Homemade Healthy Goldfish Crackers

These homemade healthy goldfish crackers are so simple to make! They taste just like the store ones but contain only 3 ingredients!

I shared a recipe for homemade cheez-it crackers and was inspired to make a similar variation for goldfish. I was a little hesitant to try it out because I didn't want to spend a long time cutting out small fish shapes from a dough, but I found this 5-in-one fish cutter that cuts out 5 small goldfish shapes at once! I’ve made these crackers with my toddler several times and he loves getting a chance to cut out the fish shapes and count off how many there are. Counting goldfish is a fun math activity, and getting to eat them is even more fun 😉 If you love store bought goldfish crackers, you’ll love this easy to make homemade version!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Here is what you’ll need to make these homemade healthy goldfish crackers:

• Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Use a good quality cheese for best results.
• All Purpose Flour: Main component for the dough.
• Butter: Adds moisture and fats to the cheese dough.
• Cold Water: Use as needed to help moisten the dough.

PROCESS

1. Add the shredded cheese, flour, and butter to a food processor or blender and pulse it in increments until it forms into a grainy, sand-like texture. 
2. Add the mixture to a bowl and knead it to form a dough. Add one tablespoon of ice-cold water if needed to help moisture the dough. The amount of water needed will vary depending on the temperature of the environment.
3. Form a disc with the dough, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface ⅛ to ¼ of an inch thick. Use a small cookie cutter to cut out small shapes from the dough. You can also use a pizza slicer to slice the dough into small square-shaped crackers.
5. Gather the scraps, re-roll the dough and cut out more cracker shapes. Repeat this process until all of the dough is used up.
6. Bake the crackers at 350 degrees F for about 10 or until the edges are slightly brown. The total cook time will depend on the thickness of your crackers. Keep a very close eye on the crackers as they can burn quickly. Let them cool completely before serving.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Once cooled, store the crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. 

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Cheddar cheese: You may substitute cheddar cheese with another type of cheese. Try to use a cheese that is low moisture for best results. I tried this recipe out with a 4-cheese Mexican blend and obtained good results.
• All purpose flour: All purpose flour may be replaced with whole wheat flour, but the texture of the crackers may vary slightly.
• Butter: The butter may be replaced with a plant based butter.
• Optional Add Ins* Feel free to add in extra spices and seasonings for a little more flavor and taste!

RECIPE NOTES

• Use a good quality cheese when making these crackers. I’ve made this both with pre-shredded packaged cheese and cheese grated from a block and have had success both times. 
• Keep a very close eye on these crackers as they are baking so that they do not burn. The bake time will vary depending on the thickness of the crackers, so check on them after a few minutes!
• The crackers will harden as they cool.
• Feel free to add in other spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, etc. for a little added flavor!
• I used this 5-in-one fish shape cutter to cut out 5 fish cracker shapes at a time, but you can use anything that you have on hand!
• I love serving these crackers in a portable mini snack holder!

Here are some other fun, snacks that are great for on the go that you may like!

• Carrot Cake Muffins
• Spinach Apple Baby Puffs
• Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Cookies

📖 Recipe