These adorable peach cookies are filled with dulce de leche, chopped walnuts, and tender cookie crumbs. So decorative and festive!
These peach cookies are almost too pretty to eat. They feature buttery cookies filled with creamy dulce de leche, cookie crumbs, and nuts and are perfect for everything from holiday cookie trays to summertime BBQs.
Typically, you’ll find these cookies served in bakeries throughout Italy. That being said, they have gained so much popularity throughout the years that they are eaten all throughout Europe. Anytime anyone in my family gets married, you can pretty much guarantee that peach cookies will make a debut.
Note: While these cookies look like peaches, they don’t actually have any peach flavor. The cute appearance is simply for decoration! If you’re craving a peachy dessert, try my rustic peach galette or peach cobbler to get your fix.
How to Make Peach Cookies
Despite their impressive, delicate appearance, these peach cookies are actually quite simple to prepare. Find a quick rundown of the recipe before you dive in:
- Make the Cookie Dough: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla together, followed by the flour and baking powder.
- Shape the Cookies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a cookie scooper, portion out walnut-sized mounds of dough and roll them into balls.
- Bake the Cookies: Assemble the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them for 15-20 minutes at 350°F. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool. Using a knife, cut a small hole out of the center of each cookie.
- Make the Filling: Mix the dulce de leche with the cookie crumbs and crushed walnuts. Fill each cookie hole with the filling and press two cookies together to create a peach shape.
- Dye the Peach Cookies: Fill two bowls with milk and die one pink and the other peach with food coloring. Dunk one side in the pink milk and the other in the peach milk, followed by a dunk of sugar. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment and allow them to set at room temperature overnight.
- Garnish and Serve: Decorate the cookies with small leaves. Serve and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Below, find a handful of tips and tricks to help you nail these European-style peach cookies.
- Use a sifter to remove lumps from the dry ingredients. The more sleek the texture of these cookies is, the more they will look like a real-life peach! To remove any lumps from the flour and baking powder, sift the flour and baking soda before incorporating them into the batter.
- Portion the cookies out into eve-sized mounds. Since you will be conjoining two cookies to make the peach-shape, you’ll want to portion out the dough as evenly as possible. If you’re having a hard time eye balling the dough, use a cookie scoop.
- Dip the cookies in sugar immediately. To ensure the sugar coating sticks to the cookie, dip the cookie into the sugar bowl immediately after the colored milk.
Storing Peach Cookies
Whether you want to prep the cookies a couple days ahead or freeze them for later, find all the directions you need here.
- Refrigerator: If you’re preparing for a party, feel free to whip up the cookies 2-3 days in advance. To keep them fresh, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve them. Typically, they will keep for up to two weeks.
- Freezer: The best way to freeze peach cookies is to freeze the shells. To do so, line them up on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and pop the sheet into the freezer uncovered. Once completely frozen, transfer the shells to a freezer-safe bag and the cookie crumbs into another. To thaw them, let them sit on the counter for a couple of hours before you fill and decorate them.
FAQ
Do these cookies have a peach taste?
No, these peach cookies actually don’t taste like a peach. They are simply shaped and decorated like peaches.
How long do peach cookies last?
Peach cookies will last up to two weeks before they start to dry out.
How should I store leftover peach cookies?
You should store leftover peach cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Can I use any different kinds of fillings?
You can use Nutella instead of dulce de leche filling if you prefer.
How do I make the sugar coating?
The sugar coating for peach cookies is made simply out of sugar. No frills at all and it looks just like peach fuzz!
Other Cookies to Try
- Sweet Cheese Cookies – Sweet and salty cookies
- Kolaczki Recipe (Polish Cookies) – Jam-filled cream cheese cookies
- Mushroom Cookies Recipe – Adorable mushroom-shaped cookies
- Russian Walnut Cookies (Oreshki): Dulce de leche-filled cookies
Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups flour
- 2 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Filling
- 16 oz dulce de leche
- 1/2 cup roasted crushed walnuts
- 1/2 cup cookie crumbs
Topping
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 drop pink food coloring
- 1 drop green food coloring
- 2 cups milk
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla together. Next, add the flour and baking powder until well-combined.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, form small, round balls out of the dough (about the size of a walnut).
- Arrange the dough balls on the baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for about 15-20 minutes (you'll want to pull them out of the oven while they're still white, not golden brown).
- Using a knife, cut out a small hole in the center of each cookie.
Filling
- To make the filling, combine the dulce de leche with the cookie crumbs and crushed walnuts.
- Fill in each hole with the dulce de leche filling. Press two cookies together to form a peach shape.
Decorating
- Fill two medium-sized bowls with a cup of milk. Dye one bowl of milk pink using pink food coloring. In the other bowl, combine pink food coloring and green food coloring to create a peach color.
- Dip one side of the cookie into the pink milk and the other side into the peach milk. Dunk the cookie into a bowl full of sugar and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you have no more cookies left. Allow the cookies to set at room temperature overnight.
- Decorate the cookies with small leaves. Serve and enjoy!
Can i freeze these?
