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These Dulce de Leche Cookies, or Alfajores as they’re also known, are melt-in-your-mouth sandwich cookies. The buttery cookies are sandwiched with decadent dulce de leche – they look impressive, but they’re easy to make!

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Three dulce de leche cookies stacked on top of eachother


I’m back with one of my favorite ingredients: dulce de leche! And this time, it’s all about dulce de leche cookies. Otherwise known as buttery, rich, caramel-y sandwich cookies that will haunt your dreams.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

This recipe pairs simple butter cookies with decadent dulce de leche for a cookie you’re going to love.

The cookies only have five ingredients and are really simple to make. Pairing them with dulce de leche just takes them over the top!

These cookies with dulce de leche are great when you want to impress. They look like they came from a fancy bakery but I promise they’re easy to make. I love recipes like this – everyone will think you spent hours and hours making them.

Are dulce de leche cookies the same as alfajores?

These dulce de leche cookies are also called alfajores. So, what are alfajores? They are a type of sandwich cookie from South America and they are to die for.

Dulce de leche is a type of milk-based caramel sauce common in Latin cuisine and combining it with buttery, melt-in-your-mouth sandwich cookies is about the best thing ever!

These cookies are like my shortbread cookies made into sandwich cookies!

The first time I had a dulce de leche cookie I was hooked. They are so special – I can’t wait for you to try this recipe!

Three dulce de leche cookies stacked on top of eachother

Ingredients in Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

  • Softened unsalted butter: be sure it’s softened!
  • Powdered sugar: I love using powdered sugar instead of granulated in these.
  • Vanilla extract: For flavor
  • Salt: Can omit if using salted butter
  • All-purpose flour: be sure to measure it correctly!
  • Dulce de leche: Use homemade or store bought.

How to Make Sandwich Cookies with Dulce de Leche

  1. Cream the butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer). Add the vanilla, salt, and mix until smooth.
  2. Add the flour to the butter mixture one cup at a time. Mix between each addition until combined. If your dough is sticky, chill it for 20 minutes before rolling it out.
  3. Divide the dough in half and place each between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper. Roll them out to ¼” thick with a rolling pin. Chill the dough for at least two hours or overnight.
  4. Use a round cookie cutter (mine is about 2”) to cut out the cookies. Place them on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
  5. Bake the cookies for 14 to 18 minutes or until they turn golden around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool.
  6. Turn half of the cookies over, so the flat side is up once the cookies are cooled. Top each with a tablespoon of dulce de leche and then place another cookie (flat-side down) to make a sandwich.
Overhead shot of dulce de leche cookies on a wire cooling rack next to a jar of dulce de leche

Expert Tips

Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, the dough may be sticky after you mix it. If it is, be sure to chill it so it can firm up. It will make it easier to roll it out and cut out the cookies.

You can cut out the dough into any shape you want – circles, squares, or other shapes. If you opt for a different shape, the baking time will vary. Also, you may need more or less dulce de leche filling, depending on the size of your cookies.

The cookies don’t spread much when they bake, so you only need to space them about one to two inches apart on the baking sheet.

Piping the dulce de leche makes it easy to top each cookie without a mess. You can use a pastry bag with a piping tip or place the dulce de leche in a large resealable bag and snip off one corner.

The alfajores cookies are delicious plain, but sometimes I dust them with powdered sugar for a finishing touch.

FAQ:

What is dulce de leche?

Dulce de leche is a rich and decadent confection made with milk and sugar. It looks and tastes like caramel but is richer and creamier.

You can buy dulce de leche at the store or make your own with a can of condensed milk. My slow cooker dulce de leche is really easy and a lot less expensive than buying it.

Is dulce de leche the same thing as caramel?

They are similar but not the same. Caramel is made with sugar and water, while dulce de leche is made with milk and sugar. They have a similar flavor from caramelized sugar, but dulce de leche is richer and creamier because it’s made with milk.

Where to buy dulce de leche?

Most grocery stores have canned dulce de leche that you can find in the Latin foods aisle. Or you can order it online from different retailers.

Do these cut out cookies spread?

Since there’s no leavening, these cookies don’t spread when you bake them.

How to store alfajores?

Alfajores cookies will keep well in an airtight container for three days at room temperature.

Can you freeze them?

Yes, this alfajores recipe is freezer-friendly – store them in a freezer bag or container for up to a month.

I love a recipe that is so simple but has amazing fancy results – these dulce de leche cookies are just that! Make a batch and then bask in the glow of all the rave reviews. Everyone will love them – I can promise you that!

More Dulce de Leche Recipes You’ll Love

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Three dulce de leche cookies stacked on top of eachother

Dulce de Leche Cookies Recipe

5 from 5 votes
Dulce de Leche Cookies are a shortbread sandwich cookie with dulce de leche – they’re like alfajores cookies – delicate and sweet and the perfect easy caramel sandwich cookie recipe.
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Yield 24 cookies
Serving Size 1 cookie

Ingredients
 

  • 1 ½ cups (339g) unsalted butter softened 3 sticks
  • 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups (372g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 13 ounces cans dulce de leche
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Instructions

  • In a large bowl with a hand or a stand mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
  • Add vanilla and salt, then mix until smooth.
  • Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing between each addition until completely mixed.
  • If dough is too sticky to roll at this point, chill for 20 minutes.
  • Otherwise, divide dough in half. Roll each half out to 1/4-inch thick between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper.
  • Chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • Cut circles of dough, re-rolling as needed. I used an approximately 2-inch round cookie cutter. You can also cut them into squares or any size/shape.
  • These don’t spread, so you don’t need to space them more than an inch or two on the cookie sheets. Bake for about 14-18 minutes (depending on size of cookie and thickness) until they start to get golden around the edges.
  • Once cooled, turn half of the cookies upside down and fill each with about 1-2 tablespoons of dulce de leche, topping with an additional cookie to form a sandwich. Tip: Place your dulce de leche in a plastic bag or piping bag and pipe onto each cookie to make filling them easier.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.
  • Serving suggestion: dust with powdered sugar for a pretty look.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Three dulce de leche cookies stacked on top of eachother with recipe title on top of image

These Dulce de Leche Cookies are very impressive looking, but easy to make! They are perfect to make when you are needing a dessert to bring to a party or get together.



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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2 Comments

  1. OMG! These cookies were amazing!! They are flaky and so tasty. I love anything with dulce de leche and this was so worth it.
    Thanks 😊

  2. Hi Dorothy, I made the Dulce de Leche cookies today. I used Hazelnut spread instead. They were out of this world. I always look forward to seeing new recipe from you. Thank you for sharing.