Crispy Coconut Oatmeal Lace Cookies
These crispy coconut oatmeal lace cookies are a classic cookie recipe made with rolled oats and coconut flakes. They bake into perfectly thin, crisp, buttery cookies that no one can resist!
These coconut oatmeal lace cookies are another awesome cookie recipe that I discovered as I was searching through my mother-in-law’s recipe box.
The extra butter and relatively small amount of flour in these oatmeal cookies makes them spread as they bake so when they come out of the oven and cool completely they are perfectly crisp on the edges and the combo of the two sugars gives them this great caramelized flavor.
As crisp as the cookies are the rolled oats and shredded coconut give them just a little bit of chewy towards the middle.
These coconut cookies are light, buttery, perfectly crispy, and slightly addictive!
Table of contents
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Introduction to Oatmeal Lace Cookies
Oatmeal lace cookies are the epitome of delicate beauty in the cookie world. With their intricate patterns and light texture, they’re a testament to the finesse in baking. Originating from European traditions, these cookies have evolved into a global gourmet treat, celebrated for their unique texture that combines the wholesome goodness of oats with the decadent charm of sugar and butter.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sugar – A mix of white and brown sugar. The brown sugar adds just a little richer flavor to the cookies.
- Rolled Oats – These were a surprise to me! I wouldn’t have expected oats in a thin, crispy, cookie like this but they help give it just a little bit of chew in the middle.
- Coconut Flakes – Yum! You guys know I love coconut. My Coconut Cake uses fresh shredded coconut but these cookies use dried coconut flakes. They add a nice pop of coconut flavor to the cookie without being overpowering.
- Salt – Don’t skip on the salt! Your butter should be unsalted and this little sprinkle of salt will help balance out the sweetness and bring out the flavor in your Crispy Coconut Cookies.
- Butter – As much butter as flour in fact. That’s what makes these cookies so thin and crispy.
- Flour, baking soda, and baking powder – You know, all of those dry ingredients every cookie needs.
- Egg – 1 egg is all you need to help bind all of the ingredients together.
Easy Oatmeal Lace Cookie Recipe
Step 1 – Prepare oven and baking sheets. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2 – Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients: sugar, brown sugar, flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and coconut. Mix together well.
Step 3 – Melt butter. Place the butter in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 30 seconds or until fully melted.
Step 4 – Add butter and eggs. Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and stir together well. Add the egg to the bowl and stir into the dough mixture.
Step 5 – Portion out the dough. Scoop the cookie dough mixture into ½ Tablespoon (1.5 teaspoons) portions. Place each scoop on the prepared baking sheets. Only 6 scoops per cookie sheet to leave lots of space between them. They spread A LOT.
Step 6 – Bake. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 8 minutes or until the cookie is golden brown with the edges darker than the middle.
Step 7 – Cool. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. After they have cooled move from the cookie sheet to a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface. We do not recommend a cooling rack as the cookies are very thin and can lose their shape easily while cooling. They need a solid, flat surface.
Step 8 – Repeat. As the cookies cool on the cookie sheet you can place the next batch in the oven.
Step 9 – Store. Once all of the cookies are baked and fully cooled store in an airtight container until ready to eat.
Tips for Baking Oatmeal Lace Cookies
The Right Oats Make a Difference
Not all oats are created equal when it comes to oatmeal lace cookies. For the best texture, go for old-fashioned rolled oats. They’re just the right size to give you that delightful chew without making the cookies too heavy or dense. Quick oats (quick-cooking oats) can be a tad too fine, and steel-cut oats are a no-go—they’re just too chunky for these delicate cookies.
Keep an Eye on the Bake Time
The batter for coconut oatmeal lace cookies is made with melted butter. As you bake each batch of cookies that melted butter will begin firming up slightly. This is nothing to worry about it just means towards the end you may have to bake the cookies a minute or so longer. Just make sure you keep an eye on them as they bake and when they look right trust your gut and pull them from the oven.
