There Are Thin Mints. Then There Are Thin Mint Brownies.

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but it’s officially Girl Scout Cookie season. 

I’m a big fan of Girl Scout Cookies, particularly Thin Mints. I’m perhaps too big a fan, as every year I wind up with far too many boxes and not enough hours in the day to eat them. So this year I got to thinking: What else can I do with Thin Mint cookies?

The answer came down to basic math: chewy brownies + Thin Mints = the most decadent dessert.

To combine the two, I started with our famous Chewy Brownies recipe. With their excellent texture and full chocolate flavor, they are truly the perfect brownie. But if you don’t have the time, you could use your favorite boxed brownie mix. (We have a favorite one of those, too! King Arthur All-American Brownie Mix won the review team’s recent tasting, which will be published soon.)

To make sure that every bite was bursting with Thin Mints, I opted to use the crushed cookies in two ways: I folded half directly into the batter, and I sprinkled the remaining half on top just before baking. The pieces on top maintained their shape, creating a crown of Thin Mints that made this recipe worthy of its name.

I highly encourage any chocolate and mint lover to bake these brownies. They’re rich; decadent; and full of crispy, crunchy Thin Mint cookies. They’re the perfect way to use up an extra box of Girl Scout Cookies.

Oh, by the way: If you’re working with a full box, 8 ounces of Thin Mints leaves about four cookies—perfect for snacking while you bake.

This recipe uses a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. If using a boxed mix or a recipe that calls for an 8-inch square baking pan, use 6 ounces of Thin Mints and reduce the mint extract to ¼ teaspoon. 

• ½ teaspoon mint extract (optional)
• Your favorite brownie batter (boxed mix works fine, but these Chewy Brownies are my favorite)
• 8 ounces Thin Mints, broken into ½-inch pieces, divided
  
  1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray with vegetable oil spray.
  
  2. Stir mint extract into batter, if using, then fold half of Thin Mints into batter. Transfer batter to prepared pan, then scatter remaining half of Thin Mints over top of batter. 
  
  3. Bake brownies based off your recipe’s instructions, then transfer pan to wire rack. Let cool for 1½ hours.
  

  
  4. Using foil overhang, lift brownies out of pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

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