Crispy, buttery, and lightly sweet, this Vanilla Wafer Cookies Recipe is perfect for snacking, desserts, or homemade treats. Easy to make and irresistibly delicious!

These Vanilla Wafer Cookies are crisp, buttery, and lightly sweet, making them a classic favorite for snacking or baking. Easy to prepare with simple ingredients, they’re perfect for enjoying on their own, adding to dessert recipes like Banana Pudding, or gifting to friends and family.

Each bite offers a delicate vanilla flavor and satisfying crunch that everyone will love. Once you see how easy it is to make vanilla wafers, you will be hooked.

You might like some of these Vanilla Desserts. I also have been making Italian Cookies Recipe for years.

Why We Love This Recipe
Ingredients
How To Make Vanilla Wafer Cookies
Storage
How To Serve Vanilla Wafer Cookies
Pro Tips
Can I Use Homemade Vanilla Wafers in Banana Pudding?
More Homemade Cookie Recipes

Why We Love This Recipe

Classic Flavor: Lightly sweet with a delicate vanilla taste that everyone enjoys.

Crispy Texture: Perfectly crisp for snacking or layering in desserts.

Versatile: Great for eating on their own or using in recipes like banana pudding or cookie crusts.

Easy to Make: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps make it beginner-friendly.

Homemade Touch: Freshly baked cookies have a flavor and aroma you can’t get from store-bought wafers.

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.

Wet ingredients and dry ingredients mixed together.

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

Room Temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week to maintain crispness.

Freezing: Place cookies in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Avoid Moisture: Keep cookies away from humidity to prevent them from becoming soft or soggy.

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.

Bake a batch of these classic Vanilla Wafer Cookies today and enjoy their crisp, buttery goodness! Don’t forget to leave a star rating and comment to share how your cookies turned out.

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