Minty Thins are like Thin Mints, only AIP/Paleo. They are sooooo goooood. You shall not be deprived of this nostalgic treat!
It’s that time of year in America when young girls of a certain organization are selling cookies as a fundraiser. (For my readers in other countries, this sale is anxiously awaited.) If you feel led to support this organization by buying their products, by all means, please do so!
For those of us on the autoimmune protocol, it can be so sad to see our family members and friends indulging in these treats that we can’t haaaaaave. 😩 For you and for me, I set out to make a copycat version of one of the most popular cookies so that we won’t be tempted into derailing our health for a momentary taste.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to summon your best cooking techniques (you’ll need them), and create a treat that is simply wonderful to have on hand when your co-worker’s daughter approaches you with her box of wares.
Three Caveats:
1.) If you are new to the AIP, please know that recipes that seek to replicate what we had prior to going AIP will not be exactly the same. I wish I could tell you differently, but that’s the truth. Those of us who have been AIP for a while are just glad to have something even in the neighborhood of some beloved dishes. 😂
2.) Follow directions precisely, especially in the frosting. If not, you run the risk of your carob seizing just like cocoa does. Believe me, it’s not pretty. And I’m not going to tell you that that happened to me three times while I was experimenting…
3.) Be very careful with the pure peppermint oil! It is extremely potent. If you get some on your hands then touch your face, it will make your face feel like it’s on fire. Again, I’m not going to tell you how I know that. (Ahem.) Before you ask me about subbing this ingredient, pure peppermint oil is the only peppermint flavoring I know of that is AIP friendly. However, if you choose to use an extract, you will likely need to use more peppermint than I’ve called for to get the same taste.
OK, so are you ready to dive in? If you make these, please show me your photos on Instagram and Facebook! 😄 Now let’s eat coooookiiieeeeeeeeesss!!!
💗,
Wendi
P.S. If you are not a mint person, try these Figgy Swirl Cookies. They are the bomb.
Minty Thins (AIP, Paleo)
Course: DessertCuisine: AIP, PaleoDifficulty: Medium30
servings45
minutes10
minutesMinty Thins are like Thin Mints, only AIP/Paleo. They are sooooo goooood. You shall not be deprived of this nostalgic treat!
Ingredients
For the cookie part:
1/2 C. 1/2 cassava flour
1/4 C. 1/4 arrowroot starch/flour
1/4 C. 1/4 carob powder
1 T. 1 gelatin
1/2 t. 1/2 baking soda
1/2 C. 1/2 palm shortening
1/2 C. 1/2 coconut sugar
1/4 t. 1/4 pure peppermint oil
5 T. 5 water
For the frosting:
2 T. 2 pure maple syrup
2 T. 2 carob powder
1 T. 1 water
1/4 C. 1/4 coconut oil
2 T. 2 coconut butter
1/4 t. 1/4 pure peppermint oil
5 t. 5 hot water
Directions
- Please read the 3 caveats above before proceeding. Preheat oven to 350° F. In a medium-sized bowl, gently whisk together cassava flour, arrowroot, carob, gelatin, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream shortening. Add sugar, and cream again. Add peppermint oil, and cream yet again.
- By hand, mix in dry ingredients. Then mix in water, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach a consistency that resembles wet sand. It will seem dry and crumbly, but if you grab a handful of it, the dough will stick together. If you live in a dry climate, you may need to add another tablespoon or two of water. Don’t get it too wet. Here’s what it should look like:
- Gather the dough together. Take a chunk of dough, and work it into a patty. Roll it between two pieces of parchment paper to a thickness of between 1/8”-1/4”. Remove top piece of parchment.
- Using a 1 3/4-inch or 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out shapes, and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Let cool.
- Make the frosting! In a small bowl, whisk together the syrup, carob powder and one tablespoon of water.
- In a glass measuring cup, slowly melt together the coconut oil and coconut butter. Do not overheat! Place in microwave for ten seconds only. Stir. Maybe do ten more seconds, and stir again. (Note: you will need to gently heat the coconut butter before measuring. Soften it, then stir to incorporate the top layer of separation.)
- Gradually whisk the melted mixture into the carob mixture, bit at a time. Continue whisking, and add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint oil. Continue whisking, and add hot water, teaspoonful at a time. Done!
- One by one, dunk the top side of cookies, and place them on a cooling rack. You may wish to place a cookie sheet under the rack to catch the drips. Let the cookies set. I recommend refrigerating them to harden the frosting – and they just taste better this way!
