BEST Almond Flour Gluten-Free Vanilla Wafer Recipe
This is the best-tasting Gluten-Free Vanilla Wafers recipe for homemade nilla wafers with almond flour, tapioca flour, and avocado oil. They’re naturally sweetened with maple syrup without high fructose corn syrup or refined white sugar. They’re the perfect healthier vegan vanilla wafers for banana cream pie or my salted caramel banana cottage cheese ice cream.
This is the best-tasting recipe for Gluten-Free Vanilla Wafers with the perfect crunch, just like a box of nilla wafers. My homemade vanilla wafers resemble shortbread cookies and are made with almond flour, tapioca flour, and avocado oil. These vanilla wafer cookies are naturally sweetened with maple syrup without high fructose corn syrup or refined white sugar. For a simple cookie, they have a fantastic flavor and are a healthier alternative to store-bought gluten-free nilla wafers because they’re made with clean ingredients without preservatives and minimal added sugar. And everyone can enjoy them regardless of any gluten allergies.
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Nilla Wafer Copycat Recipe
- You only need a few simple ingredients.
- It is super easy to make for an impressive result.
- The flavor-rich ingredients make it taste amazing!
- All the ingredients are easily digestible for a gentle tummy.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here is everything you need to make the best-tasting gluten-free vanilla cookies recipe:
Almond Flour: You can substitute almond flour with other nut flours like hazelnut flour or cashew flour or oat flour. You can also use coconut flour, but you may need to adjust the quantity as coconut flour absorbs more liquid.
Tapioca Flour: This is also called tapioca starch and can be replaced with Arrowroot flour or potato starch in equal amounts.
Maple Syrup: Honey, agave nectar, or date syrup can be used instead of maple syrup. Keep in mind that the flavor may vary slightly. You can also use granulated sugar. But you may need to adjust the amount of flour to get the same cookie dough consistency.
Vanilla Extract: For the best vanilla flavor, you can use pure vanilla extract or imitation vanilla extract. Other extracts, like almond, lemon, or even rum extract, can be used for a different flavor profile.
Avocado Oil: You can use light olive oil, melted coconut oil, melted butter, or any other neutral-flavored oil instead of avocado oil.
Almond Extract: If you don’t have almond extract, you can omit it or use a different extract like vanilla or even orange extract for a different flavor.
Salt: You can omit salt if you want to reduce sodium, but it may slightly affect the overall flavor.
How to Make My Homemade Gluten-Free Vanilla Wafers Recipe
Here are easy, detailed, step-by-step instructions for the best way to make this delicious healthier copycat recipe. The instructions are also repeated in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
Step 1: Make the Wafer Cookie Dough
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl with a spatula, stand mixer, or food processor. Blend the ingredients until a dough forms. To determine whether your dough is dry enough, break off a tablespoon-sized ball and try rolling it in your hands. If it’s too wet to roll, mix in 1 tablespoon of almond flour until you reach a dry enough consistency. It should be lightly tacky.
Step 2: Form and Bake the Crunchy Cookies
Using a spoon or cookie scoop, roll a ball of dough in your hands and place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a separate piece of parchment and gently press down to flatten the cookie to about a 1/4-inch thickness. You may need to rub some butter on the palms of your hands so the dough doesn’t stick to them. Repeat for the remaining cookies.
Bake for 11-13 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Allow them to cool.
Homemade Nilla Wafers Recipe Notes
Dough Consistency: The dough should be firm enough to roll into balls. If it’s too wet, add more almond flour a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
Hand Buttering: Rubbing butter on your hands can help prevent the dough from sticking to them when shaping the cookies.
Baking Time: Keep an eye on the cookies as they bake, as almond flour can brown quickly. They should be lightly golden brown when done.
Delicious Serving Suggestions:
These simple cookies would taste incredible in a gluten-free banana cream pie, gluten-free banana pudding, or even with a glass of milk.
My favorite way to enjoy them is in my Banana Salted Caramel Cottage Cheese Ice Cream when I’m craving a sweet treat with classic cookies.
Do you love cookies? Check out more of my easy and nutritious cookie recipes:
EASY Almond Flour Gluten-Free Vanilla Wafer Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon oil (avocado oil is my fave)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Blend the ingredients with a spatula until a dough forms. To determine whether your dough is dry enough, break off a tablespoon-sized ball and try rolling it in your hands. If it's too wet to roll, mix in 1 tablespoon of almond flour until you reach a dry enough consistency to roll a dough ball.
- Continue forming dough balls and flatten them into cookie shapes on a piece of parchment paper. You may need to rub some butter on the palms of your hands so the dough doesn't stick to them. Press the cookies to about .25" thickness. They don't have to look perfect since they will be broken up into pieces in the ice cream.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Allow them to cool.
Super valuable recipe these things are so versatile. I can dip them in peanut butter, whip cream, or even jelly. Highly recommend. 👍
Hi Tracy, I love your serving suggestions! Thank you for the review 🙂
Super easy and simple recipe! Loved using almond flour.
Thank you for the review, Gail! I’m so glad you like this recipe 🙂
I’m excited to share this simple but delicious recipe with you! You get the vanilla flavor and crunch from a classic vanilla wafer, but it is much healthier with clean, natural ingredients. I hope you have a chance to make it! Let me know what you think 🙂