Oatmeal Lace Cookies Recipe
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Oatmeal Lace Cookies are crisp, delicate, buttery and delicious! This lace cookies recipe is a family favorite and makes a large quantity of cookies!
Oatmeal Lace Cookies have always been one of my husband’s favorite cookies. I’ve known that but quickly forget from time to time as they aren’t a cookie I have regularly made. So, the other night I asked him, “what’s a favorite special cookie that you’d like for me to make for you?”
His immediate reply, “Lace cookies.”
His Mama has always made them, especially at Christmas. And they are amazing!
Oatmeal Lace Cookies
Which isn’t hard to believe, because let me just tell you, I have never, ever, ever tasted one thing that my mother-in-law cooked that was not absolutely out of this world scrumptious.
You know, I have truly been blessed to be surrounded by phenomenal cooks in my life with my Grandmothers, Mama, and aunts. I count myself even more blessed to be able to learn even a little bit about recipes, cooking, entertaining large crowds, and many other life lessons from my mother-in-law. What an honor to learn from all these wonderful ladies!
So, back to these oatmeal lace cookies. Lace cookies get their name because as they bake, they spread and bubble and bubble and bubble and form little holes in the cookies.
There are so many recipes for lace cookies, but my mother-in-law’s recipe actually originated from a local restaurant where special parties and luncheons were often held. They’ve since closed, but thankfully shared this recipe with her before they did so.
This oatmeal lace cookie recipe makes a LOT of cookies. I mean a whole lot of cookies, close to six dozen. That’s what makes this lace cookie recipe so perfect for Christmas cookies, luncheons, showers, parties and more! There are plenty to share and still have a few to enjoy!
Come to think of it, maybe that’s why my mother-in-law makes them each year for her huge family.
Here’s the Oatmeal Lace Cookie recipe my family loves. One warning though, they are buttery and oh so addictive.
Oatmeal Lace Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) butter
- 2 1/4 cups (479 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 1/4 cups (200 g) rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons (23 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
- 1 large (50 g) egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats. Set aside.
- Heat butter and brown sugar in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden or silicon spoon, until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in oats, flour, salt, egg, and vanilla.
- Drop cookie batter by the teaspoon onto prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie to allow them to spread.
- Bake for 5 -7 minutes, watching closely to prevent them from over-baking. The lace cookies should be golden brown.
- Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 30 seconds and remove onto racks to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
You can prepare the dough and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. When you are ready to bake, drop the dough by teaspoons onto parchment lined baking sheets 2 inches apart and follow the recipe baking instructions. Freezing Oatmeal Lace Cookie dough: Drop dough by teaspoons onto a parchment covered baking sheet. Cover and place in the freezer for 1 hour or until the dough is frozen. Remove from the freezer and place the cookie mounds into airtight containers or freezer bags. Label the bag with the date and name of the cookies. When you are ready to bake the cookies, remove the container from the freezer. Remove the number of cookies from the container that you wish to bake and place them at least 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. You will not need to thaw the dough before baking. Bake as directed in your recipe but you will probably need to add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time. Storing baked cookies: Cool the baked cookies thoroughly. Layer cookies between pieces of parchment of waxed paper and place into an airtight container. These cookies should keep up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
 Just saw this recipe. Reminds me of when I was around 10 years old and wanted to make cookies. My sisters and I mixed up a batch  with just whatever we had. When they were  done they were just as you described  and looked very much like your picture.  They were delicious. We knew we had left something  out of our recipe because of how they spread out so much. We probably didn’t have enough flour.  I’m 70 years old now and look forward to trying your recipe soon.
I bet they were delightful, Carolyn! This recipe was shared with me from my mother-in-law and it was given to her. It is definitely one of our favorites.
I love these cookies. If you make them small, you can sandwich two together with some melted chocolate in between. Sooo delicious and makes them a little hardier for packing as gifts!
Sounds great, Laura! We love these cookies so much too! Thanks so much! xo
Could I add raisins? If yes, how much?
Hi Carla,
These cookies are extremely thin, I’m not sure raisins would hold up in the cookie.
I’ve never made a cookie like this before… but always have wanted to… Is 3TBSP of Flour correct?? Thanks!!
Hi Linda,
Yes, that is correct. Hope you enjoy them!
