Made from only 6 ingredients, these easy lace cookies are ready in 30 minutes and they taste like sweet brown butter and caramel. Sandwich with a little chocolate for an extra special treat. Everyone loves these and they’re gluten free too!
Welcome to day 7 of Sally’s Cookie Palooza! If you’re just joining us, here are all the recipes published so far:
- Peppermint Bark Cookies
- Spritz Cookies
- Christmas Cookies in a Jar (with free printable!)
- Santa’s Whiskers Cookies
- Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Gingerbread House (December Baking Challenge!)
Day 7 calls for something easy. So easy you’ll think you’re doing something wrong. Made from only 6 ingredients, these lace cookies are ready in 30 minutes and they taste like sweet brown butter and caramel. As if you took caramel, mixed it with brown butter, and made it into a thin and crispy cookie. THEY’RE HEAVEN.
What are Lace Cookies?
Lace cookies are very thin and crunchy cookies made from butter, sugar, salt, and other ingredients. The other ingredients vary depending on the recipe. Some recipes use oats and flour, other lace cookie recipes use nuts. Lace cookies get their name from their delicate and see-through appearance. My mom always used to make these—they’re a beautiful cookie!
They’re also one of my favorite gluten free dessert recipes. It’s nice to have a gluten free option among your spread of Christmas cookies!
How to Make Lace Cookies
In an effort to keep these gluten free AND to add elevated flavor, my lace cookie recipe uses almond flour. In addition to almond flour, you’ll also need: butter, brown sugar, salt, milk or corn syrup, and vanilla extract. That’s it!
- The cookie dough is prepared on the stove. And I use the term “cookie dough” loosely as this is more like a cake batter. All the ingredients, except for the vanilla extract (stirred in later), are cooked for a few minutes in a saucepan before spooning onto the baking sheet. This cooking stage melts the ingredients together, while baking in the oven will create caramelized sugar and brown butter flavors.
- No chilling the cookie dough. But let it rest for about 5 minutes. The cookie dough will slightly thicken, making spooning onto the baking sheets easier.
- Only 1 scant teaspoon of cookie dough per cookie. Because they’ll spread!
- Short baking time – only 8 minutes. The cookies won’t spread out at first, but around the 4 minute mark, they’ll begin their spreading journey! Listen to the butter sizzling around the edges. I love these unique cookies!
Forget everything I taught you about how to prevent cookies from spreading. You want lace cookies to be extra thin and crisp because that’s where all the caramelization happens. 🙂
Be Extra
Though lace cookies have the most interesting flavor and texture, it’s Christmastime which means we can add a little flair. Sandwich your lace cookies with a generous spread of Nutella or melted chocolate and prepare for the cookie sandwich of a lifetime. Can you truly think of a better flavor combination than butter, caramelized sugar, vanilla, almond, and chocolate?! Nutella can get a little messy, so if you’re gifting or traveling with the lace cookies—I suggest melted chocolate. Unlike Nutella, melted chocolate will set. I have instructions for chocolate in the recipe notes below.
If you love adding a little chocolate to your cookies, give your chocolate ginger cookies and pinwheel cookies a dip in chocolate, too!
With an ingredient line up like this, how can lace cookies not taste good?
I just love how quick and simple these are—much appreciated during the busy holiday season and PERFECT if you want a unique cookie recipe to serve alongside the classics like Christmas sugar cookies and shortbread. This recipe also joins 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipes—ready in 1 hour or less!
Easy Lace Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 30-32 cookies or 15-16 sandwiches
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made from only 6 ingredients, these lace cookies are ready in 30 minutes and they taste like sweet brown butter and caramel. Sandwich with a little chocolate for an extra special treat. Everyone loves these and they’re gluten free too!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup (130g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (75g) almond flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) light or dark corn syrup or milk*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: 1/2 cup Nutella or melted chocolate (see note)
Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan on low heat. Once melted, add the brown sugar, almond flour, salt, and milk/corn syrup. Cook and whisk until sugar has dissolved and ingredients are completely combined, around 3-4 minutes. (Note: If melted butter is separating from the mixture, remove the pan from heat and vigorously whisk until it is all combined again. It will eventually come back together.)
- Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. Mixture will be grainy and shiny. Allow cookie dough to sit and thicken for about 5-10 minutes as the oven preheats. The mixture will thicken as it cools down.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Drop scant teaspoonfuls (1 scant teaspoon of mixture per cookie, not Tablespoon) 3 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 6-8 minutes until golden brown around the edges. The edges and centers will sizzle and bubble as the cookies bake!
- Allow cookies to cool for 5 full minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Cookies dry and crisp up as they cool.
