Chewy Oatmeal Lace Cookies
These chewy oatmeal lace cookies are super easy to make and are one of my favorite cookie recipes! They’re perfectly caramelized, so they have crispy golden brown edges and a chewy center.
Why These Oatmeal Lace Cookies Are So Incredible
What makes these cookies so incredible? It’s hard to put into words, but I’ll do my best.
I think so much of it comes down to the texture. The brown sugar and butter perfectly coat each bit of oat and allow it to bake into a beautiful web of caramelized oat goodness.
It’s one of the only cookie recipes I know of that essentially has liquid cookie dough.
The viscosity of the batter allows the cookies to spread a ton as they bake. This allows the edges of the cookies to develop a web of crispy, golden-brown crust that gives them an amazing texture and flavor.
As you bite into it, you get the crunch from the edges of the cookie, combined with the soft, chewy center.
It’s everything you could want in a cookie and more.
How to Make These Oatmeal Lace Cookies
To make sure this oatmeal lace cookie recipe turns out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together. I’ve also shared a video below showing how these cookies are made.
Below is a list of equipment I used to make these, but feel free to improvise if you don’t have all of these on hand.
Recommended Tools and Equipment
- Large Frying Pan
- 4 Large, Flat Baking Sheets
- Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper
- Teaspoon measure
Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Melt Down the Brown Sugar
Preheat the oven to 375º F / 190º F and line 4 large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside. If you don’t have that many baking sheets, line however many you have.
Add the butter and brown sugar to a large frying pan and heat over medium heat. Stir frequently until the butter has fully melted and the mixture is smooth and no clumps of brown sugar remain.
It’s ok if the butter and brown sugar aren’t fully combined. The mixture will come together once we mix in the remaining ingredients. Remove from heat.
Step 2: Mix in the Remaining Ingredients
Carefully stir in the oats, flour, and salt. Mix until the oats are fully covered with the brown sugar/butter mixture.
Then mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Stir until fully incorporated. The batter should be a little soupy/thin!
Step 3: Drop the Batter onto the Lined Baking Sheets
Drop 1 tsp of cookie batter onto the prepared baking sheets to make each cookie. Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie to allow them to spread.
Bake two trays at a time for 5-7 minutes (the sweet spot in my oven is 6 1/2 minutes, but it will vary from oven to oven), until the edges are golden brown.
As soon as the two trays are done, pop in the next round.
Keep a close eye on these, as the bake time can also vary based on how much batter you use to make each cookie and how warm the batter is when the cookies are baked.
If the cookies come out of the oven and aren’t as circular as you’d like, use a large circle cutter or a large glass to scoot the sides of the cookies and reshape them into a circle while they’re still warm.
Step 4: Let the Cookies Cool and Repeat
Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 15 minutes, then move to wire racks to cool completely.
Drop more cookie batter onto the cleared cookie sheets and repeat until you’ve used all the batter.
If you don’t plan to eat these cookies immediately, keep them out at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Baked cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container or freezer ziplock bag for up to a month.
Substitutions and Swaps
While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know you might not have all these ingredients on hand! Or you might have food restrictions or allergies.
Below are some swaps and variations that can be made in this recipe.
- Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter, you can use it and omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter.
- Light Brown Sugar – I like using light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar will work too.
- Old Fashioned Oats – I like this recipe best when it’s made with old-fashioned or rolled oats, but it will work with quick oats too.
- All-Purpose Flour – You can use a gluten-free flour blend if needed in place of the AP flour in this recipe.
Using the Drop Cookie Technique
Like I mentioned above, this cookie dough is super thin!! This means there’s no rolling out cookie dough balls or chilling the cookie dough.
Instead, you drop tiny spoonfuls of batter onto a cookie sheet and bake them right up.
This is truly the definition of a drop cookie. I like to use a small spoon to carefully drop teaspoons of batter around the pan.
These chewy oatmeal lace cookies bake at a relatively high temperature (375 F / 190 C), which helps them spread and bake quickly and crisp up.
They end up being about 2 times their original size. This is why you must leave ample space between them.
Otherwise, you’ll end up with one giant sheet of oatmeal lace!! Am I speaking from personal experience? Yes.
How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?
This recipe makes about 60 small cookies if you use 1 tsp of batter per cookie, but the yield will vary based on how much batter you use per cookie.
If you want to make larger cookies, I recommend using 2 tsp of batter per cookie and making sure the cookies are at least 3 inches apart on the baking sheet before being baked. Bake time will be a minute or two longer.
Tips to Make the Best Oatmeal Lace Cookies
- Leave about 2 inches between each cookie as you spoon out the batter. They spread out quite a bit while they bake.
