Gluten Free Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

These gluten free dulce de leche sandwich cookies are one of my favorite treats to make. They’re delicate, buttery, and filled with rich dulce de leche. Honestly, they disappear fast every time.

If you’ve ever had alfajores, these are inspired by that classic South American cookie. The texture is soft and crumbly in the best way, and the coconut on the edges adds a nice touch.

The base of these cookies is made with cornstarch and almond flour instead of regular wheat flour. That’s what keeps them gluten free and gives them that melt-in-your-mouth feel.

They’re simple to put together and don’t need any fancy equipment. A mixer, a cookie cutter, and a little patience while the dough chills is all it takes.

Whether you eat gluten free or just want to try something a little different, these cookies are worth making. Let me walk you through it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Melt in Your Mouth Texture – The combination of cornstarch and almond flour creates an incredibly delicate, tender cookie that practically dissolves on your tongue, which is something most gluten free cookies struggle to achieve.

Inspired by a Classic South American Favorite – These are based on alfajores, a beloved sandwich cookie from Argentina that’s naturally built around cornstarch rather than wheat flour, so you’re not trying to mimic a gluten recipe here, you’re making the real thing.

Dulce de Leche Makes Everything Better – Store-bought dulce de leche does all the heavy lifting for the filling, giving you that rich, deeply caramelized sweetness without having to make a complicated frosting or ganache from scratch.

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 1 cup Cornstarch
• 1 cup Almond Flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
• 3 Large Egg Yolks
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Lemon Zest

For the Filling

• 1 cup Dulce de Leche
• 1/2 cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut, for rolling edges

How to Make

Step 1

In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Step 2

In a large bowl, beat softened butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Step 3

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough comes together. It will be slightly crumbly at first but will hold together when pressed. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disc, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Step 4

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper. Cut out rounds using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter and place them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Step 5

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the bottoms are very lightly golden. The tops will remain pale. These cookies are delicate, so let them cool completely on the baking sheet before handling.

Step 6

Spread about 1 teaspoon of dulce de leche on the flat side of one cookie, then press the flat side of another cookie on top to create a sandwich. Repeat with all remaining cookies.

Step 7

Place the shredded coconut in a shallow bowl. Gently roll the exposed dulce de leche edges of each sandwich cookie in the coconut so it sticks to the filling. Serve at room temperature.

My Tips

Chill the Dough Until It’s Firm

One hour in the fridge is the minimum, but if your dough still feels sticky or too soft when you take it out, put it back in for another 20-30 minutes. This dough is mostly cornstarch and almond flour, so it doesn’t behave like regular cookie dough. It needs to be cold and firm to roll and cut cleanly.

If it warms up too much while you’re rolling and cutting, the cookies will spread in the oven and lose their shape. If that starts happening, slide the whole sheet of dough back into the fridge for 10 minutes and then continue cutting.

Roll Between Parchment Paper

This dough cracks easily if you try to roll it on a floured surface the traditional way. Rolling it between two sheets of parchment paper keeps it from sticking without adding extra flour that could throw off the texture.

If the dough cracks at the edges while rolling, just press it back together with your fingers. That’s normal with this type of dough – it’s naturally crumbly because of the cornstarch and almond flour combo.

Try to get it as close to 1/4 inch thick as you can. Thinner cookies will overbake and snap, and thicker ones won’t have that delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture you want.

Don’t Wait for the Tops to Brown

These cookies bake at a lower temperature (325 degrees F), and the tops will stay pale even when they’re done. If you wait for the tops to turn golden, you’ve already overbaked them and they’ll be dry and crumbly instead of tender.

Check the bottoms at the 12 minute mark by carefully lifting one cookie with a thin spatula. You’re looking for just the slightest hint of golden color on the bottom edges. That’s your signal to pull them out.

More Tasty Recipes

• Gluten Free Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
• Gluten Free Linzer Cookies
• Gluten Free Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Cookies
• Gluten Free Chocolate Mint Whoopie Pies
• Gluten Free Millionaire Shortbread Bars

FAQ

How should I store these sandwich cookies and how long do they last?

Store them in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you stack them, place a sheet of parchment paper between the layers so they don’t stick together.

You can also refrigerate them for up to 5 days, but let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before eating so the dulce de leche softens up and the cookies taste their best.