Vanilla Wafer Cookies
Nilla Wafers are those small round yellow cookies that are perfect for crushing up and making into a cookie crust. But, alas, they are not gluten free. So let’s make some that are, and that are still filled with that sweet rich vanilla flavor!
While they may not look exactly like the original Nilla wafers you remember, or have that same dry biscuit texture they, they are still a deliciously crisp vanilla flavored cookie. But what this recipes is really ideal for, is when recipes call for Nilla water to be crushed up so you can use them in a cookie crust (like a cheesecake) – now you have the perfect gluten free version to use!
If you don’t have oat flour, grind up your own using a food processor.
Shape the balls with your hands or a cookie baller, and bake until crispy and golden. Allow to cool on baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before moving to a wire rack, or they could fall apart.
Vanilla Wafer Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups GF oat flour or quick oats ground in a food processor
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted*
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 Tbsp vanilla
Instructions
- Whisk together first 5 dry ingredients. In another bowl stir together the sugar and coconut oil, then mix in with flour mixture.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients, mixing until dough is smooth.
- Shape in 1" balls and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly press down each cookie to flatten slightly.
- Bake at 375°F for 9-15 minutes (depending on size) or until golden and crisp. Let cool on baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
*adding melted coconut oil will make flat cookies that are crisp and bit chewy. You can also try it using it in its solid form (using a mixer, cream it together with the sugar), this will produce softer, more puffy cookies.
Now that you know how to make these Nilla-like wafer cookies, use them in our tasty Strawberry Cream Cheesecake!
I would love to make these, but a cup of sugar, it seems a lot of your recipes use LOTS of sugar, sugar is as bad as gluten. love the site, love some of your recipes BUT NOT ALL THE SUGAR. You might want to reconsider your recipes and current knowledge about the awful side affects of sugar, you can switch to stevia, which is a natural sweetner, but the recipes other ingredients change.
My grandson cannot have oatmeal or corn. What other GF flour can I use? Almond or Coconut? Or will they effect the taste?
Our goal is to provide our members with a wide variety of information and recipes for living a gluten free lifestyle. The doctors and dieticians that write articles for us, are writing them based on their own personal medical and dietary views.
All our recipes are gluten free of course, but some people in addition to having a gluten allergy are also dairy, soy, nuts, eggs (etc) intolerant. There are quite a few recipes where we’ve created several versions of the same thing to accommodate those with varying allergies/preferences. We can not do this for every recipe though. It is ultimately up to those people who have more than one allergy (or dislike) to find out what substitutions are best for them. Since what one person likes as a substitute for something may not be the same as someone else.
As far as sugar, we do have sugar free recipes, and we also provide information on substituting sugar. Check out “How to Substitute Sugar in Recipes” for some more information on what is available, and how to successfully substitute sugar in recipes.
As well, we have a new tool on the website that you can use to customize the recipes you see on our site. If you go into the ‘My Account’ tab, then under ‘Do Something’, click on ‘My Preferences’. You can check off the box for ‘sugar free’ (or any ingredients you don’t want in recipes). Then hit save. Now only recipes that we have identified with those labels will appear. That should help narrow down your recipe choices’.
I hope that helps!
Angie
Oat flour is what is going to give these cookies their real crunchy texture, although you can substitute it for any other gluten free flour blend you like without affecting the taste too much. Try our All-Purpose Baking Flour Blend (replace the cornstarch with tapioca starch). If you did want to add almond or coconut flour to this recipe, because of the nature of those nut flours (they absorb a LOT of moisture) you should only replace a bit – 1/3 cup at most, of another flour called for. Otherwise you’re going to need to alter the recipe and add more liquids or eggs – which again can affect the outcome of the cookies.
Is this at 350degrees preheated?
I can’t wait to try!
what tempature for baking?
Ooops sorry, thanks for the catch 🙂 I updated the recipe (375°F)
My husband has celiac disease – can he eat oatmeal? Quaker oats? Also Buckwheat pancakes? The package does not say “gluten free”
What temperature for baking these cookies?
I am on a low-FODMAP diet. Wheat is a problem for me. so is applesauce. I would like to see more low-FODMAP recipes. I get enthused only to see that your recipes contain large amounts of high-FODMAP ingredients. Here’s another one I wont try.
Oats are gluten free, although they can be processed in the same facilitates as those containing wheat. So cross contamination with gluten can occur. The protein in oats is a bit similar to that of gluten, so there are some people who are sensitive to oats as well. There are brands (like Bobs Red Mill) that will have oats that are certified gluten free. Buckwheat flour is gluten free, so pancakes made with that type of flour is fine.
Sorry, the recipe has been updated (375F)
Sorry, the recipe has been updated (375F)
OMG I can’t wait to try these! I used to use the Nilla Wafers in all kinds of recipes. Exactly what I was looking for. Going to make these this weekend since we will be snowed in, a good time for baking = ) Thank you!
I read your information on how to substitute sugars in recipes.
GREAT INFORMATION, wish I had this information months ago when I learned I was Gluten sensitive but had candida and could not eat sugar period.
I wonder if you should note this information or link on all your recipes with high sugar content, I would have noticed it a long time ago.
THANKS AGAIN FOR A GREAT SITE.
That is a GREAT idea, thanks!
I am sorry to hear you are not happy with our recipes. However, the main focus of our website is gluten free living and recipes. We try to be aware of other allergies or dietary restrictions in our recipes, however we cannot accommodate everyone, all of the time. We do have a new tool you can use to customize the recipes you see on our site. If you go into the ‘My Account’ tab, then under ‘Do Something’, click on ‘My Preferences’. You can check off boxes for egg free, nut free – or any ingredients you don’t want in recipes. Then hit save. Now only recipes that we have identified with those labels will appear. That should help narrow down your recipe choices. Hopefully you can find something you want to try.