These delicious Homemade Vanilla Wafers are a 30-minute take on the classic cookie! Made with pantry staples, these make a great sweet snack or a topping for other dishes.
Crumble them on top of yogurt or ice cream and use them in your baking! With the perfect bite and vanilla flavor, these delicious treats have never been easier to make.
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🩵 About This Recipe
Crunchy and light with the perfect vanilla flavor, this vanilla cookies recipe is the ideal 30-minute dessert or snack!
These are even better than the kind you can buy at the store, and they're great on their own, crumbled as a topping for desserts, or even used as a crust for cheesecakes and other baked goods.
And if you want to use these homemade vanilla wafers for something special, try my Vanilla Wafer Christmas Bark or these Vanilla Wafer Microwave S'mores! Or for something a little more nutritious, check out these 15 Healthy Snack Options.
🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- dry ingredients - a simple combination of all purpose flour and baking powder are the starting ingredients for this vanilla cookies recipe.
- butter - I used salted butter for a hint of extra salty flavor.
- sugar - this recipe uses both powdered sugar and granulated sugar for lots of sweetness!
- egg - provides structure to the cookies and adds richness.
- vanilla extract - use a nice high quality vanilla extract for best results.
- milk - makes the dough easier to work with.
🔪 Let's Make Homemade Vanilla Wafers!
(Or click here to jump right to the recipe card with measurements!)
Combine Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.
Mix Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and milk and mix just until the batter is smooth.
Finish Batter
Carefully fold in the dry ingredients until the cookie dough is mixed together.
Form Cookies
Place the cookie dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Use a ½ tablespoon scoop to size them properly.
Bake
Bake the cookies until they've spread slightly and take on a nice golden brown color. Allow them to cool, then enjoy!
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Drizzle with melted chocolate for an even more decadent and rich cookie! Milk chocolate, white chocolate, or any color of melting wafers work well to customize these cookies for any occasion.
- Use these homemade vanilla wafers for homemade dessert sandwiches by adding a little scoop of hazelnut spread or peanut butter between two cookies.
- Be sure to allow space between the balls of cookie dough - the cookies will spread and flatten a bit as they bake.
❔ FAQs
If you didn't refrigerate the dough or didn't let it sit in the cold long enough, this can lead to faster spreading and flatter cookies.
This usually happens if there isn't enough moisture in the cookie dough, or if the baked cookies are allowed to dry out when they're stored. Another reason for toughness is overworking the dough, so be sure to mix just until combined.
Wafers are a specific kind of cookie! They're usually a bit smaller and thinner with a light and crisp texture.
📝 Substitutions and Variations
- Create other flavors of wafer by using different kinds of extract. Lemon and almond are both great places to start!
- You can also turn these into chocolate wafers by adding some cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.
- If you're making these in the fall or winter, a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, or even a spice blend like pumpkin pie spice will add a warm and comforting flavor.
Kristin’s Kitchen Tip
For best results, refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 10 to 15 minutes before scooping and baking!
🥡 Storage
Keep your homemade nilla wafers in an airtight container or a sealable plastic bag at room temperature or any cool, dry place. They should keep for at least a week!
⏳ Make Ahead Instructions
You can prepare the dough for this homemade nilla wafers recipe ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days before actually baking the cookies.
Keep It Handy
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🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
While they're fantastic on their own, this vanilla cookies recipe is also a great way to add some sweet crunch to other treats. Crush them up and sprinkle on top of a bowl of pudding or Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, or use them for these Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars!
These cookies are also great for dunking in coffee, tea, or this special Spiked Butterscotch Hot Chocolate.
😋 More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
- Coffee Shortbread Cookies - Great for the holidays, this take on classic shortbread includes a unique coffee flavor.
- No Bake Cooke Dough Bars - If you'd rather eat the dough before the cookies are baked, this recipe is a perfectly safe way to enjoy indulgent cookie dough!
- Matcha Cookies with White Chocolate - For something more elegant and subtle, these combine the flavor of green tea with sweet white chocolate.
- Keto Pumpkin Cookies - This recipe from Stay Snatched is a better-for-you cookie with a fun fall flavor!
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Homemade Nilla Wafers Recipe
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📋 Recipe Card
30 Minute Homemade Vanilla Wafers
Equipment
- 1 Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 8 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sift together the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.1 ½ cups flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- Using a stand mixer, mix the butter, confectioners' sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for at least 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk and blend for about 30 seconds until the mixture becomes smooth and fluffy.8 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature, ½ cup confectioners' sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, room temperature, 2 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon milk
- While mixing on low, gradually add the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate the resulting dough for 10-15 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a scoop to place ½ teaspoon-sized amounts of the batter about 1 inch apart onto the baking sheet lined.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until the cookies turn a golden color.
- Let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- If you're short on time, you can skip the refrigeration step, though the cookies may spread more.
- For a pretty presentation, you can drizzle the wafers with melted chocolate. You can use chocolate, white chocolate, or even colored melting wafers to match any occasion.
- Make small sandwich cookies by spreading a bit of Nutella, peanut butter, or cream cheese frosting between two wafers.
- Swap out the vanilla extract for other flavors like almond or lemon extract to create different varieties.
- Add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dough for a warm, spiced flavor.
Additional Serving Suggestions:
- Serve with a bowl of vanilla pudding or banana pudding for a classic dessert combination.
- Use the wafers as a crunchy topping for ice cream, yogurt, or fruit parfaits.
- Enjoy the wafers with coffee or tea for a light, sweet snack during the day.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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