I don’t think I’m alone in my ever-so-slight embarrassment about being a fan of the Nilla Wafer. They are like the frozen burritos of cookies: You don’t particularly crave them, yet every time you’re checking out at the grocery store, there they are. They get eaten. And not because they’re the only things available; it’s because they are sneakily delicious. This is a tried-and-true cookie icon, no matter what anyone says.

　　

Ingredients

makes 48

　　2 1/2 cups oat flour

　　1 cup vegan sugar

　　2 teaspoons baking powder

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　1/4 teaspoon baking soda

　　1/3 cup melted refined coconut oil or canola oil

　　1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

　　1/4 cup vanilla extract

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

　　

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add the coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until the dough is smooth.

　　

Step 3

Drop the dough by the teaspoonful onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, gently press on each cookie to flatten it slightly. Bake for 5 minutes, rotate the pans, and bake for 4 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Let stand on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before serving.

　　Reprinted December 9, 2011, with permission from Babycakes Covers the Classics by Erin McKenna, © 2011 Clarkson Potter. Buy the full book at Penguin Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.