Have you ever eaten vanilla wafers when you were a child? You know I have. In our home, they were always a hit, whether for snacking or dipping them in milk and adding things like Banana Cream Pie, pudding, etc. Mmm, pudding.
You might have guessed that I recreated the childhood classic using real, whole-food ingredients, so it’s now vegan and gluten-free! Let’s get started!
This nine-ingredient recipe starts with a mixture of organic cane (or coconut) sugar, coconut oil, and a generous pour of vanilla. I used aquafaba as an egg substitute that is colorless and helps to bind. It also adds a small amount of rise.
I chose a blend of gluten-free flour and cornstarch. This makes the cookies lighter and gives them a little crunch.
After rolling out the dough, cut it into 35 circles. Bake until golden and crisp.
Ingredients
- You can also use softened vegan butter or 1/3 cup scoopable coconut oil*
- To keep the recipe sugar-free, you can use stevia or coconut sugar to your taste.
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp Aquafaba (chickpea brine).
- 1 Tbsp almond milk, unsweetened
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Almond flour (we tried substituting coconut flour*, but the cookies did not turn out crisp – please see notes)
- 2 Tbsp of cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1 1/4 cup gluten-free flour blend* (use our blend for best results)
Instructions
- Line a large baking tray (or as many as you need) with parchment. Set aside.
- Pour a light, fluffy texture into a medium mixing dish, and whisk or beat the coconut oil for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla, and continue to whisk/beat for 1 minute longer.
- Add the chickpea brine and whisk or beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Add almond milk, and then mix again. You may see that it looks a bit complicated, but this is fine. Continue.
- Add the salt, cornstarch, and almond flour and whisk/beat together. Add the gluten-free blend of flour and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a loose batter. The batter should resemble cookie dough but be a little softer. If the mixture is too thin, you can add more almond flour or gluten-free mix until a dough consistency has been reached. If the dough is too thick, you can add some almond milk.
- While preheating the oven to 350 degrees F 176 C, chill the batter for 15 minutes.
- Roll out the dough between two sheets of wax paper into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick. Use a small cookie cutter to make shapes. The dough can be reformed as necessary until all of it is used.
- Transfer cookies gently to your parchment-lined cookie sheet. Since they won’t spread during cooking, you can place them pretty close together. You may have to bake them in two batches, depending on how big your baking sheet is.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown and the top is dry. For crunchier cookies, bake longer. Be careful not to burn. Bake less to get more tender cookies.
- Allow to cool completely in the pan before removing. Keep leftovers covered loosely at room temperature for up to five days or in a freezer bag.