Oatmeal lace cookies are thin, crisp, caramel-flavored cookies that look elegant yet take almost no effort to make. They spread into beautiful golden rounds with a delicate lacy pattern and a buttery flavor that makes them perfect for gifting or pairing with a cup of coffee.
Ingredients you will need
Unsalted butter: Cold or room-temperature butter works because it melts easily in the saucepan.
Sugar: You'll need both white and light brown sugar for this oatmeal lace cookie recipe.
Honey: Enhances the flavor and contributes to the signature lace pattern.
Heavy cream
Salt
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour: Provides just enough structure so the cookies hold their shape.
Rolled oats or quick oats: Pulse a couple of times to help them melt into the batter and create a delicate texture.
Are you looking for more delicious cookie recipes? Look no further! Check out these Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies, these Molasses Cookies with brown butter icing, or these buttery Cookie sticks with chocolate glaze.
Cooking tips
Let the batter rest. Once mixed, the batter looks very runny. A few minutes of resting helps it thicken slightly, making it easier to scoop.
Give the cookies plenty of space. Lace cookies spread much more than regular cookies. Crowding them causes them to merge into one giant cookie, which is only helpful if you plan to eat it alone in a corner.
Bake until bubbling stops. The cookies will bubble vigorously, then calm down and darken around the edges. That's your cue that they're done. They crisp up fully as they cool.
Allow them to cool on the parchment. Lace cookies are fragile straight from the oven. Sliding the parchment onto a cool surface helps them firm up without sticking or tearing.
How to make oatmeal lace cookies
Making the dough: Preheat your oven to 350F (175C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the butter, white and brown sugar, honey, and heavy cream in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Add the flour and pulsed oats and mix until smooth. Transfer the batter to a clean bowl and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
Baking: Portion the batter into small scoops, about 2 teaspoons each, spacing them far apart on the baking sheets. Bake one tray at a time for about 10 minutes, rotating the tray if your oven has hot spots, until the cookies have spread, stopped bubbling, and turned golden at the edges.
Shaping and cooling: Remove the cookies from the oven. For perfectly round cookies, place a large round cookie cutter over each cookie and gently swirl it to nudge the edges inward. Slide the parchment onto a cool countertop and let the cookies set for 10 minutes, then peel them off and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Possible variations
Dip in chocolate: Add a glossy finish by dipping half of each cookie in melted dark or milk chocolate, just like I've done with my Matcha cookies.
Make sandwich cookies: Spread chocolate ganache or caramel between two cookies for an irresistible treat.
Add spices: A pinch of cinnamon or cardamom adds warmth and complexity to the flavor.
Storing and freezing tips
Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week to maintain their crisp texture. To freeze, layer the cookies with parchment paper between them and store in a sealed freezer-safe container for up to a month. After thawing at room temperature, they may become less crispy and a bit chewier, but they will still be delicious.
Recipe card
Oatmeal Lace Cookies
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- 2 Parchment paper
- Saucepan
- Rubber spatula
- Food processor or a blender
Ingredients
- 70 g unsalted butter cold is fine
- 50 g white granulated sugar
- 50 g light brown sugar
- 30 g honey
- 30 g heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 20 g all purpose
- 120 g rolled oats pulsed in a food processor several times
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine the butter, white and brown sugar, honey, and heavy cream in a saucepan. Warm it over medium heat, stirring now and then, until the butter melts. Let the mixture come to a boil, then take it off the heat.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Add the flour and ground oats and mix until smooth. The batter will be very runny. Transfer it to a clean bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes so it cools slightly and thickens.
- Scoop 16 to 18 portions, about 2 teaspoons each, onto the prepared sheets. Leave plenty of space for spreading, since these cookies like to stretch their legs.
- Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through if your oven runs hot in spots, until the cookies have spread, stopped bubbling, and turned golden at the edges.
- Take the cookies out of the oven. If you want them perfectly round, use a large round cookie cutter to gently nudge the edges into shape.
- Slide the parchment onto a countertop and let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes.
- Peel them off the paper and move them to a rack to cool completely before serving.
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