Benne Wafers
Quick Bite
Benne wafers are thin, crisp Charleston cookies made with sesame seeds, butter, sugar, and a little Lowcountry history in every snap. They are nutty, delicate, sweet, and traditionally linked with good luck.
History
Benne wafers are one of Charleston’s most iconic sweets. “Benne” is an old Lowcountry word for sesame, and sesame seeds arrived in the region through the foodways of enslaved Africans, who brought deep knowledge of the crop and its uses.
In the Lowcountry, benne became more than a seed. It appeared in breads, sweets, rice dishes, and sauces, and it became tied to West African traditions of luck, prosperity, and hospitality. The tiny cookie we now call the benne wafer carries that much larger story inside a very small bite.
Charleston bakeries helped turn benne wafers into a signature souvenir and tea-table treat. Olde Colony Bakery in Mount Pleasant is one of the classic names associated with the cookie and describes itself as home of the original Charleston benne wafer.
A good benne wafer should be crisp, thin, buttery, and deeply sesame-forward. It should not feel like a sugar cookie with seeds sprinkled in as an afterthought. The benne is the whole point.
Fun Facts
- Benne is an old Lowcountry word for sesame.
- Benne seeds are traditionally associated with good luck.
- A proper benne wafer should be thin, crisp, and full of toasted sesame flavor.
Where to Try
The classic Charleston-area source for original-style benne wafers and Lowcountry specialty baked goods.
A Lowcountry specialty-food source offering benne wafers and Charleston gift foods.
A historic Southern cookie company with Charleston-area shops where benne wafers and other regional cookies fit right into the Lowcountry sweets tradition.
About the Game
This recipe is part of Van Life Challenge, a travel-themed board game from Gray Dog Games where players explore the United States, discover regional foods, and collect memorable experiences along the way.
Each featured food celebrates a real place, a local flavor, and the kind of delicious roadside discovery that makes every trip feel like an adventure.
Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 325°F.
- Toast the seeds: Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Cool.
- Cream butter and sugar: Cream the brown sugar and butter until smooth.
- Add egg and vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients: Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Fold in sesame: Fold in the toasted sesame seeds.
- Portion: Drop very small spoonfuls of batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving plenty of space between them.
- Bake: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until flat, lacy, and golden brown.
- Cool: Cool on the baking sheet for a minute, then transfer carefully to a rack.
