There’s a whole world of possibility in a box of Nilla Wafers. These small, crispy vanilla-flavored cookies are delicious straight from the box, but they really shine when used as an ingredient in all kinds of snacks and desserts. Prefer store-brand wafers? Those work just fine, too. So pick a recipe, pop open a box, and get creative in the kitchen with these versatile cookies.
The Best Rum Balls
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Very simple recipe. Let them sit in the fridge for a few hours before you sample them. The flavor keeps getting better with each passing day.” —PRENFRO
Mini Cheesecakes with Vanilla Wafers
“I added melted butter to the crushed wafers before putting them into cupcake liners! Amazing!” —AcePeel5834
Acorn Candy Cookies
“These are so easy and delicious! I used peanut butter instead of melted chocolate to reduce the sweetness and to add protein.” —Janel Matteson
Southern-Style Baked Banana Pudding
“This turns out perfect. I left the liqueur out both times I made it. I like the more subtle, real banana flavor.” —Rachel Young
Hazelnut and Chipped Chocolate Cheesecake
“Very Good. I increased the filling by 1/3 to make it a little taller. I also use Hershey’s special dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet and used Mocha Kalua instead of hazelnut (it’s all the store had) but it came out amazing anyway.” —Kalyn
Orange Balls
“These are a wonderful change from rum balls. My family doesn’t like coconut, so I substituted toasted pecans that had been chopped fine in the food processor.” —Alaskabetty
Chocolate Covered Banana Pie
“I made this dish for Valentine’s Day, and my boyfriend said it was the best dessert he had ever had! I am not a huge banana fan, and I loved it! I didn’t add the nuts, but everything else was the same.” —DRJWJ
Vanilla Wafer Cake
“Very good! I used pecans and it tasted great.” —Dennis
Banana Pudding Milkshake
TheDailyGourmet
“This banana pudding milkshake is a delicious copycat of the one introduced at select restaurants in the South.” —TheDailyGourmet
Banana Split Cake
“Tastes just like a banana split, but I added strawberry syrup as well.” —Anita Fosnaugh
Banana Cream Cheesecake
“Oh my word….wonderful! Very rich. Since I didn’t have the banana flavoring, I just added another super ripe banana. Making it again for Easter.” —Donna Koegler Buckham
Hot Chocolate Truffles
“I made 4 different batches of truffles for a work potluck and these were one of the best. Everyone was so surprised how much they tasted like hot chocolate. I found the dough to be very soft and sticky so I added some additional wafer crumbs and that did the trick.” —Keeli
The Best Banana Pudding
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Love this recipe it’s one of my favorites. I use the pudding recipe with strawberry, nuts. Etc as a frosting and filling for cakes also. It’s absolutely delicious.” —iceete
Chocolate Turtles Cheesecake
“My husband made me this for Valentine’s day! Loved loved loved it! I’m still thinking about it a month later.” —wstewert