Aren’t these so sweet? Almost dainty like, right? They’re probably the most fun cracker to both bake up and eat. I love the fact that these take me back to being 10 years old with not a care in the world…other than what was on the agenda for my summer. Sounds so nice, right? These crackers take you back to that carefree mindset. Not only that but they’re so darn delicious. Sweet, but not overly sugary, soft, but with a little cracker-like crunch. Then finished with the sweetest, all-natural, no die berry-filled glazed. Summer cracker perfection. I could not love these animals more.
Truth is that I’ve been wanting to try my hand at homemade animal crackers for years. Every time I thought about baking them though, I never had the right cookie cutter. I finally bought this cute cookie cutter set and last weekend Asher and I made homemade animal crackers. It took us an entire Sunday, BUT it was the perfect summer baking project to keep her laughing, snacking, and having fun. I could not think of a better way to spend a stormy summer weekend day than baking animal crackers with my favorite little sister. Asher’s been bored out of her mind since school got out. So she’s been spending time with me at the studio lending a helping hand in the kitchen. As mentioned in Sunday’s favorites post, she’s actually been a huge help, but these crackers were all about having fun. It was the perfect easy baking project that Asher could mostly do all on her own. So, if you have young kids that are bored this summer, bake these crackers with them. They’re easy, so fun to create, and even better to enjoy once baked and frosted.
So, what exactly is an animal cracker made up of? Honestly, it’s just a simple glazed sugar cookie. Nothing fancy, but yet we all love them so much. I wanted to make these crackers more of a snack and less of an all-out dessert. So I used only a touch of brown sugar and a squeeze of honey. I won’t go as far as saying these are health food. But when compared to the store-bought variety, these crackers are much healthier…and so much better tasting too. Meaning, these crackers have flavor and texture!! YESS.
The dough is a simple sugar cookie dough, but it’s flavored throughout with honey, vanilla, and cinnamon. Not classic in an animal cracker, but you guys, trust me, these flavors are GOOD. They take boring tasting animals crackers to DELICIOUS and ADDICTING. So add the flavors. Now, once you have the dough made, roll it out and cut into your favorite animal shapes. Again, I used this cookie cutter set, but you can use whatever your heart (or you kids) desire. Just be sure to keep the shapes all similar in size so that they bake up evenly together. Our favorite animals were the elephants and dolphins, but we really wish we would’ve had a lion.
For the glaze, I knew I wanted to color it, but I also knew I wanted to steer clear of food coloring. It’s always something that has freaked me out a bit, because like, what on earth is it really, you know? Instead of food coloring, I ended up using in-season berries to color the glaze, and it turned out SO CUTE. In love with the dainty pink, purple, and grey/blue colors we got using the juice from strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
Not only did the berries color the glaze, but they added a very subtle berry flavor. Both Asher and I found the berry glaze to be the perfect balance to the cinnamony crackers. If sprinkles are your thing, top with your favorites. They do add a cute factor, but personally, we much prefer our crackers au naturel.
Highly recommend baking these crackers if you need to destress. Or if you need to entertain your kids. Or if you just need to feel 10 years old again and enjoy some animal crackers and re-runs of Friends. Either which way, just make these soon. They do take a few minutes to make, but they’re so easy, beyond delicious and the most fun way to spend an afternoon… Serious question: did you eat animal crackers growing up? My mom would occasionally buy the unfrosted crackers, but honestly, I don’t remember eating them much. How about you guys?
If you make these homemade animal crackers, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