- Once cool, enjoy cookies or sandwich with Nutella or melted chocolate. To sandwich, spread either Nutella or melted chocolate onto the bottom of one cooled cookie and sandwich with another. See recipe note if using chocolate.
- Cookies without Nutella/chocolate filling will stay fresh covered at room temperature for 1 week. Cookies with Nutella/chocolate will stay fresh covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Baked cookies, with or without Nutella/chocolate filling, freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving. You can prepare the cookie dough in steps 1 and 2, cover tightly once cooled, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature, then continue with the recipe.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Saucepan | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack
- Almond Flour: I like using Bob’s Red Mill brand almond flour, found in the baking aisle of major grocery stores. If you can’t find almond flour in the store, you can make your own by simply pulsing almonds until they reach a gritty and rough flour-like consistency. Instead of almond flour, you can use the same amount of oat flour. (Buy oat flour or pulse whole oats into a flour.) All-purpose flour isn’t ideal because the cookies will not spread or caramelize. Some readers have used coconut flour, but note that the taste and texture is off. I strongly recommend almond flour.
- Either 1 Tablespoon of milk or corn syrup works in this lace cookie recipe. You need a liquid and the resulting cookie tastes exactly the same no matter which you choose. I prefer corn syrup because I find it makes the cookies just a *little* crispier.
- Nutella can get a little messy, so if you’re gifting or traveling with the lace cookies—I suggest using melted chocolate for sandwiching the cookies. Unlike Nutella, melted chocolate will set. Instead of sandwiching, try dunking the cookies in melted chocolate or drizzling the chocolate on top. Whichever way you prefer, use about 6-8 ounces of chopped semi-sweet chocolate. (I like Ghirardelli or Bakers brand, both found in the baking aisle.) Melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 15-second increments, stopping and stirring after each until completely smooth. Sandwich, dip, or drizzle onto cooled cookies. Allow chocolate to set completely in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Sally,
I made it and it was great but storing was a problem. After sandwiching it with chocolate it became soft after while of leaving it in the open. If store in the fridge will the same thing happen. I stack it one on top of the other…
Hi there! love all things sally and its my go to for baking! so any thoughts as to why when I baked this it basically spread into a rectangle lol it was one giant cookie! I do live in colorado so not sure if that has anything to do with it at all altitude-wise? (recently moved out here so getting used to that). Thanks!!
Hi Dale, I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
This is a great recipe! I measured out 4g for each cookie and found that they spread into more even circles on a silicon mat compared to parchment paper. Also, at 350 with an oven thermomenter, my cookies took more like 10-11 minutes to reach the right color (keep an eye on them!). I added 2 tsps of organge zest into the batter, which provided a perfect amount of orange flavor. I may try adding a little almond extract next time. I haven’t done the chocolate yet, but I may just drizzle some over the top instead of making sandwiches.
These lace cookies are ridiculous. They are “the best thing I’ve ever baked.” I tried them with and without the nutella…both ways are super delicious.
So crispy and delicious! Maybe my favorite cookie recipe ever?
Hi there! When you take these out of the oven, are they pliable enough to be shaped into cones to be filled?
Hi Ann! Some readers have tried this while the baked cookies are still pretty warm, but we haven’t tested it so can’t say for sure.
I did shape them into cylinders, like cannoli, about 1-2 mins after pulling out from the oven. I think cones would be similar. I dipped them in chocolate though, not sure what you’re filling it with but the lace texture might make it hard if your filling is too thin.
Any idea how to make the cookie come out in a rounder shape? Mine came out all weirdly shaped. But great recipe
Hi Jy, be very careful to drop the mixture into neat drops to ensure neat, round cookies. So glad you’re enjoying these!
I have tried so hard to make mine round.… The only thing that works for me is just taking a 4-inch round cookie cutter to them about 2 minutes after they come out of the oven. Then, after they fully cool, the excess snaps off, and I’m left with perfect circles!
Thank you so much for giving a gluten-free recipe. I’m also low carb so I plan to make it with a different sweetener.
can these be frozen?
Hi Sharon, baked cookies, with or without Nutella/chocolate filling, freeze well up to 3 months. See recipe notes for more details.
Can you use Agave instead of Corn Syrup?
I haven’t tested that substitution, but you can certainly try it.
Easy, delicious, looks great. Made my own hazelnut spread as well which was pretty easy. Good option to give away for holidays.
I made these over the weekend, had no problems. They turned out great and we’re really easy. It like a layer of brittle. The chocolate layer in between is a must.
Made two batches of this and both time’s the butter separated so badly I had to throw them out. Even after whisking profusely the solids were VERY solid and never combined.
