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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
Thanks for this recipe!! My cookies aren’t spreading as much as yours when they bake (I watched your Instagram video for reference) and don’t archive the crispiness. Even after cooling they have a slightly soft center even baking for the full 9 minutes. The dough is a lot darker too. Any suggestions on how to improve? Maybe I cooked the brown sugar too long? I’m using Bob’s Red Mill super fine natural almond flour and Domino light brown sugar, for reference.
Hey Natalya,
So sorry you are having issues with this recipe! Have you tried adding the tablespoon of cream? Maybe try using regular almond flour, not super fine. I hope this helps! xTieghan
I made the oat version today but they came out thick, not thin and lacy. Were the oats supposed to be ground to a flour consistency? I’ll try them again.
Hey Debbie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am sorry you had issues with the oats. No, they are not supposed to be ground, they do create a thicker consistency. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Hi! I trie the oat version. They did not come out flat and lacy. They were thick. Suggestions?
Hey Debbie,
So sorry, did you adjust the recipe at all? The oats definitely create a different, not quite as lacey, texture. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I am making this recipe now and some of the cookies are round and some quite oval! Is there a trick to the beautiful round cookies you get? Also, some are turning out lacier than others in the same batch. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Hey Debbie,
Sorry you are having trouble with the cookies! Is there anything that you are adjusting? It sounds like your batter isn’t all that consistent in texture. I would stir more until you have a smooth batter and consistency is the same throughout. You can also try adding 1 tablespoon of cream to help with this. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Oh wow, these were seriously so so delicious. I made them for my partner’s four nieces and they were such a big hit all around. The only problem I had was they didn’t spread very far in the oven! Ended up with some tiny cookies and I wonder where I went wrong. Could it be that I didn’t make them thin enough by adding water? Or should my oven be warmer? I’m pretty sure I followed the directions closely.
Hey Allison,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! Try adding 1 tablespoon of cream to the batter, this will make it thinner. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Hi, is it 6 or 8 tablespoons butter? When I go from us customary to metric it changes. I am very confused
Hey Stephanie,
You want to use 8 tablespoons of butter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made these with arrowroot powder and it was delicious!
I am so happy to hear that, Marissa! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Hi! these look delicious … you mention to position racks in the oven on the top and bottom, when we bake the cookies does one tray go on the top and one on the bottom or both on the top?
Hey Nin,
You will do one on the top and one on the bottom. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! Big fan of your recipes.
I made this one yesterday (minus the chocolate filling – my boyfriend loved them so much as-is he didn’t want me to add it!). My question is: mine turned out a super soft cookie. How can I get them crunchier? Is it just a matter of cooking them longer? Thanks!
Hey Lexi,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am glad you enjoyed the cookies! Was there anything you adjusted? Was your batter thick? If so, try adding 1 tablespoon of cream, this will give you a thinner cookie! I hope this helps:) xTieghan
I can assure you coconut sugar is not a good sugar substitute ?
To each their own! xTieghan
Hi, I love lace cookies and this recipe looked so delicious. I did try making them last night but they came out soft instead of crisp and a litrle greasy, which is okay if they are crisp but not so much when they are soft. They did taste great! What do you think I did wrong? I definitely want to try them again!
I love all your recipes, Tieghan, thanks so much!!
Hey Colleen,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am sorry the texture was off. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
love this recipe! well, all of your recipes actually!! you nailed it. thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much McKenna! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Would coconut flour work by chance? I couldn’t find almond flour anywhere..
Hey Kenzie,
So sorry, almond flour is key here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Looks delicious! Unfortunately I only have all purpose flour at home, so I am going to try your suggestion of the oatmeal lace cookie version with the hot chocolate filling. I’m sure they will be just as good. Just out of curiosity though – I saw your comment that said you didn’t have success with the regular flour, but what was the actual result? Thanks!!
Hey Becca,
The recipe just did not work with all purpose flour, they were puffy and not lacey. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
My cookies did not turn out crispy and thin, they actually didn’t spread out at all.. They looked just like your photo (not too thick) but stayed that way!? Any recommendations?
Hey Melissa,
So sorry you had issues with the cookies! Next time try adding 1 tablespoon of cream to the batter to help them spread. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other question. Happy Holidays! xTieghan