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
These cookies are so simple and so delicious! I love them with melted dark chocolate in between- the result is like a chocolately toffee! I baked mine for 7 minutes and they were perfectly golden brown. Always a hit!! You have great recipes, Sally! Thank you for sharing with us!
Love these cookies….I had no problems at all….I just wish they were more round…is there a way to get them round like yours?
Hi Joyce, We are so happy you enjoy these cookies. When you drop your batter/dough onto your baking mat, be sure you are using just one scant teaspoon and drop it straight onto your mat. If it starts out as a little circle, it should spread out evenly into a larger circle.
could you add some hazlenut extract to the chocolate to make it taste more like nutella but set better?
Hi Mary, We haven’t tried it but can’t see why not. Let us know if you give it a try.
I really love these just plain, but I was thinking about doing some sandwich ones- but mine are so many shapes:( I use a teaspoon and level it, but i have to rubber spatula it from the teaspoon, and the blobs are all different shapes, so then they all spread differently:( I was thinking muffin cups, maybe?
Using a small cookie scoop will help make them perfectly uniform!
The flavor on these is delicious!
My cookies had very large bubbles in them and spread to more of an oblong shape. Did I cook them on the stove too long or not enough? What could be the culprit?
Bubbles are completely normal. It may be a matter of not stirring the mixture on the stove enough in step 1, but again, it’s normal for them to have bubbles on top. Were they nice even circles going into the oven? That helps them stay in the round shape. If they’re not even circles, you can use a spoon to help shape the warm cookies back into a circle.
Can I sub brown rice syrup for the corn syrup? Ive seen gluten free recipes elsewhere with rice syrup, but I just trust Sally’s recipes! I’m not trying to make gluten free cookies either, necessarily; I just happen to have rice syrup in the cupboards:)
Hi Ann! I haven’t tested it, but I don’t see it as being a problem. I would try it.
Thanks so much! Love em! I have a pretty dark brown cookie here and found 6 minutes to be the perfect cooking time for these..interested in trying with corn syrup, and light- or golden!- brown sugar next time:)
These were a disaster for me. Baked as directed (using corn syrup, light brown sugar). Dough came together okay, but out of the oven cookies were irretrievably greasy and dark. I tried making sandwich cookies using melted chocolate, but they were so greasy that the butter couldn’t re-harden. Garbage.
Hi Erica, I wonder if they weren’t baked long enough to bake off that initial grease? Let them cool completely, too. They dry out.
Really lovely flavor and texture but mine came out really greasy. I even weighed the butter instead of just using a measuring cup. I used Irish butter, which I think has a higher fat content than “regular” unsalted butter. I also used Krusteaz almond flower. I did not do the Nutella. Any suggestions to make them less greasy?
Hi Michelle! The Irish butter will alter the results of this butter-heavy cookie. We recommend sticking with realgar butter next time!
Thank you so much for replying! I will try again with regular unsalted butter.
can I use coconut flour instead of almond?
Hi Lauri, almond flour is really best for these cookies. Let us know if you give them a try!
Can you freeze these cookies?
Yes, see the Make Ahead Instructions in the recipe notes for details.
I just finished making these, they are amazing. I used the weight measurements and I’m glad I did. I started measuring with measuring cups before I noticed you had the weights also in the recipe. I would have ended up with almost 1/4 cup to much brown sugar and just a bit to much almond flour. ( I never have understood about packed brown sugar so I think I tend to overpack) I am super glad I read the comments before I baked these, because even though your recipe was right on it just didn’t look right only using a teaspoon of the dough so I was tempted to use a Tablespoon. Boy, that would’ve made quite the mess! I do have 1 question though. Is there a reason why we wait to add vanilla after it’s off of the heat, and not when your mixing everything else in? I’ve been curious about other recipes I’ve seen and though I would ask. Thanks for this recipe! I think it will become a favorite!
A few of the posts made me think twice about trying this recipe. However, I tried it as instructed, with the exception of using maple syrup as I had neither corn syrup nor milk available. They turned out delicious and I will be making them again. I did add the melted dark chocolate and made sandwich cookies. Dangerously good!
This was easy and delicious. I was hesitant because some of the commenters didn’t turn out but I was also desperate for a gluten free recipe to bring to a get together. I followed it precisely and they were lovely. I will say that I tried melting chocolate but it proved to be too messy for me and I kept breaking the cookies.
we had the lace cookies with vanilla ice cream and they were a hit.
Thank you!
I’m a very experienced at home baker and this recipe was terrible! I’m extremely disappointed because I followed it word for word and wound up wasting ingredients as I had to throw the whole thing away. The cookies didn’t spread at all and we’re extremely oily. If you’re looking for a legit lace cookie recipe use the Food Wishes recipe by Chef John. I made that one immediately after this failure and it worked fabulously. I was looking for a way to use my almond flour and this was just a lumpy oily mess. Save yourself the trouble and use chef johns recipe – trust me!
These cookies were relatively easy to make and turned out great! I did find them quite sweet on their own or with semi-sweet chocolate (for my taste) so I tried sandwitching them with a darker chocolate (bakers brand 70% cacao) and the result was delicious.
I made these today and used maple syrup instead of corn syrup. They are perfect! So easy to make and they look and taste so good. I’m baking about 13 different cookies for an engagement party and the bride to be is gluten intolerant. These cookies will give her a tasty alternative. I love all of Sally’s recipes.
