Buttery Dulce de Leche Cinnamon Sandwich Cookies

I believe every good cookie should make you slightly weep from happiness or frustration (sometimes both). Right now, the world is caught between nostalgia for grandma’s jar of caramel and the internet’s obsession with everything portable and perfect — which is how these things happened: buttery, stupidly joyful, and unapologetically messy. If you’re the kind of person who eats a cinnamon roll for breakfast and then wonders why life is a blur, you’ll understand why I made these. Also, if you want more sticky-sweet morning chaos, my take on decadent banana cinnamon rolls is a frequent misadventure for me.

I set the oven on fire? No, but close enough.

I made these cookies wrong at least three times before I made them right. The first time I thought “less is more” and underbaked them into sad little boulders that sounded hollow when you tapped them (you know, the sound of a tiny heart breaking). They smelled like butter trying to be brave and cinnamon quietly judging me. Another batch? Overbrowned edges and dulce de leche that oozed like it had a better life elsewhere. I’ll admit it: I once used dulce de leche that was too thick and the cookies split like bad relationships. It was loud in my kitchen that week. There was crying. Also laughter, because what else do you do when half your cookies become modern art sculptures?

Why this version (finally) doesn’t hate me back

Something magical happened: I stopped reading three recipes at once (stop, yes, I did) and listened to the dough. I realized it wanted a little more flour for structure and also gentle handling — the kind of touch you only develop after multiple disasters. Emotionally, I moved from “I must perfect this” to “I will accept the crumbs” and that reduced my crying minutes by approximately 40% (totally scientific). Practically, I adjusted the bake time and learned that cinnamon plus butter equals instant comfort, and dulce de leche is more cooperative when the cookies are cool-ish before sandwiching. So here we are: Buttery Dulce de Leche Cinnamon Sandwich Cookies that mostly behave. Mostly.

Ingredients (but like, emotionally annotated)

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dulce de leche

A note about shopping panic: brown sugar sometimes hides, butter melts into sorrow, and dulce de leche can be found near jams or the aisle where your self-control goes to die. Budget-friendly swaps exist (store-brand dulce de leche is fine), but if you want a textural win, don’t skimp on butter quality (I argued this once and then ate my words).

If you enjoy the warm-sweet vibe of these cookies you might also like my twist on homemade pumpkin cinnamon rolls — not the same cookie, obviously, but same emotional support.

Cooking Unit Converter

If you prefer grams to cups because you are, like, a responsible adult, convert away with the handy tool below.

How to make them without starting a kitchen revolution

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
6. Roll the dough into small balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
7. Flatten each ball slightly with the bottom of a glass.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
9. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
10. Once cooled, spread a dollop of dulce de leche between two cookies to form a sandwich. Enjoy your delicious treats!

A few non-linear thoughts: don’t overmix (I repeat, DO NOT), but also—if you accidentally overmix, it won’t ruin your life, just your texture (tiny tragedy). Flattening with a glass is a vibe. Chill them? Sure, if you want cleaner edges. Skip chilling? Also fun. TIP: warm dulce de leche a few seconds in the microwave to make spreading less wrestle-y. CAPITALIZED for emphasis only when absolutely necessary.

Okay, real talk — are you baking or stress-eating — because same

Did your last cookie recipe make you feel judged? Mine did last Tuesday. Who else eats the uneven ones first? Are we into sandwich perfection or rustic chaos? I want to know if you smear dulce de leche like an artist or dangerously dollop it like you hate napkins. Tell me if your kids steal half the batch before they cool (mine do), or if your partner pretends to be full but opens the cookie jar like a detective. Also, does anyone else play “which cookie tastes like my childhood” as a game? No? Just me? Cool. If you’re testing variations, consider using chunks of banana or chocolate (not necessary, but life is short) — and if you need reassurance while baking, I wrote about comforting cookies like banana bread chocolate chip cookies and sometimes I bake both simultaneously because chaos is my cardio.

FAQ: You’ll ask, I’ll over-explain

I never planned to confess so much about cookies. But here we are, connected by cinnamon and poor decision-making. Baking is like therapy that gives you snacks at the end, and I mean that literally. If you make them and they don’t change your life, at least you have cookies. If they do change your life, well — I want pictures, or I’ll assume you lied, and I will send gentle passive-aggressive texts until you respond because that is how friendship works and also because I have opinions about cookie crumbs and where they belong — not on the couch but sometimes there.

Buttery Dulce de Leche Cinnamon Sandwich Cookies

Deliciously messy cookies filled with dulce de leche and a hint of cinnamon, perfect for sweet mornings or any time cravings.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 150 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the cookie dough

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened Use high-quality butter for the best texture.
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar Brown sugar can sometimes be hard to find.
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling

• 1 cup dulce de leche Warm slightly for easier spreading, if necessary.

Instructions

 

Preparation

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
• Roll the dough into small balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
• Flatten each ball slightly with the bottom of a glass.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
• Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Assembly

• Once cooled, spread a dollop of dulce de leche between two cookies to form a sandwich. Enjoy your delicious treats!

Notes

You can chill the dough for up to 48 hours before baking. If the dulce de leche is too thick, warm it in the microwave to make it easier to spread. Avoid overmixing the dough, as this can affect the texture.

Keyword Cinnamon, Cookies, Dessert, dulce de leche, sandwich cookies