Almost impossibly delicate with a buttery toffee flavor, these old-fashioned Oatmeal Lace Cookies are an underrated Christmas cookie. Bake up a batch for the holiday party or bake sale – they’re always a hit!
These cookies are caramelized oatmeal cookies with tiny air pockets that resemble real lace (hence the name!). Everyone loves these because you can’t stop at just one (they’re that good!).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The most delicate cookie: This recipe gives you almost impossibly thin, crisp, and delicate cookies every time. Their light and crispy bites are what make them so easy to eat.
- Tastes like toffee: This is no ordinary oatmeal cookie recipe. Pecans, melted butter, and two types of sugar in the dough give the cookies a delicious toffee flavor.
- Perfect for sharing: Pack stacks of these cookies into bags with ribbons and gift them to your family and friends during the Christmas season!
Ingredients Needed
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Quick cooking oats – You can use old-fashioned rolled oats instead, but the cookies will have a heartier texture.
- Pecans – I love making these cookies with pecans because they add extra crunch. Feel free to omit the pecans.
- White and brown sugar – These two sugars give the cookies a delicious toffee flavor.
- Unsalted butter – If all you have is salted butter, omit the extra salt from the recipe.
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
How to Make Oatmeal Lace Cookies
For the detailed instructions, please see the recipe card.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Next, stir in the oats and chopped pecans.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Stir the sugars and melted butter together in a separate bowl. Stir in the egg and vanilla next, then slowly stir in the dry mixture.
- Form and bake: Drop heaping teaspoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, then bake the cookies until they’re golden brown and crispy around the edges.
- Cool, then enjoy: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack. Enjoy!
5 Star Review
“Easy recipe with very delicious results! Made these 3 times for the Christmas holidays — they are that good!” ~ Will
Helpful Tips
- Don’t overmix the cookie dough: Stir the wet and dry mixtures together until they’re just combined and no dry flour remains.
- Try not to add any extra flour to the recipe or else the cookies will be chewy and soft rather than crisp.
- Always line your baking sheets with parchment paper: Without it, the caramelized cookies will essentially be glued to the pan and will break when you try to remove them.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet: After cooling for 5 minutes, the cookies will firm up and be easier to transfer to a wire rack without breaking.
Common Questions
This recipe makes a whopping 66 crisp oatmeal cookies! While you could enjoy them all to yourself, I recommend packing some in gift bags and gifting them to your neighbors, coworkers, family, and friends.
Yes! If you’re craving chocolate lace cookies, swirl ¼ cup of chocolate chips into the warm melted butter until they melt. You could also substitute chocolate chips or chocolate chunks for the pecans.
No, oatmeal lace cookie dough should NOT be chilled before baking because the melted butter helps the cookies spread out and caramelize in the oven.
The baked and cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for around 3 days. They also freeze well for about 3 months.
More Holiday Treats You’ll Love
Oatmeal Lace Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups quick cooking oats
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1 ½ sticks
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add oats and chopped pecans and stir well to combine.
- Place light brown sugar and granulated sugar in a separate large bowl. Add melted and cooled butter and stir until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture and stir to combine.
- Drop by heaping teaspoons (1 ½ teaspoons of dough per cookie) onto prepared baking sheet approximately 3 inches apart.
- Bake for 7 to 8 minutes (watching closely to avoid over-baking), or until golden brown and crispy around the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- This recipe yields approximately 66 cookies.
Nutrition
If provided, nutritional info is a courtesy, is not guaranteed and should only be considered as a guideline.
Debbie
Hi! Will these cookies bake and hold up without adding the pecans? We have one in the family allergic to them!
Hi Debbie, yes they can be prepared without the pecans. I hope you and your family enjoy them!
Helen Waack
I made these with your exact directions, except with a little less white sugar.
Amazing! and I now have about 15 people who say it’s their new favorite cookie.
lisa chua
“These Oatmeal Lace Cookies are simply amazing! They turn out crisp and delicate with a great balance of sweetness and oat flavor. The recipe is straightforward and the cookies are perfect for sharing or enjoying with a cup of tea. I love how they’re both chewy and crunchy—definitely a new favorite for my cookie jar!
Virginia Frank
Do these cookies break if stored one on top of each other?
Helen Waack
After the cookies are fully cool and dry, I just put them all in a ziplock and they keep perfectly well.
Will
Easy recipe with very delicious results! Made these 3 times for the Christmas holidays — they are that good!
Terry Miranda
Holy cow these were so good. Wish I had read the calorie content before I ate 10 of them. These were exactly like the photo. Delicious. Keeper recipe for sure.
Linda
My neighbor made these and brought them over, still warm and fresh. They were soooo good they were gone in half a day. We must have eaten 40 cookies between us! She says she doubled the recipe, and added a tablespoon of cinnamon to the dough. Just sensational! Tonight, I bake! The man of the house has requested some with cashews and some with walnuts, as well as the pecans. Experimenting will be fun!
Schmidt
Exactly like the picture and delicious
Thank you, Schmidt… so glad you enjoyed the cookies! 🙂
Marsha
Wonderful lace cookies just like my mother in laws! I add semi sweet chocolate chips.
Thank you Marsha, so glad you enjoyed the cookies!
Jo
My new favorite Christmas Cookie. So light and Yummy, they will definitely be going to many parties with me.
Paula Vicknair
I used this recipe but added raisins along with the pecans. I also went for 8 minutes cooking time with 4 minute interval
rotating the baking sheet at 4 minutes. It worked perfectly. Yum!
So glad you liked them, Paula! The raisins sound like a great addition. Happy New Year!
Michelle Rittler @ Taste As You Go
Thanks for allowing me to feature your recipe in my round-up of 60 Ultimate Cookie Exchange Recipes on Taste As You Go. Happy Holidays!
Thanks so much, Michelle! Can’t wait to check out all of the cookie recipes. Happy holidays to you too!
Dina
they look yummy!
Marsha
My family love these! Just like my mother-in-laws used to be, but she would never give me the recipe! LOL!! I’m asked by family to make them all the time !!!