Chocolate Wafer Cookies
These homemade chocolate wafer cookies are simple to make, deeply flavorful, and an ideal 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, in icebox cakes, or as a base for no-bake pies, tarts and cheesecakes. Plus, with my slab-baking shortcut, you can skip the cookie cutting and still get perfect crumbs for a chocolate wafer crust.
Servings 34 round cookies at 2 inches each
Equipment
- Pastry guides (3 mm, ⅛ inch thick)
Ingredients
- 100 grams all purpose flour
- 15 grams cocoa powder Dutch process, sifted
- 10 grams black cocoa powder sifted
- 54 grams granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda sifted
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal
- 56 grams unsalted butter melted (warm, not hot)
- 15 mL vegetable oil neutral flavored
- 5 mL vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177° Celsius, Gas mark 4).
- Add flour, cocoa powders, sugar, baking soda and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until fully combined.100 grams all purpose flour, 15 grams cocoa powder, 10 grams black cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 54 grams granulated sugar
- Add melted butter, oil and vanilla.56 grams unsalted butter, 15 mL vegetable oil, 5 mL vanilla extract
- Pulse until wet ingredients are fully incorporated. Scrape bottom of food processor well to mix in all butter.See notes in recipe card for a crucial step on checking the dough's texture before proceeding.
- Turn dough out onto a large rectangular 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. Remove top layer of parchment (save it for step 8.) *If using the large slab method for cookie crumbs, skip cutting steps and proceed straight to step 9.
- Move dough on parchment base to baking sheet and place in freezer 5 minutes before cutting.
- Place reserved parchment back onto dough and flip over. Peel off the now-top layer of parchment. Cut cookies into your preferred shapes. Transfer cutouts to parchment lined baking sheet.
- Return baking sheet to freezer 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake at 350° Fahrenheit (177° Celsius, Gas mark 4) for 12-13 minutes. Cool on baking sheet.
Notes
Equipment
- Pastry Guides: These are essential for rolling your dough to the perfect ⅛-inch thickness. I use and love Fat Daddio acrylic pastry guides. Using guides will give you a professional, uniform result. No guides? For a quick thickness check, two US pennies stacked together are also ⅛" thick.
- No Food Processor? You can use a stand mixer or mix by hand. Be sure to sift the flour, cocoa powders, and baking soda first for even distribution.
- Planning a Larger Batch? You can use a food processor for up to 2x the recipe without overloading the bowl. For up to 4x the recipe, use a stand mixer.
- Cocoa Substitution: You can substitute Dutch-process cocoa for the black cocoa, but you won't achieve the signature deep color or rich taste without it.
- Before you roll out the dough, press a small amount together with your fingers. If it feels smooth and holds together perfectly, you are all set.
- If it feels dry, crumbly, and won't stick together, your cocoa powder is exceptionally absorbent (this can happen with certain brands).
- The fix is simple: Add melted butter one teaspoon at a time, mixing for 15 seconds after each addition, until the dough comes together perfectly. Do not add more than 3 teaspoons (1 Tablespoon) of extra butter total.
- To prevent sticking: 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.
- Doneness: 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.
- Cooling: The 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.
- Baked Cookies: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Dough: 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 it come to room temperature before rolling.
- Pro-Tip: 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!
- If you're using this chocolate wafer cookie recipe to make a crumb crust, use my tested chocolate wafer crust recipe to get the perfect texture and balance. These wafers make an excellent crust, but they don't follow the usual rules—their higher fat content means you'll need less butter than most recipes call for.