Lace Cookies
by Sommer Collier — on Oct 29, 2025 I love these easy-bake caramel lace cookies with oatmeal and sliced almonds, which bake in less than 10 minutes, and have a thin chocolate coating on the back. My beautiful, thin and snappy cookies are a crisp, chewy, and delightfully decadent treat for the holidays!
This is one of my family’s favorite Christmas cookies, and we make them every single year. Lace cookies are a combination of caramel mixed on the stovetop, which melts down and creates flat lace-like cookies in the oven. The base of the cookies usually contains oats or sliced almonds. However, I like to combine both for decadent flavor and delicate texture. The cookies are spread with a thin smear of chocolate on the back and allowed to dry for a chocolate caramel cookie with snap! After my classic sugar cookie recipe, this is the holiday cookie I always make!
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
- Double the flavor – Not only do these cookies have a chocolate-caramel flavor profile going on, they’ve got incredible depth and texture from the addition of oats and sliced almonds. Although you can make the cookies with one or the other, when you add both you get something really special.
- Just enough chocolate – A little bit goes a long way here! The thin layer of melted chocolate makes the treats extra scrumptious, without being cloyingly sweet chocolate cookies.
- Easy and fun to make – These cookies don’t require a mixer or chill time, just a couple of pots on the stovetop and baking sheets. Set up workstations and let the kids help!
- Cookie swap sensation – While they’re straightforward to make, Florentines look fancy and add a touch of elegance to a classic Christmas cookie box.
Your family and friends will love you making this Italian cookie recipe part of your holiday traditions!
Ingredients and Tips
- Butter – I suggest using unsalted butter so you have total control over how much salt goes into the cookies.
- Dry ingredients – This recipe includes traditional cookie dough ingredients like granulated sugar and brown sugar, rolled oats, flour, and salt, plus sliced almonds.
- Egg – Use large eggs at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – It’s important to use a high-quality extract for the best taste.
- Chocolate chips – We use semi-sweet, but feel free to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips if you prefer.
How to Make Lace Cookies
Tips for Success – Don’t be tempted to add too much chocolate to the back! The technique is to smear chocolate over the entire back of the cookie, then scrape it off with a spatula so you’re left with a thin layer. Otherwise, you’ll run out of chocolate, and the cookie texture won’t be as delightful.
Find the full Oatmeal Lace Cookies recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Store oatmeal lace cookies in an air-tight container in a cool place for up to 5 days.
- Freezing – Freeze in single layers between parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and they’ll regain their crisp texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but quick oats will make the cookies spread a little less and give a slightly different texture. Rolled oats produce that classic lacy pattern and crispness.
It’s important to let the cookies cook long enough to be medium golden around the edges. They should be completely flat and have brown edges. That way, when they cool and dry, they are fully crispy. If your first batch of cookies does not dry completely crisp, it’s OK to put them back in the oven to make sure you get them to the perfect texture.
Lace Cookies Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 – 11 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Pre-measure all the ingredients. Then place the butter and sugars in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- As the butter melts, stir the mixture. Once the sugars look mostly dissolved, stir in the oats, almonds, flour, salt, egg, and vanilla. When adding the egg, whisk fast, so it doesn’t scramble! Stir well to combine, then turn off the heat.
- Spoon the batter onto the cookie sheet with a 2 teaspoon scoop. Place them at least 3 inches apart, or they will run together. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until flat and golden brown around the edges. Then cool on the baking sheets at least 5 minutes before moving. (They could be crisp once cooled.) If some of the cookies spread into weird shapes, use the edge of a rubber spatula to push them into circles before they cool. Repeat with the remaining dough. Rewarm the dough if needed.
- Once the lace cookies are baked and cooled, melt the chocolate chips over a double-boiler. You can also melt them in the microwave, cooking in 30 second increments, stirring in between until smooth.
- Turn the cookie over and use a spatula to spread a paper-thin layer of chocolate over the bottom. Flip the cookies back to top-side-up and let the chocolate harden before moving. Store in an air-tight container is a cool place.
Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Store in an air-tight container in a cool place for up to 5 days.
- Freezing – Freeze in single layers between parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, and they’ll regain their crisp texture.
These cookies are perfection! Thin, crispy, buttery, and they come together so fast. Everyone thought they came from a bakery!