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Thin Mint Cookie Cups (paleo & vegan)

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The classic Girl Scout cookie reimagined as a healthy mini tart. It’s like a Thin Mint cookie got a major glow up! A crunchy, chocolatey crust is filled with a luscious, minty chocolate ganache-like filling. These Healthy Thin Mint Cookie Cups are so easy to make and made with real, whole ingredients! These fun chocolate and mint tarts are paleo-friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), refined sugar free, and vegan!

What Do These Healthy Thin Mint Cookie Cups Taste Like?

These delicious little tarts are all the flavors you’d expect from a Thin Mint, they are deeply chocolatey, minty, and refreshing. The almond-base cookie crust is crunchy, just perfectly sweet, a little minty and chocolatey so as not to overshadow from the main event, the filling. The filling is similar to a ganache but firms up into a truffle-like texture. Made from dark chocolate, it’s rich and luscious, but perfectly balanced by the addition of peppermint to create the perfect chocolate and mint combination. These Thin Mint inspired tarts are a delicious way to indulge in a Girl Scout Cookie craving, just made healthier!

What Ingredients Are Used to Make These Vegan Thin Mint Tarts?

This healthy Thin Mint inspired dessert is made better-for-you as it contains no refined sugars, flours, or oils. Plus, there are no preservatives, dyes, or any other weird ingredients. This Thin Mint Cookie Cup recipe is paleo-friendly, meaning they are gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy free! And they are vegan!

Here’s a look at the ingredients and some possible subs/variations:

  • Raw Almonds – The base of the tart, the almonds make the crust perfectly crunchy and adds some buttery-ness! Use any similarly hard nut (like pecan, walnut, or hazelnuts and not cashew or brazil nut).
  • Coconut Flour – Acts as the binding flour for the crust.
  • Cocoa Powder – Use any unsweetened cocoa powder you like! The cocoa powder is used in the crust to give it the chocolate cookie flavor.
  • Dark Chocolate – Use any good quality dark chocolate chips, chunks, or melting wafers you like! To make this recipe strictly paleo and refined sugar free use your favorite coconut or maple sugar sweetened chocolate chips, or bar chopped into chunks (or these!). My chocolate go-tos are either Enjoy Life or Guittard which are both sweetened with organic cane sugar. I used Guittard in this recipe.
  • Coconut Cream –  The solid from the top of a fresh can of coconut milk. This helps makes the chocolate mixture creamy and acts in place of heavy cream used in traditional ganache recipes. I recommend using a can of full fat coconut milk as it will contain the most/best solids. I don’t find that the coconut flavor is noticeable in the filling.
  • Coconut Oil – Firms up the filling and adds moisture to the crust. Use refined coconut oil for a no-coconut flavor.
  • Nut/Seed Butter – To keep this dairy free, I use a nut/seed butter to make the filling soft and creamy. I went with cashew butter because of its neutral flavor. Use any thick & creamy nut or seed butter (that contains only 1 ingredient) you like such as sunflower seed or almond butter. After cashew, my next best recommendation is sunflower seed butter.
  • Maple Syrup – Sweetens the crust and adds a bit more sweetness to the filling.
  • Peppermint Flavor –  Wouldn’t be a Thin Mint without the chocolate and mint combination! I love this one.
  • Salt – Enhances all the flavors!

How Do You Make These Healthy Thin Mints?

These Healthy Thin Mint Tarts are super easy to make! The crust comes together in a flash in a food processor. The chocolate filling is made easily in a small pot! These sweet little tarts can be made in just over 40 minutes. You can enjoy these with the filling still warm and melty or let them firm up so the filling becomes like a minty chocolate truffle.

Here’s a look at the steps:

  1. Make the crust. Just blend the crust ingredients together in a food processor.
  2. Form cookie crusts. Distribute the crust mixture into 6 muffin cavities. Then either push the mixture down and up the sides with your fingers to create a cup shape or use a small, lightly greased shot glass to press into the crust mixture and create a deep well. I used the small top insert from my food processor as it was the perfect size.
  3. Bake the crusts. For about 16-18 minutes or until they are dark and firm. Let cool slightly, they will crisp up more as they cool. Then, when cool enough to handle gently twist the cups to release and lift them up from the muffin tin. Transfer to a cooling rack. While the cups cool more, make the filling.
  4. Make the minty chocolate filling. First melt the chocolate, coconut cream, and coconut oil in a small pot over low flame. Once melted, remove from the heat, add all the remaining ingredients and mix until fully combined.
  5. Pour chocolate mixture into the cups. 
  6. Enjoy! Either with the filling still warm or let stand at room temperature to set completely. I personally prefer these once the chocolate has set and is firm. The truffle-like filling is positively delicious and the mint flavor is more pronounced once cool.

