I always thought Nilla Wafers were the most boring of the boring cookies. No chocolate, no spices, no filling – nothing to recommend them to a diehard cookie lover such as myself. And then I made these Keto Vanilla Wafers and I could NOT stop eating them. Simple, yes, but these crispy, buttery little bites are anything but boring.
Every time I make a recipe, I learn something that can be applied and used in another. I was thinking about the light, crisp texture of my Keto Milano Cookies and realized how perfect it would be for a low carb vanilla wafer. I added more almond flour for sturdiness and more vanilla for stronger flavor.
I was truly surprised at how well they turned out and how much I liked them. I had intended to put most of them away for future recipes (like Keto Banana Pudding). But instead, I kept them on my counter for snacking. They lasted so well and stayed crisp and flavorful for over a week.
They are such a versatile treat too. Great for scooping up other treats like Keto Coconut Cream Pie Dip or Keto Caramel Sauce. And I love dipping them into some Keto Nutella!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Minimal ingredients: 6 basic keto ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
- Easy to make: Only 10 minutes of prep work and you’re ready to bake.
- Perfectly crispy: These cookies have a light but crisp texture.
- Great flavor: Buttery, not too sweet, and plenty of vanilla!
- Make ahead recipe: They stay fresh in a covered container for up to a week. But you can also freeze them for several months.
- Low carb and gluten-free: No grains or sugar means these easy keto cookies are keto-friendly and gluten-free.
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: Make sure to use a finely ground almond flour like Bob’s Red Mill. You can use sunflower seed flour as a nut-free alternative, but your cookies will be more gray in color.
- Sweetener: For a crisp texture, you will need an erythritol-based sweetener. See the Tips section for a more detailed discussion.
- Butter: I use salted butter in most of my baking but you can use unsalted if that is your preference.
- Vanilla extract: Choose a quality vanilla extract for good flavor. I don’t recommend imitation vanilla for any kind of baking.
- Pantry staples: Eggs, baking powder, and salt.
How to Make Keto Vanilla Wafers
- Combine the wet ingredients: Beat the butter and sweetener until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the almond flour, baking powder and salt and beat until the mixture is uniform.
- Form the cookies: Roll about 2 teaspoons of dough and place on baking sheets lined with silicone mats. Press down slightly.
- Bake the cookies: Bake until the cookies edges are golden brown, switching the pans about halfway through.
- Turn off the oven: Let the oven cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Then return the cookies to the oven and let them sit inside until cool.
Carolyn’s Baking Tips
Softened butter is key to making cookies like this. And softened doesn’t always mean room temperature! If your house is chilly, like mine often is, your butter may be too firm to cream properly. It should be soft enough to leave an impression when you gently press it with a finger, but not so soft that it squishes beneath the pressure.
Double baking these keto vanilla wafers helps them crisp up properly without getting overly brown. While it takes a little longer, it really makes a difference. I use the same technique with keto graham crackers.
The sweetener you choose is also very important to achieving a crisp texture. Any amount of allulose or xylitol will keep them from crisping up. If you wish to cut down on the erythritol, you can reduce to 1/4 cup and add stevia or monkfruit extract for more sweetness.
More Crispy Keto Cookies to Love
Keto Vanilla Wafers Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) erythritol sweetener
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cup (186.67 g) almond flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line two baking sheets with silicone mats. You can use parchment instead but keep a close eye on your cookies as the bottoms may brown quickly.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Add the almond flour, baking powder, and salt and beat until the mixture is uniform, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the beaters as necessary.
- Using about 2 teaspoons of dough at a time, roll into small balls and place an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press down to flatten slightly.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, switching the position of the pans halfway through baking, until the edges are golden brown. They will still be a little soft on top.
- Remove the cookies, turn the oven off, and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Then return the pans to the oven and let sit inside until cool (keep a close eye on them to make sure they don't become overly brown).
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Sadly, coconut flour does not make good crisp cookies – it tends to make them very tough and dry in your mouth. You really need a nut or seed flour for this recipe, and almond flour works best by far.
You could try a vegan butter replacement in this recipe. I wouldn’t use coconut oil, as the flavor will overpower the vanilla, and they may end up a little greasy. Ghee would work as well, as it is lactose-free.
These keto cookies freeze extremely well, so go ahead and make them weeks or even months in advance! Simply store them in an airtight container and freezer for up to 3 months.
This keto vanilla wafer recipe has 2.3g of carbs and 1.1g of fiber per serving. That comes to 1.2g net carbs for 2 wafer.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I weighed and measured the almond flour and it was definitely more by weight than by cup. Suggestions? I do not have Bob’s Red Mill. Could that be the reason ?
I can’t wait to try these! I love all your recipes!
Most almond flour (the kind that is just ground almonds) measures about the same. What brand are you using?
I have heard that recent research has linked high consumption of ethereal sweetener to potential health risks, including blood clotting, stroke, and heart attacks.
Isn’t Stevia more natural? I use the Stevia that is 1 to 1 to sugar. How do I translate that to the other sugar substitutes?
Thank you for your help!
Holly Knauff
Hi… I’ve already indicated how you can reduce the erythritol to the absolute minimum in the blog post. Thanks!
I’m wondering the same thing. But I don’t want to use erythritol at all anymore not just reduce it? Not worth the risk. I’m not sure if monk fruit or stevia would work, I know Allulose won’t.
I already addressed this question to the best of my ability. Beyond that, you will need to experiment yourself.
Easy to follow recipes and each one I have tried is a “keeper”
Yay!!!
I love this recipe but I been making mine same everything you have here except I use coconut flour and vanilla protein powder instead of the almond flour. They are delicious!!! 😋
Would you share how much of each ingredient you use?
thanks!!
Can I use powdered sugar or does it have to be granulated?
As long as it’s an erythritol sweetener, powdered should work. Just make sure it doesn’t contain any allulose or xylitol.
why no allulose? I don’t care for erythritol.
Please read the blog post, I discuss this at length.
Amazing recipe. Great to have around when you need a little healthy snack!
I’m assuming that when we return the cookies to the oven, the oven is turned off??
Yes. I thought that was clear from saying to let the oven cool, but you are the second person to ask that question. So I will amend the recipe to make it more clear.
Being new to low carb cooking I am wondering if the sweetener is granulated or powdered and can I use Swerve? I am anxious to make these cookies!
If you have the “new” Swerve (not very new anymore, since it’s been out for a long time), it may contain allulose. In which case, no it won’t work. Please look at the ingredients on the bag.
Powdered would be fine as long as it’s erythritol, without any allulose or xylitol.
Can sucralose be used instead of erythritol? Erythritol is not healthy at all! Plus the cooling after taste is horrible.
I really don’t know. Sounds like you need to experiment. I consider Sucralose to not be particularly healthy.