These irresistible Argentinian Alfajores are a soft, sweet and crumbly shortbread sandwich cookies filled with dulce de leche. They are so soft they melt in your mouth!
***This post was originally published on Dec 2015. It has been updated to be more helpful.
Alfajores
These Alfajores are literally one of my favorite cookies ever! They are light, buttery with a subtle lemon flavor, and are filled with a sweet and creamy dulce de leche, giving you a mouthful of delicious goodness!
These soft cookies are very popular across Latin America but specially Argentina.
Why you’ll love this recipe
They are wonderful served alongside a nice cup of tea or coffee, as a nice mid afternoon treat! They are also a great addition to any picnic hamper, and they make wonderful, simple homemade gifts.
Featured comment:
“My spanish teacher is from Argentina. She said these taste just like the ones her grandmother would make for her. They brought tears to her eyes. Thank you for the perfect cookie”
Dixie
Ingredients
Start by getting your ingredients together:
- The flour – For this recipe we’ll use a combination of all-purpose flour & cornstarch. Using cornstarch (Maizena in Spanish) is the key to make these melt in your mouth cookies. The results are amazing!
- Leavening agent – Baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt
- White sugar and 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 2 large egg yolks & vanilla extract
- The zest of two lemons – don’t skip this! It ads the perfect balance to these cookies.
- The filling – Dulce de leche. Store bought or homemade (see how to make homemade dulce de leche).
- Coconut flakes
***Make sure to scroll all the way down to the recipe card to get the full ingredient list and written recipe.
How to Make Alfajores Cookies
Steps to make the cookie dough:
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside.
Sifting is the process that breaks up any lumps in the flour
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add yolks and beat to combine. Then add the vanilla extract, water and lemon zest beat until just combined.
Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together.
Wrap the dough in plastic and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
? Why is important to chill the dough prior to baking, King Arthur baking website explains it the best:
“Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies. As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread. In addition, the sugar in the dough gradually absorbs liquid.“
Bake the cookies
- Heat oven 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone pad.
- Remove dough from plastic wrap and place on a lightly floured surface, flour a rolling pin and roll out to about ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough with a 2 inch cookie cutter.
- Place the cookies on the prepared sheet pans, then bake until firm and edges are pale golden and the middle of the cookie is firm, about 9 minutes. Transfer baking pan to a rack and allow to cool completely before removing from baking sheet.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of dulce de leche onto the back of half the cookies. Place a second cookie on top and gently press to create a sandwich and repeat.
- Roll sides in coconut and dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.
Make ahead
- Make cookie dough, wrap very tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months. Wrap in plastic wrap and and place inside a plastic freezer bag. Label the bag with the month and the baking temperature and place the bag in the freezer.
How to Store the cookies
Make sure cookies cool completely before storing.
- Store them at room temperature in an airtight container, like Tupperware for up to a week. Note: To keep them soft, add a little small piece of white sandwich bread inside the airtight container. This trick will keep your cookies soft since the moisture in the bread will help the cookies stay soft.
- Freezer – Freeze in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or freezer bags for up to 3 months.
Enjoy delicious…
Homemade Cookie Recipes
Recipe adapted from Cocineros Argentinos
If you enjoyed this recipe I’d love it if you take 5 seconds to rate and review it below on the blog. It’s also super helpful to me and other readers if you share any changes you made to the recipe. Gracias!!!!
Print Recipe:
Alfajores – Argentinian Dulce De Leche Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest divided.
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- 8 ounces Dulce De Leche homemade or store bought
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add yolks and beat to combine.
- Add the vanilla extract, water and lemon zest beat until just combined.
- Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
- Heat oven 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove dough from plastic wrap and place on a lightly floured surface, flour a rolling pin and roll out to about ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough with a 2 inch cookie cutter.
- Place cookies on prepared sheet pans about about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for about 9 minutes or until firm and edges are pale golden and the middle of the cookie is firm.
- Transfer baking pan to a rack and allow to cool completely before removing from baking sheet.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of dulce de leche onto the back of half the cookies. Place a second cookie on top and gently press to create a sandwich and repeat.
- Roll sides in coconut and dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.
Muy Delish Notes:
- Make cookie dough, wrap very tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months. Wrap in plastic wrap and and place inside a freezer plastic bag. Label the bag with the month and the baking temperature and place the bag in the freezer.
Add Your Own Private Notes
Whenever you come back to this recipe, you’ll be able to see your notes.
Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
Deliciosas!!! Gracias Ana
Mil gracias Malena! Que bueno que te gusto esta receta de alfajores :).
Hi!! After I added the dry ingredients and mixed, the dough was real soft, not sticky but not firm. I wanted to see if I did something wrong.
