These copycat Brussels cookies are thin, delicate lace cookies filled with chocolate ~ just like the Pepperidge Farm originals, but even better fresh from your own kitchen.
Brussels cookies are an elegant lace sandwich cookie inspired by the famous Pepperidge Farm cookie. These crisp cookies are a family favorite and we make my homemade version every year for the holidays!
Table of contents
copy cat Brussels cookies
You might already know that I have an obsession with the Pepperidge Farm treats from my childhood. Have you tried my Cold Chocolate Snacking Cake? I nailed that recipe just like I nailed these Brussels cookies…they aren’t difficult to make, but they are delicate. There is no definitive copy-cat recipe online, so I had to do some sleuthing. I tried 3 versions and came up with the best. So you’re lucky… I fell into all the pitfalls so you don’t have to.
what are Brussels cookies?
Pepperidge Farm’s Brussels cookies date back to the founding of the company, established by Margaret Rudkin in 1937, which initially began as a small family bakery in Fairfield, Connecticut that specialized in high-quality, European-inspired bread using natural ingredients.
The Brussels cookie was introduced by Pepperidge Farm as part of its collection of distinctive cookies. The cookie is named after the capital city of Belgium.
The cookies are known for their thin, crispy texture and a layer of sweet, caramelized sugar on the top. They almost have a praline type of texture, minus the nuts, of course. That paired with the dark chocolate center layer makes them very sophisticated.
A quick search on the Internet reveals that the likely source of the Brussels crisp outer cookie is the Swedish oatmeal lace cookie, a vintage recipe that spreads when baked and crisps up almost like candy when cooled. If you sandwich some melted dark chocolate in between two of them, you’ve got a dead ringer for the classic Pepperidge Farm Brussels.
ingredients for Brussels Cookies like Pepperidge Farm’s
- flour
- sugar
- oat flour
- baking powder
- melted butter
- corn syrup
- cream
- vanilla
- chocolate
- the filling for Brussels cookies is a simple melted chocolate. You can use whatever type you love, I used bittersweet.
You know the best part about making Brussels cookies from scratch? You can put an extra thick layer of chocolate inside. Or customize them with white chocolate. Or Nutella!
tips for making copy cat Brussels cookies
Stick to the exact recipe, these cookies are small and delicate, and any little variation can affect the outcome.
Use a teaspoon to portion out the dough. You can slightly round the teaspoon, or not. This the right amount for these cookies. And remember, the dough will spread.
Be sure to use a silpat or silicone baking mat ~ I’ve tried parchment paper and the cookies spread too much. Wipe the silpat down with a paper towel between batches to remove any excess grease.
I found an uninsulated baking sheet works best. If yours is insulated the baking time may be several minutes longer.
I always do a few test cookies and make adjustments as necessary.
Brussels cookies are done when they are flat, bubbling throughout, and have a fine golden ring around the edge. Watch the oven like a hawk, they finish cooking quickly.
Let the cookies cool right on the baking pan until they have firmed up enough to move (at least 5-ish minutes), and use a very thin spatula or offset spatula to ease them up off the silpat. They are delicate and can break easily.
I recommend melting chocolate chips for the center, since they tend to melt up thicker than baking chocolate, which is good here because you don’t want chocolate seeping through the lacy texture of the cookie when you fill it.
If you’re feeling lazy use Nutella to fill your Brussels cookies!
more classic cookie recipes
- Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
- Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
- Scottish Shortbread
- Best Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
- Melting Moments
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Brussels Cookies
Equipment
- silpat or silicone baking mat
Ingredients
cookies
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour, or finely ground rolled oats (use your mini processor)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 7 Tbsp butter, melted
- 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
- 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
filling
- 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips, or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, this is important. The cookies will not spread properly otherwise.
- Add the flour, oat flour, sugar, and baking powder to a bowl and whisk to combine. Blend in the melted butter, corn syrup, cream, and vanilla until a soft smooth dough forms.
- Using teaspoon as a measure, roll small balls and place them on the silicone lined baking sheet, a couple of inches apart.
- Bake for for about 6 minutes*, until they are flat and bubbling and just starting to turn golden around the edges. Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan to a cooling rack. You'll need a very thin spatula to do this. The cookies are soft and delicate but will harden as they cool.
- When the cookies are completely cool, flip them over and match them up in pairs. Lay them out on a piece of waxed paper.
- Put the chocolate in a glass measuring cup and heat in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between until just melted.
- Spread a small amount of chocolate onto the bottom cookie, and then top it with another. You can use a small spoon and spreading knife, but do it very gently as the cookies shatter easily.