Hi Anna, you definitely can. I would allow the sugars to fully dry out before freezing them. Enjoy
How well does these cookies hold up in a little bag or box? Thinking gift bags for a baby shower 😊
Hi Helene, These cookies hold up really well! I often add them to my Christmas cookie boxes, so I would recommend a box over a bag.
A dulce de leche filling? Wow that's very different from what I'm accustomed to. We normally fill our "breskvice" with plum butter and rum.
Hi Kara - We love, love, love dulce de leche over here. Plum butter and rum sounds so good! I'll have to try that. Thanks for sharing and hope you love these as much as we do. Happy Holidays!
Not only were these cookies beautiful, but they also tasted amazing! Full of peach flavor and goodness!
Andrea, I am so glad you loved these cookies, they really do turn out stunning!
Cutest peaches ever!! Love the filling & flavor. I need to have a peach themed party now!
Yes!! I love that idea, these would be so cute for that! Genius!
My kids couldn't get enough of these cookies! They're so delish!
I am so glad you loved them, thank you for taking the time to comment!
How many peaches do you get from one batch? Thank you
Hi Lily - You get 50 cookies total (but this can vary depending on how big or small you make the halves). Hope this helps and you have a blast making them!
Did anyone ever figure out why the cookies crack? Looked through comments, saw one other person with this concern but no tips to make it stop 😭
Hey Victoria, the most common issue is the dough is too dense, too much flour was added. Hope this helps
Thanks for the tip! I'll try again tonight!
Can you share what brand flour do you usually use?
I typically use King Arthur or Bobs Redmill.
I see it says cookie crumbs... is there a certain kind ?
Thanks !
The crumbs you get when you cut out the center of the cookies.
Can I refrigerate the batter/dough and bake within the next two days ?
You can refrigerate for up to one hour. We have to do that here in florida because of the humidity or the dough is too sticky. Just make sure you cover it with saran wrap.
Super smart move, Denise! That makes a ton of sense. Appreciate you sharing with everyone. 🙂
Hi Inna, I would suggest baking the cookies and keep them in a sealed container for a few days. I am not sure how the dough will come out after refrigerating it.
I would love for you to make a video showing this recipe and how you do it! These are my favorite cookies❤️
Yuliya, we definitely need to make a video for this one. Adding them to my list. 🙂
Thank you so much for the recipe!
No problem!
Hi..
Should the walnuts be ground or just chopped? Do I need to roast them or can I use them right out of the bag?
Hey Janet, the walnuts can be chopped and roasted are the best. I like the texture fo chunks of walnuts but if you do prefer more of a creamy texture of nuts you can also use ground walnuts, can't go wrong. 🙂
Hi I make these kind of peaches. I was wondering if u know how to make them in strawberry shape?
I think concept would be the same but just shaping them differently. I havent made them into strawberry shapes so I can't really give you tips.
How do you store these cookies?
Air tight container, refrigerate them for up to a week or freeze for a few months.
I was afraid to freeze them the first time I made them but they turned out perfectly .I let the coating dry first overnight then froze in an airtight container . They were amazing
Oh so good to hear they froze well, Karen!
How many drops of food coloring do I need to add to each bowl of milk ?
Ally, I would add two. See if you like the color and you can always add more. It really depends on the color you like.
So what kind of cookie crumbs? Do I need to buy it or r I can use whatever I cut out of the cookie ?
Ally, use the crumbs that you would cut of out the cookies. 🙂
What kind of cookie crumbs ??? Where do I get it ?
The part you cut out would work perfect 🙂
What is green food coloring for ? To create peach , so u dip one side in peach color n one in pink ?
I mixed up that lime with pink and I got a peach color. 🙂
How many calories are per serving? If you don't know its fine.Thank you:)
Not sure at all :/
why do the cookies crack?
It's hard to say why they crack, wih out seen them. Maybe the dough is too thick, the flour you use isn't working well.
Could I use sweetened condensed milk and cook it myself?
Yes, you definitely can!
Love this it reminds me of my Romanian Grandma making them all the time <3
That sounds like a great memory. My grandma didn't bake but she was a darn good cook. 🙂
Should the butter be softened?
Yes, butter should be softened.
For the natural colors you can use a juice of beet and carrot
We always used juice from carrots and beets. The results are wonderful
Yes, I heard of that method also. Haven't tried it yet.
I have a quick question where can I buy the coloring food ?
Most grocery stores sell food coloring in their baking section.
Thank you
What exactly is the dulce lechwe filling and where do I get it from?
Dulce De Leche is cooked condensed milk, it is sold at Walmart Mexican food section. It taste almost like caramel, just 10X better 🙂
Thanks so much! Can't wait to try this recipe. Then I don't have to wait for weddings to eat these again. Hehehe
For sure! And you wouldn't have a limit at home 🙂
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter is 20 oz or 566 gramm, right?
Yes, if you are using stick, it would be 5 of them.
Thank you.
Oh wait can i use "I cant believe its not butter " instead of unsalted butter?
I haven't tried that but I am worried that the texture wouldn't be the same.
Love peach cookies with cooked sweetened condensed milk - one of the best desserts from childhood!
Yes, condensed milk is the best part 🙂
i got a 100 in my culinary baking competition for school with this and most unique dish in my foreign class
Oh wow, how exciting. You are taking a class at school?