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These delicious yet easy 5 Ingredient Salted Chocolate Lace Cookies are the perfect cookie! Made with brown butter, almond flour, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, dark chocolate, and optional flaked sea salt. These delicate cookies are crisp, buttery, and perfectly sweet, with scents of golden brown butter, caramel, and vanilla throughout. They’re generously sandwiched with melted dark (or milk) chocolate, then sprinkled with flaked sea salt, making every cookie even more delicious. And magically, these cookies are also gluten-free and egg-free.
Do you remember not last week but the week before when I shared those very easy, very yummy Magic Cookies made with coconut and oats and a can of sweetened condensed milk?
Well, after testing that recipe, I was left with half a can of sweetened condensed milk in my fridge. I personally find this so annoying. What does one do with half a can of sweet milk?
But this annoying little thing inspired me to make these cookies! And these cookies, just like my magic cookies, are very special! Just 5-ingredients and so perfect. Totally no fuss!
I wondered if I could use the sweet milk to make a lace cookie that was easy and stress-free. I tried out so many cookies, each close to being perfect, with all of them tasting delicious.
But I wanted a thin and crisp cookie. Finally, I was able to create the perfect recipe to share with you all!
This dough takes only minutes to mix up, minutes to bake, and my fingers are crossed that you’ll love these cookies as much as I do!
These are the details
- salted butter
- almond flour – I like the Bob’s Red Mill brand
- sweetened condensed milk – the magic ingredient
- vanilla extract
- melted milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate – we love dark chocolate
- flaked sea salt
Optional ingredients for topping
- melted white chocolate
- finely chopped roasted pistachios
- dried rose petals – my favorite
Special Tools
You need just a small skillet (to brown the butter), a mixing bowl, and a cookie sheet for these cookies.
Ideally, a cookie scoop is great too!
Steps
Step 1: brown the butter
Add the butter to a small skillet set over medium heat to brown the butter. Allow the butter to brown slightly until it smells toasted. It will be golden and pretty!
The butter really comes through in these cookies, but be careful not to burn it!
Step 2: mix
Next, mix everything in a bowl. The order does not matter, but I go like this: almond flour, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, then pour over the butter and mix!
I add 1 tablespoon of water to thin the dough. This should be a pourable batter/dough, not a thick dough.
Step 3: scoop the cookies
Using a teaspoon measure or a small cookie scoop (I think the cookie scoop is easiest), scoop out the dough.
Bake for 7-8 minutes until deeply golden on the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets.
Step 4: sandwich and decorate
The last step is to spread the melted chocolate over the bottom of half the cookies, then sandwich together with another cookie.
To decorate, I like to drizzle the tops of the cookies with melted chocolate or white chocolate, then sprinkle with the flaked sea salt.
Or use dried rose petals and/or chopped pistachios.
Some tips!
These are honestly so easy; you can’t mess them up! I will say that if your dough feels too wet and sticky, you can add 1 tablespoon of additional almond flour. The more flour you add, the thicker the cookie, as the almond flour soaks up the wet ingredients.
And then, lastly, these really are so delicious when the chocolate is a little warm! Oh, and the sea salt, in my opinion, it should not be skipped. It makes you say YUM with every bite!
Looking for other winter dessert recipes? Here are my favorites:
Chocolate Dipped Sesame Oatmeal Bars
5 Ingredient Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Healthy…ish Homemade Samoas Cookies
Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Salted Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lastly, if you make these 5 Ingredient Chocolate Almond Lace Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Salted Chocolate Lace Cookies
Servings: 18 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 199 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 12 ounces melted dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate
- flaked sea salt (optional)
- chopped pistachios/melted white chocolate (optional, for decorating)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Add the butter to a pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. 3. In a bowl, mix the almond flour, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, brown butter, and 2 teaspoons water until combined. The dough should be thin and pourable. 4. Spoon 1 teaspoon-sized amount of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, placing each 3 inches apart. Bake for 7-8 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cook thoroughly. 5. Sandwich each cookie with melted chocolate. Then, drizzle the top with melted chocolate or white chocolate. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt or chopped pistachios. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
This post was originally published on February 4, 2025
I’m not seeing the freeze dried strawberries listed in the recipe, as shown in all the photos. (Guessing those are strawberries?) How much did you use and do you sprinkle in during each recipe step?
