Homemade Animal Crackers (Gluten-Free + Naturally Sweetened)
Homemade Gluten-Free Animal Crackers sweetened with pure maple syrup and free from artificial colors, gums, or preservatives. This better than store-bought snack is mom and kid-approved and perfect for lunchboxes, stroller rides, and park dates.
Homemade Animal Crackers (Gluten-Free + Naturally Sweetened)
Buttery, lightly sweet animal crackers that crunch like the nostalgic classics—without the gluten and refined sugar (but you’d never know).
Minimal ingredients, maximum flavor. These gluten-free animal crackers are a nostalgic favorite—fun to make with kids and perfect for lunch boxes or snack jars. 🐘🦒🍪
- 🍪 Mini Animal Cookie Cutters: Create adorable, bakery-style shapes that bake evenly every time.
- 🌾 Gluten-Free Flour Blend: Use a 1:1 cup-for-cup flour for the perfect crisp without the gluten.
- 🌼 Vanilla Bean Paste: Adds rich, gourmet flavor that takes these simple cookies up a notch.
Together, they make a simple dough that rolls, cuts, and bakes beautifully—no gritty texture or weird aftertaste. Just buttery, crunchy goodness.
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Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (180 g)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Directions
- In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the softened butter and maple syrup on high until smooth and fluffy.
- Add vanilla, cinnamon, and salt; beat on medium to combine. Scrape the bowl.
- Add flour and mix on low just until a dough forms.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Dust your work surface with GF flour; roll dough to ¼ in (6 mm) for cookie-style crunch or ⅛ in (3 mm) for classic cracker snap.
- Cut out shapes with mini animal cutters, re-rolling scraps once.
- Transfer cutouts to the prepared sheet, spacing about ½ in apart.
- Bake 8–9 minutes until edges are just barely golden. Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips: Chill dough 1 hour before rolling for easier handling.
Storage: Store cooled crackers in an airtight jar at room temp up to 1 week, or freeze up to 2 months.
Flavor spins:
- Chocolate: add 1 Tbsp cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.
- Citrus: stir in ½ tsp finely grated orange zest.
- Ginger Snap: replace cinnamon with ⅛ tsp nutmeg + ⅛ tsp ginger.
