A classic, crispy, vanilla cookie! This Homemade Vanilla Wafers recipe is a copycat of Nabisco’s famous Nilla Wafers! These wafer-style cookies are gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free, sugar-free, and only 6 ingredients! A nostalgic snack or dessert with a healthy update!
Nilla Wafers always bring back those childhood nostalgia feelings. The iconic vanilla-flavored crispy wafer-style cookie. Such a plain and humble cookie. Was it a snack or dessert, maybe something your mom gave you as a “healthy” treat? It was probably one of the most boring cookies, but for some reason, they’ve stood the test of time (and still hold a place in my heart!) With celiac disease and food allergies, you won’t find Nabisco’s childhood cookie in the pantry, but you can make up for this sad lose with Homemade Vanilla Wafers, aka Copycat Nilla Wafers, instead!
Why are they called Nilla Wafers?
Fun fact: they weren’t always called “Nilla” Wafers. They were originally called Nabisco Vanilla Wafers; in 1967 they decided to add some branding flare and shortened the name to Nilla Wafers (short for “vanilla”). The word “wafer” is used when describing these cookies because they’re thin, crispy, light, and a little airy. They were made with real vanilla up until 1994 when vanillin was used instead. Once naturally delicious flavored wafers…sadly cheapened with artificial flavor.
Banana Pudding Essential
Vanilla wafers were invented by a German immigrant, Gustav A. Mayer, a confectioner living on Staton Island, back in the 1890s. He sold his confectionary recipe to Nabisco in 1894. By the 1940s vanilla wafers gained wide popularity and become a staple in Southern homes for the famous Banana Pudding. (Nilla Wafers always rank in the top 5 cookie brands sold in Atlanta, GA and Houston, TX!)
What ingredients are in Nilla Wafers?
The original recipe was a cookie made with just 5 ingredients: flour, sugar, shortening, eggs, and vanilla. Now in 2019, the ingredient list looks more like: “Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate Vitamin B1, Riboflavin Vitamin B2, Folic Acid), Sugar, Canola Oil, Palm Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Whey (From Milk), Eggs, Salt, Leavening (Baking Soda, Calcium Phosphate), Emulsifiers (Mono- And Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin), Artificial Flavor, Natural Flavor.”
Nilla Wafers contain:
Obviously, a snack of Nilla Wafers isn’t in your family’s sweet snacking future. BUT, that’s why some homemade vanilla wafers are in your future! And guess what? This gluten-free vanilla wafer recipe is only 6 ingredients! Bringing back the traditional Nabisco roots here!
Are vanilla wafers bad for you?
Vanilla wafers, Nilla Wafers, honestly don’t have much nutritional value, to begin with. They simply are a simple cookie. If you’re going to have a cookie, I guess these are a batter option than say, a double chocolate chunk cookie? If you make them homemade then you really can consider them a “healthy” sweet treat, snack, or dessert.
How to make homemade vanilla wafers
This recipe is super easy and quick using only 6 simple pantry ingredients. It’s gluten-free, vegan, and top allergen-free. Bonus points for being sugar-free too (if you prefer!)
What you need:
- Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- Granulated Sweetener
- Baking Powder
- Commercial Egg Replacer
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Vegan/Soy-Free Butter
From there it’s as easy as mixing up your ingredients, kneading the dough with your hands, and using 1 teaspoon size scoop to make 45 little vanilla wafers. Bake them for 15 minutes until the edges get slightly golden brown and crispy. Soon you’ll have little golden coins of vanilla heaven!
The best vanilla for vanilla wafers
My standby and what I’ve deemed to be the best vanilla extract. Watkins Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract! As long as you are using PURE vanilla and not a “baking” vanilla, clear vanilla, or artificial vanilla extract you’ll have delicious tasting (and smelling) cookies!
How to eat vanilla wafers
- An ideal coffee or afternoon tea snack!
- Plain and straight from the container as a simple sweet snack.
- Great dessert option for lunchboxes.
- In a classic Southern banana pudding.
- Crushed for a pie crust, crisp, no-bake treat, parfait, or trifle.
- A crunchy topping or coating for desserts like ice cream!
- Make little cookie sandwiches by placing a delicious spread between them!
It may just be me, but I was super excited to see the iconic browned, crackly, crisp bottom on the baked cookies! The sweet,(dairy-free) buttery, vanilla smell. The crispy, light, hollow feel and crunch to the cookie. These copycat gluten-free vanilla wafers will bring you back!
Storing vanilla wafers
Since these are dry, crunchy cookies, they get some added storage time. If you cool them completely and store them in an airtight container at room temperature, they’ll be at their peak for at least 2 weeks, but last beyond that, for about 4 weeks. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months. Thaw the cookies at room temperature or give them a quick reheat in the toaster oven for microwave.
More allergy-free nostalgic cookie recipes:
- Homemade Gluten-Free Vegan Oreos
- Homemade Gluten-Free Vegan Teddy Grahams
- Homemade Gluten-Free Vegan Fig Newtons
- Homemade Lofthouse Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
Homemade Vanilla Wafers
Homemade Vanilla Wafers | Copycat Nilla Wafers (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergy-Free)
A classic, crispy, vanilla cookie! This Homemade Vanilla Wafers recipe is a copycat of Nabisco’s famous Nilla Wafers! These wafer-style cookies are gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free, sugar-free, and only 6 ingredients! A nostalgic snack or dessert with a healthy update!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 45 Cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups Gluten-Free Baking Flour (or Gluten-Free All Purpose)
- 1 Cup Granulated Erythritol (or preferred granulated sweetener)
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Prepared Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacement
- 1 TB Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
- 6 TB of Vegan/Soy-Free Butter* (cubed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sweetener, and baking powder, whisk together.
