Alfajores Recipe: The Best Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Key Takeaways

• Alfajores are South American sandwich cookies made from two cornstarch-based biscuits filled with dulce de leche.
• The key to their signature texture is a high cornstarch ratio and a low-temperature bake that keeps the cookies pale, tender, and almost powdery.
• Regional varieties range from coconut-rolled maicena style in Argentina to chocolate-enrobed versions in Peru, each with distinct dough ratios and fillings.
• Proper dough chilling, gentle gluten development, and correct tempered-chocolate technique are the three technical steps that separate professional-quality alfajores from home-baking attempts.

The sandwich formula is straightforward: two outer layers that hold a filling in place. The outside provides structure and texture, while the center delivers the main flavor. It is a practical design that allows endless variation without changing the basic concept.

In its classic form, bread encloses ingredients chosen to match individual taste, from simple spreads to layered combinations of meat, cheese, and vegetables. The proportions can shift, the ingredients can change, but the formula remains constant.

This same structure appears in sweets as well. Two cookies can enclose cream, two cake layers can surround jam and frosting, and delicate biscuits can hold caramel or chocolate. Among these sweet expressions are alfajores, built on the same sandwich formula yet defined by their tender texture and rich dulce de leche filling.

What Are Alfajores?

Alfajores (pronounced al-fah-HOR-es) are sandwich cookies composed of two round, shortbread-adjacent biscuits joined by a thick layer of filling (most commonly dulce de leche repostero), a spreadable, slow-cooked caramel made from whole milk and sugar. The cookies themselves carry a pale, almost white colour, a delicate crumb that shatters rather than snaps, and a mildly sweet, buttery flavour that allows the filling to lead.

The contrast between textures is part of their appeal. The biscuit achieves its exceptional tenderness because a large portion of plain flour is replaced with cornstarch (maicena), which suppresses gluten formation and yields a finer, more fragile crumb. Against that delicate base, the rich, dense dulce de leche creates a textural counterpoint that has made alfajores a daily staple across South American bakeries, cafés, and home kitchens for generations.

The History and Global Journey of the Alfajor

The word alfajor derives from the classical Arabic "al-hasú", meaning "the filled one". This is a direct reference to the confection's defining characteristic. The earliest versions, carried into the Iberian Peninsula during the Moorish period (8th–15th centuries), bore little resemblance to today's cookie: they were dense cylinders of honey, almonds, nuts, and spices, closer in texture to a nougat than a biscuit.

Spanish colonisers brought the recipe to the Americas in the 16th century, where it underwent a slow and significant transformation. Without the nut pastes and honey of the original, colonial cooks adapted the formula to available ingredients such as wheat flour, eggs, butter, and milk-based caramel that would eventually become dulce de leche. By the 19th century, the biscuit sandwich version had taken hold in Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru, each country adapting proportions and coatings to local taste.

Today, alfajores represent one of the most commercially significant confectionery categories in South America, with Argentina alone producing hundreds of millions of units annually across supermarket, artisan, and haute pâtisserie tiers.

Popular Varieties of Alfajores

The alfajor family is broad. Across the continent, bakers have refined the formula into distinct regional styles, each with clear technical characteristics. Some of the more popular varieties are:

Alfajores de Maicena

The most recognized style in Argentina, alfajores de maicena, relies on a dough in which cornstarch makes up roughly 60–70% of the total flour content. That high cornstarch ratio produces a biscuit that bakes pale, almost white, with a crumb so delicate it dissolves on the tongue. 

Once filled with dulce de leche, the edges are traditionally rolled in unsweetened shredded coconut, adding light texture and a clean visual contrast. This is the version most people picture when they hear the word alfajor.

Chocolate-covered Alfajores

There are also varieties where the assembled sandwich is coated in tempered chocolate, dark, milk, or white, creating a thin shell that sets with a clean snap. Because of the added weight, the biscuit base is usually slightly firmer, with a higher proportion of plain flour for structure. 

In Peru, this format is common, often filled with manjar blanco, the local variation of dulce de leche. The chocolate coating shifts both texture and balance, turning the alfajor into something richer and more substantial.

Regional styles

Santafesinos, from Argentina's Santa Fe province, replace the coconut edge with a thick white fondant glaze and frequently include quince paste alongside or instead of dulce de leche. In Chile, alfajores tend to be thicker and have a softer, more cake-like texture. 

Each regional interpretation adjusts ratios, handling, and finishing methods. Small technical decisions in dough composition, baking time, and assembly directly influence texture, stability, and overall refinement.

How to Make Alfajores

The recipe below yields approximately 20 finished sandwich cookies (40 individual biscuits). It follows the classic alfajores de maicena technique.