- Let the cookies sit to harden, or put them in the refrigerator. Once they are filled and chilled, they will be a little more sturdy. In fact, they taste great straight from the fridge.
Just made my first test batch! Not as difficult as I thought they would be. I will be visiting my daughter and my son-in-law in Portland, OR later this week and want to bring a treat. They are both from scratch bakers and cooks. He is from Belgium, so I thought it would be fun to surprise him with these cookies. Thanks so much for figuring this out.
I have a special relationship with Brussels cookies. They have always been my favorite.
Haha, I have that special relationship with them too 😉 Glad you loved them Deb.
I love these cookies! Every time I go to the bakeryC they need to be thrown into the mix. I made this recipe. I used a leveled 1/2 tsp to scoop the cookies. They needed closer to 6-7 min to cook. The last minute I literally counted and sang and kept checking every 20 seconds. Lol. Recipe yielded nearly 40!! They were fun to make! Baking on parchment paper worked for me. I was able to just slide the whole sheet of paper off onto the cooling rack. Next time I want to try either molasses and/or coconut sugar. The were missing that ‘nutty’ earthy tone that the ones from the bakery give. Was thinking brown sugar might work too, but the added moisture would probably yield different results. But half the fun in baking is experimenting and trial and error! They’ll still be edible! Lol. Thanks for the recipe!!!
I’m thinking of making the Brussels cookie I wanted to find what kind of cream do you use was it whipping cream??
You can use heavy cream or whipping cream Bridget, I just updated that on the recipe.
Hi
What can I use instead of shortening?
I’m not sure, Kathleen, these cookies are so thin and delicate, and they need to spread just the right amount. I don’t think butter or margarine would work in the same way. Shortening is 100% fat, while butter and margarine have water content as well, and that changes the results in baking. If it was a cake you could get away with it, but this lace cookie recipe will be much more sensitive to changes. Let us know your results if you try!
What about coconut oil? What can I use for the corn syrup?
Not sure about the coconut oil, you’d have to experiment. And for corn syrup, again, these cookies are so specific it’s hard to know, you could try honey or even molasses.
maybe clarified butter left to cool and harden. It would be close to 100%
I have a question about the oats. Is the 1/2 cup measure ground oats or whole oats and then processed.
Measure the oats first, Bonnie!
I found this on the FB group Food Bloggers Who love recipe round ups bc you linked right above me, and I just had to see what these were all about! I LOVE Brussels cookies. Pinned to try these out when I have some time for the “labor of love”
Hi Lindsey, I’ve found some great recipes that way, too 🙂
These look wonderful. Brussels are my absolute fav and I’m definitely going to try this.
I request a recipe for the mint stuff in the now-extinct mint Brussels. Several years ago the mint Brussels were discontinued and I was SO sad.
FYI – They are back as a “holiday edition” … I got some at Walmart on a special display and sadly have already eaten one bag in 48hrs. Mint Brussels are the BEST! I’m actually scrolling thru comments to see if anyone shared the mint part of the recipe …
Ooooh, I love those too!
You could use mint chocolate chips like Andes Baking pieces
I have a few bags of Mint Brussels Cookies stashed in the fridge from this holiday season. It’s too bad they aren’t available year-round anymore.
When you melt the chocolate, add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tsp mint extract.
Or, if you really wanna go fancy the way they do and have a separate layer of mint in addition to the chocolate, use 1c white melting chocolate with 1 tbsp cream and 1.5 tsp mint extract. Brush on a really thin layer with a pastry brush and let harden before you add the chocolate layer
Just made these – at 1/4 teaspoon a piece, this recipe sure makes a lot of cookies! Although absolutely scrumptious, these aren’t exactly like the real Pepperidge Farm cookies… I think I may experiment with more oatmeal to try and get them less “lacy” next time. Or maybe refrigerating the dough? Any thoughts?
Pepperidge Farm “Brussels” cookies are among the best cookies they make! And even better are their “Brussels Mint” Cookies, although they are almost impossible to find (maybe they’ve been discontinued).
It’s great to know that now I’ve got a source – I’m making some this weekend! Thanks so much for the recipe. (the cookies are so good, any amount of effort is worth it)
Yes, the mint ones were unfortunately discontinued a few years ago.
I have seen the Mint Brussels at Christmas time last year at Walmart. If I see them again I will buy all of them. Can’t imagine why they would discontinue such a wonderful product the rest of the year.
i’ve never seen any of these brussels cookies to which you allude; what a shame! i’ll be honest–these look like cookies that’d drive me crazy attempting to make! 🙂