- Use a rounded teaspoon of batter to make each cookie. This will help you make chewy cookies with golden brown, caramelized edges.
- Make sure the cookie mixture isn’t too hot when you add in the egg. You don’t want the heat from the dough to scramble the egg!
- If the cookies come out of the oven and aren’t as circular as you’d like, use a large circle cutter or a large glass to scoot the sides of the cookies and reshape them into a circle.
- Let the cookies cool for at least 15 minutes on the pan before you try to move them to a wire rack.
Let Me Know What You Think
If you make these chewy oatmeal lace cookies, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and let me know your thoughts by sharing a comment.
Or if you share your creations on social media, be sure to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets!
Chewy Oatmeal Lace Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Chewy Oatmeal Lace Cookies
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 113g
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar 200g
- 1 cup old fashioned oats 96g
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp all-purpose flour 12g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
- 1 large egg, room temperature 56g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
Recommend Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF/ 190ºC and line 4 large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside. If you don't have that many baking sheets, line however many you have.
- Add 1/2 cup of butter and 1 cup of packed brown sugar in a large frying pan and heat over medium heat. Stir frequently until the butter has fully melted and the mixture is smooth and no clumps of brown sugar remain. It's ok if the butter and brown sugar aren't fully combined. The mixture will come together once we mix in the remaining ingredients. Remove from heat.
- Stir in 1 cup of oats, 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp flour, and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix until the oats are fully covered with the brown sugar/butter mixture.
- Then mix in 1 large egg and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Stir until fully incorporated. The batter should be a little soupy/thin!
- Drop 1 tsp of cookie batter onto the prepared baking sheets to make each cookie. Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie to allow them to spread.
- Bake two trays at a time for 5-7 minutes (the sweet spot in my oven is 6 1/2 minutes, but it will vary from oven to oven), until the edges are just starting to brown. If you like a chewier cookie, you can pull them out before the edges have browned much. If you like crispier edges, make sure the edges are nice and golden brown before pulling them out of the oven.
- As soon as the two trays are done, pop in the next round. Keep a close eye on these, as the bake time can also vary based on how much batter you use to make each cookie and how warm the batter is when the cookies are baked.
- If the cookies come out of the oven and aren't as circular as you'd like, use a large circle cutter or a large glass to scoot the sides of the cookies and reshape them into a circle while they're still warm.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 15 minutes, then move to wire racks to cool completely. Drop more cookie batter onto the cleared cookie sheets and repeat steps 5 & 6 until you've used all your batter.
- If you don't plan to eat these cookies immediately, keep them out at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Baked cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container or freezer ziplock bag for up to a month.
Video
Notes
How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?
This recipe makes about 60 small cookies, but the yield will vary based on how much batter you use per cookie. If you want to make larger cookies, I recommend using 2 tsp of batter per cookie and making sure the cookies are at least 3 inches apart on the baking sheet before being baked. Bake time will be a couple of minutes longer.How to Make the Best Chewy Oatmeal Lace Cookies
- Leave about 2 inches between each cookie as you spoon out the batter. They spread out quite a bit while they bake.
- Use a rounded teaspoon of batter to make each cookie. This will help you make chewy cookies with golden brown, caramelized edges.
- Make sure the cookie mixture isn’t too hot when you add in the egg. You don’t want the heat from the dough to scramble the egg!
- If the cookies come out of the oven and aren’t as circular as you’d like, use a large circle cutter or a large glass to scoot the sides of the cookies and reshape them into a circle.
- Let the cookies cool for at least 15 minutes on the pan before you try to move them to a wire rack.
Making These Oatmeal Lace Cookies in Advance
These cookies can be made in advance! Store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Baked cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container or freezer ziplock bag for up to a month. If the cookies get soft over time, you can pop the cookies back into a 300°F (150°C) oven for a few minutes, just until they dry out and crisp up again. Let them cool completely on the pan, they’ll firm up as they cool. If they’re still a little bendy, you can give them another couple of minutes. It’s super important that the cookies are completely cooled before you put them in an airtight container. You can also toss a small piece of paper towel or a silica packet (food-safe, not touching the cookies) into the container to absorb moisture. Lace cookies really hate humidity, so even airtight containers can trap enough moisture to soften them over time.Nutrition
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Below are photos from my original blog post on these oatmeal lace cookies. Sometimes it’s nice to look back on old photos and remember where it all began 🙂
Online sweets Desserts are the fairy tales of the kitchen — a happily-ever-after to supper. ~Terri Guillemets
Love them, found it easier to let the dough to set up a little then bake.
