These dulce de leche cookies are thick, super soft, cinnamon sugar cookies with dulce de leche buttercream frosting! There's even more dulce de leche swirled on top with a sprinkle of flaky salt. They're rich, sweet, and will melt in your mouth!
These dulce de leche cookies are perfect for a Christmas cookie swap! They start with thick, super soft cinnamon brown sugar cookies that are topped with a creamy dulce de leche buttercream frosting.
To add an extra touch of sweetness, there's more dulce de leche swirled on top! They're sweet and decadent, perfect for cookie season.
With their caramelized flavor and festive look, these cookies are sure to impress at any cookie exchange and become a new favorite. You definitely don't have to save this cookie recipe for the holiday season though; you can make them whenever a cookie craving strikes!
If you love homemade cookie recipes, try these cookie butter cookies, molasses crinkle cookies, chocolate chip sugar cookies, or Danish butter cookies next!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Soft brown sugar cinnamon cookies- The cookie base is similar to my birthday cake cookies but made with brown sugar and cinnamon for extra chewiness and a warm flavor. They bake up super soft and thick!
- Rich dulce de leche-ย If you haven't had dulce de leche before, you're in for a treat! Dulce de leche is a sweet, caramel-like sauce that's popular in South America. It's made by simmering sweetened milk until it thickens and turns a rich, golden brown color. Its creamy texture and deep, toasty flavor goes perfectly with the spiced cookies. If you have leftover dulce de leche, make dulce de leche mousse or dulce de leche cupcakes!
- Quick and easy recipe- While you do need a mixer, these cookies are relatively easy to make in about 30 minutes. You don't need to chill the cookie dough! They're perfect to make for a last minute holiday cookie tray or just as an after dinner sweet treat.
Ingredient Notes
Here are notes about some of the ingredients used. For quantities and full instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter- ย Butter adds richness and flavor to the cookies while also helping to create a soft, tender texture. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Brown sugar- This adds moisture and a deep, caramel-like flavor to the cookies. The molasses in brown sugar also contributes to the soft texture. Dark brown sugar will give an even richer flavor, but light brown sugar works well too.
- Egg and egg yolk-ย The whole egg adds structure and moisture, while the additional yolk makes the cookies rich and chewy. Use room temperature eggs to help the ingredients blend together more smoothly. Pull them out of the fridge with the butter.
- All purpose flour-ย Flour creates the structure of the cookies, helping them hold their shape while baking. I always recommend weighing flour in grams with a kitchen scale. If you don't have one, measure your flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife. Too much flour can make cookies dry.
- Dulce de leche-ย Dulce de leche is the star of the frosting, providing a rich, caramel-like sweetness that pairs perfectly with the cinnamon-spiced cookies. Use store-bought dulce de leche in a can, not a squeeze bottle, because it's too thin. Homemade dulce de leche works too! You can make it by boiling a can ofย sweetened condensed milk- check out this dulce de leche recipe!
Substitutions and Variations
- Dulce de leche substitute: You can use regular or salted caramel sauce to make a salted caramel frosting instead of the dulce de leche. I recommend a thicker store-bought or homemade caramel.
- Addition ideas: About ยฝ cup chocolate chips, toasted shredded coconut, or chopped pecans would be delicious mixed into the cookie dough.
- Use different frosting: Swap out the dulce de leche buttercream for brown butter cream cheese frosting, salted caramel icing, chai buttercream, or this banana frosting for a fun twist!
Step by Step Instructions
Before you start baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
Step 1: Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until combined.
Step 3: Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into the wet ingredients on low speed.
Step 4: Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop 6-8 cookie dough balls on each prepared baking sheet. Feel free to roll the balls in a small bowl of cinnamon sugar before baking for more flavor!
Step 5: Bake the cookies until the edges should look set but the middles look slightly underdone. The residual heat from the hot pan will keep cooking them as they cool.
Step 6: For the frosting, start by creaming the softened butter in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer.
Step 7: Beat the dulce de leche into the butter. Then gradually add the powdered sugar on low speed so the sugar doesn't fly out of the bowl. Add vanilla and salt.
Step 8: Once the cookies are cool, spread a dollop of frosting on each one. You can also pipe it on using a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip.
Swirl some extra dulce de leche on top, add a sprinkle of salt, and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature butter.ย Make sure your butter is softened (but not melted) so it creams with the sugar properly. This helps make the cookies tender and chewy!ย Pull it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Don't overmix. Overmixing the dough can make your cookies tough by developing too much gluten. To avoid this, mix on low speed just until the dry ingredients are fully combined and the dough looks uniform. It should be thick and slightly sticky, holding its shape without being overworked.
- Flatten the cookie dough balls. These cookies are super thick, so they might not spread as much as you'd think. To encourage spreading, gently press down on each ball of cookie dough on the baking tray before popping it in the oven.
- Let the cookies cool. If your dulce de leche cookies are even a little bit warm, the frosting will melt and slide off! Let them cool for at least 30 minutes before you frost them.
Storage Instructions
I recommend only frosting the dulce de leche cookies you are going to eat and then storing the leftover cookies and frosting separately.
Store the unfrosted cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. You can store the frosting in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just let it sit on the counter to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before frosting your leftover cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! After making the dough, scoop cookie dough balls onto lined baking tray. Freeze until frozen solid. Then transfer the frozen dough balls to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake them directly from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the bake time.
Yes, you can definitely make these cookies ahead of time! Bake them up to 2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
You can make the frosting ahead of time too! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you're ready to use it, let the frosting come to room temperature and give it a good stir before spreading it on the cookies.
You'll know your cookies are done baking when the edges are golden brown and set, but the centers still look slightly soft and underdone. They'll continue to firm up as they cool. Let them rest on the hot baking tray for a few minutes to finish setting before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
๐ Recipe
Dulce de Leche Cookies with Frosting
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 113 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 50 grams brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 185 grams all purpose flour
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
Dulce de Leche Frosting
- 113 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 64 grams dulce de leche
- 200 grams powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (180ยฐC). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.113 grams unsalted butter, 50 grams granulated sugar, 50 grams brown sugar
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed for about 1 minute.1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix the all purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into the wet ingredients on low speed. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.185 grams all purpose flour, ยฝ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop 6-8 cookie dough balls on each cookie sheet. Press down on each gently to promote spreading
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until they're golden brown. The edges will look set but the middles will look slightly underdone.
- Remove the cookies from the oven. Let cool on the hot baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dulce de Leche Frosting
- Cream softened butter in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.113 grams unsalted butter
- Beat in the dulce de leche. Gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low speed. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.64 grams dulce de leche, 200 grams powdered sugar
- Mix in the vanilla and salt on medium-low until light and fluffy.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ยฝ teaspoon salt
- Spread about 2 tablespoons of frosting on each cookie with a small offset spatula or the back on a spoon. You can also pipe it on using a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip.
- Sprinkle with salt if desired and enjoy!
Comments
No Comments