Thank you
Hi Cari! Are you in hot weather? Did you make any changes to the recipe? It’s hard to tell as this has not happened to me yet even now that I’m in different altitude. How did they bake?
Oh, also, I live at 6500 ft. and cookies was perfect.
My spanish teacher is from Argentina. She said these taste just like the ones her grandmother would make for her. They brought tears to her eyes. Thank you for the perfect cookie
Not able to print this recipe. Only opens another website for you. Would love to print it so I can bake it!
The recipe mentioned 1 stick of butter, but the pictures showed a small stick. Can you tell me if is 1/2 cup butter (113 g).)I want to make sure I add the correct amount. Thank you!
Hi Andrea, thanks for the question! This recipe uses: 1 stick butter = 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup = 4 ounces/110g.
Let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy! 🙂
Those cookies looks so yummy , I’m gonna try make’m ?⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
These remind me of a cookie that a local Cuban bakery sells. They are called Besitos. Rather than a dulce de leche sandwich cookie, they are little round dumpling like cookies with dulce de leche filling. So delicious! I will definitely try this recipe. Thank you!
I made these delicious treats and even shared some with family and friends. They were a big hit and everyone asked for more. These are my new fav ? treat❤️
These are delicious but mine turned out a little dry. What do you think went wrong. I followed your recipe to the T. The only inconsistency was my oven. The temp was low so took longer to get back to 350 but besides that no issue. Would appreciate your feedback. Thank you.
Hi Parshadi! Cooking them longer and lower will definitely make them drier! Have you used your oven for other cookies before? Could also be your elevation… let me research that one as I’m in the desert and sometimes different elevations have different effects. Although no one else has mentioned they came out dryish 🙁 Thanks for the feedback!
I made these cookies yesterday and it was a hit. I will definitely make it again.
I’m so happy these Alfajores were a hit! Thanks so much Beverly!
These were delicious! Thank you for the recipe!! They will definitely be a permanent addition to my annual Christmas cookie list.
Awe you made my day Arwah!!! I’m so glad you loved these Alfajores! Thanks for feedback, xo, ana
Make sure your butter is very soft! Not melted, not warm, just perfectly soft. This will achieve the dough texture we need. Cream the soft butter and sugar for 5 minutes.
Love alfajores and have never made them but DEF inspired to now! And your pics are absolutely stunning!!!
Thank you so much Daniela! I’m so glad you’re inspired to make them!
I know what to gift for my next kiddie party! Thanks for this recipe. Those cookies look like perfection
Thank you so much! Enjoy!
Oh my, you are speaking my language with these little morsels of heaven! I never met a cookie I didn’t like, but shortbread are usually my go-to. I’m drooling over that dulce de leche inside. Yum!!
Shortbread cookies are mine too! Enjoy Michele!
Your pictures do a fantastic job of highlighting your alfajores cookies. I’m a huge fan of shortbread cookies so I can’t wait to make these.
Thank you so much Kelly! I appreciate your kind comment.
These are just the perfect little bites of deliciousness! I think I could eat quite a few of these, yum!
My husband is asking for them again. They’re so good! Thanks Michelle!
I had never heard of alfajores cookies before reading this post but they look and sound divine! Pinning for later!
I’m so happy that you found them! I hope you get to make them
I’ve made a few alfajores before but this one is packed with flavor (I added the zest of an entire lemon), perfectly crumbly (I added 2 tsp more of warm water to make a dough) and so satisfying I have to hide half of them in the back of the fridge so we don’t devour them. Saving!!
I have never heard of those cookies before. Now all I can think about is making a batch in my kitchen!
Yes please do Chef Dennis! You’ll love them! They’re such a classic cookie in Argentina
This looks insanely, incredibly good. Sooo yummy!
Thanks so much Maggie!
These look sooooo good! I love sandwich cookies and I just happen to have some leftover dulce de leche right now. I know what I’m making this weekend!
Dulce De Leche cookies are the best!
Oh HECK YES!! These cookies are the dreamiest. I love anything with dulce de leche! I can’t wait to make these and not share with anyone.
Me too! Anything with Dulce De Leche is the best! These Argentinian Cookies are perfect with it. Enjoy!
What darling looking cookies. Love the lemony taste — it’s so summery. The shortbread cookies remind me of macarons only easier to make. I’m definitely trying the sandwich cookie for our reading group.
Oh how fun that you’re in a reading group! They will enjoy these traditional Argentinian cookies!
This recipe has my name all over it! I love the addition of lemon zest….I think some people add Brandy too lol
Thanks Monica! The Brandy does make it delicious too!