Excellent! I made half a batch and measured using weights given. Used coconut oil instead of butter, dark brown sugar, almond flour from Costco, reduced fat coconut milk and added a bit of cinnamon. Had to use about 3 tablespoons milk to get the consistency in the photo and made sure to keep the heat on the lowest setting. Baked until I could see brown around the edges. Using a level teaspoon, I got 36 cookies about 2 1/4 inches wide and had no problem with 12 per pan. A great “diet” cookie at 30 calories each! Thank you!
Hello,
I was wondering if you could use pecans pulsed until fine instead of almonds?
Worth a shot! We’ve only tested the recipe with almond and oat flours. Pecan flour would be wonderful!
OMG – These Lace Cookies are divine . Came out perfect in every way!! Thank you
Hi! I doubled the recipe and it made 19 cookies (9 cookie sandwiches) which were way less than I expected! I did the same amount as the recipe intended (but doubled) and followed the recipe perfectly! Delicious, crunchy, sweet, and Nutella-y. just the way I love my cookies What do you think I might’ve done wrong to get such little amount? Thanks so much for yet another awesome recipe ♥ Leah
Hi Leah, you need a very tiny amount of batter/dough per cookie– only 1 teaspoon. Did you by chance mistake that for 1 Tablespoon? This batter yields more than 9 teaspoons.
Hi, do you the corn syrup can be replaced by golden syrup? They are similar, but didn’t want to mess up a good recipe.
Hi Amiee, we haven’t tried this recipe with golden syrup, but let us know how they turn out if you do!
have you tried this using honey instead of corn syrup??
Hi Janet, we haven’t tried personally, but it should be just fine. Let us know how it goes!
Fantastic recipe. But … as a candy maker at Christmas be a bit more specific about not letting the ingredients come to a boil ruined my first batch figured it out but to a newbie. Stress just melting Thanks !!! Second batch was awesome!!!
Tried the recipe.. My mistake for not reading the reviews prior…the cookies baked do not look and taste like Lace cookies at all…what a waste of ingredients.
Any suggestions on why when I added ingredients to melted butter the dough became hard and butter separated and couldn’t use a whisk ?
Hi Jo, Did you carefully follow the recipe and ingredients using almond flour? Make sure that your pan is set over LOW heat. Keep stirring until the butter comes together. It will eventually, I promise!
I made this recipe may be 5 times and it came great every time,however recently it is an epic fail because of butter separation which never comes together upon whisking and even when it came together the mixture is gritty and coarse,I don’t understand what went wrong,i use the same scale ,same ingredients and I’m the same person who made them multiple successful times
Please help
The cookies were so delicate that I could not put chocolate on them without them crumbling. Any ideas what I did wrong?
Hi Ann, these cookies are meant to be very thin and crisp. They are delicate and crumble easily. If they become too difficult to handle, it’s possible that they were over baked and need a minute or two less in the oven next time.
Hi! Made these several times and it was a hit! So good, everyone loved it! Been wanting to try adding oats in it for more texture. How much oats should I add? 🙂
Hi Anna, you can certainly try adding oats if you’d like — we haven’t tested it so we’re unsure of the exact amount, but there are many recipes out there that do use oats if you want to take a look! Or, see recipe notes for using oat flour (or finely pulsed whole oats) instead of almond flour.
First batch came out soft and never crisped up – I think they needed another minute. Subsequent batches did better because they were smaller and baked for longer. I’d aim for about 3/4 tsp per cookie and definitely leave lots of space between them. Also I used margarine and oat milk to keep it non-dairy. Though these were a bit of a hassle but the family did love eating them! Chocolate sandwiches are a must in my opinion
First time follow the recipe to the letter. Bake them for 7 to 8 minutes and they look beautiful when they came out but never firmed up to soft. Second time added a bit more almond flour bake them for nine minutes and perfection!!! Came out firm and crisp, they even snapped! Will definitely use this recipe again.
Absolutely delicious. Flattened out just as the recipe said they would. 8 minutes of baking reduced crispy cookies and 6 minutes chewy.
I have no idea what I did differently the third time I made these cookies. The first two times they came out great. The third time they didn’t spread out and the butter oozed out as others have mentioned. I used the exact same ingredients each time (milk, not corn syrup) and the followed the directions exactly the same.
Sometimes humidity/dryness/temperature of air make a difference to these delicate types of treats. I am not a scientist, but I have a few recipes that change based on the weather – it does not mean you did something wrong.
PERFECT cookies! Gluten-free is just an added advantage! Delicious!
Have made these several times and they are devoured quickly by everyone around me! Would highly recommend them to anyone
Hi Sally,
Thank you for this delicious recipe, took them to a birthday party and they were devoured in minutes, left them plain with no filling, crispy, crunchy and caramelly.