Dulce de Leche Cookies
These Dulce de Leche Cookies are warm, cinnamon-coated thumbprint cookies with a creamy caramel filling that melts right into the middle. They fit right in with all the cozy holiday baking, and are easy enough for a weekend treat, plus they shine in cookie exchanges or gift boxes.
These cookies start with a snickerdoodle-style dough that stays tender in the center and lightly crisp around the edges, then each one gets filled with a creamy spoonful of caramel. They’re surprisingly easy to make, and the dough comes together quickly, so you can have a batch in the oven without much fuss. Even if you’re not usually a baker, these cookies are almost foolproof and totally worth it for that rich, caramel-filled center.
If you’re looking for more simple and delicious filled cookie recipes, make sure to try my Coffee Cake Cookies, Baklava Cookies, and Raspberry Crumble Cookies.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect texture- Soft, chewy, and melt in your mouth delicious.
- Cinnamon sugar coating- Adds a warm, sweet finish that complements the dulce de leche perfectly.
- Simple to make- Just a few pantry staples, the dough comes together quickly, chills briefly, and bakes up perfectly every time. Using store-bought dulce de leche makes filling them a breeze.
- Sweet caramel goodness- The addition of the creamy dulce de leche makes these cookies extra indulgent.
Ingredients For Dulce de Leche Cookies
- Unsalted butter- Can be substituted with salted butter, but reduce added salt slightly. Make sure the butter is softened at room temperature for easier mixing.
- White granulated sugar- I use granulated sugar both in the dough and for rolling the cookies before baking. It adds just the right sweetness and helps the edges develop a delicate, lightly crisp texture.
- Vanilla bean paste- Adds a wonderful natural vanilla flavor with little specks throughout the cookie dough. You can also use pure vanilla extract if needed.
- Eggs- I use 1 large egg yolk. Make sure it’s at room temperature so it incorporates smoothly.
- All-purpose flour- Use the spoon and level method for accurate measurement. Adding too much flour can make these cookies dry and crumbly, instead of soft and buttery. More in the tips below.
- Cinnamon- Mix into the sugar for rolling for that classic snickerdoodle touch.
- Dulce de leche- A sweet, creamy caramel made from slowly cooked milk and sugar. It has a rich, smooth texture and a deep caramel flavor. You can find dulce de leche at most grocery stores, usually in the baking aisle near the evaporated and sweetened condensed milk.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Cream the butter and sugar. Start by lining two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside. Then, in a large bowl, add the softened butter and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream them together for about two minutes until smooth.
STEP 2: Add the egg yolk and vanilla. Next, add the egg yolk and vanilla bean paste. Beat until pale in color and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
STEP 3: Stir in the dry ingredients. Add the flour and salt to the butter mixture, making sure not to over mix. The dough may look a little crumbly at first, which is normal. Use your hands to gently knead dough together, if needed.
STEP 4: Scoop and roll the dough. Using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out the dough and transfer it to the prepared baking sheets. Roll each portion into a ball.
STEP 5: Coat in cinnamon sugar. Once rolled, gently roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar.
STEP 6: Create indentation. Use a teaspoon to press down and create a small indentation in the center of each ball.
STEP 7. Chill the dough. Chill the dough balls in the freezer for 30 minutes. This helps maintain their shape while baking.
STEP 8: Bake. Preheat oven to 350℉. Once your dough is finished chilling, arrange the cookies on the baking sheets about 1 1/2- 2 inches apart. Then, bake for 13-14 minutes. Remove from oven, then lightly press down the centers again with a teaspoon, since some of the indentations may have puffed up during baking.
STEP 9: Cool and fill. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet. Then, fill each indentation with the dulce de leche. Using a piping bag makes filling the cookies quick and effortless.
Tips For Success
- Measure the flour accurately- Instead of dipping your measuring cup directly into the flour, spoon the flour into the cup. This prevents the flour from compacting, which can add too much flour and make the cookies dry. Once filled, level the flour off with the back of a knife.
- Prevent cracking in thumbprints- Roll each portion between your hands until it’s completely smooth and there are no lines or cracks. When pressing the teaspoon into the dough to make the indentation, gently rock side to side, instead of pressing straight down.
- Chill the dough. Don’t skip chilling! Briefly freezing the dough helps the cookies hold their shape and keeps the centers from spreading too much.
- Even baking- Arrange the cookies evenly on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2-2 inches between them. This ensures they bake uniformly without sticking together.
- Warm the dulce de leche- If the dulce de leche feels too thick, microwave it for 15-30 seconds to soft it and make it easier to work with.
- Use a piping bag- A piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off is much easier than using a spoon and gives you better control when filling the cookies.
FAQ’s and Troubleshooting
This usually happens if the dough is too soft or warm. Make sure to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. Also, don’t over cream the butter and sugar.
Definitely! The dough can be chilled overnight or even frozen for up to a month. Just thaw in the refrigerator before baking.
It’s not recommended. Adding the dulce de lech before baking can cause it to melt, burn or spread too much. It’s best to fill the indentations after the cookies have baked and cooled slightly so the caramel stays in place.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze the unbaked cookies (without the sugar coating) for up to a month. Then, thaw in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
You can definitely get creative with these cookies! Try adding different extracts like almond or coconut to the dough, or drizzle the baked cookies with chocolate or icing for a fun twist. You could also experiment with other fillings like jam or Nutella.
More Cookies Recipes To Try
Did You Make This Recipe
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Dulce De Leche Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3-1/2 cup dulce de leche
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Start by lining two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside. Then, in a large bowl, add the softened butter and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream them together for about two minutes until smooth.
- Next, add the egg yolk and vanilla bean paste to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat until pale in color and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the flour and salt to the butter mixture, making sure not to over mix. The dough may look a little crumbly at first, which is normal. Use your hands to gently knead dough together, if needed.
- Using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out the dough and transfer it to the prepared baking sheets. Roll each portion into a ball.
- Once rolled, gently roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar.
- Use a teaspoon to press down and create a small indentation in the center of each ball.
- Chill the dough balls in the freezer for 30 minutes. This helps maintain their shape while baking.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Once your dough is finished chilling, arrange the cookies on the baking sheets about 1 1/2- 2 inches apart. Then, bake for 13-14 minutes. Once they're out of the oven, lightly press down the centers again with a teaspoon, since some of the indentations may have puffed up during baking.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then, fill each indentation with the dulce de leche. Using a piping bag makes filling the cookies quick and effortless.
Notes
- Measure the flour accurately- Instead of dipping your measuring cup directly into the flour, spoon the flour into the cup. This prevents the flour from compacting, which can add too much flour and make the cookies dry. Once filled, level the flour off with the back of a knife.
- Prevent cracking in thumbprints- Roll each portion between your hands until it’s completely smooth and there are no lines or cracks. When pressing the teaspoon into the dough to make the indentation, gently rock side to side, instead of pressing straight down.
- Chill the dough. Don’t skip chilling! Briefly freezing the dough helps the cookies hold their shape and keeps the centers from spreading too much.
- Even baking- Arrange the cookies evenly on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2-2 inches between them. This ensures they bake uniformly without sticking together.
- Warm the dulce de leche- If the dulce de leche feels too thick, microwave it for 15-30 seconds to soft it and make it easier to work with.
- Use a piping bag- A piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off is much easier than using a spoon and gives you better control when filling the cookies.