Homemade Healthy Goldfish Crackers

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 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!

If you’re looking for more snack ideas that can double as snacktivities for your little ones, be sure to also try out these homemade cocoa puffs and these easy 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies!

• 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. Make sure to use cold butter.
• Cold Water: Use as needed to help moisten the dough.

Recipe Substitutions & Additions

• Cheddar cheese: You may substitute cheddar cheese with another type of cheese. Try to use a cheese that is low in 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. The amount of water needed to moisten the dough may also vary.
• 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!

Step by Step Instructions

STEP 1: Add the shredded cheese, flour, and butter to a food processor and pulse it in increments until it forms into a grainy, sand-like texture (Images 1 & 2). 

STEP 2: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of iced cold water to the food processor and pulse until it starts to form into a dough (Images 3 & 4). Avoid pulsing too much so that it doesn’t overpower the processor, just pulse until it starts coming together into a dough. The amount of water needed will vary depending on the temperature of the environment.

STEP 3: Place the dough mixture onto a surface and lightly knead it to come together (Image 5).

STEP 4: Form a disc with the dough, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes (Image 6).

STEP 5: 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 (Image 7). You can also use a pizza slicer to slice the dough into small square-shaped crackers.

STEP 6: Gather the scraps, re-roll the dough, and cut out more cracker shapes. Repeat this process until all of the dough is used up. Place the shapes on a parchment paper lined pan (Image 8).

STEP 7: Bake the crackers at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes 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.