First of all – these are MINTY goodness at it’s finest.  Second of all – I used essential oil in them!!!! So, already what’s not to like?  Third – they have the same flavor as Thin Mints (hence the name), but aren’t thin or crispy at all.  They are thick, soft,  and wonderful (depending on how long you bake them).  I tend to like to undertake a bit because things still cook when they come out of the oven.  This way you get a soft, chewy cookie!

So, basically what happened is that I found a recipe and then I messed it up, but it turned out to be a beautiful mess!  I adapted this recipe from The Healthy Maven.  Her’s are crinkle cookies, which I want to try as well because they look FABULOUS.  With a name like crinkle cookies how could they not be great?!  I just was in a rush, left out half of the almond meal because I was doing a double batch, but ended up with a little nugget that was great!

So, make these for Santa, for Christmas gifts, for yourself!  Happy holidays to everyone!!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup of almond meal
• 2 T coconut flour
• 2 T cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 (or more) cup of chocolate chips
• 1/2 -1 tsp peppermint essential oil or extract depending on how minty you want them! *if you use the oil – you can use a little less – it’s way more potent but I LOVE the flavor it brings!

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine almond meal, coconut flour, cocoa powder, 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar, baking soda and salt.
2. In a separate bowl combine eggs, coconut oil, and pepper oil or extract .
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined.
4. Cover bowl and place in freezer for 20 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Scoop out 1 tablespoon worth of dough and roll into a ball between palms.
7. Place balls on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let sit on tray for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

*I ran out of coconut sugar, but you can roll them in coconut sugar prior to baking AND/OR rush them at the end once out of the oven.  On her blog – she put the sugar in a food processor and pulsed until the sugar became fine and this gave them a snowball effect at the end.  You better believe I’m going to get more coconut sugar today!  🙂