3 Homemade Vanilla Wafer Dessert Recipes for Easter

The days are brighter. The sun shines for longer. The long barren branches of nearby trees are beginning to bud. Springtime has arrived and we have made it. We love a good winter’s snow as much as the next person, but there’s something about saying goodbye to the cold and embracing all the new life and opportunity that comes with the arrival of springtime. Quintessentially Spring, Easter and all of its flavors, pastels, and traditions have one simple theme in the Flourish family kitchen this year: homemade vanilla wafers! High in fiber, lower in net carbs and nearly as foolproof as store bought, we’ve got one vanilla wafer recipe that you can remix three different ways, depending on how the mood strikes you. Whether you make these simple vanilla wafers with your family or for your family, we hope you and yours enjoy this special time of year and can lean into the promise of new life this Easter! 

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Classic, buttery, crisp, with just the right amount of fresh vanilla sweetness, these homemade vanilla wafers are a versatile cookie staple. Unlike many traditional Easter favorites, these are made with ingredients that we’re betting you’ve already got on hand in the pantry. A pro tip to remember about your butter and eggs is to make sure they’re the right temperature and consistency. Softened butter and room temperature eggs are the key to encouraging the ingredients to combine like a buttery, crispety crunchy dream. To achieve the uniform round shape that vanilla wafers are known for, you’re going to want to use a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. Leave at least an inch of space between each cookie on the tray, as they’ll expand in the oven. If you try and squeeze too many on one tray, odds are you’ll end up with just one giant ‘nilla wafer, and honestly if that’s the worst thing that happens to you this month, things are looking up. After they’re golden brown in the oven and cooled, these buttery vanilla wafers will last up to a week when sealed in an airtight container, leaving you plenty of time to bake them well ahead of time as you make final holiday preparations!

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These sweet and scrumptious snack-sized vanilla wafer ice cream sandwich bites are simple to make and fun to eat. Seriously, as far as this recipe goes, it’s all in the name: vanilla wafers + ice cream! With your homemade vanilla wafers already made, all you have to do next is pick up a container of your favorite vanilla bean ice cream from your local grocery store. Scooped and sandwiched between two wafers, your ice cream sandwich is nearly there. Next is where you can combine creativity with your sweet tooth by stocking up on a variety of toppings to round out this dessert. By dipping the ice cream edges of the sandwich into a bowl of prepared toppings (chopped nuts, sprinkles, chocolate chips, crushed Oreos - you name it!) you’ll take these treats from super tasty to, “Can we make these every year?” in about three bites flat. Make them in real time as part of a DIY ice cream sandwich bar or make and freeze these ahead of time and bust them out just before it’s time to eat. Yum!

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Crisp vanilla wafers, creamy chocolate kisses and sweet butterscotch chips make for a sweet treat that’s simple to make and satisfying to look at. Perfect for an assembly line of budding bakers and aspiring holiday baking champions, these vanilla wafer acorn cookies use chocolate frosting to hold all the components together, which in our opinion is how more things should be constructed. With your homemade vanilla wafers already made, it’s all a matter of what goes where: Hershey kisses on one side, butterscotch chips on the other. Not a traditionally springtime confection, we don’t think you’ll find much complaining once these chocolatey, crisp goodies are served up. In fact, we think the whole family will go nuts for these acorn cookies!

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Light and simple, this vanilla wafer cream pie layers your homemade wafers with vanilla pudding, banana slices and whipped cream for a parfait-style cream pie best enjoyed with a spoon. Creamy, delicate, and with just enough texture to keep you coming back bite after bite, this high fiber dessert packs a satisfying amount of sweetness without being overbearing. Assembly for this four-ingredient dessert comes together in under five minutes, so no need to wake up before dawn for this easy pie. In fact, prepping this the night before and storing in the fridge overnight may be your best bet to let the flavors mix and the wafers soften up just a touch. Blitzed to a crumb or lined up side by side on the bottom of your dish, there’s no wrong way to enjoy this delicious taste of springtime vanilla wafer cream pie.

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Enjoy the sun, the quality time, and the endlessly tasty, lower in net carb versatility of these homemade vanilla wafer cookies and the desserts they inspire.

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Happy Easter from our Flourish Family!

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