- Add in the prepared egg replacment, vanilla, and cubed butter. Mix and knead the dough with your hands until the butter is fully combined with the flour.
- Scoop 1 teaspoon sized balls of dough out and make 45 evenly spaced out cookies on a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet(s).
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden brown.
- Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an air tight container for at least 2 weeks.
Notes
* I use MELT Organic brand allergy-free butter.
** You can also use unsweetened applesauce in place of butter. You won’t get the iconic buttery taste, but it works in a pinch!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6-8 Cookies
Keywords: easy, quick, healthy, vanilla cookies, mini cookies, copycat, homemade, vanilla, gluten-free vanilla wafers, vegan vanilla wafers, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, allergy-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free, peanut-free, coconut-free, sesame-free, sugar-free, kid-friendly
A perfect classroom-safe treat to pack in your child’s lunchbox, to enjoy yourself and bring back memories of eating them at grandma’s house, or whipping up a Southen banana pudding! Gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free copycat Nilla Wafers at their best!
So tell me:
+ How did you used to eat Nilla Wafers?
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Phyllis
I didn’t expect them to come out good in texture and taste because gluten-free cookie recipes from other sites had let me down. For this recipe, I used only 3/4 cup of sugar and an extra dab of vanilla. I put 30 plane drops on one sheet and I put three nestle Toll House Allergy Free White Chocolate Chips on top of each one. Both sheets came out delicious for my taste. I’m thrilled.
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
So glad to hear you adapted them for yourself!
Noreen
Awesome recipe..Thank You! 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Glad you enjoyed!
Fred
These were great! Buttery and crisp!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
So glad you enjoyed!
Roseann Hampton
These are definitely going on my list to try!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Glad to hear it!
Alexandra
Mmm!! We love snacking on vanilla wafers, and enjoying banana pudding.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
One great lightly sweet snack!
Miz Helen
These are the best! Thank you for making a gluten-free recipe for them!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Enjoy!
Hayden
Yum! I’d love to put them in some banana pudding!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Coming soon 😉
Aarika
As always, you make the most delicious and healthy treats! =) These look amazing. I want to eat these immediately. Yum!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hope you make them.
Toni
These look really addictive! Yummy!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Lisa L Lombardo
Yum! I love Nilla wafers, but hate buying processed stuff. 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Great, well I hope you enjoy these!
Kelly
yummy I love regular vanilla wafers from the store so I can imagine these are delicious. I am going to try this recipe with my son. Thanks for sharing.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Even without allergies, that homemade touch can’t be beat!
Jenny
With nut allergies in our family, Nilla wafers have been our go-to treat. Plus, I grew up in the south so plenty of banana pudding in my life time:). This recipe is clean and so pretty. I bet it’s delicious. Which flour do you prefer to use?
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Stayed tuned for some allergy-free banana pudding…coming soon!
I have all my ingredients linked, as with every recipe on Strength and Sunshine.
Suzan
Pinned! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Enjoy!
Elly McGuinness
Yum! I’ve never actually heard of nilla wafers😁. Must be a North American thing? Nice to see a healthified version of a classic. They sound simple and tasty!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
If you read the post, that wouldn’t be a question 🙂
Dorothy Reinhold
A simple and clean list of ingredients makes me very happy! I can’t wait to whip up a batch.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Simple is delicious!
Christa
I LOVE these cookies! I can probably eat a whole batch on my own. Lol. They’re so good on their own or as a base for other desserts. I’m adding this recipe to my to-make list. 😀
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Exactly! Can’t go wrong any way 🙂
Marina
Wow these look amazing and I’d love to try them. Sure my husband would love them too. Thanks again for another great recipe x
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Can’t beat a simple classic!
Leigh Suznovich
I LOVE Nilla Wafers, especially to make banana pudding. Need to make these next time I am on dessert duty!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Stayed tuned 😉
Morgan @ Baby Got Balance
I’m so glad you posted this! I was just looking for a vegan Nill wafer knockoff recipe and the ones I was finding weren’t looking so great. I’m going to be making these ASAP!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Ha, well here you go! Enjoy!
Marette Flora
These look so delicious! Yum.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Just like the classic!
erika
These look so good! I used to eat those as a kid and loved them. I have to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing (:
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Right? So much nostalgia!
Nipa
Love that you use real ingredients. I always end up baking our cookies because most of the ones you can buy have that extra-long ingredient list.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You can find some crazy things in there! The more simple, the better!
Jordan | Read. Eat. Repeat.
This really does bring back good childhood memories of my Grampa’s cookie pie with a Nilla wafer crust 🙂 I never thought about trying to make them at home!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Nilla wafers are the best for using in other desserts!
Lori @ The FitFilled Lfe
Nilla Wafers just might be one of my favorite treats. I love the idea of making them homemade to make them “healthy”!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Right? There’s just something about them that I’ve always loved!
Matthew Lovett
Great little vegan recipe. Been looking for some reliable and decent vegan cookie recipes to try. Making the leap from vegan dinners to vegan baking lol.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Vegan baking is a learning curve, but I’m here to help!