Not so traditional Dulce de Leche- Cashew Thumbprints are rolled in cashews and filled with rich dulce de leche. A fun twist on a classic cookie.
Dear Santa,
Let’s face the hard cold facts.
I haven’t really been all that nice this year.
And I haven’t really been nice most years for that matter.
But, I’m materialistic and still want stuff.
So please, give me some stuff (preferably from Anthropolgie).
If you do, you can have one of these cookies.
Love,
Peabody
P.S. My parents are coming for Christmas this year and it will make them suspicious if you don’t leave anything under the tree for me.
I would like for them to be under the illusion that I am nice and not naughty. 🙂
These were this years contribution to the cookie exchange I go to yearly.
Every year I have a little bit of pressure to come up with a great cookie.
I am a food blogger after all.
I also gave some to my physical therapy place.
Yes, that’s right kids, I’m back in physical therapy.
Shocking.
These Dulce de Leche- Cashew Thumbprints were a big hit at physical therapy and seemed to be a crowd pleaser at cookie exchange as well.
The original cookies have a caramel center, but again, I pulled the lazy card.
Because honestly they idea of unwrapping all those caramels and melting them was a bit much for me.
They also originally had white chocolate drizzled on them.
I would have done that, had I had white chocolate.
But that involved a trip to the store…so again with the lazy card.
This is definitely a keeper cookie.
Want More Cookie Ideas?
White Chocolate Chip Creamsicle Cookies
Vanilla Bean Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
White Chocolate Dried Pineapple Salted Macadamia Nut Cookie
Dulce de Leche- Cashew Thumbprints
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

- 1 egg

- ½ tsp vanilla extract

- ¼ tsp salt

- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose

- 1 egg white

- 1 tsp water

- 1 ½ cups salted cashews, chopped
- 1 ½-2 cups dulce de leche (depending on how much you fill)
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add egg, vanilla extract, and salt to creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until fully combined.
- Add in flour, beat on low until fully combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a fork, beat together egg white and water in a small bowl. Place cashews in a separate bowl.
- Remove dough from fridge and shape into 1-inch balls. Dip balls in egg white, allowing excess to drip off. Roll dough balls in cashews to coat.
- Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 2-inches apart. Using a 1-tsp measure, or your thumb, make an indentation in each cookie.
- Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set, 12-13 minutes. I like to at this time repress my thumb or tsp measure to make the indentation really big in the cookie when the cookies come out of the oven. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
- When cookies are cool, pipe dulce de leche into the indentations.
- Leave out for Santa and hope for the best!
Allie says
Those look fabulous – love the way you piped the dulce de leche.
Lauren says
Lovely cookies! I’m sure with all of these sweet treats, you couldn’t have been too naughty =D.
Rosa says
Great cookies! So pretty!
Cheers,
Rosa
Meeta says
i’m sure santa is willing to get into that deal. i would! these look great pea!
Sara T says
YUM! My dad loves cashews, I know what he’s getting for Christmas!
Bellini Valli says
These are delicious and I am sure that Santa will leave you something beyond a lump of coal.
VeggieGirl says
Santa will love your letter – no coal for you this year 😉
And I loooooove those cookies!! You know I feel about dulce de leche – holy yum stuff.
VeggieGirl says
P.S. – they won’t let you out of physical therapy if you keep bringing tantalizing treats! 😀
Di says
Those look really yummy. I love baking with cashews.
Krystle says
These cookies look delicious! And I love your Dear Santa letter…too cute!
Diana @ frontyardfoodie says
haha, can I be Santa this year? I’d do anything to get one of those!
Melissa says
These cookies looks amazing. I love the dulce de leche centers.
Michelle says
Oh, yum. I like the dulce de leche piped better than if you had done them thumbprint-style. Much prettier. They look delicious!
Erin says
These look really good! Such a delicious mix of ingredients!
dawn says
peabody these are just perfect!
Julia M says
These look amazing. If I were Santa, I’d be willing to overlook a lot to get a hold of a couple of these!!! Happy Holidays and thanks for the many gifts you’ve given your readers all year long!
Colleen says
These look delicious. Good luck with PT!
Nutmeg Nanny says
What a great use of cashews. I do not use them a lot in my baking. I will have to give this recipe a try 🙂
Laurie says
These look sooo good. Im seriously going to try to make a batch for my Pop-Pop, he loves cashews.
Richard @ The Bewildered Brit says
Oh my goodness, those cookies look *wonderful*!
Elle says
Nice that your parents will be with you for Christmas! Happy Holidays Peabody! I suspect Santa will bring you gifts if you leave out cookies as fine as these. 🙂
Lauren says
I can see why people were attracted to them, I’m full and they’re making my mouth water!
Kate D. says
Only one picture? Sad! I adore your pictures. Merry Christmas!
Barbara says
I took one look at those cookies and thought “could that be dulce de leche in the center?” And it was. My favorite. I could eat spoonfuls of it with nothing at all. You deserve a present for this recipe!
Patricia Scarpin says
These are right up my alley, Pea – can’t really resist anything with dulce de leche.
They look so pretty! The dulce de leche on top looks like a flower.
Alisa - Frugal Foodie says
Whether you were naughty or nice, that is one heck of a bribe!
CookiePie says
Gorgeous!! I love the cashew-dulce de leche combo!!
maria says
Fantastic! I don’t eat/bake with cashews enough!
Victoria says
YUM! 🙂
Melanie says
These sound delish and it’s okay that you have been naughty….I have too:)
Kate Thompson says
WOW. *speechless*
Mary says
I am making these today…wow.
Laura says
They look absolutely de leche-ious. 🙂 Happy holidays!
Kevin says
Those cookies look so good! Nice combo with the dulce de leche and the cashews,
Lucy says
Gorgeous, gorgeous cookies! The dulce de leche swirl has my mouth watering 🙂
Jann says
With this cookie, you will get anything you wish for!
Paula says
I think Santa will forgive you if you leave him a couple of those cookies! They look yummy!
elly says
These look great! I love cashews but I pretty much never bake with them. Anything with dulce de leche obviously has to be awesome.
Sara T says
I made these and they turned out fabulous! Thanks so much for such a great recipe.
Mrs. L says
These look awesome and would be a great excuse to not miss physical therapy! (hopefully it’s going well for you).
Cathy says
How do you make the dulce de leche.
Peabody says
You buy it
Lane says
I want to make this for a cookie exchange and I need 6 dozen. I didn’t see how many this makes. Do you know? Great looking cookie by the way 🙂
Peabody says
Most cookie recipes make about 3 dozen
Yolly says
What kind of dulce de leche did you use? The kind I know is soft and won’t keep its shape when piped.
Peabody says
I make it myself. https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/02/dulce-de-leche-recipe.html