Ritz Cracker Thin Mints (2-Ingredient Homemade Thin Mints)

These Ritz Cracker Thin Mints are the easiest way to get homemade Thin Mints without waiting for Girl Scout cookie season. You need just two ingredients, Ritz crackers and Andes Crème de Menthe baking chips, and no oven. Dip, chill, and you have a tray of crisp, minty chocolate cookies in about 40 minutes.

The buttery, slightly salty Ritz cracker stands in for the chocolate wafer, and the Andes chips bring the cool mint coating that makes a Thin Mint taste like a Thin Mint. They are a great project to make with kids, a handy last-minute holiday cookie, and a fun pairing for a box of the real thing if you have any left.

If you’re on a Girl Scout copycat kick, make a batch of my Air Fryer Girl Scout Tagalongs next. The peanut butter and chocolate pair perfectly with these mint cookies on a dessert tray.

I made a double batch of these for testing, and my kids disappeared half the plate before the chocolate even fully set! One quick tip from my test runs: chilling the Ritz crackers in the freezer for 10 minutes before dipping keeps them from crumbling in the melted chocolate and gives you a clean, smooth coat every time.

Why These Homemade Thin Mints Work

• Two ingredients, no baking. The microwave does all the work, so there’s no dough to roll or cookies to bake.
• The right crunch. Ritz crackers stay crisp under a thin chocolate shell, which gives you the snap of a real Thin Mint.
• Mint is built in. Andes Crème de Menthe baking chips are already mint-flavored, so you don’t need peppermint extract to get that classic taste.
• Any time of year. Make them in July, at Christmas, or the week after cookie season ends.
• Freezer friendly. Like the boxed kind, they’re excellent straight from the freezer.

The salty-sweet contrast is the one real difference from the original. Ritz crackers are buttery and a little salty, so these taste closer to a chocolate-covered pretzel crossed with a Thin Mint. Most people like that even more.

Ingredients for Ritz Cracker Thin Mints

• Ritz crackers: One sleeve holds about 35 crackers. Use original Ritz; the whole-wheat and reduced-fat versions are drier and less buttery. Check that they’re fresh, since stale crackers go soft under the chocolate.
• Andes Crème de Menthe baking chips: Find them in the baking aisle next to the chocolate chips. A 10-ounce bag (about 1⅔ cups) coats one sleeve with a little left over.
• Optional: 1 teaspoon coconut oil. Stir it into the melted chips for a thinner, glossier coating that’s easier to dip.

Can’t find the baking chips? Unwrapped Andes Crème de Menthe candies melt the same way. You’ll need about two 4.67-ounce boxes per sleeve of crackers. Unwrapping takes a few minutes, so it’s a good job to hand to the kids.

How to Make Homemade Thin Mints with Ritz and Andes

Step 1: Line a baking sheet. Use parchment or wax paper so the cookies release cleanly once set.

Step 2: Melt the Andes chips. Microwave them in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds, stir, then continue in 15-second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth. Stir in the coconut oil now if you’re using it.

Step 3: Dip the crackers. Drop one cracker into the chocolate, flip it with a fork, then lift it out and tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so the extra chocolate drips back in. A thin coat is what makes these taste like Thin Mints.

Step 4: Set them on the tray. Slide each cracker off the fork onto the parchment. Leave a little space between them.

Step 5: Chill until firm. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or freeze for 15, until the chocolate is completely set.

Tips and Troubleshooting

• Chocolate is too thick to dip. Stir in coconut oil, ½ teaspoon at a time. Never add water or milk; even a drop can make melted chocolate seize into a grainy paste.
• Chocolate thickened halfway through. Microwave the bowl for another 10 to 15 seconds and stir. It’s normal for it to firm up as it cools.
• Chocolate looks grainy or scorched. It got too hot. Start over with fresh chips and use shorter bursts at 50% power.
• Coating is lumpy or uneven. Tap the fork against the bowl longer before setting the cracker down. Excess chocolate pools around the base and creates a “foot.”
• Crackers went soft. The crackers were stale, or the cookies sat in a humid kitchen. Store them chilled and in an airtight container.
• Want a smoother look? Drag the fork lightly across the top of each cookie right after placing it for a classic striped finish.

Easy Variations

• Dark chocolate Thin Mints: Swap the Andes chips for dark chocolate chips and stir in ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract. This version tastes the closest to the boxed cookie.
• Holiday Thin Mints: Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the cookies before the chocolate sets.
• Sea salt Thin Mints: Finish each cookie with a pinch of flaky salt while it’s still wet.
• Thin Mint sandwiches: Spread a little peanut butter between two Ritz crackers before dipping.
• Gluten-free Thin Mints: Use gluten-free butter-style crackers and check the chip label.

Still craving mint chocolate? Try my Air Fryer Andes Mint Cupcakes or Instant Pot Andes Mint Cheesecake Bites.

How to Store and Freeze Homemade Thin Mints

Store the cookies in an airtight container with parchment between the layers so they don’t stick together.

Where	How long	Notes
Room temperature	Up to 1 week	Keep somewhere cool; a warm kitchen softens the chocolate.
Refrigerator	Up to 2 weeks	Best texture and snap.
Freezer	Up to 3 months	Eat straight from the freezer, just like the boxed Thin Mints.

If you’re a frozen Thin Mint fan, chop a few into my Cold Stone Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ninja Creami as a mix-in.

Ritz Cracker Thin Mints FAQs

Do Ritz cracker Thin Mints really taste like Girl Scout Thin Mints? They’re close. The mint chocolate coating is spot on, but the Ritz cracker adds a buttery, salty note that the chocolate wafer in the original doesn’t have.

Can I use Andes candies instead of baking chips? Yes. Unwrap the Crème de Menthe candies and melt them the same way. They melt a little thicker, so a teaspoon of coconut oil helps.

Can I use other crackers or cookies? Yes. Club crackers work the same way, and Oreo Thins give you a chocolate base that’s even closer to the original cookie.

Why did my chocolate seize? It either got too hot or touched water. Melt in short bursts and keep the bowl and fork completely dry.

How many cookies does this make? One sleeve of Ritz makes about 35 cookies. For a bigger batch, double both ingredients.

More Easy Cookies to Make Next

If you loved how simple these were to dip, my Easy Peppermint White Chocolate Covered Oreos use the exact same melt-dip-chill method. They’re a three-ingredient holiday cookie, and a tray of both looks great on a cookie platter.

For a classic copycat bake, try my McDonald’s Chocolate Chip Cookies with soft centers and crisp edges, or these chewy Copycat Otis Spunkmeyer Chocolate Chip Cookies. Oatmeal fans should make the Copycat Potbelly Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

If you’d rather use the air fryer, my Easy Air Fryer Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies bake in small batches in minutes. Baking for one? The Air Fryer Single Serve Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie is a single gooey cookie, just right for one sweet craving.

More Mint and Copycat Treats to Try

• Air Fryer Girl Scout Tagalongs: shortbread, peanut butter, and a chocolate shell, the perfect partner to these Thin Mints.
• Instant Pot Andes Mint Cheesecake Bites: creamy mini cheesecakes with chocolate and Andes on top.
• Air Fryer Andes Mint Cupcakes: cake-mix cupcakes topped with Andes candy.
• Cold Stone Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ninja Creami: a copycat mint ice cream for the Ninja Creami.