Alfajor Recipe

Hello friends! Today I’m sharing a delicious Alfajor Recipe—tender, melt-in-your-mouth sandwich cookies filled with creamy dulce de leche. They’re simple to make, incredibly soft, and perfect for anyone who loves a classic, elegant treat.

Have you ever had an Alfajor Cookie? Well, if you haven’t, today after reading this Alfajor Recipe you are going to want to because they are essentially like dulce de leche sandwich cookies. Irrestible!

These cookies were part of a Christmas Cookie Box I made this year!

Make sure to watch the video on how to make how to make these melt-in your mouth Alfajores located on this page, or on my Youtube Channel. Check out the recipe card below for full details.

What are Alfajores?

Alfajores are from Argentina, and they are buttery cornstarch cookie sandwiches, filled with dulce de leche! And even though they are originally from Argentina, they are SUPER popular in Brazil, where I am from. So I grew up eating (and loving) alfajores!

I used to have this recipe on my Alfajor Cupcakes post, but I decided to give its own space on my blog, and I have also updated the recipe a bit (more butter, removed the baking soda, reduced the baking powder), and the results are more fantastic than ever!

This is easily the best cookie recipe I’ve made so far this season—and I’ve already baked more than a dozen. It’s simple, full of flavor and sweetness, and the process is easy to follow.

To Make the Cookie Dough

This parts easy and very similar to a shortbread dough. First, sift the corn starch into a large bowl, then whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, or a stand mixer, cream the butter at medium high speed for 1 minute. Add granulated sugar. Cream for another 1-2 minutes until very fluffy and light in color.

Add egg yolks one at a time, and mix until combined before adding the next one. Add vanilla and almond extract. Mix to combine.

Add the flour mixture and mix until you form a dough. The dough should be soft and not too sticky.

Resting the Dough

Then, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours, to let the structure set.

After a few hours, remove it from the fridge, roll it out and cut it with your favorite shape. I like to use a round cookie cutter. Then bake! Make sure to let the cookies cool down by transfering to a wire rack.

Once the cookies cool down, remove them from the racks. Place the dulce de leche in a piping bag, and pipe some dulce de leche in the center of half of the cookies, then top them with the remaining half.

Once the cookies are assembled, you can decorate them in all kinds of traditional—and delicious—ways. The simplest option is a light dusting of powdered sugar, which gives them that classic, elegant look. You can also drizzle melted chocolate over the tops or fully dip each sandwich for a richer, more indulgent version.

To do that, melt chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars with a touch of oil to help the coating set smoothly. Dip each alfajor using a fork, let the excess drip off, and place them on parchment paper until the chocolate hardens. You can even add a sprinkle of flaky salt, chopped nuts, or a drizzle of contrasting chocolate on top for a polished finish.

If you want a bit of texture, coat the sides in finely chopped almonds or roll them in shredded coconut—both are authentic and add a beautiful finish. Feel free to mix and match; Alfajores are super versatile and take well to different flavors and styles.

Can I freeze Alfajor Cookies?

This Alfajor Recipe is also perfect for making ahead for the holiday season. You can make the cookie dough, cut the cookies, and freeze the cut cookies unbaked for up to 2 months.

Place the tray with the cut cookies in the freezer, once the cookies are frozen solid, about 2 hours later, layer them in an airtight container, between sheets of parchment paper.

When ready to bake, you can remove them from the freezer, place them in a baking tray lined with a parchment paper, or silicone mat, and bake on the pre-heated oven. No need to thaw the cookies.

You can also try to freeze the shaped cookies, though for a much fresher result, I recommend freezing the unbaked cookies instead.

What kind of dulce de leche to use?

You can use homemade dulce de leche or store-bought to fill these cookies.

If you are going the store-bought route, I recommend getting a really good brand of dulce de leche, such as Havanna, or San Ignacio. Any repostero dulce de leche might also work. Make sure it’s pipeable. If you are in the U.S., the brand La Lechera can be found at any grocery store, and it’s very thick and perfect for this purpose.

If you want to make your own Dulce de Leche, that’s also a fantastic option. It’s super easy to make it and it’s incredibly delicious as well. Check out my recipe here.

How to Make Homemade Dulce de Leche

I think some people are intimated to make dulce de leche because they think it’s like caramel. But dulce de leche is much easier to make because they’re two different things entirely! Simply start with a can of sweetened condensed milk. Now, there are some options:

1. Making dulce de leche in the oven– Pour the inside of the condensed milk can in an oven-proof pan, and bake over a water bath for about 2-3 hours, stirring in between, covered with foil, at 350F.
2. Making dulce de leche on the stove top– there are two ways to make dulce de leche on the stove top with a sealed can of condensed milk.

