Dulce de Leche Cookies

Name: Dulce de Leche Cookies
Prep time: 15
Cook time: 25

5 out of 5 stars (based on 13 reviews)

15 min prep

30 servings

Carrot Icon for Number of Ingredients Size

14 ingredients

Dulce de leche cookies, or alfajores, originated in southern Spain with the Moors and were originally a popular Christmas cookie made with nuts and honey. Alfajores traveled with the conquistadors, and today versions of...

4 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup Greek yogurt, plain
½ cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1½ tablespoons orange zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoon dark rum
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup dulce de leche (see Chef Tips)
⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar

Missing an Ingredient?

Visit our ingredient substitution guide ›

Nutrition Facts

Calories

114 cals

Fat

4 g

Saturated Fat

3 g

Polyunsaturated Fat

0 g

Monounsaturated Fat

1 g

Carbohydrates

17 g

Sugar

10 g

Fiber

0 g

Protein

2 g

Sodium

67 mg

Directions

Cream butter, yogurt, and sugar for 1 minute in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add egg yolks, orange zest, vanilla extract, and rum. Beat until well combined.
Sift together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to the butter and mix on low speed until dough comes together.
Transfer dough to a plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Remove dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half. Place half of the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough ¼-inch thick and cut out 2-inch cookies using a round cutter. Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Combine dough scraps with the other half of dough and re-roll dough to cut more cookies.
Bake cookies for 10 minutes until lightly brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet.
Spread about 1½ teaspoons of dulce de leche on the flat side of a cookie and sandwich with the flat side of another cookie. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.
Dust cookies with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

Chef Tips

You can make your own dulce de leche, but it’s easier to buy it ready-made. Many companies now offer it. If you can’t find any, go online. For these cookies, you’ll need the thick spreadable type of dulce de leche so avoid anything that says “sauce”. However, if what you buy does turn out to be too runny to spread, it’s an easy fix.

Empty the can or jar into a small saucepot and gently cook it down to a spreadable consistency over a low flame, stirring frequently as it thickens. Or for a more chocolatey fix, melt ⅓ cup of bittersweet baking chocolate and add to ⅔ cup of the runny dulce de leche to it. Let it cool and spread over the cookies as per recipe.

Registered Dietitian Approved

Our recipes, articles, and videos are reviewed by our oncology-trained dietitians to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and follows the guidelines set by the Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice, 2nd Ed., published by the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, a professional interest group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Institute for Cancer Research and the American Cancer Society

Dulce de Leche Cookies