Gluten free vanilla wafers?! The mere mention of a recipe like this popular one gets people talking. These cookies bring back such wonderful memories, and the thought of having them again, gluten free, ignites a fire of excitement for kids and all of us kids at heart.
How long has it been since you’ve had a vanilla wafer? As a celiac cookbook author creating gluten-free recipes, it’s often a challenge to devise recipes that are close to the original wheat versions, because I can’t conduct a taste test!
So when I set about to create a knock-off ‘Nilla Wafer, I had to line up some gluten-eating taste testers.
It might seem like making homemade “Nilla” knock-offs would be difficult, but it’s really not! The dough comes together easily when using my gfJules Flour — the light, airy flour works great in these cookies so there’s no grit, no nasty aftertaste and the taste really shines through.
Then after it gets nice and cold, just transfer the dough to a piping bag or other plastic bag with a corner cut out and squeeze!
With big smiles, full mouths and nodding heads, my family (and all the gluten-eating taste testers) gave this gluten free Vanilla Wafer recipe recipe a thumbs up!
I hope your family enjoys them as much as ours has!
To see more delicious gluten-free cookie recipes, search my RECIPES for “cookie” or for a particular type of cookie you might crave. Also grab a copy of my popular Gluten Free Cookie e-book With over 26 pages of gluten-free cookie baking tips and recipes, it’s a cookie resource you’ll definitely want to have.
To see the Virtual Gluten Free Cookie Exchange where this recipe was first published, hop to my post for links to all 18 GF cookies shared, and don’t forget to check the Gluten Free Cookie Swap on Facebook. So many delicious gluten-free cookie recipes, so little time!
Now, on to the recipe you’ve been waiting for: Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers!
Gluten Free Vanilla Wafer Recipe
Made with my gfJules Gluten Free Flour, no one would ever know these light and clean-tasting cookies were gluten free. They're the perfect thing to fix any Nilla Wafer craving, and they'll be the icing on your Banana Cream Pie ... so to speak!
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar
- 1/8 tsp. sea salt
- 1 large egg white (or alternative like aquafaba)
- 1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract (or lemon zest for a lemon version of this cookie)
- 1 Tbs. milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/3 cup + 1 Tbs. gfJules™ All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour (192 grams)
Instructions
Beat together the butter, sugar and salt for 4-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg white (or aquafaba), vanilla and milk, mixing until integrated. Slowly add the gfJules Flour and baking powder, beating until totally combined.
Refrigerate for two hours or until cold.
Preheat oven to 350°F (static) or 325°F (convection).
Scoop dough into a piping bag with a large icing tip or a plastic bag with a one-inch corner cut out.
Evenly squeeze dough out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, forming rounds approximately ¾-inch wide, spaced 1 inch apart.
Bake for approximately 13 – 14 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
Nutrition Information
Yield 50 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 34Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 9mgSodium 32mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 0gSugar 4gProtein 0g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
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I had asked the dietitian in our celiac support group if she could find a recipe for vanilla wafers as I have seen several recipes that use them. She pulled your recipe off the computer and ordered your All-Purpose GF flour. I made them today and they turned out great. The next time I will make them a little smaller as they tend to flatten out. They are delicious and I will look on your website for more good recipes. Thanks for your wonderful product. Ken Heinze, Quincy, IL
That is so fantastic, Ken! I am thrilled to hear you have vanilla wafers back in your life! Good tip about making them a bit smaller next time if they were flattening out. If I ever make GF cookies that get too thin or flat, I crush them up and sprinkle them on ice cream! Lemonade out of lemons, right?!
Happy baking!
~jules
Oh my gosh! My mom became gluten free when I was only 6 years old, and said I might have Celiac Disease, so I haven’t had a wafer since then :'( Can’t wait to try the recipe!
Help….I tried them and they came out extremely flat….not like the picture. I did not use parchment since I didn’t have any. Should I grease the pan next time because they stuck to the pan and I can’t get them off. They were raw inside and hard as nails outside. Please help….I also used margarine instead of butter because butter is so expensive.
Hi Becky, I’m so glad you identified the changes you made here, and I think that you must have a sense that they made a difference. First off, the parchment will definitely help. You can’t remove the cookies when they’re hot out of the oven because they’re too fragile, so you need to let them cool a bit, but too long and they stick to the pan! The parchment solves all that, as well as helping soak up any extra greasy residue from buttery cookies. About the margarine, there is often more moisture in margarine than in butter, and certainly more than is in shortening. This extra moisture will cause cookies to spread and not hold their shape. If you don’t want to use butter, you could try using shortening. One last question: any other ingredient substitutions? What flour did you use, for example? I hope these two problems solved will help, but any other substitutions could make a difference as well.
Feel free to email us at [email protected] if you want to chat further about the recipe!
~jules
Thanks Jules. Made these today and they are so good!!
Thanks Jules. Made these today and they are SO good!
WONDERFUL to hear, Laura!!!!!
Oh my goodness! These are beyond delicious!!!!! Thank you for all that you do!!!!
