Vegan Alfajores
Alfajores are beloved buttery, melt‑in‑the‑mouth shortbread cookies, traditionally filled with dulce de leche and rolled in desiccated coconut. This fully vegan version uses no dairy, eggs, or animal products — yet keeps the signature tender texture, rich caramel filling, and sweet, delicate flavour that makes them so popular across Spain and Latin America.
Shared by teena
Time
65 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
medium
🛒 Ingredients
- #Cookie Dough;
- 250 g all‑purpose flour.. 100 g cornstarch.. 120 g vegan block butter, softened
- 80 g caster sugar.. 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsweetened plant milk (soy, almond, or oat)
- 1 tsp baking powder.. Pinch of fine salt
- #Filling & Coating;
- 250 g vegan dulce de leche, date caramel, or thick vegan caramel spread
- 80–100 g unsweetened desiccated coconut
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Make dough: Cream the vegan butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and plant milk. Sift in flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt; mix gently until a smooth, soft dough forms — do not overwork it.
- 2
Chill & shape: Wrap the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll out to about 0.5 cm thickness on a lightly floured surface, then cut out round discs (4–5 cm wide). Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- 3
Bake: Bake at 170 °C (340 °F) for 12–15 minutes — they should stay pale, only just turning golden at the edges. Let cool completely on a wire rack before handling.
- 4
Assemble: Spread a generous spoonful of caramel onto the flat side of one cookie, then press a second cookie gently on top so the filling reaches the edges.
- 5
Finish: Roll the exposed caramel edges in desiccated coconut until evenly coated. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.