- Now enjoy your very own Minty Thins, whilst your friends and family are indulging in the non-AIP variety. If you have questions, or you need help, I’m here for you! 💗😊💗
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Wendi! You are a genius! These are so tasty! Thank you for all your hard work on this recipe.
Thank you so much, Jackie! I’m happy you like them! 😊😊😊
Hi Wendi, I live in the UK and palm shortening is not widely available, can I use coconut oil instead?
Hi over there! 👋 I fear that coconut will just melt into a gloppy mess. The only way I can get palm shortening myself is through Amazon. Can you do that?
Hi Wendi, thanks for getting back to me. Unfortunately the only way I can get palm shortening is if I pay around £18 on eBay! I’m afraid I can’t justify that kind of expense at the moment. My other options are either vegetable shortening which is easy to get or avocado oil spread, what would you suggest? Thanks.
Oh wow. Vegetable shortening is not AIP, but if you are coming to the recipe without having to be AIP, I’d say try that. I have no idea about the avocado oil spread. I totally understand, though. Sourcing ingredients to eat this way can be tough! I have, however, seen more and more of the things we need on store shelves. This gives me hope. Hang in there! 😊
Thank you Wendi, I am AIP at the moment so I will have to experiment or simply wait until I can get something suitable, I was so looking forward to trying these!
Hang in there, Bella! 💪🏼
I think you were a bit modest with your first caveat. These are very very close to the original. I will be making these again. Thank you for making my aip switch so much easier.
Oh YAY! I’m so glad you like them! They are a big hit in my house. 🙂
As the holiday season approaches, I just thought of this recipe. I am definitely planning to make them again because they delicious! I found out I am sensitive to carob but not cocoa, do you think I could do an even swap in this recipe?
I’m so glad you like them! I’m not really sure about an even swap. The reason is that carob is inherently sweet(ish). Cocoa might need a boost in the sweet department. If you try it, let me know how it goes! 🙂
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You are an absolute genius!! Thank you!!!
Aw! Thank you so much, Heather! 😊
These were amazing! I loved them. But for some reason the frosting for me came out very runny. Don’t know what I did wrong but I ate most of them without it anyway because they were so tasty!! Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m so glad you like them! I do, too. The frosting will be runny at first because it’s supposed to run over the cookies and cover the tops completely. The frosting will harden some, especially if you refrigerate the cookies. This is my favorite way to eat them! I also make them at Easter, and cut out bunny shapes. Thanks for taking the time to write! 🙂
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Literally everything you make is delicious! I cannot wait to make these this weekend!
Woo hoo!!! Thank you, Charly! They are a bit of a project, but I hope you just love them!💕
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I don’t know what I did wrong, haha, but they don’t look anything like yours! They still taste DELICIOUS! I for sure made them too big, so I only got 14 cookies, but they cooked up great.
All the recipes I’ve tried with carob don’t turn out looking as dark or as smooth as everyone’s pictures… So I’m wondering if it’s the brand I’m using. What carob do you recommend?
Hi, Valerie! Oh please do not despair! AIP baking is so freaking hard. I’ve had so, so many flops that you DON’T see in pictures. (My first pumpkin pie turned into a disgusting soup, and ended up in the trash!) If you end up with something passable, pat yourself on the back. 😊 As for carob, I always use Chatfield’s. Best of luck to you!
Hi Wendi,
I really really want to try these but I have sugar sensitivity and react to coconut sugar. I realize you haven’t done this, but do you think I could use maple sugar or honey with less water to sweeten the cookies?
Any ideas are much appreciated!
Thanks!
Laura B.
Hi, Laura! You’re right. I haven’t tried these subs, but if I were to try, I’d go with maple sugar because of the texture. I might even try date sugar. Honey tends to keep things from getting crispy. Does maple sugar taste like maple syrup? I’ve never tried it. I wonder if the maple flavor would clash with mint. I don’t know what it tastes like. If you do try a sub, could you let us all know if it worked? Somebody else may have the same question. Thanks 1,000,000! 🙂
I made a batch of these cookies and they were quite good. But I suspect I didn’t follow the directions closely enough.
Really, really important to get the water level right. I got to 4 Tbsp of water in the cookies and should have stopped there. But I got nervous, and added more. So the cookies turned out to be too soft. Lost the crispiness.
Same in the frosting… I think I added too much water and it didn’t firm up very well.
But the instructions were very clear, if only I had followed them.
Hi, Mike! No worries. I know that AIP baking and treat-making are reeeeaaallly different than what we’re used to. I’ve made the same mistakes while developing recipes. I hope you’ll be able to make these again when the Girl Scouts are selling their wares. :)))))