Hi Dakota,
Those are dried rose petals:) They are not required for the recipe, I just used them for decorating. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
In your IG story and in the pic above, you have the rose petals mixed in before the chocolate melts. Do we add those in along with the melted chocolate?
Hey Susan,
The rose petals are not necessary for this recipe, I just like adding them for looks:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
What makes these lace cookies? Where’s the “lace”?
Is there a way I can make these look more like actual lace cookies? I followed your instructions and they looked like your pics above, instead of lace cookies.
Lol. So the recipe turned out the way the picture showed? Aw man, what a dissappointment 🙃😅
Easy ingredients – super fast to make. Great taste! I used oat flour since I was out of almond flour. I maybe would suggest (for those of us who are awful in the kitchen) a small tutorial on how to melt chocolate chips…I almost started my microwave on fire not knowing what I was doing. 😉 Excited to try more lace cookies!
Hi Megan,
Amazing! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Sorry about the chocolate! I just pop them in the microwave on increments of 15 seconds. xxT
Can these be frozen?
Hi Bebe,
Sure, you can freeze the cookies, but I would wait to add the chocolate. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Made these sweet treats this afternoon and what an adventure it was! My first batch was kinda sticky, but the second batch I kept in the oven about 5 min longer and they were perfect. I didn’t realize I melted dark chocolate with almonds until it was too late. The bits of almonds made it next to impossible to get the cookies to stick together. I also drizzled Maldon salt and dried strawberries on top. YUM! Though I had some minor set backs it was all worth it. Now we are sitting by the fire pit enjoying a plate of these delights with the most precious people and that’s immeasurable. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hey Tammie,
Thanks so much for giving these cookies a try! I appreciate your feedback. So glad to hear they were enjoyed! xT
DO NOT trust this recipe. Last time I made a “lace” cookie from this website I had to throw away a ruined pot.
Hi Lisbeth,
I am so sorry to hear you had troubles in the past with a different recipe, but it would be greatly appreciated if you could at least try the actual recipe first before declaring it bad. If you need help troubleshooting anything from the previous recipe you tried, I would be more than happy to help! Thanks so much! xx
Yet you keep reviews with 5 stars that also haven’t tried the recipe and you don’t chide them about it.
I cannot wait to make these cookies!! Lace cookies are some of my favorites, and these look so easy and delicious! Thank goodness you had the leftover SCM and completed your mission of using it up!! 🙂
Thanks so much, Leah! I hope you love this recipe, let me know how they turn out for you! xT
Questions here! 🙂
1. is the 2-3 minutes mentioned in the browning the butter step meant to be counted once it’s melted, once it begins to brown, or right when it is added to the medium-heat pan? I know I need to just pay attention, but would love the guidance.
2. When you say “teaspoon-sized”, do you mean, like, a spoon I’d eat cereal with, or the measurement of 1 tsp? Thinking it’s gotta be the former to be enough but also it spreads a lot, right? So trying to not end up with a pizza-sized cookie. (Mmmm, pizza-sized cookie . . . )
Thanks, Tieghan!
JP
Hi Jen,
The 2-3 minutes is once the butter has been melted and begins to brown. I used a 1 teaspoon size cookie scoop for measurement. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Could chopped pistachios be added to the batter?
Hey Anita,
Sure, I think that would be delicious! I would do 1/4 cup. I hope you love this recipe! xT
These look really good! Thank you for being so gracious and sharing so many of your recipes – I am grateful for your generosity! Quick question … could you use a different kind of flour other than almond?
Thanks so much, Teri!! So sorry, I would stick with the almond flour for this recipe for best results. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
If I use regular flour and not almond flour, do I need to alter the measurement?
I would say no change is needed. Almond flour can be used cup for cup
Hi Jen,
I would recommend using almond flour in this recipe for best results. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
I have to use ALL White choc in these, but what a fab recipe and pistachios..YES YES YES. I will try to make them 1/2 size, as it is for a small treat for me. My guy is off sweets, sadly and not fond of white choc anyway. Thank you T!!
Thanks a bunch Leslie! Let me know how these cookies turn out for you, I hope you love them! xxT
How did you rate these as 5 star when you haven’t tried them yet? That is dishonest to people who are looking for actual feedback and ratings on recipes.
Holy moly!!! Are these like the Whole Foods one?! Those are the best! Can’t wait to make them. 😄
Thanks so much, Jade! Let me know if you give these cookies a try, I hope you love them:) xT