Alfajores are a classic South American sandwich cookie made with gooey dulce de leche, sandwiched between light and buttery sugar cookies. They are completely delicious and so simple to make with this easy cookie recipe!
What are Alfajores?
Alfajores are an amazing traditional sweet treat that comes from Argentina. They are soft and tender sandwich cookies with a filling of caramelly dulce de leche. Usually, they’re rolled in shredded coconut and dusted with powdered sugar.
These South American cookies are a delicious combination of simple flavors and varied textures that make them irresistibly good!
I love trying dessert recipes from countries all around the globe! If you do too, be sure to try my Brazilian Carrot Cake, Canadian Nanaimo Bars, and Polish Kolackzi Cookies.
South American Alfajores
- Simple Sandwich Cookies – I love how sandwich cookies look much more difficult to make than they actually are! These soft cut-out cookies are just as easy to make as any other type of cookie, but with a second step that has you adding a delicious dulce de leche filling.
- Traditional Flavors and Authentic Recipe – There are many ways to make alfajores, depending on the country you’re eating them in. This recipe most closely resembles Argentinian alfajores, but you’ll find similar dulce de leche sandwich cookies in Peru, Bolivia, Chili, and Spain.
- Amazing Textures – These cookies are soft and tender and melt-in-your-mouth (similar to shortbread). Paired with decadent dulce de leche caramel and crisp shredded coconut, alfajores might look simple, but the varied textures make them sophisticated too.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make alfajores from scratch:
- Butter: Be sure to use unsalted butter for baking – this allows us to control the amount of salt in the cookie dough. Allow the butter to soften to room temperature before starting.
- Egg and Egg Yolk: Adding an extra yolk to the cookie dough makes it extra tender and richly flavored.
- Vanilla: Good quality vanilla extract is a must for the most delicious cookies.
- Cornstarch: This is blended with flour and baking powder to make up the dry ingredient mixture. Cornstarch added to cookie recipes keeps them soft and light.
- Dulce de Leche: This is the only ingredient needed to make the filling for the cookies. Look for it in a can or jar near the baking supplies, or make your own from scratch if you prefer.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Alfajore Cookies
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt until combined; set aside.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk, along with the vanilla, and beat well.
- Combine to Make the Dough: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2-3 smaller additions, mixing well after each. Mix until all the flour is incorporated, but don’t overmix the dough.
- Chill: Wrap the dough and chill it for at least 30 minutes before continuing. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll and Cut: Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it is ¼-inch thick. Use a 1.5-2-inch circular cookie cutter to cut the dough, then carefully transfer the circles to the prepared baking sheets at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Add Filling: Flip half of the cookies upside down so that the browned side is facing up, and pipe or spread a generous amount of dulce de leche on top. Place a second cookie, browned side down, on top of the dulce de leche and gently squish together.
- Add Coconut: Roll the edges of the filled cookie sandwiches in shredded coconut and dust the tops of the cookies with powdered sugar before serving.
Tip!
You can skip the coconut if you like, but it adds a really nice texture and helps to cut the sweetness of the dulce de leche. You can roll the alfajores in powdered sugar for a similar visual effect instead.
Recipe Tips
- Avoid overmixing. To keep these cookies light and tender, you should avoid handling the dough too much. Only mix in the flour until you can’t see it anymore.
- Chill the dough. This is an important step, as the butter in the cookie dough needs to be cold before the cookies are baked. This gives them their wonderful texture and helps them to hold their shape.
- Make them small. Use a 2-inch cookie cutter or smaller to cut out the circles. Since each alfajore is two cookies, you don’t want them to be too big. Plain or fluted circle cookie cutters work well, but you can use other shapes too.
- Cool the cookies completely before adding the filling. Warm cookies will melt the dulce de leche and make a mess!
- Use a piping bag or a sandwich bag with a corner snipped off to add the dulce de leche to the alfajores. Piping rather than spreading will keep the cookies looking neat.
Storing Tips
Store alfajores in a single layer in an airtight container for 3-4 days. They are fine at room temperature and will be best if eaten soon after baking since the cookies will absorb moisture from the dulce de leche and become soft with time.
Recipe FAQs
Can the dough for Alfajores be made ahead of time?
Sure! This simple cookie dough freezes very well. Wrap the dough in an airtight bag or container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw before baking according to the recipe.
Do I have to chill the cookie dough?
Yes, please! Unchilled dough will be too warm to hold its shape in the oven and the cookies will spread and be too thin. I recommend chilling for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Half Moon Cookies (Black & White Cookies)
Almond Crescent Cookies
Lemon Blueberry Cookies
Alfajores sandwich cookies are such a delicious treat and so fun and easy to make! Don’t forget to save this recipe, and be sure to share it with your friends!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Alfajores
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (130 g) cornstarch cornflour in the UK
- ¼ cup (25 g) powdered sugar icing sugar in the UK
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (169 g) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (300 g) dulce de leche
- Shredded coconut for garnish optional
- Additional powdered sugar for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), or 160°C if using a fan oven. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt until combined; set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk, along with the vanilla and beat well.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2-3 smaller additions, mixing well after each.
- Chill the dough at least 30 minutes, then use a rolling pin to roll it until it is ¼-inch thick. Use a 1.5-2-inch circular cookie cutter to cut the dough, then carefully transfer the circles to the prepared baking sheets at least 2inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Flip half of the cookies upside down so that the browned side is facing up, and pipe or spread a generous amount of dulce de leche on top. Place a second cookie, browned side down, on top of the dulce de leche and gently squish together.
- Roll the exposed dulce de leche in shredded coconut if desired. Sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes:
- Avoid overmixing. To keep these cookies light and tender, you should avoid handling the dough too much. Only mix in the flour until you can’t see it anymore.
- Cool the cookies completely before adding the filling. Warm cookies will melt the dulce de leche and make a mess!
- Use a piping bag or a sandwich bag with a corner snipped off to add the dulce de leche to the alfajores. Piping rather than spreading will keep the cookies looking neat.
- To store: Keep in an airtight container in a single layer for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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