Alfajores are delicious, crumbly sandwich cookies with dulce de leche in the middle, dusted with powdered sugar, and optionally rolled in shredded coconut. Sometimes, they’re also dipped in chocolate, depending on where in the world you find them!
Why I love this recipe
Alfajores are some of the most popular cookies in the world, especially across Latin America. Here are some reasons I think you should try them:
- They have the best flavor combination. These cookies’ buttery, crumbly nature mixes so well with the gooey dulce de leche center. They blend together into something better than the sum of its parts (and the parts are pretty darn good!).
- They’re versatile. You can eat them as is, dip them in chocolate, or roll them in coconut and dust them with powdered sugar like I do in this recipe.
What Are Alfajores?
Alfajores are traditional Latin American cookies made from two soft, crumbly cookies with a sweet dulce de leche filling sandwiched in between. They’re often dipped, dusted, or coated with all sorts of delicious toppings like powdered sugar, chocolate, or shredded coconut.
These cookies are very popular in Central and South America and are known for their delicate and distinct texture, similar to shortbread cookies.
Ingredients
- Dry Ingredients: You’ll need cornstarch, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and granulated sugar. While these cookies are technically not shortbread cookies because they contain leavening, the result is very similar. The cornstarch makes these cookies crumbly and delicious!
- Unsalted butter: The best part about Latin American cookies, in my opinion, is that they are generally extra buttery and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, so of course, we have to add lots of butter!
- Egg yolks: By sticking with just egg yolks, we’ll get a final product that is a bit more tender and chewy than if we used a whole egg. While the cookie still crumbles nicely, this stops it from disintegrating in your hands before you can eat it.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla extract goes a long way in lifting the cookie’s flavor from something basic to something special.
- Lemon zest: Like the vanilla extract, lemon zest helps brighten and balance the cookie so it isn’t cloyingly sweet.
- Dulce de leche: For me, this is the best part of the alfajores. Dulce de leche adds a wonderfully chewy caramel flavor that is just irresistible. You can buy some at your local grocery store or make your own.
- Optional toppings: You have a great variety of options for dressing these cookies. You can dust them in powdered sugar, roll them in coconut, dip them in chocolate, and top them with a light sprinkling of finishing salt. The world is really your oyster here.
How to Make Alfajores
Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl using a fine mesh strainer and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment at medium speed for 4 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale yellow. You can also use an electric hand mixer.
Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and lemon zest into the creamed mixture and mix together until just combined. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixer bowl ½ cup at a time until just combined.
Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour until it is firm and can easily be rolled.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured in two batches until it is ¼ inch thick. Then, using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place them on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue shaping, re-rolling, and cutting the dough with the remaining scraps, and repeat until all the dough is used, including the other half of the refrigerated dough.
Bake the cookies for 11 minutes on the center rack until the edges reach a golden brown. Transfer them onto a wire rack and allow them to cool completely for about 15 minutes.
Assemble the cookies by spreading 1 tablespoon of dulce de leche on the bottom half of the cookie with a small spatula and then placing another cookie on top, lightly pressing down to create a sandwich cookie. Continue this process until all the cookie sandwiches are assembled.
Roll the sides of the cookie on a plate with shredded coconut if using, and dust the tops with powdered sugar using a fine mesh strainer. Serve and enjoy!
Tips
- Depending on the size of your oven, you may have to bake the cookies in batches. While one batch is baking, place your unbaked cookies in the refrigerator.
- These cookies are great for prepping ahead of time. The dough can be chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- I used store-bought dulce de leche, but you can make your own with my dulce de leche recipe.
Recommended Tools
Stand mixer: I find no accessory more helpful when baking than my stand mixer. These are classic and won’t go to waste in your kitchen.
Zester: I only realized how much zesting things like lemons, limes, and oranges can make a difference in my baking once I bought a zester and started doing it regularly.
Baking sheets: These are the sheets I use in my kitchen, and I love them. They’re a great size to fit 2 across in most ovens, and they’re sturdy, so they don’t warp like thinner ones.
Storing and Freezing
Alfajores can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week or frozen for several months.
You do not need to refrigerate them, but if your home runs warm, consider it anyway to keep them from melting.
Alfajores
Ingredients
- 2 cups cornstarch
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 ¼ cup dulce de leche
- Powdered sugar, for topping
- Shredded coconut, for rolling (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, sift together the cornstarch, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda using a fine mesh strainer. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar using the paddle attachment on medium speed for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy and the mixture is a pale yellow color.
- Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and lemon zest into the creamed mixture and mix together until just combined.
- Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixer bowl ½ cup at a time until just combined.
- Place the dough on a clean and smooth surface and shape into a ball. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, until the dough is firm and can easily be rolled.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Cut in half and preserve one half of the dough wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator while you work with the other half.
- Roll out the dough until it is ¼ inch thick.
- Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue shaping, re-rolling, and cutting the dough with the remaining scraps and repeat until all the dough is used, including the other half of the refrigerated dough.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. While the oven preheats, place cookie sheets in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow them to cool and prevent spreading during baking.
- Bake the cookies for 11 minutes on the center rack, until the edges reach a golden brown color.
- Transfer the baked cookies onto a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
- Assemble the cookies by spreading 1 tablespoon of dulce de leche on the bottom half of the cookie with a small spatula and then placing another cookie on top, lightly pressing down to create a sandwich cookie. Continue this process until all the cookie sandwiches are assembled.
- Roll the sides of the cookie in a plate with shredded coconut if using, and dust the tops with powdered sugar using a fine mesh strainer. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- These cookies are great to prep ahead of time. The dough can be chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- I used store-bought dulce de leche, but you can definitely make your own with my dulce de leche recipe.
- Depending on the size of your oven, you may have to bake the cookies in batches. While one batch is baking, place your unbaked cookies in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
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