Space Them Out
Underestimate the power of spacing at your peril! Oatmeal lace cookies are social butterflies that like their space. Leaving about 2 to 3 inches between each dollop of batter will prevent them from merging into one giant cookie blob. And trust me, while a giant cookie sounds fun, it’s a nightmare to try and get off the tray in one piece.
Low and Slow is the Way to Go
Resist the temptation to crank up the heat. Baking these cookies at a moderate temperature (350°F) allows them to spread out and crisp up without burning. Keep a close eye on them; they go from perfect to charred in the blink of an eye. Depending on your oven, they usually need just 8 – 9 minutes.
Cooling is Crucial
Once out of the oven, don’t rush to move them. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up before transferring them to parchment paper on a flat surface. This pause helps prevent breakage, ensuring your cookies maintain their beautiful lacey appearance.
Embrace Imperfections
Remember, part of the charm of oatmeal lace cookies is their rustic elegance. No two cookies will look exactly the same, and that’s perfectly okay. Embrace their uniqueness—each one is a testament to the joy of homemade baking.
I will admit when I first read the recipe I didn’t think they would be anything special but then I ate one…and another…and before I could do too much damage I had to pack them up and put them away. They are SO good!!
Add these classic coconut oatmeal lace cookies to your Christmas cookies baking list this year and put smiles on the faces of your friends and family!
Want More Classic Cookie Recipes?
- Sand Tarts
- Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Gingersnap Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Cowboy Cookies
- Ranger Cookies
- Soft Gingerbread Cookie
- Berger Cookies
- More Cookie Recipes…
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Coconut Oatmeal Lace Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 cup Rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Flaked coconut, unsweetened
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients: sugar, brown sugar, flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and coconut. Mix together well.
- Place the butter in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 30 seconds or until fully melted.
- Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and stir together well.
- Add the egg to the bowl and stir into the dough mixture.
- Scoop the cookie dough mixture into ½ Tablespoon (1.5 teaspoons) portions. Place each scoop on the baking sheet. Only 6 scoops per cookie sheet to leave lots of space between them. They spread A LOT.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 8 minutes or until the cookie is golden brown with the edges darker than the middle.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.
- After they have cooled move from the cookie sheet to a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface. We do not recommend a cooling rack.
- As the cookies cool on the cookie sheet you can place the next batch in the oven.
- Once all of the cookies are baked and fully cooled store in an airtight container until ready to eat.
I got a large bag of dried macaroon coconut. It’s like a course flour but thinner than shredded. I like crispy cookies and wanted a nice crispy cookie recipe. I tried yours, although I added sea salt as soon as they came out of the oven to each cookie, I made no other change other than the coconut. They are more of a uniform to texture than what your appear to be (more like a lace) but are absolutely amazing. What a fantastic recipe! Perfect crisp. I’m actually not the biggest coconut fan and these are Some of the best crispy cookies!!! Easy to make. I rolled all the dough and put the rest in the freezer for another day. Thanks so much for sharing.
These are so good! I rolled my dough balls in coconut then flattened with a glass bottom that was dipped in coconut. That’s the only change I made to the recipe. This one’s a keeper!
Ooo I like the idea of rolling the balls in coconut!!
I made these cookies and they are absolutely amazing!
Terrific cookies! Now one of my favorites. Thanks!
So glad you like them!
Your mother-in-law is a culinary genius! I would not dream oof changing a thing—why alter perfection. Man these are fantastic!
Great recipe, but WAY TOO MUCH sugar.
1/3 of the amount would be more than sufficient.
Made it several times already and everyone loved it.
So glad you and your family are enjoying the cookies!
I am not a baker but had to try to make this because I really like crispy cookies and coconut. They are soo good! My husband liked them, too! One question though, are they supposed to be oily? I mean my hand is oily after handling one. Otherwise, they’re absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!
They are a little oily since they are thin and crispy. Mine didn’t last longer than one day so I can’t tell you if they dry up a bit.
Thank you for replying. I found that it’s not oily the next day. I was just too excited to eat right away. 🙂 Another question, can I add more coconut if I want more coconut taste? If so, will that mean I need to reduce the same amount in oats? Thank you again for these super delicious cookies!!!!
