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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
Hi Teighan! Just wondering if its important that the butter be salted or if I can use unsalted butter. Thanks!
Hey Taleen,
I prefer to use salted butter, but unsalted will work just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
After reading all the comments I was very careful to follow the recipe EXACTLY. These cookies turned out perfect! We love the flavor of the almond flour. Hubs even says they may be his new favorite cookie. Thanks for a keeper! They are going on my Christmas cookie plate!
Hey Karen,
I am so glad the cookies worked out for you, thanks so much for giving them a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Can you make these in advance and freeze?
Hey Stacey,
Yes, I would freeze just the cookies though, not the chocolate. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Wow, these look delicious! Can we replace the almond flour with regular flour? My daughter has nut allergies.
Hey Danae,
So sorry the almond flour is key here, but try this recipe: https://fett-weg.today/nutella-oatmeal-lace-cookies/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi! Can I use whole milk if I don’t have heavy cream? Or just do the chocolate but itself?! Thanks! Can wait to make them!
Hey Kathryn,
Whole milk will work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made these for a holiday cookie swap at the bakery where I work. (no pressure baking for pros! Eep!) the recipe was easy to follow and delicious! After a test batch to figure out timing in my oven, they went off without a hitch. Instead of hot chocolate I went for another holiday inspired beverage and made white chocolate with eggnog and fresh nutmeg for the filling. Will probably make these every year now!
Hey Mackenzie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I was so nervous to make these, but your directions and pictures were so spot on! They came out perfectly…will be hard to give away in my cookie boxes!!
Hey Hilary,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi, love the flavor of the cookie and chocolate but mine didn’t seem as thin and crispy as they should, any idea why?
Hey Caroline,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I am sorry they were not as thin as you would have liked. Next time, try adding 1 tablespoon of cream to your batter, this will help to thin them out a bit. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Hey there! trying to make these cookies right now and I have a couple questions. One, you mention moving the racks to the top and lowest position, which spot do you use to bake the cookies? I’ve tried both but my cookies are chewy and underdone even at 9 minutes. I’m putting the last of the batter in now and am going to let it go for a little while longer.Also, any tips on how you made yours so perfectly round? My dough looks like the picture you have there but once cooked none of them kept a round shape. Thanks for any help you can offer! They look so pretty and delicious! I hope I can figure it out.
Hey Rachel,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! I bake the cookies one on the top rack and one on the bottom. I use a teaspoon to help measure my batter which gives the round cookie. Let me know if this helps! xTieghan
I followed this recipe and cookies ended up being so greasy, essentially soggy. I’m trying again with less butter
Hey Ana,
So sorry these did not workout for you. Is there anything I can help with? xTieghan
These are super tasty and delicious. Great texture and gluten free. My partner just pronounced them the “best cookies ever made”! Keep a close eye on the bottom rack as they can easily burn… but even my slightly overdone ones didn’t last long! Highly recommended.
Hey Nic,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made these and they taste delicious, but they didn’t harden when cool. Did I not cook them long enough? I don’t mind trying again as they were so easy to make! Can’t wait to have them completed.
Hey Kelly,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, was there anything you may have adjusted? Let me know! xTieghan
Maybe the “optional” milk chocolate wasn’t so optional…these cookies were just plain bad. Had to throw them all away ? I was so disappointed…went back and thoroughly reread everything to make sure it wasn’t something I misread. I don’t get it but I’m sad.
Hey Alyssa,
So sorry you did not enjoy this recipe. Is there something I can help with? Anything you adjusted? Let me know! xTieghan
Fantastic recipe! Thank you for the hard work of putting together a fail proof method. Perfect to share these with friends during the holidays.
Hey Aseema,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed it! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These cookies are a new favorite! They were easy to make, and are absolutely delicious. I don’t think I’ve ever had a cookie quite like this. Thank you for sharing all of your amazing recipes Tieghan!
Hey Lauren,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan