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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.
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.
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.
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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
New follower and I just love your page. I just made these and they are delicious. My cookies were a bit smaller and color not as dark but I also didn’t use chocolate in my batter but they are delicious anyways!! I think these will definitely be going into our holiday cookie rotation.
Hey Candice,
Happy Friday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
why do you have oven racks on bottom 3rd and top 3rd. Which one do you back on. thank you in advance for repying. I am so excited to try these
Hey Greg,
I found the best results baking on the upper and lower thirds of my oven, so you will use both of these racks. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hi, looks wonderful, like Florentines a bit. How much is 1 stick butter in grams?
Hi Nina,
One stick of butter is equal to 113 grams. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These cookies were amazing! I had more than enough of the filling so would probably half the recipe for the chocolate filling next time. I also did not have espresso powder so I added a small amount of brewed expresso to bring out the coffee flavor. Will definitely make again!
Hey Kate,
I love to hear that this recipe worked out for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
What can you use instead of almond flour for those with nut allergies? Oatmeal flour?
Hey Joelle,
Unfortunately, you really need the almond flour here. Try using this recipe instead:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/nutella-oatmeal-lace-cookies/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Thanks for sharing this nut free alternative!! We are adding this to our holiday cookie list!
You bet!
Hello! Does this make 16 cookie sandwiches, or 8 sandwiches/16 cookies?
Trying to plan for my christmas cookie boxes!
Hey Kristen,
This will make 16 cookie sandwiches. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I love your blog and your recipes are always amazing but Unfortunately these did not work. I tried this recipe twice today and followed the recipe perfectly but I was disappointed they did not spread or become lacey
Hey Christine,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe. Did you try to thin the batter at all? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Oh my. These turned out great.
Could (and did) eat the filling with a sppon
Hey Shelley,
Awesome! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Have the best weekend❄️ xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I love your blog and have made many of your recipes. I tried these today and followed the recipe to a T, and they puffed up and did not spread. They still taste delicious, but they definitely don’t look anything like the picture. I wonder if altitude makes a difference? I am at sea level here in RI. I checked the oven temp to be sure it was at 350*, and I even thinned the batter more after the first batch and still had the same outcome. Any recommendations on some other change to try? Thanks for a lovely blog! Many of your recipes are on regular rotation in our home. 🙂
Hey Kate,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try. Sorry to hear you are having issues with these cookies! Have you tried banging your sheet pan on the counter at all? You could also try thinning out the batter a little more. Let me know if either of those help! xTieghan
could you use dark brown sugar instead of light brown?
Hey Tenley,
Yes, that should be okay for you to use. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Tried these cookies 3 times last year…I rarely have trouble baking. Never spread and were fluffy. So disappointed.
Hi Kristin,
So sorry to hear this, was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Did you try adding extra cream to help thin out the batter? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Can you make these ahead of time and freeze?
Hi Robin,
You could make the cookie part ahead of time and freeze but I would save the filling to make fresh. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
These are my family and friends favourite cookies of all time.
Thank you for creating!!
Hi Amanda,
I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Can these cookies be frozen?
Yes! xTieghan
I tried these twice. The dough never spread out. More like small pancake. Followed recipe as written. Any idea what happened?
Hey Mary! I’m so sorry about that! Was the dough too thick maybe? xTieghan