. They’re dead ringers for the real thing, only need two ingredients, and take under half an hour to make.

How To Make 2-Ingredient Copycat Thin Mints

This recipe was developed by Marianne Williams. To make 24 cookies (6 to 8 servings), you’ll need:

Prep time: 15 minutesSetting time: 10 minutesTotal time: 25 minutes

12 creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos)
2 (4.6-ounce) packages thin crème de menthe chocolate mints (such as Andes)

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a butter knife to gently separate the cookies and scrape out the creme filling; discard the filling or save it for another use (or eat it now! I won’t judge). Set the cookies out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Unwrap the mint candies and place them in a medium microwave-safe bowl (you should have a heaping cup of the candies). Microwave on 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.

Using 2 forks and working with one cookie at a time, dip a cookie into the melted mint-chocolate, turning to coat it completely. Lift the cookie out of the chocolate and allow the excess to drip back into the bowl. Return the coated cookie to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining cookies.

Let the cookies stand at room temperature until the chocolate is matte and fully set, 10 to 15 minutes, then serve. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Tips and Tweaks

Streamline with another cookie: Oreos give these cookies the deepest chocolate flavor and snappiest Thin Mint-like texture, but if you prefer not to have to deal with scraping out their creme filling, you can swap in Chocolate Maria Cookies or chocolate shortbread cookies here. The resulting cookie will be a bit on the thicker side, but still tasty (and less work!).
Make them sweet-salty: For a sweet-salty variation, try swapping in a buttery Ritz cracker for the Oreo cookies.
Rewarm as needed: If the melted chocolate thickens too much for easy dipping as it cools, microwave it again for 10 seconds and stir to warm and loosen it.
Get the cleanest edges: Chill the cookies briefly before dipping them for sharper edges and quicker setting of the coating.
Swap the minty chocolate: If you can’t find Andes mints, melt some dark chocolate chips and add a drop or two of peppermint extract for a similar chocolate-mint flavor.
Make even more: If two dozen of these cookies isn’t enough (let’s be real), use a family-size 14-ounce package of Andes mints and increase the Oreos to 26 to yield 52 cookies. You’ll need to use two baking sheets and increase the microwaving time of the chocolate slightly to make sure it’s all fully melted with the larger volume.