Chocolate Wafer Cookies

These homemade chocolate wafer cookies are simple to make, deeply flavorful, and a perfect substitute for the discontinued Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cookies. Thin and crispy, they're perfectly balanced with cocoa and sweetness. They're excellent on their own, and also great in desserts calling for wafer cookies, like icebox cake.

These wafers also make an excellent base for no-bake pies and cheesecakes. Plus, with my shortcut for baking them in a slab, you’ll skip the time-consuming cookie cutting and still get the perfect crumbs for a chocolate wafer crust.

Thoroughly tested, this recipe is as versatile as it is delicious.

Have you ever needed chocolate wafer cookies for a dessert, only to realize they’re nowhere to be found? Since Nabisco discontinued their Famous Chocolate Wafers, it’s been tough to track down a good store-bought option. If you’re looking for an easy homemade version with pantry-friendly ingredients, you’re in the right place.

The first wafers I made were an adaptation of the chocolate tart dough from several of my tart recipes. They were delicious—but I wanted them to be darker, crispier, and closer in flavor to the original Nabisco cookies.

So I went back to the kitchen. I cut the egg yolk for more snap, studied the Nabisco ingredient list, and tested multiple versions. One was with oil (perfectly flat, less flavor), one with butter (delicious, but bubbly), and finally, a combination of butter and oil that delivered the best of both—flat, crisp wafers with rich, dark chocolate flavor.

I also swapped out the all-Dutch cocoa for a blend of Dutch process and black cocoa (just like my homemade Oreo cookies). That touch of black cocoa is key to getting the color and flavor just right. While you can replace it with more Dutch cocoa, it IS the critical ingredient needed to recreate a copycat Nabisco chocolate wafer cookie. They won't be the same without it.

Planning to use these chocolate wafer cookies for a crumb crust? I've created a big time-saver in this version. Instead of cutting out individual cookies only to grind them up, you'll bake the dough in a single, thinly rolled slab.

This slab method is faster, easier, and gives you the same crisp, chocolatey crumbs—no cookie cutters needed. I only wish I'd thought of this sooner!

These cookies are perfect for layered desserts, chocolate crumb crusts for cheesecakes and no-bake pies, and icebox cakes like my Argentine chocotorta with dulce de leche and cream cheese. Or just snack on them straight—they're that good!

Yield

One batch of this recipe yields:

• 34 round cookies, each 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter
• 225 grams (8 ounces), or about 2 cups of finely ground chocolate cookie crumbs
• Enough crumbs for one 9-inch chocolate crumb crust (click for recipe)

Ingredients

See recipe card for detailed list of ingredients and quantities.

All-purpose flour – I recommend using a digital scale to measure all your ingredients, especially flour. If you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour, scoop it into your measuring cup, and level it off using something like the back of a butter knife to avoid packing the flour.

Dutch-process cocoa powder – This recipe uses unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder. Dutch cocoa, or alkalized cocoa, is darker in color and has a smoother, more robust chocolate flavor because the alkalizing process removes much of its acidity.

While you can substitute natural cocoa in a pinch, it will result in lighter cookies with less intense chocolate flavor. Learn more about the various types of cocoa powder.

Black cocoa powder – Black cocoa powder is a highly alkalized form of Dutch cocoa, making it very dark. It has less chocolate flavor than Dutch cocoa, so I’ve used just enough to achieve the signature dark color and taste of chocolate wafers, while still letting the richness of the Dutch cocoa shine through.

Black cocoa is an ingredient you'll likely have to purchase online, but it's worth it and will last you a long while! I recommend Cocoa Trader, King Arthur Flour and Modern Mountain brands.

Baking soda – A small amount of baking soda ensures your cookies turn out crisp and light.

Kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which has lighter, flakier crystals and less sodium per teaspoon than Morton salt. If using Morton’s kosher salt, reduce the amount to ⅛ teaspoon plus a pinch. If using table salt, reduce to ⅛ teaspoon.

Granulated sugar – Standard granulated sugar works best. If using organic sugar with larger granules, pulse it in a food processor first to break it down, ensuring your wafers aren’t grainy.

Unsalted butter – Unsalted butter lets you control the salt content. It’s melted in this recipe to avoid incorporating excess air.

Vegetable oil – A bit of neutral-flavored oil helps maintain fat content and reduces the water content (butter is about 20% water). Using all butter creates more air bubbles, while oil helps achieve a flatter cookie.

Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds additional flavor. For best results, use pure extract rather than imitation vanilla.

Instructions

These photos provide basic visual cues. Find detailed instructions in the recipe card.

Add flour, cocoa powders, sugar, salt and baking soda to the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until fully combined.

Add melted butter, oil and vanilla.

Pulse until wet ingredients are fully incorporated. Scrape bottom of food processor well to mix in all butter.

Turn mixture out onto a large piece of parchment paper.

Fold the edges of the parchment paper in to press the crumbs into a flat square of dough. Cover with a second piece of parchment.

