A simple recipe for crispy, buttery Lace Cookies that everyone will love! Layer them with some dark chocolate for extra decadence. These cookies are perfectly stackable and great for holiday gift-giving or any time of year!
If you’re looking for more cookie recipes try these Chocolate Coconut Cloud Cookies. For more dessert ideas check out all my Gluten-Free Desserts.
Lace Cookies
Lace cookies are a holiday classic for a reason! These cookies are thin, buttery, crispy and oh-so addicting. They are even more delicious layered with a little dark chocolate. I love these cookies because they are surprisingly easy to make, but look like they came from a fancy bakery!
You also might like these gluten-free oatmeal cream pies!
What are lace cookies made of?
Lace cookies are known for their characteristic delicate, see-through texture. They are usually made from butter, sugar, salt and other ingredients. Depending on the recipe they can also have oats, flour or ground nuts.
My favorite way to make lace cookies is with quick oats. I think they lend the perfect texture to these cookies! I use gluten-free quick oats to keep these cookies gluten-free, but any kind of quick oats will work.
How to Make Lace Cookies
- Brown the butter.
- Pour the butter onto the sugar and whisk to combine.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients.
- Mix together with a spatula until well-combined.
- Scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet in 1 teaspoon portions. Bake!
After you’ve baked the cookies let them cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. Then use a small spatula (I love this one!) to flip 6 of the cookies over. Top with some chocolate chips and let the heat of the pan melt the chocolate.
If the chocolate isn’t melting you can put the cookies back in the oven for 1 minute. Spread the chocolate into a smooth layer then top with another cookie. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
You might also like these gluten-free oatmeal cream pies!
Tips for Thin, Crispy Cookies
- Brown butter gives these cookies an extra delicious flavor. Brown butter gives these cookies a nutty aroma and flavor. You have to melt the butter anyway and browning it only takes 2 extra minutes. It is well worth the effort!
- Use quick oats instead of rolled oats. Quick oats give these cookies a nice, even texture. Since rolled oats are larger they won’t make as delicate of a cookie.
- Only use 1 teaspoon dough per cookie. Trust me when I say these cookies spread a lot! You’ll want to be sure to only use 1 teaspoon dough per cookie and to give the cookies plenty of space for spreading during baking.
- Use a silpat baking liner. A nonstick silpat liner is very helpful for making these cookies. The cookies will easily come off a lined pan, but may stick to an unlined pan.
- Melted chocolate will help hold these cookies together. Melted chocolate is not only delicious, it also solidifies as it cools and helps hold these cookies together. I recommend layering the lace cookies with chocolate if you’re planning on bringing them somewhere.
FAQ
How should I store these cookies?
Store lace cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature for up to 4 days. These cookies stay nice and crispy so they’re perfect for gift-giving or cookie exchanges.
Can I freeze these cookies?
You can freeze lace cookies in a resealable bag for up to 3 months. Just be sure to put them in a special spot in the freezer so they won’t get crushed or broken! Or a secret spot where they won’t get eaten 😉
If you’re looking for more cookies you may want to try these:
If you try this recipe be sure to leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
Lace Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup gluten-free quick oats
- 1/4 cup gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 oz chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted start to whisk constantly. First the butter will begin to foam, then after a couple of minutes it will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan. Turn off the heat as soon as the solids turn brown and the butter gives off a nutty aroma.
- Add the sugar to a medium bowl. Pour the brown butter over top being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the milk solids. Whisk to combine. Add the egg and vanilla then whisk until smooth.
- Add the quick oats, flour and salt and mix with a spatula to combine. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 1/2 inches between the cookies. You should be able to fit 12 to a baking sheet, but the cookies will spread so don't crowd them.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes until the cookies start to turn golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes.
- Use a small spatula to flip 6 of the cookies over on the baking sheet. Top the flipped cookies with 10-12 chocolate chips and let the heat of the pan melt the chocolate. If you find the chocolate isn't melting, place the cookie sheet back in the oven for 1 minute to help the chocolate melt. Spread the chocolate into a thin layer then top with a second cookie. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature for up to 4 days. The cookies can be frozen in a resealable bag for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
Notes
- Brown butter gives these cookies an extra delicious flavor. Brown butter gives these cookies a nutty aroma and flavor. You have to melt the butter anyway and browning it only takes 2 extra minutes. It is well worth the effort!
- Use quick oats instead of rolled oats. Quick oats give these cookies a nice, even texture. Since rolled oats are larger they won’t make as delicate of a cookie.
- Only use 1 teaspoon dough per cookie. Trust me when I say these cookies spread a lot! You’ll want to be sure to only use 1 teaspoon dough per cookie and to give the cookies plenty of space for spreading during baking.
- Use a silpat baking liner. A nonstick silpat liner is very helpful for making these cookies. The cookies will easily come off a lined pan, but may stick to an unlined pan.
- Melted chocolate will help hold these cookies together. Melted chocolate is not only delicious, it also solidifies as it cools and helps hold these cookies together. I recommend layering the lace cookies with chocolate if you’re planning on bringing them somewhere.
Hello!
I made these using Monkfruit sweetner instead of sugar, and because I only had whole oats, I blitzed them first to make them much smaller. The taste is delicious (that brown butter really comes through!), but they didn’t spread at all. I got ball-shaped sandwich cookies. They still taste good, but they’re pretty hard to bite into!
I can’t imagine the sugar difference making that happen, but I can’t figure out what I did wrong. Any suggestions?
Hi Heather! Monkfruit will actually give you very different results than granulated cane sugar in this recipe. Part of the magic of lace cookies is the sugar melts and caramelizes. Sorry about that!
Super yummy and super easy. I substituted 1/2 of the sugar with monk fruit to lower the carb count and used both Lily’s sugar free and nestle’s chips (again, so lower the carb count without interfering with taste). I’ve made these several times and the most recent time, I used almond extract rather than vanilla. Very yummy too!!