These Homemade Animal Crackers are easy 5-ingredient crunchy whole wheat cookies that kids love. They are healthier than the store-bought version, containing 3 times less sugar and no refined sugar.

My kids love simple cookies and sweet crackers like my Healthy Sugar Cookies and they asked me for a batch of animal-shaped cookies in the shop. Store-bought cookies like this are loaded with sugar, made with very refined ingredients, and quite expensive for what they are. You know me, I had to make my version!

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Homemade Animal Crackers

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 30 cookies

Calories: 34 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

▢ 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour - or All-purpose flour (note 1)
▢ 4 tablespoons Dairy-Free Butter (Unsalted) - softened at room temperature (note 2)
▢ 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup - (note 3)
▢ 2 tablespoons Unrefined Cane Sugar - (note 4)
▢ 2 tablespoons Almond Milk - (note 5)

Optional flavors and extra sweeteness

▢ 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
▢ ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
▢ ⅛ teaspoon Salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a large baking sheet with lightly oiled parchment paper. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients including any of the optional ingredients to flavor the cookies, stir with a rubber spatula at first, then, when it starts to look dry, squeeze the dough with your hands to form a cookie dough ball. If too dry, add a little extra milk, if too wet add a bit more flour.
Lightly flour a work surface, add the dough, and press into a disc, sprinkle a little extra flour on top of the disc to prevent the rolling pin from sticking to the dough.
Roll into a 1/4 inch thick then cut with animal cookie cutter.
Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, keeping them half a thumb apart, and use the cookie cutter to mark the animal shape on top of each cookie.
Bake the cookies for 12-16 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until golden brown. The longer you bake them, the harder and crunchier they will be, play with baking time to reach your favorite texture.
Cool down on a cooling rack for 1 hour before serving. The crackers firm up as they cool.

Notes

Note 1: You can also swap for all-purpose flour. I didn’t try gluten-free flour for this recipe.

Note 2: If you use dairy in your kitchen, unsalted butter works as well. Margarine will work as well. Coconut oil won’t be a good fit, the cookies shrink back with oil and loses their shape.

Note 3: Any liquid sweetener can be used like coconut nectar or agave syrup.

Note 4: Sugar and brown sugar work as well and deliver the same level of crunchiness. If you use coconut sugar, the texture of the cookies is softer.

Note 5: Any milk work for this recipe.

Storage: Store the animal crackers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze them for up to 1 month in sealed Ziploc bags. Thaw at room temperature the day before.

Equipment

Animal Cookie Cutter Press

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Nutrition

Ingredients and Substitutions

This paragraph gives you all my tips about picking the right ingredients. For the full recipe with measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!Go to Full Recipe

You only need 5 base ingredients to make these cookies, and you can add some optional ones for different flavors.

Wholewheat Flour (or All-Purpose Flour) – This is the base and brings fiber to the crackers, giving them a hearty texture. You can use all-purpose flour for a lighter result, but avoid gluten-free flours if you’re not experienced with their behavior in this recipe.
Dairy-Free Butter – This brings the needed fat and moisture for tenderness and crispness. Use any high-quality vegan butter or unsalted dairy butter if you’re not avoiding dairy; avoid coconut oil as it can cause the cookies to shrink and lose shape.
Maple Syrup – This natural sweetener helps bind the dough while keeping the recipe refined-sugar free. Agave syrup or coconut nectar work as alternatives, though they might subtly change the flavor.
Unrefined Cane Sugar – To add extra crunch and help with browning and boosting the crispiness. While brown sugar can be used, it gives a softer texture; stick with unrefined cane sugar for that ideal crunch.
Almond Milk – It adds moisture to form a cohesive dough without overpowering the flavors. Any plant-based milk works, though almond milk’s light, nutty profile is particularly well-suited here.
Vanilla Extract – To boost the flavor. You can swap it for almond extract for a nuttier twist, but using too much can alter the intended flavor balance.

How to Make Homemade Animal Crackers

This is a really easy recipe to make. Here’s how in pictures.

Homemade Animal Cracker ingredients in a bowl.

Combine the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Homemade Animal Cracker dough in a mixing bowl.

Work the dough until it makes a soft and consistent dough ball.

Rolling the Homemade Animal Cracker dough.

Flatten the dough ball with a rolling pin into a large thin disc.

Use animal cookie cutters to form cookies and re-roll leftover dough to make more cookies.

Pressing the animal shapes on the Homemade Animal Crackers

Place the cookies on a cookie sheet and press the animal shapes to give them their look.

Homemade Animal Crackers ready to bake on a cookie sheet.

Bake the cookies for 12-16 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).

Carine’s Baking Tips

I have a few more tips to share that can help you make the best possible cookies.

Use softened dairy-free butter at room temperature for easy mixing; cold butter won’t blend well and may result in a crumbly dough.
Pre-mix all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt) thoroughly to ensure an even flavor distribution.
Adjust the dough consistency: add a splash more almond milk if too dry, or a bit more flour if too wet.
Roll the dough evenly to a 1/4-inch thickness to ensure uniform baking; uneven thickness may lead to over- or under-baked crackers.
Use fun animal-shaped cookie cutters and, if desired, press a pattern on top of each cracker for extra charm.
For ultra-crunchy crackers, extend the baking time slightly (around 14-16 minutes) but keep a close eye to prevent over-browning.
Allow the crackers to cool completely on a rack for at least an hour—the cooling process is key to achieving maximum crispiness.
If you’re in the mood for extra decoration, try icing them with a simple royal icing recipe once cooled.
Store your finished animal crackers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month to keep them crisp.