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Recipes

5 Creative Ways to Eat Nilla Wafers You Wish You Thought of Sooner

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Wash U chapter.

Nilla Wafers were as much a staple of my childhood as Razor scooters and Zoey 101. Nothing beat the feeling of opening the kitchen cabinet to find that full box of Nilla Wafers glowing like an eternal sun. Two hours later, my mom would look into the empty box with shock and disgust as I lay on the couch in a state of sweet snacking bliss.

Now, I’m throwing it back to this ultimate after-school snack. Trust me, they’re just as delicious as they were when you were 10 years old, and now that you’re a slightly more competent human being (wishful thinking), you can elevate the crunchy vanilla cookie with these simple recipes.

Nilla Wafer Peanut Butter and Banana Mini-Sandwiches

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: minutesTotal time: 5 minutesServings:1 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Smear the peanut butter of your choice on the undersides of two Nilla Wafers and sandwich a banana slice in between.

Nilla Wafer Yogurt Parfait

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: minutesTotal time: 5 minutesServings:1 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Layer vanilla yogurt with fruit (fresh berries will work well) and your choice of full or crushed Nilla Wafers.

Nilla Wafer Truffles

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 45 minutesCook time: minutesTotal time: 45 minutesServings: servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Pulse 2 cups Nilla Wafers in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs.

  2. Add 1/2 cup white chocolate chips into food processor.

  3. While processing the wafers and chips, stream in 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil.

  4. Once the mixture reaches a smooth consistency, put it into the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm up.

  5. Once chilled, roll the mixture into balls and place on plate or sheet tray.

  6. Photo by Sarah Bradach

    Microwave the last 1/2 cup white chocolate chips at 20 second intervals until completely melted. Using a fork, dip each ball into the melted chocolate, and then place back on the plate or tray. Put them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to become firm. For an additional variation, roll each ball in cinnamon sugar.

Nilla Wafer Smores

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: minutesTotal time: 10 minutesServings:1 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Break the Hershey’s bar into pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 20 second intervals until completely melted.

  2. Smear the melted chocolate on the undersides of half of the Nilla Wafers.

  3. Cut the marshmallows in half and place one half on top of the Nilla Wafers that do not have the melted chocolate. Place the marshmallow-topped Nilla Wafers into the microwave for 15 seconds.

  4. Sandwich together the chocolate-topped wafers and the marshmallow-topped and voila!

Guilt-Free Nilla Wafers Cheesecake

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 12 minutesTotal time:4 hours 25 minutesServings: servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners.

  2. Photo by Sophia Clingan-Darack

    Crush the Nilla Wafers into a crumbly consistency with a food processor or blender, and then add the baking Stevia and melted butter. Mix until combined.

  3. Photo by Sophie Clingan-Darack

    Spoon a quarter-sized amount of mixture into the bottom of the cupcake liners and press down to form a crust. Bake for 5 minutes.

  4. While the crust is baking, in a large bowl combine the eggs, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice, and whisk or beat with an electric mixer into a smooth consistency. If desired, add the melted chocolate for chocolate cheesecake.

  5. Photo by Sophie Clingan-Darack

    Pour the mixture into the cupcake tin and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cheesecakes have puffed up and are set in the middle. Let cool for 10 minutes, and then place in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight (please be patient here, it’s worth it). Enjoy!

    This recipe is adapted from Spoon University – BU.