Each bite of this easy Vanilla Wafer Cookies Recipe is rich and buttery. They are so much better than store bought. Enjoy them as a snack or in other desserts for a great treat.

Have you ever tried to make homemade Vanilla Wafers? It is actually a very simple cookie recipe, and they taste amazing. They are so light and fluffy with wonderful vanilla flavor.
Enjoy them as a snack or use them in your favorite Banana Pudding Recipe and other desserts.
Once you see how easy it is to make store bought vanilla wafers, you will be hooked. They are buttery and tasty while being effortless to make.
You might like some of these Vanilla Desserts. I also have been making Italian Cookies Recipe for years.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe
They are so much better than anything you can purchase at the grocery store. They are yummy and buttery.
The store-bought wafers are loaded with artificial flavors and lots of extra ingredients. Once you make homemade wafers, you will be able to taste the difference.
There really isn’t any comparison because they are so yummy.
Ingredients

- All Purpose Flour. Spoon the flour into a measuring cup instead of scooping it. This helps to prevent excess flour getting packed into the cup. I recommend plain flour instead of cake flour for the perfect texture.
- Large Egg. It needs to be room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract. Use pure vanilla for best results.
- Unsalted Butter. Softened at room temperature.
- Milk. I prefer to use whole milk in this recipe.
Get the entire ingredients for this recipe at the bottom of the page.
How to Make Vanilla Wafer Cookies
- Step 1. Preheat the oven. Set the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2. Combine the softened butter and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer.

Step 3. Beat together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat until creamy on medium speed. Then add in the egg and vanilla extract.

Step 4. Get out a separate bowl for the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Step 5. Combine the flour mixture with the butter mixture. Be careful not to over mix the batter.

Step 6. Then add in the milk. Stir until the wet ingredients and dry ingredients are combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Step 7. Form the cookies with a cookie scoop. You can also pipe the dough into mounds using a piping bag, but I prefer using a cookie scoop.

Step 8. Gently flatten out the mounds with damp fingertips.

Step 9. Bake the cookies. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges of the cookies are a light golden brown.

Step 10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 11. Finally, serve and enjoy!
Storage
Store the leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last up to a week if stored properly.
This recipe also freezes well. Allow to cool and place inside a freezer container or freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature before serving.

How to Serve Vanilla Wafer Cookies
- Snacks. Serve these cookies as a snack any day of the week. They are delicious as a lunchbox treat or an afternoon snack.
- Paula Deen Banana Pudding. Use the cookies in banana pudding and serve as a luscious dessert.
- Banana Pudding Fluff. Top this dessert with homemade wafers. It will be so delicious.
- Eclair Cookies. This recipe is amazing already but homemade vanilla wafers will be so yummy.
- Banana Cream Cheesecake Bars. Use the wafers to make the pie crust.
Pro Tips
- Room temperature ingredients. Make sure the eggs are room temperature and the butter is softened at room temperature. The mixture will combine easier and have a smoother consistency.
- Vanilla. The Vanilla is what gives the cookies the classic nilla wafers flavor. Don’t leave it out.
- Double the recipe. If you plan to use some for snacking and baking, you might want to double the recipe.
- Prepare the baking sheet. Line the pan with parchment paper to make clean up easy.
- Chill the dough. It’s optional but you can chill the dough in the fridge for an hour before scooping if desired. This will help to prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
Can I Use Homemade Vanilla Wafers in Banana Pudding?
Yes, we love to use these in our favorite Banana Pudding recipe. This homemade wafer recipe makes the dessert even more delicious.
If I plan to make banana pudding with the wafers, I often leave out the desired amount overnight. It allows them to get a bit stale which is perfect for the pudding. This is totally based on preference though and you can do what you prefer.
You are absolutely going to love homemade vanilla wafers in banana pudding. It is so decadent and delicious. If you need a gluten free option, try Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies.
More Homemade Cookie Recipes
- Custard Cookies
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
- Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies Recipe
- Butter Cookies Recipe
- Cinnamon Roll Cookies
- Butter Pecan Cookies
Make this easy and tasty Vanilla Wafer recipe today. You will be hooked! Come back and leave a star recipe rating and comment.
Vanilla Wafer Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 3/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 Large Egg room temperature
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 1 Tablespoon Milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Beat together the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand held mixer or stand up mixer until creamy. Then add in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.
- Then add in the milk and stir until combined.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 2 teaspoon size scoops onto a baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Gently flatten out the cookies with damp fingertips.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges of the cookies are a light golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
I made these yesterday for my family, well all I can say. Yummy yum, not one biscuit left and have been asked to make more… absolutely delicious thank you for sharing your recipe
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for sharing!