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These delicious yet so easy Hot Chocolate Lace Cookies are the perfect holiday cookie. Made with double the vanilla and sweet brown sugar. These cookies are crisp, buttery, and perfectly sweet with hints of caramel throughout. They’re generously sandwiched with a sweet and creamy hot chocolate ganache that truly makes these cookies roll your eyes back delicious. The secret is in the combination of vanilla and brown sugar, which keep these cookies incredibly flavorful, crisp, and so delicious. Fun and easy to bake, delicious to eat, a great homemade gift, and a festive addition to your holiday cookie box!
Such an easy holiday cookie for you guys today! Sometimes I love a more involved cookie. But come December, I also like to have a few recipes on hand that really take no time at all.
Enter these lace cookies. I’ve literally been dreaming these up since last December. I had every intention of sharing them before the end of the holiday season, but as always December flew by. I never got the chance to share these delicious “hot chocolate” stuffed lace cookies so I decided to save them.
The idea and the inspiration.
Funny enough the idea for these cookies all came from a cookie I shared in 2012, Nutella Oatmeal Lace Cookies. If you love a good trip down memory lane…or just a laugh. Read through this blog post. It’s so crazy to see how much I’ve really grown up over the years!
I remembered those lace cookies as being delicious, especially with that Nutella filling. I wondered if I could create a similar cookie but without the oatmeal and with the addition of a creamy hot cocoa center.
The Details.
I tested them out…several times, and while these cookies took a while to perfect, I finally got them right. Honestly, they’re even more delicious than I had envisioned.
For any of you who might not be familiar, lace cookies are very thin cookies usually made from either nuts or oatmeal. They’re meant to be VERY thin and crisp and are often sandwiched with fillings like chocolate or buttercream.
It’s a classic Christmas cookie and one that’s so easy to make.
First, melt the butter on the stove, then stir in the brown sugar. Cook a minute, then add the vanilla. Stir in a bit of almond flour and a pinch of salt. Let this mix cool, then add an egg white.
And that’s your dough! It’s going to seem runny at first, but let the dough sit for ten minutes and it will stiffen slightly as it cools.
Now, these cookies are not like other cookies. For one, the dough is on the greasy side, so just be aware that a little butter around the sides of the dough is OK.
And second, we are making these dough balls small. One teaspoon dollops of dough to be exact. The cookies will spread a lot in the oven, thus the need for smaller size dough balls.
And lastly, stuff them with hot chocolate!
Well, kind of. Once the cookies cool completely, sandwich them with a thicker, creamier version of hot chocolate. It’s not quite hot chocolate, but all the same flavors.
And it makes for a truly delicious lace cookie filling!! Or keep it simple and spread each cookie with sweet milk chocolate. You can’t go wrong either way!
And trust me, these cookies are GOOD. Crisp and sweet on the outside, but the filling is soft and creamy. There are hints of browned butter and caramel, as well as sweet vanilla and even a touch of espresso.
All together they’re just delicious! Like grab a third…or fourth cookie (my mom says she did) kind of good.
As mentioned, these are the perfect easy Christmas cookie to bake up. You can enjoy them yourself or gift some to friends and family. No matter who you’re gifting them to, they will be loved.
These aren’t your average cookie, but such a nice switch up!
So with that, let’s bake cookies on a December Friday night and enjoy them while watching your favorite holiday movie. Then take the leftovers and share them with friends. You’ll make everyone’s day.
‘Tis the season for giving after all! And let’s be real, there isn’t much else to do these days anyway! Embrace it!
Looking for other holiday cookie recipes? Here are my favorites:
Slice n’ Bake Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Cookies
Chai Spiced Santa Cookies with White Chocolate Frosting
Lastly, if you make these Easy Hot Chocolate 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!
Hot Chocolate Lace Cookies
Servings: 16 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 317 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg white
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 ounces melted milk chocolate (optional)
Hot Chocolate Filling
- 8 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Once melted, whisk in the brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Whisk in the vanilla. Add the almond flour and salt mixing until combined. Let cool 5 minutes, then stir in the egg white. Let the dough sit 10 minutes to thicken. 2. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.3. If you can roll the dough into balls, add 1 tablespoons water to thin. The dough should be thiner and look like my photo above. 4. Drop 1 teaspoons size amounts of dough on prepared baking sheet, placing each 3 inches apart. Bake for 7-9 minutes until golden brown around the edges. The butter will be bubbling up around the cookies, this is OK. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cook completely. 5. To make the filling. Combine chocolate and cream microwave-safe bowl and microwave, stirring every 45 seconds, until melted. Stir in the vanilla and coffee powder. Let cool 10 minutes, until slightly thickened and spreadable. 6. Sandwich each cookie with the chocolate filling or melted milk chocolate. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nut Free Cookie: try my Oatmeal Lace Cookies.
All-Purpose Flour: I did not have success when I tested all-purpose flour, so I would recommend sticking to a nut flour or using the Oatmeal Lace Cookies.
This post was originally published on December 4, 2020
These are awesome.
I avoid eating sugar so I used monk fruit with 1 teaspoon of maple syrup to substitute for the brown sugar and used Lilly’s chocolate chips. The cookies turned out great!
