Oatmeal Lace Cookies

Oatmeal Lace Cookies are a thin, chewy oatmeal cookie with a sugary taste, stackable for easy gifting. They are made with just 7 staple ingredients!

Lace Cookies are named after their lacey appearance they receive when the sugar bubbles and creates tiny little gaps. They’re thin, crunchy cookies that caramelize as they bake!

Oatmeal lace cookies are dropped onto a lined cookie sheet by teaspoonful or with a cookie scoop and as they bake, they become flat, giving them their thin, chewy body.

These cookies are made by browning the butter which gives them a rich, nutty flavor and they bake to the perfect golden brown color. If you’re a fan of all things sweet and salty, you’ll LOVE these cookies! PS you can read more about brown butter here!

Lace Cookies are intricate and delicate, which makes them so deceiving because they couldn’t be easier to make! It’s no wonder why they’ve become a Pinterest sensation!

Why You’ll Love these Lacey Cookies

• The brown sugary, chewy texture of these Lace Cookies is out of this world – and addicting! If you loved my popular Better than Pecan Pie Cookies, I know you’ll be a fan of these, too.
• Oatmeal Lace Cookies can be gluten free (just substitute rice flour) and low calorie, too!
• They keep incredibly well, making them perfect for gifting! They’re so beautiful you don’t even need to decorate them. They’re also often referred to as Eyelet Lace Cookies.
• They’re one of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes. They’re the perfect cookie to bring to a cookie exchange.
• This recipe makes a lot, so be sure to have a share plan in mind because once you have one, you can’t stop!
• They’re of course amazing on their own, but also make a beautiful accompaniment to an ice cream sundae!

I like to give a lot of detail in my recipe posts to guide readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, feel free to click “jump to recipe” right under the title of this post and you’ll head straight there!

Lace Cookie Ingredients

These cookies are made with just a few staple ingredients and take just a few minutes to make!

• Butter – I always use salted butter in baking, but you can use salted or unsalted. It’s completely your preference! Since we’re browning it, it can be used straight out of the fridge! Use real butter, not margarine.
• Brown Sugar – Brown Sugar gives these cookies their thin, crispy quality you can’t resist. It also offers a hint of irresistible molasses flavor!
• Rolled Oats – This gives the cookies their texture and adds a little body. Oats are gluten free, but do often face cross-contamination. If you’re gluten intolerant, oats are just fine. If you have celiac, you want to opt for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Old Fashioned Oats.
• Vanilla – Just a hint of vanilla takes them over the top! You can use store bought our homemade vanilla.
• Salt – Salt is completely optional, if you use salted butter, you may want to reduce if you’re not a fan of sweet and salty. However, I am and use both!
• Egg – The essential ingredient to bond it all together.
• Flour – I always use all purpose flour, but if you would like a slightly healthier alternative, you can make them with white whole wheat flour or substitute one for one with rice flour or almond flour to make them gluten free.

Variations

• Drizzle chocolate over the top or sandwich two together with chocolate!
• Make Sandwich Cookies – Fill with Nutella or melted chocolate wafers.
• Make Almond Lace Cookies – Reduce oatmeal to 1 3/4 cup rolled oats and add 1/2 cup almonds!
• Use Almond Extract – Simply substitute vanilla.
• Add Orange or Lemon Zest.
• Dissolve 1 teaspoon instant coffee with sugar to add a hint of coffee flavor.
• Add Ginger – Add 2 tablespoons diced crystallized ginger for a nice ginger flavor.
• Chocolate Lace Cookies – Simply add chocolate chips to the butter mixture and stir thoroughly to combine.
• Add Whiskey Flavor – Deglaze the brown butter pan with a tablespoon of whiskey – a reader suggestion we loved, too!

How to Make Lace Cookies

They’re incredibly fast and easy to make in just one dish. A pot, in fact!  No need to soften the butter when you’ll be browning it to perfection to caramelize the brown sugar.

You can see just how easy they are by watching the video in this post!

1. Brown butter in a saucepan until it turns brown in color and nutty in aroma.
2. Remove from heat and mix in brown sugar, oats, vanilla and combine.
3. Add egg.
4. Stir in salt and flour.
   
5. Drop onto parchment lined cookie sheets and bake.
6. Allow to cool to set. You’ll see them bubble as they cool creating lacy air pockets!

You don’t even need to refrigerate the dough! We want these thin and crisped to perfection!

Create Oatmeal Cookie Rolls

While warm, roll on the handle of the wooden spoon and seal. Optional: fill with Nutella or chocolate.

If they become difficult to work with, return to the oven for one minute.

How to Store Oatmeal Lace Cookies

These cookies are best when crisp.

• Room Temperature – Cool cookies before storing in a glass airtight container. Store with wax paper up to 2 weeks.
• Refrigerate – Cool cookies before storing in a glass airtight container. Store with wax paper up to 2 weeks. This method is great for keeping them crisp, especially in humid environments.
• Freeze – Freeze in an airtight container to keep them from crumbling, with wax paper, for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature to thaw.

• Cool cookies before storing.
• Do not store with soft cookies. They’ll absorb the moisture.

I love a good cookie. Get 50 Amazing Christmas Cookie Recipes and 30 of the Best Fall Cookies to add to your baking list in the months to come!

Tips for Making Lace Cookies

• These are large cookies (and you deserve it!), should you choose to make them smaller, reduce baking time so the edges don’t burn.
• Use real butter, not margarine. Margarine doesn’t brown and caramelize.
• Allow to cool to set. Use a spatula to remove them from the sheet after they cool for 5 minutes and allow them to cool on a wire rack to continue to crisp.
• Do not use aluminum foil or grease your cookie sheet. They will not be as thin and lacy.

Tips to Make them Thin and Crispy

• Do not chill the dough. Mix and bake immediately.
• Brown the butter. Melted butter helps them spread and caramelize.
• Note the minimal amount of flour.
• Do not use aluminum foil or grease your cookie sheet.
• Use a spatula to remove them from the sheet after they cool for 5 minutes and allow them to cool on a wire rack to continue to crisp.

Dietary Considerations

• Gluten Free (with gluten free flour)
• Vegetarian
• Nut Free

How to Pack and Ship Cookies

These thin oatmeal lace cookies are perfect for gifting, and they pack and ship beautifully, too. I’ve got an entire post dedicated to the art of packing and shipping your cookies at the holidays and beyond.

To gift, simply stack them in a cellophane bag and tie with a ribbon to gift to friends, family, neighbors and coworkers!

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More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes You’ll Love

• Oatmeal Coconut Cookies (with Brown Butter)
• No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Oatmeal Brickle Cookies
• Chocolate and Oatmeal No Bake Cookies
• Kitchen Sink Cookies

If you love oatmeal cookies, try my Oatmeal Cookie Shot.