So happy to hear that! And yes I agree!! Mine naturally cools over time between batches, and it is way easier to manage at the end of a batch!! <3
Can these cookies be frozen successfully?
Hi Lynn,
Great questions! These oatmeal lace cookies can sit out at room temperature for a few days at room temperature if stored in an airtight container.
They also freeze well if stored in an airtight container, and last up to two weeks if frozen. Just be sure to transfer them to the fridge a day before you want to bring them to room temp to serve (this helps reduce the temperature shock).
Hope that helps, happy baking!
I just made these cookies, they are beautiful and delicious. I was surprised at how easy and quick these come together. This recipe is a keeper and I’ll be adding this recipe to my ‘faves’
Hi Gigi!! I am so happy to hear that 🙂 It’s one of my faves too!!! Thank you for sharing <3
Just made these. They are delish! Very easy. My mine are less lacey. Not sure why.
Hi Dee! So happy you loved the way these tasted!!
Sometimes if the batter cools down and thickens, the cookies don’t spread out as much! That’s my best guess ?
Hi….it’s a lovely recipe but can we avoid egg….or any substitute for egg
Hi Poonam,
You can use ground flaxseed in place of the egg! Mix one tablespoon ground flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water. Mix together, and let sit in your fridge for 15 minutes to set up and thicken. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi, can I have a recipe from which I can yield around 15-20 cookies and not more than that.
Pls reply. Thank you.
Hi Reena,
For sure! If you use 1/3 of the ingredients lists to make a partial batch, you should end up with about 20 cookies. Hope that helps, happy baking!
@Chelsweets, how do you know how much egg to put in that situation, do we still use a whole egg or 1/3 of the egg?
how can I make these gluten free? My 7 year old son can’t have gluten but would love to make and eat these!
Hi Carli,
You should be able to use gluten free flour in place of the AP flour in this recipe! Just let the batter sit for a bit (15 minutes) before baking the cookies. This gives the GF flour time to absorb some of the moisture from the batter to prevents any chance of the cookies having grainy texture. Hope that helps, happy baking!
This are so tasty! Made them last night and stored in an airtight container. This morning though they are not crispy. Any advice?
Hi Mary,
I’m so sorry to hear that! I usually store them on paper towels in my container to keep them from sticking together! Maybe that’s what keeps them crispy?? You can also try leaving them out in a bowl without covering them next time <3
I just made them! They are sooo easy and delicious!
Yay!! So happy to hear that Sunny 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!
If I don’t have unsalted butter can I use the salted butter?
Hi Kathleen,
You totally can, just omit the salt from the recipe 🙂 Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi! Can I use white sugar or coconut sugar instead of brown sugar?
Thankyou!
Hi Agustina,
You can make these with granulated sugar in place of the brown sugar, but sadly the color and flavor of the cookie won’t be the same:/ They will still taste great though!
Omg! Just made these after seeing them on TicTok. I am so in love with them
Aw that’s so awesome Starr!! I am so happy to hear that 🙂
I just made these cookies for my family ! they are so amazing ! we also had many extra to give away to the people we love and appreciate! Thank you for this recipe! Happy Easter !
That’s wonderful to hear Hina! 🙂 Happy Easter!!
I love these cookies! Just wondering Are you able to freeze the batter? Thanks so much for the recipe! ??
Hi Emer,
Sadly the batter doesn’t freeze great! Instead I’d recommend baking the batter, then freezing the baked cookies.
Hi! Are you able to add raisins to these once you’ve dropped them on the pan for a little added sweetness?
Hi Chloe,
So sorry for the delayed response! I haven’t tried it out, but I’d think that should work just fine. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!!
I made these a month or two ago for the first time. And then again today, they are the most requested cookies I have made at work for my co-workers. Thank you for a great recipe.
Aw that’s so great to hear Sherry 🙂 Thank you for sharing, your comment put the biggest smile on my face!!!
Hi, I made these twice both lots went in one day, my sister is a very fussy eater and never usually eats what I make and they are so good.
So happy to hear that Molly! 🙂
Hi! I loved the cookies! But found it a little sweet, is it possible to lessen the sugar? Or will it change the texture?
Also, when combining butter and sugar, do i need to completely dissolve the sugar ? Although when i made them, I didn’t wait for the sugar to dissolve completely I probably stirred for about 10mins then I got impatient and added the rest of the ingredients. The dough was not liquid enough and the first batch i baked was not as lacey. Was it because of cooking the butter and sugar for too long?
So for the next batch i added more melted butter. And it became lacey enough for my liking 🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe ?