Roll the dough to ⅛ inch (3 mm) thickness. I use pastry guides to ensure precise thickness. Chill in freezer 5 minutes before cutting.

Peel parchment loose from both sides, but leave cookies resting on parchment. Cut cookies into your preferred shapes.

If your dough becomes soft while cutting shapes, slide parchment onto a baking sheet and chill it in the fridge or freezer for 5–10 minutes. The cookies will be much easier to move when cold and firm.

Transfer cutouts to parchment lined baking sheet. Return to freezer 10 minutes before baking.

Bake at 350° Fahrenheit (177° Celsius, Gas mark 4) for 11-13 minutes. Cool on baking sheet.

Shaping the dough

One of the best things about this recipe is its flexibility and efficiency. Shape the dough based on how you plan to use the cookies!

Round, square or rectangular wafer cookies - Perfect for icebox cakes, ice cream sandwiches, and sandwich cookies. I often use a square or rectangular cutter for straight-sided pans—cookies with straight sides fit together more neatly with less wasted space.

No square or rectangle cutter? No problem. Roll the dough into a large slab and use a ruler and knife to cut straight lines horizontally and vertically. Gather and re-roll the scraps as needed. After baking and cooling, carefully snap or cut the cookies apart.

One large slab for crumb crusts - Why cut out dozens of cookies if you're just going to crush them? I tested this dough several times as a single, large rolled-out slab, and it bakes beautifully. Once cooled, break it into chunks and pulse in a food processor or place in a zippered freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Use the crumbs for my chocolate crumb crust recipe. One batch yields just the right amount.

Cut-to-fit slabs for layered desserts – This method is great for recipes like chocotorta, where you need layers that fit your pan. It’s an incredible time saver! I rolled and baked one large slab, then used my 8-inch square pan as a guide to cut the pieces.

While you can measure and cut the slabs after baking like I did in the photos, I actually recommend doing it before baking so that you can re-roll your dough scraps for more precise additional layers.

A baked slab of chocolate wafer cookie.

Measuring the base of the pan for a tight fit.

A cut sheet of chocolate wafer cookie.

A full layer of wafer cookie for layered desserts. The perfect fit!

Note: Some wafer cookie recipes suggest forming a log, chilling, and slicing the dough. I recommend rolling and cutting instead. It gives you thin, evenly shaped cookies that bake up crisp and uniform at ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick.

Frequently asked questions

Serving ideas

Wondering how to use chocolate wafer cookies? Here are some delicious ways to enjoy them:

Crusts – Use these wafers in place of Oreos or other store-bought cookies to make homemade chocolate wafer cookie crust that's rich and flavorful. Because these cookies have a different fat content than packaged wafers, it's important to follow my tested recipe to get the right butter-to-crumb ratio.

Icebox cakes – Icebox cakes are a simple, refreshing no-bake dessert. Layer chocolate wafers with lightly sweetened whipped cream or pudding, then chill for several hours so the cookies soften and absorb the filling.

Chocotorta – I originally developed chocolate wafer biscuits to recreate the classic Argentine no-bake dessert, chocotorta. It’s made with coffee-soaked wafers layered with a creamy mix of dulce de leche and cream cheese. It's magical.

Ice cream sandwiches – Sandwich softened ice cream (like this peanut butter ice cream) between two wafers. Freeze until firm, and wrap in foil or plastic if storing for more than a day.

Sandwich cookies – Pipe buttercream icing between two wafers for a decadent sandwich cookie. Try a half batch of dark chocolate buttercream, or go rich with salted caramel buttercream.

Equipment

Dough rolling guides – For the crispiest wafer cookies, roll the dough to a consistent ⅛ inch (3 mm) thickness. I use acrylic pastry guides from Fat Daddio’s—they come in three sizes and let me use my favorite rolling pin while keeping the dough even.

No guides? Two stacked US pennies are exactly ⅛ inch tall—perfect for a quick thickness check.

Cookie cutters – I typically use a 2-inch round or 2½-inch square cutter when making cut-out wafers.

Storage

Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

The dough can also be made ahead. Wrap it well and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost in the fridge, then let come to room temperature before rolling.

Consider baking a double batch and freezing the extra—it's a great way to always have chocolate wafer cookies ready for your next dessert!

Recipe Tips

Loosen the dough from both sides of the parchment before cutting your cookies. Peel off the top layer, replace it loosely, then flip the dough and remove the bottom sheet completely. This keeps the cutouts from sticking and makes transferring them easy.

Dark cookies can be hard to judge by color alone. For these, trust your nose. When your kitchen smells like rich, buttery chocolate, they're ready to come out of the oven. They should no longer be glossy, and a gentle press in the center should feel set and not leave a deep indent.

These cookies are fragile straight from the oven and will firm up as they cool. Resist the urge to move them too soon. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet first.

These cookies make an excellent crumb crust—but they don’t follow the usual rules. Their higher fat content means you’ll need less butter than most crust recipes call for. Use my tested chocolate cookie crust recipe to get the perfect texture and balance.

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