The following ingredients create the classic texture and structure of alfajores de maicena:

• Dulce de leche repostero
• Cornstarch (maicena)
• Unsalted butter
• Egg yolks
• Lemon zest
• Vanilla extract
• Cognac or brandy (optional)
• Unsweetened shredded coconut

Prepare and cream the base

Combine softened butter and icing sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture becomes noticeably pale and almost white. This stage determines the final lightness of the biscuit. Insufficient aeration produces density.

Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Incorporate vanilla and cognac if using.

Incorporate the dry ingredients

Sift plain flour, cornstarch, and a pinch of fine salt. Add to the butter mixture in three additions, mixing on low speed. Stop as soon as the dough comes together.

Minimal handling is essential. Overmixing develops gluten, which results in spreading and loss of tenderness. The dough should feel smooth, pliable, and only slightly tacky.

Chill and rest the dough

Divide the dough into two portions, flatten into discs, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to 24 hours.

Chilling the dough firms it for accurate rolling and reduces shrinkage during baking. Skipping this step compromises structure.

Roll and cut the biscuits

Work with one disc at a time, keeping the other chilled. Roll between parchment sheets to an even thickness of 4-5 mm. Uniform thickness ensures consistent baking.

Cut with a 4-5 cm round cutter. Re-roll scraps once only. Arrange rounds on lined trays, spacing them about 2 cm apart. Chill again for 15 minutes before baking to maintain shape.

The baking process

Bake at 160°C fan-forced for 10 to 12 minutes. The biscuits should be set and barely firm at the edges without developing colour. The target is pale.

Any golden tint indicates overbaking, which removes the melt-in-mouth quality. Remove while still slightly soft in appearance. They will firm as they cool.

Allow to cool completely before assembly.

Assembly and filling

Transfer dulce de leche repostero to a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm plain nozzle. Pair biscuits by size.

Pipe an even disc of filling, approximately 1.5-2 teaspoons, onto the flat underside of one biscuit. Leave a small border near the edge. Place the matching biscuit flat-side down and press gently from the centre outward. The filling should sit flush with the edge without spilling over.

Final coating and decoration

For classic maicena style, spread shredded coconut in a shallow bowl. Roll the exposed filling edge through the coconut until evenly coated. Apply light pressure to secure.

For chocolate-coated versions, temper chocolate carefully. Dark chocolate should reach 31-32°C, white chocolate 28-29°C. Dip each assembled cookie, allow excess to drain, and place on parchment or a wire rack until fully set.

Storage and Preservation Tips

Proper storage protects the delicate texture that defines alfajores. Moisture, temperature, and air exposure all influence how long they maintain quality.

At room temperature, fully assembled alfajores keep well for up to three days when stored in an airtight container. Keep them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. In warmer climates, the dulce de leche may soften more quickly, shortening that window slightly.

Refrigerated, assembled cookies will hold for up to one week. Store them in a tightly sealed container to prevent the biscuits from absorbing moisture or refrigerator odors. Before serving, allow them to return to room temperature so the texture softens and the filling regains its smooth consistency.

Raw dough can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours, wrapped tightly in plastic to prevent drying out. For longer storage, freeze the dough discs for up to two months. Wrap first in plastic, then place in an airtight freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling and baking.

Unfilled baked biscuits can also be frozen for up to two months. Cool completely, layer with parchment between them, and store in an airtight container. Assemble with dulce de leche after thawing to preserve structure.

Fully assembled alfajores may be frozen for up to one month. Freeze in a single layer until firm, then transfer to an airtight container. Thaw gradually in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving to maintain the intended texture.

Whisk Up Your Own Batch of Alfajores

Alfajores reward precision. The starch ratio must be accurate, the oven temperature controlled, and the filling applied with restraint. Small adjustments determine whether the texture remains delicate or turns dry and heavy. Understanding how ingredients behave under heat and pressure allows a baker to correct problems before they appear.

At Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland, the Swiss Diploma in Pastry Arts is designed around such technical depth. Across two progressive terms, students move from European pastry fundamentals to Swiss chocolate work and advanced dessert presentation.

For those seeking structured, skills-based training in pastry, a strong technical foundation is crucial, and our Swiss Diploma in Pastry Arts is an excellent starting point.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best beverage to pair with an Alfajor?

In Argentina, the drink "mate" is the traditional pairing, as its bitterness balances the sweetness of dulce de leche. A strong filter coffee or a flat white are also popular drinks, providing enough intensity to offset the richness.

Which are the most famous commercial brands of Alfajores?

In Argentina, Havanna and Guaymallén are the most recognised brands, representing premium and mass-market segments respectively. In Peru, D'Onofrio is widely associated with chocolate-covered alfajores.