Hi Sheridan,
You can reduce the amount of sugar a bit, but not by more a third of the total amount. Adding in a bit of extra butter to help them spread is a great idea. I don’t always let the sugar fully dissolve, so it’s ok if it doesn’t! Hope that helps, happy baking 🙂
Hi Chelsea!
I was wondering how you store them without them falling to pieces?! By the way, every time I bite into one I think they’re not as good as I remember them… and every time I am wrong!! These are amazing!! And so super easy to make! Thank you for sharing??
Chrissy
Hello from Barcelona [Spain]
I made this cookies and was SO SO SO TASTY
Thanks a lot for share your recipe!!!
Hi Renee – did you try the old fashioned oats? How did they turn out?
These were so easy to make, but it took quite some time, as I only have 2 pans and had to wait for them to cool off a bit before transferring them. They are on the sweet side, but I didn’t mind. I love the crispy edges and the chewy center. I can’t stop eating them!
They turned out really good!
hi, i tried out your recipe today. the batter of the first cookies looked like yours and they spread out very well. they also tasted delicious.
but the longer it took the crumpier was my batter… is there any advice you can give me to avoid this in the future? thank you.
If raisins were added, would this really change the recipe? I suspect that the laciness would change, but thought that might add something to it.
Can I use margarine instead of butter?
Hi Chelsea –
Can you sub the egg with a flax egg?
I made these, and are so good. I have also spread a thin layer of melted chocolate and made sandwich cookies out of them. They were a hit with all.
Yay!! So happy to hear that Marysia! Those sound delicious 🙂
I just made these and they were delicious. They taste like a cross between toffee and oatmeal cookies. I underbaked some of them to make them extra soft.
Love that!! They sound absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing Mohammed 🙂
Hi…great recipe…can these cookies be molded into a horn shape to fill with whipped cream?
Hi Cesira,
I haven’t tried doing that, but it should work! The cookies are super flexible when they’re warm and should be able to be shaped and filled. Hope that helps, happy baking!
I was looking for something relatively quick and easy to bake tonight and these were perfect! So yummy, perfectly sweet and rich, and I love the textures. I played around with how long I left each batch in the oven/how long I let it cool on the baking sheet and ended up with some chewy and some crispier cookies. Thanks for the recipe and tips!
Love that!! I am so happy to hear it 🙂 It really is crazy how the bake time can have such a big impact on the texture, but that is part of the fun too!! Thanks so much for sharing Stephanie!
@Chelsweets, Hello, I’m a little confused by this question & answer. Your recipe calls for old fashioned oats & in your tips you said it’s best with old fashioned oats or rolled oats, but quick oats work too. Thanks if you reply!
Apologies for the confusion! Way back when I first shared this recipe, I preferred using quick oats. But overtime, I’ve found that I love it best with old fashioned oats! I revamped the recipe in 2023, and updated it to use old fashioned oats 🙂 However, quick oats or rolled oats can be used too. Hope that helps, happy baking!
I found this I found this recipe last month, and I have made it no less than a dozen times. This is one of the best cookie recipes I’ve ever come across. Not only are they absolutely delicious, but they are so easy to make. I also love that they can be made gluten-free. I have now told so many people about this recipe. Thank you so much.
Hi Brandee,
Thank you so much for sharing!!!! I love hearing that 🙂 You are too sweet!
Amazing but the only instruction you didn’t add was how not to eat the whole batch!!! So good 🙂
Hahahaha I’ll have to add that to the recipe card 🙂 These really are irresistible!!
Do you think adding finely ground walnuts would work? If so, how much?
Hi Sondra,
I think that would be delicious, as long as the walnuts aren’t so finely ground they start to turn into a paste! I’d recommend starting with 1/3 cup and seeing if you like the way that ratio looks and tastes in these cookies. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Am I able to bake the cookies as usual after refrigerating the batter?
Hi Juliana,
If you bake them after refrigerating the batter, they will spread less and a bit thicker / chewier. I’d recommend letting the batter come to room temperature before baking the cookies for the best results!
Hi! If I only have instant oats, would that ruin the cookie?
I made these today. I divided my batter into 4 bowls. I then added different extracts to get a different flavor. I used anise, coconut, almond and vanilla.
The flavor was subtle but very nice. I also coated the back of half the vanilla cookies and half the coconut flavor with chocolate. Took this recipe to a whole new level! It’s a great base recipe that is so easy to customize the flavor.
I saw these on Tik Tok and within 30 minutes had them made. We ate the entire batch by the end of the night…..DELICIOUS! Will be making them again for Christmas, and probably forever since they are so so easy to throw together.