Hey Sue, I would try coconut oil. Maybe try half butter and half coconut oil. That is a tricky question only because these are so thin, unlike a “normal cookie”. If you try it, let me know and I will add a note in the post.
Mine didnt spread so not crispy. Great flavor though. Msybe butter was not as softened as it should have
The only chsnge was less sugar! And even if i used less sugar it was still very sweet
If you don’t like super sweet, you can literally cut the sugar in half. I used half a cup of light brown and half a cup of sugar in the raw, and they were PLENTY sweet. Also, I added a teaspoon of almond extract, which complimented the coconut. The crazy amount of sugar affected my rating of this….otherwise a good recipe.
It’s not fair to give a recipe 3 stars cause it has too much sugar. You find a different recipe with less sugar.
Honestly Kat, I don’t know how you do it. People are the reason why I could never have a blog.
Could you specify how much butter–just for certainty?
1 cup of butter
I made these cookies today and really liked the flavor. The butter shines in this recipe. I added 1/4 tsp of almond extract, since I like the way that flavor compliments the coconut. I used 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cup Truvia brown sugar blend, and the cookies came out with crispy edges and a chewy center. I will make these again and thank you for the recipe!
My grandmother had a similar recipe. Except we use 3/4 cups each of the sugars, 1 stick of butter and a half stick of butter Crisco and instead of rolled oats use bran flakes cereal. The cereal gives the cookie a little more body and flavor.
THESE ARE INCREDIBLE. I added some dark chocolate chunks. I will make these again, my boyfriend said they are his favorite.
Crispy, sweet, chewy in the middle. A perfect cookie! Thank you for the recipe!
Fabulous crispy cookies. The I had with the recipe was finding coconut “flakes”. I search for what to do if you only have, or can get, shredded coconut in a bag. I pulsed the shredded coconut in a blender and then baked it for about 1.5 hrs at 150 degrees before putting it in the recipe. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. These are delicious and crunchy. I squished down the cookies a lot so they would be extremely crunchy. I found 8 minutes didn’t cook them enough… at least 9 mins was needed. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hello.. can u please tell how much 2 sticks of butter will weigh???
And one more thing can u please tell the how much your one cup weigh on scale???
The butter is 8oz and for the weight of a cup, it depends what is in it.
Amazing! I added a tiny bit of vanilla & coconut extract. These are my family’s favorite! Thank you for sharing!
When do you add the coconut
Hi Alma, in step 4 you add the coconut to the flour mixture.
I have never received more compliments about my cookies than this time! My son’s wedding reception is this Friday night and I’m going to bake them for it! These are the cookies I’ve been wanted to find for years and now I know the key, the butter and the sugar amounts. I add sliced almonds and chocolate chips and call them almond Joy cookies!
Comments like this put a smile on my face. So glad they were such a hit. Your additions sound delicious! Thanks for sharing.
I followed your advice and added chocolate chips and almond slices. Absolutely delicious cookies! Thank you.
Hi Debra! I am happy to hear that you like that recipe! I love experimenting with baking products, so I came up with this awesome cookie! You are quite welcome!
Can I use coconut flour?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this ourselves, we cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let us know how it turns out! Good luck!
Question about them spreading…the first batch I didnt read recipe good enough (my bad) and didn’t flatten them. They came out rather flat. Other batches I used fork and the they still didn’t spread much. The cookies don’t look like picture at all (help!!) but are still delicious and will definitely make again!!!
I’ve never written s review in a recipe, but HAD to for these! Soooooo good! My dough came out a little dry so I added a tablespoon of melted coconut oil and it added just an extra hint of coconut. Seriously, these were the best colors I’ve made in a while!
Can I use sweetened coconut?
Hi Marilyn, my only concern would be, it may be too sweet.
These are amazing I had baked them a few years ago and then hadn’t saved the recipe. So glad I found it again… BIG HIT with my family and friends
So glad you like them as much as we do!!