Sorry, but I just trying to make this and after mixed up brown sugar , corn sylup etc…..put this on silicon pad and bake, but totally disaster here. I threw it away whole thing.
I was noticed that from put this on baking sheet , it was already kind a stiff.
And 5 min , I was checking , still like 1 teaspoon balls !
I don’t know what did I wrong……
So sad.
Can I use condensed milk instead of Nutella?
Hi Andi! We recommend sticking with chocolate or Nutella for sandwiching.
My first batch of cookies are bendable? Did I not bake long enough? They won’t go to waste, they taste great!
Hi Debbi! Did they fully cool? The cookies will crisp up as they cool. You’ll notice they are very soft and bendable right out of the oven. Otherwise they may just need to bake longer. Thanks for giving these a try!
Baked for 8 minutes. They were very bubbling. Let them cool. Started to crisp up. An hour later they were soft, sticky and bendable. Is there too much humidity in my home?
Fabulous recipe. Easy to do and tastes amazing! Reminds me of a stroopwaffle. Question… what is the best way to store these? Can they be refrigerated or frozen? I put parchment paper between so far but not sure if they should be stored at room temp or fridge. Thanks!
Hi Laurel, 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. See recipe notes for make ahead/freezing instructions. Glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi. I do have a question do you have version of this recipe that uses regular AP flour. We have nut allergy in our home and this recipe sounds awesome. Thank you
Hi Marguerite, unfortunately, all-purpose flour won’t work for this type of cookie. The cookies won’t spread or have their signature chewy crisp texture because the flour will absorb all the moisture.
This recipe is quick and easy and delicious. The only drawback is they seem a bit oily so I store them between paper towels to absorb excess oil.
The first time I made this recipe, they came out perfectly – crispy and crunchy and delicious. The last two times, the butter separated and, no matter how much I whisked, wouldn’t
reincorporate. I added more almnod flour a little at a time, but they just got so crumbly that, after baking and waiting 5 minutes, when I tried to move them to the cooling racks, they just fell apart. Please help!!!
Hi Sophia, If you remove the pan from the stove and whisk vigorously, the mixture will come back together. Thanks for trying this recipe!
Total fail here. Measured out the ingredients with a scale, dark brown sugar, light corn syrup, and almond flour made in my food processor. Mixture never came together, resembled ground beef tbh and the butter did not absorb.
Lace cookies are my absolute favorite cookie and yours look delicious! If I wanted to make a dairy-free version, what would you recommend in place of the butter and milk?
Hi Susan! We haven’t tested a completely dairy-free version of these cookies. You can use corn syrup in place of the milk, but we haven’t substituted anything for the butter. You could try a plant-based butter, but we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you give anything a try!
I used Betterine Butter and corn syrup. Dairy free and perfect!
Can you use ground almonds in place of almond flour? I don’t have a blender!
Hi Laura, Ground almonds have a bit more rough texture than almond flour. For the best results we recommend purchasing almond flour instead of ground almonds if you are not blending your own.
Help, I could not get the butter to reincorporate into the batter once it separated. The batter seized up and the butter splattered everywhere. What did I do wrong?
Hi Kaci, 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. If you decide to try this recipe again and the butter separates, remove the pan from the stove and whisk vigorously, the mixture will come back together!
I have used my spice/coffee grinder to make ground almonds into flour. Takes a bit of time, but works well.
Can you put these as a cake decoration or will the frosting make them soggy ?
Hi Joan, it shouldn’t– it would make them a little softer but certainly not soggy.
I followed the recipe exactly and the first tray spread out really thin and was too dark. They are extremely greasy and so thin and crisp that they crumbly. I ended up adding 1/4 more almond flour and 2 tbs of regular flour which helped make them a little more substantial. I melted milk chocolate chips and made sandwich cookies. They are delicious!
I conducted an experiment and baked these on a silicone baking mat, parchment and nonstick aluminum foil. This recipe should only be made on silicone baking mats. There was excessive spreading on foil and parchment but especially on parchment. If you make these cookies, you must use a silicone baking mat because they had the perfect amt of spreading. If you want to use foil or parchment you need to tweak the recipe by reducing the butter or adding more almond flour to avoid excessive spreading. With that said, these cookies were delicious! I made them into sandwich cookies using melted semi-sweet chocolate chips.
These are beyond easy to make and I’m so happy they’re gluten free. I used betterine butter to make them dairy free and they came out perfecto. Thanks for the recipe!
Loves these cookies, always a hit. I use Lyles Golden Syrup in place of corn syrup and they come out great. Only takes 5 minutes in the oven. Prefer melted chocolate chips for the filling. Easy recipe.
Hi Sally,
I’m glad you mentioned weather conditions above. Last year I made these for my Christmas cookies trays and spread them with Nutella and they were a surprise hit. This year I had a lot of trouble with them. Super thin cookies in puddles of butter. I really think the temperature and humidity made a difference. I believe it was warmer and more humid here in GA this year compared to last year. I’ll have to try them again when it’s colder and drier to see if they come out better, because I love these.
All the best,
Kathy
Sally,
What can u use instead of almond flour for people who have nut allergies?
Hi Sonnya, Instead of almond flour, you can use the same amount of oat flour, see recipe notes for details.