This post was created as in partnership with Imperial Sugar. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
Sweet, buttery, and absolutely irresistible, Dulce de Leche Stuffed Cookies are the ultimate indulgence. These soft cookies feature a brown sugar dough stuffed with rich dulce de leche for a gooey, caramel-filled treat that’s perfect for sharing—or keeping all to yourself!
Table of Contents
Dulce de Leche Stuffed Cookies are inspired by the beloved Latin American confection, dulce de leche—a creamy, caramel-like treat made by cooking sweetened condensed milk to golden perfection. This timeless flavor brings a nostalgic yet irresistible twist to every cookie.
These cookies are pure magic. The buttery brown sugar dough bakes up with perfectly crisp edges and a soft, chewy center, all hiding a gooey dulce de leche filling. Add a sprinkle of sea salt or a hint of cinnamon for an extra touch of flavor, and you’ve got a dessert that’s as impressive as it is delicious!
Love this recipe? Don’t miss my Dulce de Leche Cupcakes, Caramel Oreo Fudge Ripple Ice Cream, Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce, Easy Caramel Pecan Brownies, and Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars for even more deliciousness!
Why We Love This Recipe
- These cookies combine the perfect balance of textures: crisp edges, a soft, chewy center, and a gooey dulce de leche filling that feels like a hidden treasure in every bite.
- They’re a crowd-pleaser! Whether you’re baking for a get-together or a weeknight treat, these cookies always get rave reviews and disappear quickly.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Salted Butter – Adds richness and flavor to the dough; brown it for an extra nutty taste. Unsalted butter works too—just add a pinch more salt.
- Light Brown Sugar – Creates that soft, chewy texture and a caramel-like sweetness.
- Large Eggs – Help bind the cookie dough and add moisture for a soft bite.
- Vanilla Extract – Enhances the flavor of the brown sugar and dulce de leche.
- All-Purpose Flour – The backbone of the dough, giving structure and stability. Bread flour can also work for a chewier texture.
- Baking Soda – Gives the cookies their perfect rise and helps them spread just the right amount.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and makes the flavors pop.
- Baking Powder – Helps with the structure, ensuring the cookies are soft and fluffy.
- Dulce de Leche – The star of the show! This creamy, caramel-like filling creates a gooey surprise in the middle of each cookie.
How to Make Dulce de Leche Stuffed Cookies
- Brown butter. Melt ½ cup of salted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir it continuously until it turns a toasty golden brown, releasing a nutty aroma. Pour it into a mixing bowl, add the remaining butter, and stir until melted. Let it cool for 10 minutes—patience pays off here!
- Mix wet ingredients. Once the butter cools, mix in the light brown sugar until it’s smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, blending on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is combined.
- Incorporate dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to your wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Don’t overmix; we want tender cookies, not tough ones! Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill it for at least an hour.
- Shape and fill cookies. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of chilled dough and roll it into a small ball. Use your finger or the back of a measuring spoon to create an indentation in the center. Fill it with about ½ teaspoon of dulce de leche.
- Seal cookies. Now, take another tablespoon of dough, flatten it slightly, and use it as a “cap” to cover the filling. Pinch the edges to seal the dulce de leche inside.
- Bake. Place the cookie balls on your prepared baking sheets, spacing them 3 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes, just until the edges turn a light golden brown. The centers will still look soft, and that’s what you want! Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
- Enjoy. Once cooled (if you can wait that long), bite into these cookies and experience the perfect combination of crisp edges, soft centers, and gooey dulce de leche filling. Warning: one cookie is never enough!
Recipe FAQ’s
Absolutely! You can prepare the dough up to 2 days in advance. Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
Yes! You can freeze the cookie dough balls (before baking) or fully baked cookies. For the dough, place them on a baking sheet to freeze, then transfer them to a freezer bag. For baked cookies, just pop them in an airtight container or freezer bag.
Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If they last that long, they’ll stay soft and delicious!
Be sure to pinch the edges of the cookie dough tightly to seal the dulce de leche inside. Chilling the dough also helps it hold its shape while baking.
Of course! Homemade dulce de leche is a real treat and works beautifully in this recipe. Just make sure it’s chilled before stuffing the cookies for easier handling.
Tips for Success
- Use room temperature butter for the best texture in your dough. It will blend more easily and create the perfect cookie.
- If you’re using homemade dulce de leche, make sure it’s chilled before using it in the cookies. Cold dulce de leche is much easier to handle and won’t ooze out when baking.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough! This step ensures the cookies hold their shape and don’t spread too much in the oven.
- When forming the dough balls, aim for uniform sizes so your cookies bake evenly. A cookie scoop is your best friend here!
- Don’t overbake the cookies! You want them slightly underdone in the center for that perfect chewy texture. They’ll continue to cook a bit once you pull them out of the oven.
Substitutions and Variations
- Sprinkle a bit of sea salt on top of the cookies before baking to create a sweet-and-salty flavor combo.
- Substitute dulce de leche with Nutella or peanut butter for a fun and delicious variation.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes You Can’t Miss
- Peppermint Swig Cookies
- Blueberry Muffin Cookies
- Peanut Butter Muddy Buddies Cookies
- Fruit Pizza Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cutler’s Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Oreo Cheesecake Cookies
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Dulce de Leche Stuffed Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter divided
- 1 ½ cups (300g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (317g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup dulce de leche
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, melt ½ cup butter over medium-high heat. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes until butter has browned, then transfer to a mixing bowl and add remaining butter. Stir until melted, then set aside to cool for 10 minutes.¾ cup salted butter
- Add brown sugar to the cooled butter. Mix until combined. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.1 ½ cups (300g) light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until combined. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.2 ¼ cups (317g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and shape into a small ball. Place on baking sheets, 3 inches apart, and form an indentation in the top with a finger or backside of a measuring spoon.
- Fill each indentation with a small amount of dulce de leche, about ½ teaspoon.½ cup dulce de leche
- Shape another tablespoon of cookie dough into a ball and press an indentation in it as well, then turn it over and use it to cover the dulce de leche, pinching the edges together to seal dulce de leche inside. Repeat until all dough has been used.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes until barely golden brown, then remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack.
Nutrition
This post was originally shared August 23, 2019. It has been updated with additional helpful information and tips.
I was really excited for this recipe, but unfortunately it was not very successful. This cookie recipe was okay. I didn’t loooove it, but it wasn’t terrible. The first 9 cookies I made came out perfectly uniform. But the next 9 we’re way more spread out, I think it’s important to chill the dough for way longer than an hour because just the 10 minutes of being out made the second tray of cookies to be too soft when going into the oven. The third tray of cookies was a complete disaster. I did like the taste of the second tray of cookies more though, tasted more soft and chewy than cakey like the very first cookies.
My advice to anyone making these cookies is to really make sure your dough is super chilled before making these cookies. That might get better results, I am frustrated that that was not more emphasized because I was making these for my moms birthday and out of a whole batch only 9 look decent to share…