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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:Â
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 CookiesÂ
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.
Where would the optional 12 ounces of melted milk chocolate come in?
Hey Shelbie,
You would add that in step 1 to be part of the cookie dough. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Followed the recipe exactly but I couldn’t get the lace cookies right either (like other reviewers). I think maybe I needed more than just the extra tablespoon of water to thin the dough even more?? Still very yummy!
Hey Ashley,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! So glad you enjoyed the flavors here:) You may have needed a touch more water, you can refer to the photos above for the correct consistency. Let me know how I can help! xx
Although mine did not turn out like yours, they were still DELICIOUS.
Hey Elle,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
I just made these according to your recipe and they are not lacy at all. The batter was thin enough that I didn’t need to add water for batch one but no lace. I added water to batch 2 but not lacy. Definitely couldn’t be rolled into balls. A miss for me and I’m an experienced baker.
Hi there,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback. Sorry to hear they didn’t turn out well for you. These are not meant to be able to be rolled into balls. Sounds like the batter was the correct consistency. What kind of flour did you use? xx
I’m making these this afternoon and I’m a little confused by the instructions in step 3 and 4… you mention rolling the dough into balls but in the pictures it doesn’t look rolled. Thanks!
Hi Heather,
Step 3 says that if you can roll the dough, then you will want to thin it with water. You should not be able to roll the dough. I hope this clears things up for you! xx
Hi there!
I am getting a head start on my holiday baking this year and was curious if this recipe is freezer friendly? If so, would it be better to freeze the lace cookies and then assemble when ready to deliver or just make the cookies in their entirety and freeze as sandwich cookies?
Thanks!
Hey Jordan,
You can go ahead and freeze the cookies, but I would wait to add the filling:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi HBH, when would you add the optional milk chocolate?
Hi Yvonne,
You would add that in step 1 if you want a chocolate cookie:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hi Tieghan!
I just tried out these cookies as I’m trying the recipes for my first ever cookie boxes this year! I made these just like the recipe said only mine are fairly small and do not look lacy or have the dark color like yours do. Is there a thing of over mixing in this recipe? Could it be that I boiled the mixture for too long and that’s what caused the light color and thicker dough? I LOVE everything you do so I’m said these didn’t work out! Any help is MUCH appreciated !
Hey Jordan,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try!! Next time, I would add a little more cream or water to the dough, that should help to thin it out! Let me know if that works for you! xT
I love my dark chocolate with a little kick. Can’t wait to try this recipe with 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (from another recipe with the same amount of chocolate). Will let you know how it comes out.
I hope you love the recipe Mary!!
Read the comments before making these and was a little hesitant but they are PERFECT! Chewy, slightly crispy on the edges, nutty, buttery, warm, so so good. I ended up making 4 batches because there was a lot of chocolate spread and also it was really easy to just whip up a couple more after the first went so well. I wish I could make them as uniformly round as Tieghan does, but I’m sure she’s got a very steady hand.
I tried one batch with 2T water added and 1 batch with 1 whole egg vs just a white and they both turned out about the same. Adding the whole egg would be easier than separating out the white but still super simple either way.
Hey Jessica,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
I tried these twice, and they just didn’t come out as thin and crispy. I think they were too thick and big the first time, so I was so careful to measure properly and thin them out the second time… but still no dice. They definitely passed the taste test though. My kids loved them. I also had way too much filling.
Hey Kelly,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! To thin the batter, try adding 1 egg yolk next time. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Tasted fantastic the day cooked, but didn’t hold the crunch. Not even fridge or freezer could hold the crunch. We make ahead many batches of cookies for use on the actual holiday. These will not be passing that test for future Xmas cookie boxes.
Thanks for making these Shannon:)
My mom and I made these on Christmas Eve. I was a little nervous as some of the reviews made it seem like they may not turn out well. Even some more experienced bakers noted difficulties so I thought that meant my mom and I would have trouble as we are no where near as experienced. However, we followed the recipe and they turned out great! One tip we did was to refrigerate the chocolate ganache a little bit so that it wasn’t as thin and runny when we put it in the cookies. That helped make them pretty and not as messy. Tasted great and we had fun making them!
Hi Amy,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xT
The flavor is amazing, but I was a little disappointed that the cookies didn’t keep their crisp texture after the ganache was added. I also think the ganache recipe could be halved (or the dough recipe doubled) as I was left with quite a bit extra after all my cookies were sandwiched.
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try Jess, sorry you didn’t love it! xT
Thanks Teighan for this easy and delicious cookie recipe. Light, chewy and soo yummy chocolate for Christmas lunch. ?. I have about 4oz of leftover ganache (made with Ghirardelli’s chips). Any other recommendations other than eating it out of the container ? or maybe more cookies.
Hi Yasamin,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas!?? xT
Absolutely loved these! My mom said they were some of the best cookies she has ever had. I have lots of leftover chocolate sauce — any recommendations on how to use it?
Hi Claire,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! You could drizzle on other cookies or save for hot fudge sundaes. Merry Christmas!?? xT