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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.
These have quickly become a family favourite over the past few years. I’ve mixed it up and added the chai spice (minus the sugar) from the chai gingerbread cookies to spice the chocolate filling. It is amazing.
Hey Nicole,
Happy Monday!❄️🎄 I appreciate you making this recipe so often and sharing your review, so glad to hear it is always enjoyed! xT
I made them today. The spread out a bit the second time but aren’t crisp- what do I need to do differently?
Hey Dana,
Thanks for giving these cookies a try! I would try adding some more cream or water to the dough so they spread more:) I hope this helps! xx
Hi I am making these cookies tomorrow and was curious. You use salted butter and also add more salt correct?
Hi Patrice,
Yes, that is correct:) Please let me know how these cookies turn out, I hope you love them! xx
Hi! Could I make the cookies ahead of time, possibly freeze them to store them longer, then put the chocolate on before I want to serve them? Thanks! These look addictive!
Hey Janet,
Yes, that will work well for you! I hope you love these cookies, let me know how they turn out! xx
My cookies came out too thick at first also. Adding some water and spreading them out a bit in the pan before baking solved the problem! Love your recipes!!
Hey Kelley,
Happy Monday!❄️🎄 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
My first HBH fail *sobs* but I’m comforted to read so many others had trouble, too. I’m a fairly experienced baker, so when I had trouble with the first batch I narrowed down my problems and tried again. Although round 2 was much better, I still had trouble so I turned to Google and think I’ve reasoned out the issues. I don’t think I’ll use this lace cookie recipe again but I do really like the filling!
Hi Meredith,
Thanks for trying these cookies and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear they didn’t work well for you. Was there something specific you needed help with? Let me know! xx
They weren’t that liquidy, and thus didn’t get “lacy” like other lace cookies I’ve made in the past! I think the issue was that I need to slow down the boil in the first step so let the butter and sugar cook longer. Mine wasn’t a caramel consistency – it was more like a icing/frosting. So I think it overcooked too quickly – does that sound right? My husband loves the messy ones so I promised him I’d try one more time lol
Lol well thanks for giving them another try! But yes, that sounds like something that could have gone wrong! Let me know how they turn out this time around:)
Well, I’m sorry to say third time was not the charm…..but the FOURTH time was. I switched my almond flour and was careful about my heat and they turned out perfectly! Thank goodness because I was about to lose my mind haha but these are legitimately my husband’s new favorite cookie so I’m glad I was able to work through it. Merry Christmas!
Oh yay!! Lol thanks for being so persistent Meredith!! So glad they eventually turned out for you! xT
I’m sorry to say that this recipe didn’t work for me. The crisps ended up too chewy and the chocolate didn’t solidify enough to spread.
My batter looked like it was the right consistency but unfortunately it didn’t spread out enough in the oven.
Might try again since I have some left over almond flour but if I don’t nail it the next time it will have to accept defeat.
They look really good in your pictures though! Fingers crossed for next time.
Hey Kate,
Thanks for giving these cookies a try and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear they didn’t turn out for you, they can be finicky! Did they need to bake longer? Let me know if you give them another try! xx
Something else I might take into account is that I am located at sea level.
Going to try again maybe next week and tweak a few things.
I’m wondering if you stir the butter/sugar mix while it’s boiling or just let it roll?
Hey Christine,
You can go ahead and give it a stir! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hey Teighan!
I’m just wondering if you know if you can make this batter ahead of time? Like make the cookie dough one day and then bake then the next?
Hey Gina,
Unfortunately, I would not recommend that for this recipe, so sorry! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
The cookies are delicious. My 12 year old brother in law said they’re “the best cookies I’ve ever had!!!” And “I can’t wait until next Christmas so you can make them again!!” I assured him I could make them again before next Christmas. Anyways easy to make! I love that they’re gluten free(I have celiac) and they are the perfect holiday addition
Hey Taylor,
Wonderful!!🎅 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
Could I use coconut flour instead of almond flour? I’m thinking it would have to be less with how absorbent coconut flour is, but how much less?
Hi Jeana,
Sorry, for this recipe you will want to stick with the almond flour:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Is there a flour you’d recommend as a replacement, as I was hoping to make these for someone who is allergic to almonds
Unfortunately, this recipe needs the almond flour. You could give this one a try:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/nutella-oatmeal-lace-cookies/
I hope this helps! xx
My boyfriend has very big feelings about these cookies. He asks why I bother making ANY other Christmas cookies when I could just make more of these. I’m a big fan as well, they’re super tasty. Definitely going to be a Christmas cookie staple for me for sure.
Hey Kristen,
Wonderful!!🎅 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
Hello! I am excited to make this recipe, curious if I can use dark brown sugar instead of light? (just what I have in the cabinet already!)
Hey Lauren,
Sure, that will be okay for you to use! Please let me know if you give these cookies a try, I hope you love them! xx
Delicious, I doubled the recipe. Lovely GF cookie.
Thanks so much Mary!! So glad you enjoyed these cookies:) xT
They were in fact easy, just like the recipe title! They taste delicious and look beautiful. All the extra notes about batter consistency, etc, was super useful. Next time I may make them slightly smaller than the teaspoon measurement so they will be closer to one or two bite size.Thanks Tiegan!
Hey Jen,
Love it!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:) Happy Monday!🎄
Hi! I’ve made these cookies the last 2 years and they have become one of my favorites! However they always end up way smaller than what I see in your pictures. Do you have any suggestions to help with the size? I would love to perfect a larger looking cookie. Thanks!
Hey Deana,
Happy Monday!!☃️ I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was enjoyed! I would try using a larger amount than the 1 teaspoon size drops. xT