You are so very welcome, Erica! I’m just glad my efforts are helpful – enjoy the recipes!!!
~jules
When baking with your flour, does it need to be sifted like regular flour? If so, do you measure before or after?
Hi Nancy,
My flour is pre-sifted, so you shouldn’t need to sift it at all. When measuring, either measure one cup by weight (135 gr) or spoon into a measuring cup and level off with a knife. Don’t scoop with the measuring cup and don’t pack the flour into the cup.
I hope that helps!
~jules
Jules where can your baking mix be purchased? I live in a small town, Plymouth NC. I’m about and hour from Greenville NC and able two hours from Raleigh NC.
Hi Rebecca, I’m from NC, too! I have been through Plymouth – it’s such a neat little small town! The easiest way to get my flour is just to order on-line and we deliver right to your door. There will be more retailers carrying it in the future, but especially being a ways from a larger city, it’s still easier to order on-line. That being said, if there’s a retailer near you which you would like to see carry my flour, have them give us a call! In the meantime, here’s the link to buy my flour on-line.
I ate vanilla wafers almost daily throughout my first pregnancy many years ago. I have missed them since being diagnosed with Celiac. I’m definitely going to be making these very soon!!! What a treat it’ll be for our family. Three out of four of us have Celiac Disease. My hubby isn’t but he is willing to eat GF goodies with us. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Holly,
Isn’t it funny how we have these special foods that we identify with normalcy and crave having in our lives again? Some are just associated with great memories, or have been favorites all our lives, but having them back again once we’re living GF can mean so much. I’m thrilled that you’ll be able to make these yummy wafers for yourself and for your family again. Enjoy!!!
~jules
Jules, I can hardly wait to try these cookies. I have missed banana pudding and want to this out. Thank you.
Wonderful to hear, Rebecca! I hope you enjoy!!!
~jules
Hi Jules, Have you worked with other sweetners (natural) that you’d recommend instead of cane sugar? This looks delish!
Hi Monica, for cookies, I still prefer granulated sweeteners, but options like unrefined coconut palm sugar tend to work well. The makers of “Swerve” sent me samples to try but I haven’t had time to yet (Erythritol) — they claim it can be used in place of sugar in confections. There’s also “blown” stevia and splenda which measure equally to sugar. I’ve also had readers tell me they cut the sugar back in this recipe with great success. One reader noted that she used only 1/2 cup of sugar and really enjoyed the recipe. I hope this information helps!
~jules
OH JULES THANK YOU FOR THIS!!! My husband’s birthday is coming up (who has Celiac), and while he is not much of a sweet eater at all, he was just saying the other day how much he misses banana pudding with vanilla wafers! Now I can make this for him for his birthday. He’d much rather have it than cake. THANK YOU!!! And it sounds like such an easy recipe, too. So many require xantham gum and a million other either hard to find or expensive ingredients. Always happy that Jules flour has all those things right in the mix. XOXO!!
PERFECT, Rene’! I’m so happy this recipe will be used to help your hubbie celebrate his birthday in a way that he will truly enjoy! And yes, I also really appreciate being able to use my flour and not have to add all kinds of other expensive ingredients like xanthan gum! Makes life so much simpler. Give your hubbie a happy birthday hug from me!
~jules
You just made my day Jules! Mini cheesecakes coming in my future.
YUM! That sounds like the perfect use for these wafers, Theresa!
~jules
Has anyone tried with Ener-g (or other) egg replacer? We have egg allergies too. Thanks!
Hi Carrel, I like Ener-G as an egg sub for most cookie recipes, so I’d say go for it! Let us all know how they turn out!
~jules
These are the bomb! I did sub coconut sugar and did only 1 c and one Tbsp of GfJules flour with a 1/3 c of almond flour to try to cut the carbs a bit and they turned out great…I made them a little smaller as we use treats as reinforcers for my son so the cooking time decreased…but we all love them. Thanks Jules!
Thanks for sharing your modification successes, Allison! I can’t wait to try it with your changes for something different!
~jules
This is the best gluten free wafer recipe I modified it a little I use 1/2 cup sugar after mixing the batter I refrigerate it for 20 min make little balls out of the batter than flatten with a sugar coated bottom of cup you could also roll these out and make shapes
Sounds terrific, Samantha! I love the idea of cutting the sugar, but dipping a glass in sugar before flattening the dough, for a little sugar coating! Brilliant!!!
~jules
Vanilla wafers are definitely something I’ve been missing the past few years! Can’t wait to try this recipe! Good work Jules!
Thanks, Michelle! I can’t wait to hear how you like the recipe!!!
~jules
I have to give these a try. I make banana pudding for my brother but without the cookies. Hope this works well. Thank you so much for all you do.
Thanks, Elizabeth! I appreciate your sweet note! I hope you enjoy the cookies!!!
~jules
Can’t wait to try these. Do you have a chocolate cookie recipe? I need the cookies for the base of a chocolate cheesecake that I want to make.