I’ve been baking fir a long time and know not to shortcut or substitute. I chose this recipe for Christmas baking because it looked so quick and easy- just melt the butter and sugar, add the oats and the rest and go! Boy, was I wrong! And what a disaster! I used parchment paper and put about one teaspoon of dough for each cookie, spacing about two inches apart. I followed the recipe that suggested waiting 30 seconds after removing from the oven before putting on a cooling rack. When I removed the first batch from the oven, it was one solid mass instead of individual cookies. I waited one minute, then tried separating the mass into individual cookies. No luck. They were gooey, messy balls. So for the second batch, I used a much smaller portion for each cookie-probably about 1/4 teaspoon. . They still spread put a lot but not as much as the first batch. I tried removing them from the paper after two minutes-too soft and gooey. So I ended up letting them completely cool-6-7 minutes on the paper before removing them. Even then, it was labor intensive- sliding a knife under each one to separate it and try not to destroy the shape. After four batches, I still had over half the dough left. At this rate, it was going to take me 4-5 hours to bake it all. So I gave up and threw the rest of the dough away. It definitely wasn’t a time saver and, although the cookies taste great, they’re so thin and delicate that they’re not ideal for putting in Christnas goody bags. They either fall apart or stick to the other cookies. Definiteky would not make these again.
Oh no! I’m so sorry they didn’t work for you, Donna. These are very thin and delicate cookies and I wouldn’t recommend adding them to goody bags. They are gorgeous is gift boxes, however, since they are so delicate.
Here are a couple of thoughts that might be helpful. Make sure that you are using butter and not margarine, I’m sure that you are, but just in case. Also, for butter, I like to use Land o Lakes as I’ve found that many store brands of butters have a higher water content that can cause issues in baking.
Yes- I absolutely NEVER substitute margarine for butter in any recipe, especially baked goods, and also only use unsalted Land O Lakes. Thanks for the reply.
Do they freeze well?
Hi Julie!
They do! I just added all of the make-ahead and freezer friendly tips to my Make-Ahead Favorite Christmas Cookies tips. I hope that helps! Happy baking! xo
Robyn,
I saw an comment/question from Jason a few days ago and wanted to restate to get your clarification. When you say the butter and sugar should be cooked until butter is melted and mixture is smooth – do you mean until the sugar is fully dissolved or just until the butter is fully melted? I just made a batch and want to be sure I have this down correctly because I love these cookies!
My first batch turned out good but the oats didn’t spread out to the edges. I also used one stick of butter and one stick of margarine because that is what I had on hand. I don’t usually use margarine but had it for other holiday baking needs. I believe that may be why they spread a little more than I expected. Margarine is a bit softer and my next batch will definitely use the real thing!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Hi Clint,
You are right that you’ll want to make sure that you are using butter and not margarine in this recipe. You’ll want to cook until the butter is fully melted and the mixture resembles a paste. The mixture will be thin, but will thicken as you stir in the oats, flour, and other ingredients. I hope that helps! xo
I’ve been searching for this recipe for years! I had a friend who’s grandma made them, and I’ve tried different versions over the years, trying to get it right. I’ve been making the Mrs Field’s version for the past couple of years, as I didn’t have this one.. They’re good, but they don’t do that see-through, melt in your mouth thing that I love.. They just don’t get thin enough.. Can’t wait to scrap that recipe and start making these again!
Oh I hope you enjoy them! We love these! Thanks so much Nicki!
When you say cook until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth, do you mean just until the butter melts and there is no dry brown sugar left or are you actually supposed to cook the mixture until the brown sugar is dissolved and there is no grainyness (I think I made that word up) left in the mixture?
I have the same question. I just made a batch of these and they are good but the response to them when my spouse taste-tested was “Oh these taste sort of like peanut brittle but with oats”. I think I may have cooked the butter and sugar too long. I left it on the burner well beyond the butter melting. I read the smooth to mean until the sugar was completely dissolved. Also, I only had one stick of real butter and one of margarine. I think the margarine made the batter a little thinner. Hopefully we will hear back from Robyn. This batch is going to the office – I plan to make another batch to take home for Christmas.
I’ve been making this recipe for years. You cook the butter and sugar just until the butter melts. It should be like a paste. If you cook it any longer, then it turns into a candy like consistency.
Thanks so much for the tip, Suzzane! They are delicious, aren’t they? Thanks! xo
Did you use salted or unsalted butter for the recipe?
You can use whichever butter you prefer, but I generally keep salted butter since it has a longer shelf life.