Best Alfajores Recipe Ever!

For the moments when life is bitter, there is nothing better than a good sweet to lift the spirit. Winter is always accompanied by feeling blue, but luckily you can face it with Alfajores.

The Alfajores recipe is one of the most popular Andalusian sweet recipes, and once you try them you will not be able to stop eating them in all their variants. 

If you are one of those people with a sweet tooth, or you simply want to make a simple pastry recipe or a Spanish dessert, then continue reading this article where we will show what are alfajores, how to make alfajores and much more about this Spanish recipe.

You, dear reader, support this blog. If you purchase through a link, we earn a small commission. As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Background of the Dish

The alfajor is a classic confectionery dish from the south of Spain and is generally consumed during Christmas, though today you can find it in Andalusian stores at any time of the year.

It is basically a cylinder made up of a paste of honey, sugar, flour, almonds, and other nuts.

The creation of this sweet was done centuries ago, and in fact served as the inspiration for the South American Alfajor, which is popular in countries like Argentina and Uruguay.

Although it does not have an exact date of origin, it was already in Spanish literature since the 14th century, where it was mentioned in famous works such as Guzmán de Alfarache. 

Pin for later!

Things You’ll Need for Alfajores

To make these Spanish cookies you only need some parchment paper and one pot for the equipment.

The ingredients are also just a few and you can make some replacements.

If you liked this recipe then you should try other amazing Andalusian recipes, such as the Leche frita recipe and the Spanish flan recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (200g) honey
• 1/3 cup (50g) hazelnuts
• 1/3 cup (50g) almonds
• 3/4 cups (100 g) breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup (50g) icing sugar
• 1/4 cup (60g) sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water

How to Make Alfajores – Step by Step Guide

1. To start with this Spanish cookie recipe you have to prepare a syrup. This is pretty simple, just put the water and sugar in a saucepan and let it boil for 10 minutes. Then let it cool to room temperature.

2. Process the almonds and hazelnuts until you get a fine flour-like texture. 

3. Up next, heat the honey in a saucepan until it boils. It won’t take too long so keep an eye on it.

4. Then add the remaining ingredients to the hot honey, i.e. the flour, the processed nuts, the breadcrumbs and most of the syrup (leave a couple of tablespoons aside).

5. After that, place the sticky paste on baking paper and shape it into a cylindrical shape.

6. For the final step, coat the alfajores with the rest of the syrup and then cover them with the icing sugar. And that’s it, your alfajores cookies are ready to enjoy. 

Substitution of Ingredients

If you are going to make this alfajor recipe but you do not have all the ingredients, or you want to give it a personal twist, then here I will give you some ideas.

You can transform it into dulce de leche cookies if you use half the amount of honey, and the other half you use as dulce de leche.

This will make it take on the flavor and not lose the classic texture, some people even use all dulce de leche instead of honey.

You can also turn them into an Alfahor, which is the classic South American Alfajor known for its alfajores cookies.

Here you make the recipe exactly the same but instead of making cylinders, shape it into small discs, and then spread them with dulce de leche or any other filling.

You can also replace the hazelnuts with any other nut of your choice, but I recommend you stick to the classic almond and hazelnut combination since it is easier to make and the flavors blend really well. 

Put together other Spanish desserts such as Mantecados, Polvoron cookies, and roscos de vino, and impress your guests for the next Christmas party.

Tips on Serving Alfajores

The Andalusian Alfajores are commonly eaten during the winter holidays with the Spanish turron, for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.

They go really well alongside a cup of tea or coffee, so they’ll easily become your new favorite breakfast item. 

However, you can serve it in many ways, like turning them into an alfajor de dulce de leche.

You can do this by shaping them like the South American alfajores cookies and spreading some dulce de leche in the middle. 

No matter how you eat them, the alfajores are one of the best Spanish desserts that you’ve ever tried.

How to Store Alfajores

The best thing about making this recipe for alfajores is that storing it is very easy.

Unlike other alfajor recipes, if you make this one all you have to do to store them is put them in a closed box or Tupperware, where they can last up to 10 days without any problem. 

Just make sure you keep them in a dry place and at room temperature.

Also, before storing them in a closed box, let the syrup dry completely, and the icing sugar is attached, though you can sprinkle more before eating them.

Recipe Card: Alfajores Recipe

---

---

---