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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Consider editing you recipe and post the vegan ingredients first with the egg/Diary options second. It is unsettling to see those listed and get frustrated trying to understand why it’s labeled vegan with those listed primarily.
Hi Laura, sorry for any frustration! I’m glad you were able to figure out the subs and make them as you need to suit your family. I appreciate the feedback on the order of ingredients – thanks for taking the time to leave me a note!
~jules
PLEASE do not call this vegan if the recipe calls for egg!! You must not know what vegan means???? disappointing. No animal products-eggs, milk, honey. If you use them..it is NOT vegan.
Hi Laila, I’m sorry you are disappointed in this recipe. I have lots of articles on vegan egg substitutes and offer aquafaba as a good substitute here for the 1 egg white in the recipe. The remainder of the recipe is vegan, so using one of those substitutes would still make this recipe vegan, if you needed it to be free of animal products. I hope that helps!
~jules
Ok, thanks, for your response. My worry is a food allergy issue. My youngest is allergic to eggs and dairy so vegan recipes work for her. The term vegan has become more and more mainstream now however, my worry is people who still “don’t get it” would see the word and just go with it. Possibly, unintentionally feeding someone something they can’t have. I appreciate you sharing the aquafaba…I have never heard of that! However, is there a reason it isn’t the first choice for the recipe?
Hi Laila, your concern is valid. Terms like “vegan” and even “gluten free,” as they become more mainstream, seem to connote choices more than medical necessities to many people. Everyone with a food allergy, severe sensitivity or celiac must ask all the questions every time, and never assume that someone in a restaurant or even a well-meaning friend knows exactly how safe a food is for you. You are right to be protective of your child and to ask those questions.
Regarding aquafaba, it’s not the first choice in the recipe because I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. I do try many recipes with egg substitutes so I can make a recommendation, and many of my recipes are naturally egg free with no subs needed (like my graham crackers!), but in this case, I just haven’t had time to try the recipe several different ways. Sometimes a reader will indicate that they have used a particular substitute with success and I always try to highlight that, but again, with this recipe, my best guess as to a good substitute would be aquafaba, without having tried it yet myself. I hope that helps and please let me know if you get a chance to try it or another substitute so I can share that with others who also need this recipe to be egg free.
~jules
I used egg replacer and the recipe worked out great. Thank you!
That’s great to hear, Nichelle! Which egg replacer did you choose?
~jules
I’m pretty mad right now. So first off this recipe says vegan and then it calls for egg whites. So I’m testing out aquafaba to see if that works. Then it says refrigerate for 2 hours. Why?!!! I refrigerated my mix last night and fell asleep because 2 hours is a long time and this morning they are too solid to do anything with and my piping bag breaks. I’m so sick of baking I hate these recipes that don’t work at all it’s like every single time
Hi Brittany, I’m sorry that you are frustrated by this recipe. If you refrigerated the dough for too long and it became hard, it would be difficult to get it to pipe out of a bag. Just let the dough set out (covered) for a while until it is softer and able to be piped. I hope that works for you and you are able to enjoy this recipe.
~jules
Delicious!! I made these for the kids and they were devoured! Super easy (I love quick and easy snacks recipes). I used a cookie scoop with the dough straight out of the fridge. They came out picture perfect! This will be a staple recipe in our house 🙂
Update: I recently added the juice and zest of a lemon omitting the vanilla and they are fantastic! I My kids beg me to make them. Light, fresh and simple!
I love these cookies! I made banana pudding with these wafers and my family loved it! Thanks for the recipe.
That’s wonderful, Madelyn! And they are perfect for banana pudding – a combo made in heaven! So glad you tried the recipe!
~jules
I really want to try these I’m just so busy these days and I don’t have time
Just so you know it’s possible, Maria! One of these days you’ll find some spare minutes and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
~jules
How are these vegan if it had egg whites?
Hi Gigi, my FLOUR is vegan, but this recipe does call for one egg white. You could fairly easily sub out one egg white using one of these vegan egg substitutes I suggest in this post. Hope that helps!
~jules
Yes I noticed that too. It does say vegan on pin before you click on the image for the recipe. Perhaps it should say could be made vegan instead? Has anyone actually try to make this with egg replacer and did it work? Best
Yes. I’ve been making these for over a year using chickpea liquid as a replacement for the egg white.
Great to know, Charlene!
~jules
I was so happy to find this recipe for vanilla wafers! I was in a Facebook gluten free group and Jules suggested it as I had mentioned needing a recipe to go with my banana cream pudding recipe. These sure filled the bill. Store bought ones are so expensive and these are so easy to make. No one at church knew the difference. Thanks again!
I’m so glad you tried the recipe, Denise! It’s so empowering to be able to make your own and make them so good that no one knows they’re GF! Way to go!
~jules
LOOK SOOOOO GOOD!! 🙂 I have perfected a cookie recipe I can eat… They’re no bake and VERY dangerous! LOL! I keep them in the freezer and microwave one or two when I am craving! hehe!
LOL definitely sounds dangerous, Gigi! Good thinking to keep in the freezer!
~jules
What is the difference between sea salt and regular salt? Also, why does the vanilla wafer recipe have to be refrigerated? Thank you for your response.
Hi Bonnie – thanks for writing! You can use regular table salt to replace the sea salt, I use sea salt in my savory cooking for a more complex flavor (or maybe I’m imagining it! LOL) so that’s what I have on hand, but you can use an equal amount of regular salt instead. As for the refrigeration, in this recipe it’s to make the dough less sticky and easier to work with. Happy baking!
~jules
Are you gluten free? How did you find out how to make all this? I wanna be a chef and have my own diner. But I wanna have gf so me and my mom can eat my food.
Hi Holly, I think that’s a wonderful goal of yours! I am gluten-free — I actually have celiac disease. Here’s a little more about me and how I got started in the gluten-free world. Keep me posted on your plans. If you open that diner, I’ll want to be sure to come!
~jules
Sea salt = thru sea salt evaporation, grain is coarser but you can also find in a fine texture now-a-days, less processed, mineral gives them some coloring, intensity of flavor can be stronger.
Regular salt (table salt) = mostly from underground deposits, grain comes in a finer texture but can be bought a bit coarser(not as chunky as seasalt) such as the one used on pretzels, it is processed to remove various unwanted deposits, iodine can be added which body needs for your thyroid.
Final note, the salts have basically same levels of sodium. Depending of what you are cooking, it will call for the type of salt needed or type of salt you like and goes with your dish.
I’m trying to cut back on granulated sugar, could I use honey or agave instead? If so what proportions?
Thanks
Hi Shari, if you cut out the sugar and use honey or agave, you’ll have to reduce the liquids in the recipe by the same proportions. I’d expect the cookies to flatten, as well. There won’t be any sugar to caramelize and make it crunchy around the edges, either.
Hope that helps!
~jules
snickerdoodle
Oh yes, please! I love snickerdoodles! You should try my recipe, Wendy!
My favorite holiday cookies are cutout sugar cookies!
Sugar Cookies
White chocolate chip with macadamia nuts.
My favorite holiday cookies are sugar cookies!
Mmmmm – a classic
~jules
Mexican Wedding Cakes/Russian Tea Cakes