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oatmeal lace cookies on baking sheet.
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4.82 from 22 votes

Oatmeal Lace Cookies With Almonds (No Mixer Needed)

A timeless classic, these delicate oatmeal lace cookies with almonds are the perfect balance of buttery, sweet, and crispy. Ready in under 30 minutes, they are perfect for tea, a shower, or a gift.
Prep Time8 minutes
Cook Time14 minutes
Total Time22 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings (change as needed): 48 -60 cookies
Author: Cheryl Avrich
US Measures - Metric

Ingredients

  • 1 cup thinly sliced or slivered almonds (or finely chopped walnuts or pecans)
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
  • 1/2 cup melted salted or unsalted butter 1 stick
  • 3/4 cup white sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1 cup quick cooking oats (or rolled oats)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional: 1-2 teaspoons lemon or orange zest .

Optional finish

  • drizzle of dark or semi sweet melted chocolate.
US Measures - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325F/163C. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper (or prepare two pans to bake at the same time).
  • TOAST ALMONDS (OPTIONAL): (worth it for a nuttier flavor) Toast the almonds by dry-toasting them in a small pan over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. Shake the pan often to brown evenly and to make sure they don't burn.
  • MAKE COOKIE BATTER: Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix oats, beaten egg, slightly-cooled melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients and almonds (and lemon or orange zest if using), just until combined.
  • BAKE COOKIES: Drop teaspoons (not tablespoons) of batter 3 inches/7.6 cm apart on prepared large baking sheets (cookies will spread a lot). Flatten slightly. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. The centres may still look a little soft. Remove from oven. Cool 5 minutes on pan to let cookies firm up a bit. Then transfer them with a thin metal spatula to a cooling rack to cool completely and get crisp. Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired (if you do, let it harden on the counter or in fridge before you store them).

Notes

  1. Variations and substitutions:
    • Add chocolate: Drizzle melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate on the cookies. Dip one side of the cookie in melted chocolate on a plate. Or sandwich 2 cookies with melted chocolate in between.
    • Nuts: You can replace the almonds with finely chopped walnuts or pecans if you like.
    • Replace the vanilla with a few drops of almond extract.
    • Add lemon or orange zest to the batter. I often make half with zest and half without.
    • Gluten-free version: swap the flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour, oat flour or rice flour. Most oats are gluten-free, but check the package. A good option is Bob's Red Mill oats.
  2. Make ahead:
    • Baked cookies:
      • Store in an airtight container for 5-7 days at room temperature.
      • May be frozen in airtight container or ziploc bags for 1-2 months. 
    • To freeze before baking, place teaspoons of dough on cookie sheet, flash freeze for 30 minutes, then transfer the balls of dough to a ziploc bag or airtight container. 
 
Nutrition value estimates do not include the optional melted drizzled chocolate. 
Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.2mg