Our Dulce de Leche Stuffed Chocolate Mexican Cookies might just be the best new chocolate cookies recipe out there! Everyone expects Mexican Wedding Cookies, which are delicious, but these are the Mexican chocolate cookies you want…trust me!
These are soft and fudgy chocolate cookies stuffed with dulce de leche (caramel) and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Pretty much the best cookies ever. I mean just look at this gooey caramel…
We are pretty obsessed with stuffing our cookies full of delicious things. Cookies are divine on their own, but stuff them with something glorious and you’ve reeled me in! You should try our Nutella and Dulce de Leche Stuffed Cookies, our Million Dollar Cookies or our Fudge Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies to see what I’m talking about!
Let’s be honest, we are obsessed with all cookies! We’ve posted over 100 cookie recipes on the blog, but these dulce de leche stuffed chocolate Mexican cookies are the latest and greatest!
What is Dulce de Leche?
Caramel…kind of.
Plain and simple enough, right?! If you want a little more detail, dulce de leche is a Latin American confection made from heating sweetened condensed milk. It takes on the appearance and flavor of your tradition caramel.
Caramel is made from water, heavy whipping cream, butter and sugar. Dulce de leche is made from condensed milk and sugar and sometimes cinnamon. So while they are quite different, they both belong in my belly!
How Long do these Cookies Keep?
You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. If you want them to last a little longer, store them in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can You Freeze these Chocolate Cookies?
Yes! You can freeze the dough ahead of time, but do not freeze this dough with the caramel in it or it will melt into the cookie and not be noticeable when you bake them. Freeze the chocolate cookie dough and when you are ready to bake them, allow them to thaw enough to be able to shape it around a dollop of dulce de leche. Then bake according to the instructions.
You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 1-2 months in an airtight container. Allow them to come to room temperature before eating so that the dulce de leche is nice and gooey. I would recommend giving them a little zap in the microwave even since they are best when they are a little warm!
More Chocolate Cookies
Now you can never have too many recipes for chocolate cookies, so here are a few of our favorites:
- Chocolate M&M Cookies
- Reese’s Pieces Chocolate Cookies
- Chocolate Sin Cookies
- Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies
How to Stuff Cookies
Making these dulce de leche stuffed chocolate Mexican cookies is quite easy. Simply take a scoop of the prepared chocolate cookie dough and make an indentation into it with your thumb. This make almost a little cookie dough bowl. Then place a small dollop of dulce de leche into the dough “bowl” and carefully close the dough around the dulce de leche. Form the dough into a ball and roll it in cinnamon and sugar always being careful not to squeeze the dulce de leche out.
We don’t need any excuse to eat these chocolate cookies, but one of our favorite ways to eat them is as a dessert after a heaping bowl of our Cheesy Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup. They are so soft, sweet and gooey and the perfect way to round out a meal! And round out your waistline…worth it!!
Dulce De Leche Stuffed Chocolate Mexican Cookies
Description
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Butter, unsalted, softened, 1 1/2 sticks
- 1/4 Cup Shortening, butter flavored preferred
- 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs, whisked gently
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- [ 2 3/4 Cup Flour, measured properly]
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Cream of Tartar
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Dulce De Leche
- 1/3 Cup Cinnamon Sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper, or we prefer silpats.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a regular mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy, about 20 seconds.
- Add the shortening and sugar and continue to beat for a couple minutes until light and fluffy. We always have to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the 2 eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat in the flour mixture. Mix until combined.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out the dough into your hand and make a deep indentation in the dough. Using a teaspoon, place a dollop of dulce de leche in the middle and close the dough around the caramel.
- Shape the dough into round balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar.
- Do not freeze this dough with the caramel or it will melt into the cookie and not be noticeable.
- Place the sugared dough on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake at 350 for about 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set.
- Let rest on the baking sheet for about a minute so you don't burn your tongue on the caramel.
- While they are cooling, sprinkle the tops with a little more cinnamon sugar.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- Best eaten while still warm!
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
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Karen
First of all, as promised, these cookies are delicious. The recipe doesn’t mention what size cookie scoop to use and I ended up with 34 cookies instead of 18. Not a complaint, but maybe I needed a bigger cookie scoop? It was a messy time consuming process for me, but I somehow ended up with nearly identical perfect cookies!
Sweet Basil
Hi Karen! I’m so glad you loved the cookies! There is a link to the cookie scoop I use for these cookies in the post. It’s a #10 scoop or a 5.5 tablespoon scoop is pretty big!
Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08MDZP18Y/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ohsweetbasil-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B06XNQNN99&linkId=0e54dbfed0148141eb2848ef1751f1c8&th=1
Sydney
What a mess. I had doubts about the filling staying in the cookies, and it absolutely didn’t. The cookies just spread too much to retain the filling.
Sweet Basil
Hi Sydney! I’m so sorry for the frustration! Was the dulce de leche completely enclosed by the dough? It shouldn’t have leaked out if the dough was made properly and formed properly around the dulce de leche.
Ganger hunt
I love this recipe!
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much!
Chahinez
I am OBSESSED with dulce de leche! These cookies look terrific and I will have to give them a try asap!
Sweet Basil
Do it!!