Hey Laura,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
These cookies were such a rich and decadent treat! I can see that they are better eaten fresh but they didn’t last long enough to see! They were the perfect combination of crunchy with dark chocolate and a salty nutty flavor. Will definitely make these again and again! Thank you so much for a great recipe
Hey Nicole,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I really wish I would have read the comments before buying $10 almond flour for these cookies to not turn out correctly at all. Nothing lacy about these even on the third batch.
Hi, I have tried this recipe twice and they’ve turned out cakey instead of lacey both times. I’ve followed the recipe precisely. Could you tell me any reason they didn’t turn out right?
Hey Shreys,
I am so sorry you are having issues with the texture of the cookie. Did you try adding the water or cream to thin out the batter? This really seems to help! xTieghan
I love the taste of these! Mine ended up chewy, which I love. How can I make them crunchier? Did I need to bake the cookies longer? Thank you!
Hey Caroline,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am sorry they were not as crunchy as you would have liked. Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? For a crispier cookie you may need to thin the batter a little more. I hope this helps for next time! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan
For some reason I can’t seem to reply to your response to my previous message, so just adding another comment here.
You said that you do not provide metric measurements, and asked where I saw them. Directly below the ingredients for the recipe it says ‘US Customary – Metric’ and you can click on either ‘US Customary’ or ‘Metric’ and it brings up two different sets of measurements hence my confusion around what the right amounts to use are.
I can’t do it on here but will try and email you a screenshot!
Happy New Year,
Kate
Thanks so much Kate! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I was a little hesitant making these as I read through a lot of the comments and saw that some were having issues. I followed the recipe and they turned out amazing… 2 things to note: 1. They didn’t look “Lacey” so not sure if I needed to thin out the batter to achieve that look. 2. The amount of chocolate yields enough for 2 batches of cookies. I ended up saving the extra chocolate and then making an extra batch the next day.
I used these cookies in some of my Christmas cookie boxes and they freeze very well..even with the chocolate filling.
These are some of the best cookies I have ever made and I found the recipe very accurate (except for the look of lace and the yield of the filling).
Thanks so much for the great recipe!!
Hey Kristin,
Thank you so very much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I made these twice and they just didn’t work right either time. I used pillsbury blanched almond flour, and in my second batch tried thinning with water as suggested. They just did not spread any further in the oven and the butter didn’t bubble. I don’t know what is going wrong as I usually don’t have trouble with baking! 🙁 any suggestions? The batter seems to spread on the tray once I drop it but it doesn’t spread in the oven, instead the cookies seem to puff up.
Hey Kathleen,
So sorry you are having issues with the cookies. Is there anything you are adjusting? Are you allowing the butter and sugar to boil for 1 minute? Please let me know how I can help! Happy New Year! xTieghan
These cookies are DIVINE. I’ve made them a few times already, with another batch in my weekend baking plans.
Every recipe I’ve tried from HBH (and there have been an awful lot) is a winner, but for some reason this cookie recipe is my new favorite. They’re so good.
Hey Marisa,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
When do you add the chocolate (the one that is in the ingredient list with the cookie ingredients)?
Hey Paula,
The chocolate is optional, but if you want to add it you would add it at the end of step 1. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan
So so delish! Made these for Christmas and everyone raved about them and needed the recipe!
Hey Taylor,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Still taste ok but are the amounts correct in the recipe – US says 8 tablespoons butter, yet Metric is only 6 tablespoons, one says a whole egg white one says just a tablespoon , if I weigh out 3/4cup of almond flour, it’s more than 56g … which is the correct version please?
Hi Kate, we do not provide metric measurements, where do you see those? Please use all US measurements. I am so sorry for any confusion or trouble you’ve had! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! And Happy New Year! xTieghan
They taste good, but i made 3 different batches and none of them had that “lace” texture. Not sure what I did wrong, they just turned out flat cookies.
Hey Shuka,
So sorry you had issues with the texture, please let me know if I can help in anyway! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Okay so, I’ve made these twice (once accidentally with all-purpose flour, the second time with almond flour) and neither time they “laced.” They didn’t really spread out, and the edges browned but the middles still pale and pretty soft. Where do you think it went wrong? They still tasted great — everyone raved about them — but they weren’t crispy.
Hey Molly,
So sorry you had issues with the cookies. I am wondering if your batter was thick? If so, try adding a tablespoon of water or cream to thin it out and help create the lacey look. I hope this helps for next time! Happy New Year! xTieghan
On the third attempt these cookies finally came out AMAZING!!
At first I tried with wheat flour, then regular flour since that’s all I had in my house. Both times they didn’t come out thin and lacy. They just did not come out good at all. Finally I went out and bought almond flour and my gosh it really is the key to this! Thank you so much for this recipe!! Cookies are even fine alone without the chocolate center
Hey Victoria,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a go, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
These cookies were easy and the flavor was delicious, but there was nothing lacy about them. I made the recipe exactly as written and although the batter was thin, it didn’t spread or get crispy. It looked kind of like a Nilla Wafer but it was soft and sticky.
Hey Hayley,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, let me know if there is anything I can help with! Happy New Year! xTieghan