Storage: These will keep at room temperature, stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place, for about 2 days. These are amazing cold or frozen. These will keep in the freezer for a few months!

These Thin Mint inspired cups are a delicious elevated take on the classic Girl Scout cookie. All the chocolate minty goodness of the original cookie but made into an enticing mini tart. Made with healthier ingredients and no weird ingredients, you might just skip the Girl Scout stand entirely from now on. I can’t wait for you to try them!

Check Out These Girl Scout Inspired Recipes!

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), naturally sweetened, vegan

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If you make this recipe, please spread the love by leaving a review or rating down below. And I’d LOVE to see and share your creation! Take a picture and tag me on Instagram @freshlydafna in your feed or stories and I will share on my account!

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Thin Mint Cookie Cups

The classic Girl Scout cookie reimagined as a healthy mini tart.  A crunchy chocolatey, crust is filled with a luscious, minty chocolate ganache-like filling.

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), naturally sweetened, vegan

Servings 6 2 1/2 inch tarts

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

  • 1 cup (145 grams) raw almonds
  • 1/4 cup (24 grams) coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup (23 grams) cocoa powder unsweetened
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 5 tbsp (83 grams) maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) coconut oil
  • 1/4 tsp peppermint flavor

Mint Chocolate Filling

  • 3/4 cup (4 oz) dark chocolate chunks, chips, or melting wafers
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (80 grams) coconut cream solid part from the top of a fresh can of coconut milk
  • 1/2 tbsp (6 grams) coconut oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp (24 grams) cashew butter or other thick and creamy nut/seed butter (with 1 ingredient)
  • 1 tbsp (19 grams) maple syrup
  • 1/2 -1 tsp peppermint flavor
  • dash sea salt

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and if necessary grease the muffin tin with a little cooking spray or some additional oil.

  2. Make the crust. Blend the almonds, coconut flour, cocoa powder, and salt until the almonds are small bits. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse several times until everything is fully incorporated.

  3. Form cookie crusts. Distribute the crust mixture into 6 muffin cavities. Then, either push the mixture down and up the sides of each well with your fingers to create a cup shape or use a small, lightly greased cup or shot glass to press into the crust mixture and create a deep well.

  4. Bake the crusts for about 16-18 minutes or until they are dark all around and firm. Let cool slightly, they will crisp up more as they cool. When cool enough to handle gently twist the cups to release and lift them out of the muffin tin, transfer to a cooling rack. While the cups cool, make the filling.

  5. Make the Mint Chocolate filling. In a small pot melt together the chocolate, coconut cream, and coconut oil over a low flame. Stir frequently until the chocolate is fully melted, smooth, and shiny.

  6. Remove from heat and stir in the cashew butter, maple syrup, 1/2 tsp peppermint, and dash of sea salt and stir together until everything is one creamy mixture. Taste and add additional peppermint flavor and/or maple syrup per your preference.

  7. Distribute chocolate filling into the 6 cookie cups. Let cool slightly and enjoy while filling is still melty or let set completely in the fridge or at room temperature (if ambient temperature is cool) to set completely.

Recipe Notes

I personally prefer these once the chocolate has set. The filling becomes truffle-like, it's positively delicious and the mint flavor is more pronounced once cool. If your kitchen is warm, let the chocolate cool down completely before moving to the fridge or freezer to avoid cracking. 

Helpful Kitchen Tools: muffin tin, silicon spatula, kitchen scale

Storage: These will keep at room temperature, stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place, for about 2 days. These are amazing cold or frozen and will keep in the freezer for a few months!

Ingredient Substitutions/Variations:
Peppermint Flavor – The most important part of a Thin Mint is the mint! I used Peppermint Flavor by Frontier Co-op. 

