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Chewy Oatmeal Lace Cookies

After revamping my millionaire bars a couple of weeks back, I decided to start looking through more of my old recipes. I originally shared this recipe for chewy oatmeal lace cookies back in 2013.

The recipe is absolutely delicious and didn’t need to be updated, but it did need some new photos and a proper recipe card.

I also didn’t mind having an excuse to whip up a batch of these. They’re a super unique cookie and are in a league of their own. I’ve never had another cookie like this!

image of an oatmeal lace cookie being held up in the sunshine to show how perfectly caramelized it is

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.

image of oatmeal lace cookie batter being mixed together in a large frying pan

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

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.

image of brown sugar and butter being melted down in a frying pan

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!

image of oatmeal lace cookie batter being mixed together in a large frying pan

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.

image of oatmeal lace cookie batter being spooned onto a silicone mat to be baked

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.

image of baked oatmeal lace cookies on a baking sheet that are cooling

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 large glass to scoot the sides of the cookies and reshape them into a circle while they’re still warm.

image of oatmeal lace cookies being reshaped with a circle cookie cutter

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.

image of chewy oatmeal lace cookies

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.
image of ingredients laid out to make oatmeal lace cookies

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.

image of oatmeal lace cookie batter being scooped by the teaspoon to make each cookie

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 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.
image of an oatmeal lace cookie being held up in the sunshine to show how perfectly caramelized it is

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!

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Yield: 60

Chewy Oatmeal Lace Cookies Recipe

image of an oatmeal lace cookie being held up in the sunshine to show how perfectly caramelized it is

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.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 46 minutes

Ingredients

Chewy Oatmeal Lace Cookies

  • 1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter (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 (4g)

Recommend Equipment

Instructions

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Then mix in 1 large egg and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Stir until fully incorporated. The batter should be a little soupy/thin!
    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    7. 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.
    8. If the cookies come out of the oven and aren't as circular as you'd like, use a large circle cutter or large glass to scoot the sides of the cookies and reshape them into a circle while they're still warm.
    9. 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.
    10. 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.

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 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.

Nutrition Information

Yield

60

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 32Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 7mgSodium 22mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 0gSugar 3gProtein 0g

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 🙂

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Suzy

Saturday 3rd of February 2024

Amazing but the only instruction you didn't add was how not to eat the whole batch!!! So good :)

Chelsweets

Sunday 4th of February 2024

Hahahaha I'll have to add that to the recipe card :) These really are irresistible!!

Brandee

Thursday 1st of February 2024

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.

Chelsweets

Sunday 4th of February 2024

Hi Brandee,

Thank you so much for sharing!!!! I love hearing that :) You are too sweet!

TSC

Sunday 7th of January 2024

@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!

Chelsweets

Sunday 7th of January 2024

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!

Stephanie

Thursday 4th of January 2024

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!

Chelsweets

Sunday 7th of January 2024

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!

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