ENDANGERED SPECIES: Last bag of Jackson's Vanilla Wafers on the shelf at a Little Rock Kroger store.Kat Robinson
Jackson’s Vanilla Wafers, in their clear bags with the red, white and blue logo, have been part of my life since the company started. The bags would appear any time banana pudding was to be conjured, or a crust needed to be made for my brother’s favorite pie.
But those crispy cookies are disappearing from store shelves for good.
This month, Murray Foods, which has owned the Jackson brand since 2004, discontinued the last of the Jackson line of cookies. The bags on shelves right now are the last of the vanilla wafers.
I spoke with a representative for Ferrero Roche, which owns Murray Foods, on Friday and another today to confirm the discontinuation. Both said there are no plans to bring the cookies back, and one suggested I use Nabisco vanilla sandwich cookies in any recipe that had called for the wafers.
Jackson Cookie Company originated in North Little Rock in 1933, producing a varietyof cookies, including chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate fudge, Jackson Jumbles (a much beloved lemon flavored cookie) and vanilla wafers. Before its plant in the city closed in January 2004, the sweet scents would permeate the downtown area.
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Once added to the Kellogg’s Family of Brands (which includes Murray Foods Cookies) in 2004, the Jackson’s cookie line dwindled, with the popular Jackson Jumbles leaving the market around 2013. In summer 2019, Ferrero Roche acquired Kellogg’s cookie and snack lines.
A survey of local grocery stores finds dwindling supplies of Jackson’s Vanilla Wafers, right before Christmas. Kroger stores in the area have already discounted the discontinued product.
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A Facebook post I shared on the subject last night has brought virtual online wails of despair from the public, with disbelief a common thread.
If you’d like to share your views on Ferrero Roche’s decision to do away with Jackson’s Vanilla Wafers, you may call their toll-free line, 866-866-3085. Comments are being recorded.
The popular cookies have been discontinued by Murray Foods, a division of Ferrero Rocher, as of this month, ending the history of an Arkansas company's famed line of sweet fare. Jackson's Cookie Company began in downtown North Little Rock in 1933.
They stopped making them a few years back, around 2021. The US. They were discontinued in Canada. There is a comparable version at Bulk Barn called KinniKinnick gluten free vanilla wafers.
The brand was absorbed into the Kellogg's family of foods. Over time, different Jackson's cookie lines were discontinued, with Jackson Jumbles disappearing in 2013.
But those crispy cookies are disappearing from store shelves for good. This month, Murray Foods, which has owned the Jackson brand since 2004, discontinued the last of the Jackson line of cookies.
Great Value (Walmart): The clear favorite among tasters, these wafers have the best vanilla flavor overall and a delicate crunch. Bud's Best (Edwards): Made in Alabama, these crunchy wafers border on toasty (they hold up great in pudding), with present vanilla flavor that ranked them second overall among tasters.
The Jackson Cookie Company opened in North Little Rock in 1933 during the Great Depression. The business partners were Joseph Conlee “J. C.” Jackson, C. R. Jackson, and W. A. Jackson. Its first establishment was on Seventh Street, later moving to 113 South Olive Street in North Little Rock.
The name is a shortened version of vanilla, the flavor profile common to all Nilla-branded products. Originally marketed as Nabisco Vanilla Wafers, the product's name was changed in 1967 to the abbreviated form, Nilla Wafer.
Sometimes during the baking process, a drop of wafer batter can drip onto the next wafer, creating a dark spot of burnt wafer. This is completely harmless to consume.
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Kat Robinson