Almonds - Use any similarly hard nut (like pecan, walnut, or hazelnuts and not cashew or macadamia).

Dark Chocolate - Use your favorite chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate bar. Use coconut or maple sugar sweetened chocolate to keep paleo/refined sugar free. I used Guittard Melting Wafers.

Maple Syrup - The amount of maple syrup will depend on your personal preference and how dark your chocolate chips or chunks are. Be sure to (carefully) taste the chocolate after stirring in the maple to ensure it is to your liking. Add more in small increments if you prefer it sweeter.

Nut/Seed Butter – Use any thick and creamy nut or seed butter (that contains only 1 ingredient) you like such as sunflower seed or almond. I used cashew butter for it's neutral flavor, my next best recommendation is sunflower seed butter. Always stir the nut/seed butter in the jar before measuring. Do not use the compacted paste at the bottom of the container for best results.

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Healthy Thin Mints! (paleo, vegan option)

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Saved the BEST (well, best, in my humble opinion) girl scout cookie for last! Healthy Thin Mints! And while it’s been a long while since I’ve had the original, I do believe that these are even better than how I remember them. This healthy version is made with only real fresh ingredients, has the perfect ratio of chocolate to crisp chocolate cookie and spiked with a heavy dose of peppermint oil that adds a nice twist of coolness to the chocolate. And just like the original, these are amazing when eaten straight out of the freezer!
And while there are certainly some steps involved to make these delicious cookies, it’s not as difficult as I originally imagined. The cookie comes together in just one bowl with simple ingredients and the dough, after it rests, is very easy to work with! After the cookies are cut and baked, they are dipped in chocolate, pop back in the fridge/freezer to set and viola! fresh Thin Mints that you can feel good about eating! These are paleo-friendly if using your favorite paleo chocolate bar cut into pieces for the coating. Easily made vegan by replacing the egg with a flax egg. You can bet these were gone in a flash at our house!

Check out my other Healthified Girl Scout Cookie Inspired Recipes!
Healthier S’mores Cookies
Healthy Samoas Bars
Healthy Tagalong Cookies

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), no refined sugar

If you make this, I’d LOVE to see your creation! Please tag me on Instagram @freshlydafna and use #freshlydafna.

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Healthy Thin Mints

This healthy version of the Girl Scout classic is made with only real fresh ingredients, has the perfect ratio of chocolate to crisp chocolate cookie and spiked with a heavy dose of peppermint oil that adds a nice twist of coolness to the chocolate. And just like the original, these are amazing when eaten straight out of the freezer!

paleo (gluten/grain/dairy free), vegan option, refined sugar free

Servings 20 cookies

Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil melted and cooled
  • 1 egg or flax egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint oil
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup tapioca flour

Chocolate Coating

  • 7.5 oz chocolate chips or chunks about 1 heaping cup
  • 3/4 tsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint oil

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium mixing bowl beat together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla until well mixed and lightly frothy. Then mix in the peppermint extract.

  2. Add in the coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and blend until just well incorporated.

  3. Then add in the tapioca flour and mix again until no white streaks remain and a soft dough forms.

  4. Wrap tightly in parchment paper and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes (fridge is preferable).

  5. Once dough is firm, roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper into a rectangle about 1/4 in thick. Then use a 2 in or 2.5 in round cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Re-roll the dough until all pieces are used.

  6. Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake cookies on parchment lined baking sheet for 12-14 minutes. Cookies will be slightly firm and just a bit darker around the edges.

  7. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes then move to cooling rack to let cool completely.

  8. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the chocolate coating. Melt the chocolate chips or chunks and coconut oil in a large bowl in either a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave stirring often. One melted, remove from heat and stir in the peppermint oil.

  9. Using a fork, dip each cooking into the chocolate and flip over so it's completely coated, then lift cookie with the fork and tap the side of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off. Place back on parchment lined baking sheet.

  10. Place in freezer to allow chocolate to set. Drizzle with extra chocolate if you like!

  11. These, like the original Girl Scout Cookies, are phenomenal when frozen. They will keep for about a week in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

Dough can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a day or so. 

I used and loved the Peppermint Flavor by Frontier Co-op. If using peppermint extract, you'll need far less than what I have listed in the ingredients. Start by adding a few drops, taste and add more to adjust to your preference. 

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