• First alternative is to use a pressure cooker, which is the fastest way. Place sealed can in a pressure cooker full of water, covering the can by at least 2 inches. Cook under pressure for 30 minutes. Let pressure release naturally and let can and water both cool down all the way before removing and opening the can.
• If you just want to use a regular pot, make sure it’s a large pot of water, where the can will be submerged the whole time. Boil sealed can for about 2 1/2 hours. Let can and water cool down all the way before removing and opening the can.

Regardless of the method you choose to make your dulce de leche, make sure to always let it cool down before handling it. And leave it in the fridge for a few hours before piping so dulce de leche will be cold and have the proper texture.

Can I freeze Dulce de Leche?

Yes, Dulce de Leche will freeze beautifully. Place it in an air tight container, or in a zip loc bag, and freeze for up to 2 months.

Why you are going to love this Alfajor Recipe

• The cornstarch cookie is light, flaky, and buttery, it basically melts in your mouth, and it’s not dry like so many alfajor recipes I’ve tried before.
• The ratio dulce de leche to cookie is just perfect, as the cookies aren’t extremely thick.
• The cookies are soft, with a gooey center.
• You can make them ahead of time.
• They are sure to be a crowd pleaser.
• These Alfajor Cookies will last for up to 1 week in the fridge.

If you’re looking for more ways to enjoy dulce de leche, here are a few favorites to try next. These Dulce de Leche Thumbprint Cookies pair a buttery, tender cookie with a rich caramel center. This recipe for Dulce de Leche Bars layers a soft, chewy base with a generous swirl of dulce de leche for an easy crowd-pleaser. And my Dulce de Leche Snickerdoodles take the classic cinnamon cookie and elevate it with a sweet, gooey dulce de leche filling.

Thanks for reading my blog, have a lovely day! If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts below in the comments! Or tag me on social media—I love to see what you bake.

Alfajor Cookies

Camila Hurst

Alfajor Cookies are buttery cornstarch cookies filled with dulce de leche, often decorated with a drizzle of chocolate, or powdered sugar dusted on top, or with the sides coated in shredded coconut, or chopped almonds.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Resting time 3 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine Argentina

Servings 20 cookie sandwiches

Calories 240 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup cornstarch 120 grams
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 95 grams
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp  fine sea salt
• 10 tbsp unsalted butter 141 grams, room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar 66 grams
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 3/4 cup dulce de leche store-bought or homemade read post above for instructions on how to make dulce de leche
• 2 oz chopped chocolate to drizzle on top of the cookies if you want to*

Instructions

 

Alfajor Cookies

• Sift the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium high speed for 1 minute.
• Add granulated sugar. Beat for another 1-2 minutes until very fluffy and light in color.
• Add egg yolks one at a time, and mix until combined before adding the next one.
• Add vanilla and almond extract.
• Mix to combine.
• Add dry ingredients and mix until you form a dough.
• Dough should be soft and not too sticky.
• Wrap it in plastic or place it in a ziplock bag and chill it in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
• When it’s time to roll the cookies out, remove dough from the fridge and cut it into 4 pieces. Work with one piece at a time, while keeping the others covered.
• Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
• Roll it out until about 1/4 thick over a floured surface.
• Dough might be breaking up, simply patch it back together by patting it down with your fingers.
• I used a 2.5 inch cutter to cut the cookies.
• Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cookies should look set, but not too browned.
• Let them cool down all the way before filling with the dulce de leche. I placed my dulce de leche in a piping bag to make it easier to fill the cookies.
• After filling the cookies, I melted some dark chocolate and drizzled it over the cookies.

Storage

• Keep cookies in the fridge for up to 5 days, in an air tight container.

Notes

Cornstarch: Cornstarch (or maizena) is key for giving alfajores their soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Be sure to measure it accurately to get the right balance of crumbly and tender.

Butter Temperature: Use room-temperature butter to ensure it creams properly with the sugar, creating a smooth dough. Cold butter may result in a crumbly texture.

Chilling the Dough: Chilling the dough for about 3 hours makes it easier to roll out and prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking.

Assembling: Gently press the cookies together when sandwiching with dulce de leche to avoid breaking the delicate cookies.

Storage: Alfajores improve in flavor and texture after a day or two. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature or refrigerate them for longer freshness.

Decoration: You can also dust the cookies with powdered sugar, or completely cover them with chocolate. Other serving suggestions are coating the sides in shredded coconut, or chopped almonds.

Dipping in chocolate: If you want to fully coat your alfajores in chocolate, you’ll need 10 to 12 ounces (280–340 g) of chocolate for about 20 sandwich cookies. This amount allows for dipping each cookie completely while accounting for the chocolate that stays in the bowl and on the utensils. Melt the chocolate with 2 teaspoons of shortening to help the coating stay smooth and glossy. Use a fork to dip the cookies and lift them from the bowl. Let them set and dry on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Nutrition

Serving: 1alfajorCalories: 240kcal

Keyword alfajor, cookies

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