These vegan “Thin Mints” are made with RITZ Crackers, super easy, use only 4 ingredients, and are the perfect non-dairy Thin Mint copycat! They’re perfectly chocolately with just enough mint, and that beloved crunch you’ve been missing.
Every year I struggle with what to give as gifts for coworkers, O’s coworkers, extended family, neighbors… you know, the crew that deserves a little something but doesn’t qualify for a life-size oil painting of yours truly (yet). I typically bake because, hi, and this year will be no different. But since O and I are pretty much dairy free these days, I decided to try my hand at a vegan cookie that would please absolutely everyone. Enter… vegan Thin Mints made with RITZ Crackers.
Did you know that RITZ Crackers are actually vegan? It’s true! They contain no dairy, so combined with semi-sweet chocolate chips, a bit of shortening, and peppermint extract, you’ve got yourself a mega impressive vegan Thin Mints copycat that no one would suspect of being dairy-free. So I headed to Walmart to pick up what I needed plus a few freaking adorable gift boxes, and literally 30 total minutes later, I’m done with my holiday gift baking! If that’s not a #lifehack, I just don’t even know what is.
Make sure you use this Ibotta cash-back coupon when you buy your RITZ Crackers (don’t you love that app?!)!
One thing to know: these do not taste like crackers. Once you dip them in minty melted chocolate, they instantly transform into crunchy, indulgent cookies. It’s remarkable, really, and I’m pretty sure you should try it like, yesterday. I even got this sad text from a stressed-out O last night when I was on my way to pick up the babe, which was (mind you) before dinner:
Where are those minty treats you made…?
Yes, honey. Have the minty treats I made. I can make another batch of these dairy-free and vegan Thin Mints in OH YEAH like ten minutes. So let’s do this, shall we?
First, you need a couple sleeves of RITZ Crackers (surprise!), 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips (make sure they’re dairy-free, if you need these to be vegan), 2 tablespoons of vegan shortening (I use coconut- and palm-oil shortening), and 1 1/2 teaspoons of mint extract.
Combine the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl and melt: microwave for 60 seconds then stir, then microwave in 30-second bursts (stirring in between each round) until totally melty and smooth. Don’t over-nuke! Add in the peppermint extract, and it’s time to go for a dip. Place a single cracker in the chocolate-mint mixture and turn over with a fork until totally coated.
Lift out, top side up, and knock off extra chocolate. Try scraping the excess chocolate off the bottom of the cracker and fork against the edge of the bowl, and you’ll get a much cleaner edge to your cookie.
Place on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and repeat until you’ve finished about 36 cookies. You’ll want a little chocolate-mint mixture left over for drizzling, so don’t go too bottom of the barrel.
Place cookies in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, scrape the remaining chocolate-mint mixture into a small plastic bag and snip off the end with scissors. When the cookies’ shell is nicely hardened, place cookies on top of a cooling rack and place the whole thing on top of your parchment-lined cookie sheet again. Drizzle the chocolate-mint mixture over the cookies and return to the freezer for a few minutes. Tada! You’re done. Who needs you now, Girl Scouts?! (I’m totally kidding… the Girl Scouts are amazing, and you should really support them ❤️).
I lined my little gift boxes with a bit of parchment before layering my vegan Thin Mints in there. Could you think of a better gift than Thin Mints before Thin Mints season? I think not.
Vegan Thin Mints Made with RITZ Crackers
Ingredients
- 36 RITZ Crackers
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
Instructions
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave at full power for 60 seconds then stir. Continue microwaving in 30-second bursts and stirring after each round, until chocolate and shortening are totally melted and very smooth (don't over-microwave!). Stir in peppermint extract.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Dip individual RITZ Crackers in the chocolate-mint mixture, turning over with a fork until totally covered. Lift out of chocolate-mint mixture and allow excess to drip off, scraping the bottom of the fork against the edge of the bowl for a smoother edge to the cookie. Carefully ease off of fork using another fork to push the cookie's edge. Repeat until all crackers are used, then put the cookies in the freezer for about 10 minutes, or until chocolate shell is hardened.
- If chocolate-mint mixture is no longer very melted, microwave for a few seconds at a time, stirring in between each round. Scrape remaining chocolate-mint mixture into a small plastic bag and snip off the edge. Remove cookies from freezer and place on a wire cooling rack then place rack and cookies on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Snip off the edge of the plastic bag and drizzle the chocolate-mint mixture over the top of the cookies.
- Keep in refrigerator or freezer for best results.
Notes
Nutrition
Who do you know that would love to get these vegan Thin Mints made with RITZ Crackers this holiday season? Let me know in the comments!
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10 years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of two who lives in Memphis, TN.
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