I have a small oven that can accommodate only one pan at a time for them to circulate hot air. Can I use two pans, but one pan on top of the other (leaving just about 1.5 inches between pans). What do you think will be the outcome? Will it yield a chewy cookie or a crispy cookie? Thanks in advance for the advice ?
Hi Bing,
Great question! If you’re stacking two pans with limited airflow between them, the heat won’t circulate evenly, which can definitely affect how the cookies bake. The pan on the bottom is likely to bake more slowly and stay softer, while the top pan might end up a little crispier or even uneven depending on how your oven radiates heat.
You might end up with one batch that’s a bit chewier and one that’s more crisp, but possibly also with some cookies underbaked or overbaked depending on their placement. If you can, it’s better to bake one pan at a time for consistent results (even if it takes longer), or rotate the pans halfway through and swap their positions to even things out.
Hope that helps, happy baking!!
I’m obsessed with these cookies, but I recently found out I’m celiac. Do you think I can use gluten free oats and gluten free flour??
Hi Adina,
I’m so glad you love them! Yes, you can definitely make these gluten free. Just be sure to use certified gluten free oats (since regular ones can have cross-contamination), and swap the all-purpose flour for a good 1:1 gluten free baking blend that contains xanthan gum (I love Bob’s red mill!). That usually gives the best texture. The cookies might spread a tiny bit differently, but they’ll still taste amazing. Hope that helps, happy baking!!
what can I do if I end up not being able to bake all of them and need to split it into two days but have the cookie ‘dough’ made already? does the mixture need to be liquidy when going to bake? I want to be careful that I don’t cook the mixture if I were to reheat it.
Hi Kristen,
I honestly have never tried doing that, so sadly I’m not sure! The batter/dough doesn’t have any leavening agents in it, so in theory it should still bake up fine the next day, but because the batter is a liquid it just makes me nervous! If you try it, let me know how it goes!
I used Bob’s Quick Cooking Rolled oats and 1.5 Tbs. of gluten-free all-purpose flour and used a 2 teaspoon scoop and they came out great! Will definitely make these again. Thanks for the tip on using the ring to make them round as I intend to melt a little chocolate and brush it on a cookie to make a sandwich style cookie so having a consistent size will be helpful.
Hi Linda,
So happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing 🙂 Sounds like the turned out amazing!!
Hi, any suggestions or photos on how to pack them as gifts without them breaking?
Hi Adelyn,
I usually stack them on their sides in cookie boxes! Are you going to ship them, or just like put them in a cute box for a party? They usually stack fine, but if you like them chewier and bake them a bit less, sometimes they can stick together if you stack them! If that’s the case, I’d layer parchment paper between them as you layer them in box. Hope that helps, happy baking!
This recipe was easy to follow and so simple yet feel so elegant! I loved the caramel flavor and the chewiness. Absolute perfection! Thank you Chelsey!
Yesss!! This is such a fun recipe, isn’t it?? So happy to hear they turned out great Camille 🙂
Can I use quick oats for this recipe?
Hi Nikki,
You can! The texture will be a little bit less chewy but they’ll still be delicious! Hope they turn out great, happy baking!
Hi. These are no longer crispy when placed in an air tight container. Any remedies?
Hi Landry,
Great question! You can pop the cookies back into a 300°F (150°C) oven for a few minutes, just until they dry out and crisp up again. Let them cool completely on the pan, they’ll firm up as they cool. If they’re still a little bendy, you can give them another couple minutes.
For storage going forward, a little trick that helps is not sealing them up while they’re still even slightly warm and tossing a small piece of paper towel or a silica packet (food-safe, not touching the cookies) into the container to absorb moisture. Lace cookies really hate humidity, so even airtight containers can trap enough moisture to soften them over time.
Hope that helps, happy baking!! 🙂
These were delicious. My mom
makes a similar recipe but I was out of quick oats and looked for a recipe with old-fashioned. At 375°, mine burnt to a crisp. Turned my oven down to 325°, and I had oatmeal lace perfection. Thanks, “Chelsweets”
Glad you to hear you loved this recipe!! Ovens definitely bake differently from house to house, so it’s great that you were able to adjust the temperature to make these bake up so well. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Made a batch today and they turned out perfect and delicious. I had a mishap when removing them from the oven the parchment paper slid off into the oven with cookies. Big mess, smoke and all. Still ate them and they were so tasty. The second batch were perfect!
Hi Blanca,
Oh nooo, that sounds stressful! I’m so glad they still turned out delicious though, that’s a win after all that smoke and chaos. So glad the second batch was perfect!!
Just wow. Perfect in every way thank you so much for sharing ??
So happy to hear you loved this recipe Isabel 🙂 Thanks for sharing!