Dulce de Leche Cookies

Dulce de leche cookies….buttery chocolate thumbprint cookies filled with luscious dulce de leche! Top with flaky sea salt if you like!

Made with a simple no-chill chocolate thumbprint dough, store bought dulce de leche and a pinch of flaky sea salt, these dulce de leche cookies are simple and simply delicious!

The star flavors of these cookies are: chocolate and dulce de leche! I combined these two flavors to make this incredible Dulce de Leche Chocolate Cake and it was a definite winner! I had some extra store bought dulce de leche leftover and knew I had to make these cookies!

I used the cookie dough used in these irresistibly good Chocolate Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies. Instead of a chocolate or jam filling, I filled them with dulce de leche and a sprinkle of sea salt!

THESE DULCE DE LECHE COOKIES ARE:

• Chocolatey: These cocoa based cookies are delicious on their own but better with dulce de leche.
• Sweet: The cookie dough is not overly sweet, but the dulce de leche is perfectly sweet.
• Salty: The optional pinch of sea salt balances out the sweetness of the dulce de leche and brings out the chocolate flavor.
• Simple to make: They are made from a basic, no chill dough and store bought dulce de leche. Couldn’t be easier.

WHAT IS DULCE DE LECHE?

Dulce de leche is a thick, luscious confection that’s popular in Latin America. It’s made by heating sweetened condensed milk until develops a caramel color.

WHAT IS THE FLAVOR OF DULCE DE LECHE?

Dulce de leche is very decadent. It’s rich, sweet, creamy and so delicious.

I first used dulce de leche to make these incredible dulce de leche cupcakes. They’re filled with dulce de leche and topped with dulce de leche buttercream.

INGREDIENTS FOR DULCE DE LECHE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• 1 Egg yolk
• Vanilla extract
• All purpose flour
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Salt
• Dulce de leche: Homemade or store bought
• Sea salt: For sprinkling, if desired

HOW TO MAKE DULCE DE LECHE COOKIES

1. Whisk to combine the flour, salt, and sifted cocoa powder in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar, vanilla, and egg yolk and blend just until combined. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the dry ingredients and blend until just combined.
3. Form dough into balls, using about 1 tablespoon of dough per ball. Roll the balls between your hands an to make them smooth and place them on the baking sheet.
4. Press your thumb or the bottom of a round teaspoon or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon into each ball to create an indentations in the center. Dip the teaspoon (if using) in flour before using to prevent sticking.
5. Bake 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and use a rounded teaspoon to reform the indentations if needed. Fill them with about 1/2 teaspoon of dulce de leche each. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if desired. 
6. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to coo

TIPS FOR MAKING THESE DULCE DE LECHE COOKIES

• USE A SPHERICAL MEASURING SPOON. You can, of course, use a thumb to make the thumbprint, but I prefer the shape that a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon provides.
• DIP THE MEASURING SOON IN FLOUR. This isn’t necessary, but it helps keep the teaspoon from sticking.
• AVOID MAKING THE INDENTATION TOO DEEP. If you press down too deep, the cookie dough will crack and the dulce de leche could leak out when you fill them. If you do notice the dough starting to crack, you should be able to just press the dough back together.

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