Quick Salted Dulce de Leche Cinnamon Cookies that are gluten-free and full of warm spices that will comfort your soul. The best molasses cookies recipe that you'll ever have!
It's cookies galore! Don't you love this time of the year, my cookie monsters?
Our Cinnamon Cookies recipe is quite simple to make and super flavorful, resembling ginger crinkle cookies, but softer.
The only difference is there is a lot of cinnamon and cloves in this recipe... and no ginger at all!
To put a Latin flair on these cinnamon cookies, we topped them with a patch of dulce de leche, making them irresistible.
Then, we sprinkled some coarse sea salt on top, enhancing the sweetness of the dulce de leche while providing a balance of flavors.
Ready to learn how to make them and give away this affordable Christmas gift to your friends?
HOW TO MAKE SALTED DULCE DE LECHE CINNAMON COOKIES
- First preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Second, cream solid shortening with sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer at low speed until combined.
- Third, sift flour into the bowl and add baking soda, salt, spices, and orange peel. Mix in until homogenous.
- Fourth, whisk in molasses and the egg until combined (PIC. 1). Transfer the dough to a surface lined with plastic wrap and form a log (PIC. 2).
- Fifth, wrap and place to rest in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight (PIC. 3).
- Sixth, use a tablespoon as measurement and roll dough into balls, and then roll in sugar. Place onto the lined sheet, leaving about 2 inches apart between them.
- Seventh, bake for about 11-13 minutes or until set. Transfer pan to a rack and let Cinnamon Cookies cool fully.
- Lastly, spread dulce de leche on top in a artistic way and sprinkle salt on top. If you want to, place an orange rind on top. Enjoy!
COOK'S NOTES FOR CINNAMON COOKIES RECIPE
- These Cinnamon Cookies are cinnamon molasses cookies with mounds of ground cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel in it.
- You can substitute the same amount of all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour.
- These cinnamon cookies by themselves are also dairy-free, unless you top them with dulce de leche.
- Although orange rind is optional, they give a nice citric touch to these dulce de leche cookies.
- STORE cinnamon cookies in a clean airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days. Freeze unbaked dough (without rolling in sugar) for 3 months. You can also freeze baked cookies (without dulce de leche) for 3 months. Thaw in the fridge!
WHAT DOES MOLASSES DO FOR COOKIES?

CAN I USE BLACKSTRAP INSTEAD OF REGULAR MOLASSES?
OTHER COOKIE RECIPES:
- Walnut Cookies (No Chill)
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies (Sugar-Free)
- Pumpkin Spice Latter Breakfast Cookies (No Bake)
- Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies (Low Carb/GF)
- Pecan Cookie Balls (No Bake)
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies
- Mantecaditos (Dominican Butter Cookies)
- Cake Mix Christmas Crinkle Cookies
- Buttery Almond Thumbprint Coookies
- Low Carb Christmas Coookies
- Cranberry Orange Swirl Cookies
- Eggnog Madeleines
- Argentinian Alfajores (filled with dulce de leche)
PIN & ENJOY!
Salted Dulce de Leche cinnamon Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- mixer
Ingredients
- ¾ cup solid shortening (Crisco)
- 2 cup sugar plus extra ½ cup to roll cookies
- 2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour sifted (if desired, use a NON GF flour -- same amount)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon orange peel optional (but it gives a nice flavor)
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 large egg room temp
- 35 teaspoon dulce de leche
- coarse sea salt to sprinkle
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream solid shortening with sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer at low speed until combined. Sift flour into the bowl and add baking soda, salt, spices, and orange peel. Mix in until homogenous. Whisk in molasses and the egg until combined. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Transfer the dough to a surface lined with plastic wrap and form a log. Wrap and place to rest in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight. Use a tablespoon as measurement and roll dough into balls and then roll in ½ cup of sugar. Place onto the lined sheet, leaving about 2 inches apart between them.
- Bake for about 11-13 minutes or until set. Transfer pan to a rack and let cinnamon cookies cool fully. Lastly, spread dulce de leche on top on a artistic way and sprinkle salt on top. If desired, place an orange rind on top. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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John / Kitchen Riffs says
Cookie season is such a wonderful time of the year! And this is an excellent recipe to add to my collection -- wow, this looks wonderful! Love the flavors in this -- thanks.