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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
It is so sweet for me.. but taste different good
Thank you Raeda! xTieghan
Super easy and sooo delicious! I love these cookies! The cookie reminds me of a coconut macaroon, it’s soft but has that caramelized crunch. I love the cookie so much I debated only dipping one edge in the chocolate and not making the sandwich but I decided to follow the recipe through before adjusting to preference. They are perfect and I will definitely make again. Another half baked harvest recipe that checks all the boxes!
I am so happy you have been loving these Courtney! Thank you so much for trying them! xTieghan
Hey!
Love this recipe, but my cookies turned out a bit burned on the sides and Doughy in the middle. Any recommendations?
Hey Emma,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I am so sorry about this! Did you adjust anything in the recipe? Next time, try adding 1 tablespoon of water or cream to your batter to help thin it out a bit. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Better than any chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever had!! So easy to make and the hot choc filling makes all the difference!
Thank you so much Alicia! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan! I tried to make these and they turned out a bit gooey and not as thin…. I tried to make the batter twice. I followed it to a T. Any suggestions of what i might be able to try?? Thank you!!!
P.s. they still turned out so delicious with just a chocolate drizzle over ◡̈
Hey Tara,
So sorry about this! Next time try adding 1 tablespoon of water or cream to your batter, I think this will help thin them out. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I can’t begin to say how much I enjoy looking at your recipe archives. ^_^ It’s always fun to observe the way your writing/photography has developed over the years!
Haha oh ya.. it is hard for me to look back sometimes haha! xTieghan
I tried this recipe today and the cookies did not spread out much at all. They just stayed in that same teaspoon shape that they went into the oven as. Any tips?! Thanks!!
Hey Victoria,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe! Next time, try adding 1 tablespoon of water or cream to your batter, it sounds like your batter was a tad thick. I hope this helps! xTieghan
I tried making these cookies today and they didn’t spread out very much. They just stayed the same size and shape of the teaspoon drop that’s they went into the oven as.
Do you whip the egg white until stiff or just add it in without whipping it? I can’t wait to try these. Thanks.
Hey Stephanie,
You just add the egg white:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made these today and filled with homemade dolce de leche. I also made your oatmeal lace cookies today and filled with Nutella. Both great, but different. These were much more fragile to handle and a bit more “sticky”. The oatmeal cookies were a bit more forgiving. The flavor on both is fantastic!
Thank you so much Heather! xTieghan
Made these after playing in the snow with the kids today. We just sprinkled mini M&Ms on them as soon as they came out of the oven to melt them a bit. They were really, really good!
Thank you so much Niki! xTieghan
I tried making these today, but they came out crumbly. I used almond meal flour accidentally. Is that the likely problem? I also used dark brown sugar rather than light brown sugar. I’ll try again with the listed ingredients and see if it works.
Hey there,
So sorry you had issues with the cookie, unfortunately the almond meal flour was probably your issue. Next time, try using almond flour. I hope this helps! xTieghan
I am planning to make this for my annual Xmas cookie box but will the lace cookie get soggy if stored with other cookies?
Hey Rebecca,
Nope, they should be fine! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made these yesterday and they’re SO GOOD. however, they didn’t turn out as thin and crispy as they should have and didn’t spread out much in the oven. any tips? they were still delicious!!!!
Hey Lilly,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! Next time, try adding 1 tablespoon of water or cream to the batter, this will make for a thinner cookie. I hope this helps! xTieghan
I was super pumped to make these because they’re naturally gluten free. Woo! Unfortunately, the cookies didn’t really spread or get lacy. They also burned after 8 minutes. Any ideas? Thank you!
Hey Louisa,
I am so sorry you had issues with the cookies, was there anything you adjusted? Unfortunately ovens cook differently, so next time I would remove them once they are golden brown rather than baking for the full 8 minutes. I hope this helps! xTieghan