Homemade Animal Crackers
Lightly sweetened with sweet honey, vanilla, and hints of cinnamon. Each mini animal cracker is dipped into a berry-colored glaze for a fun (natural) finish. Takes you back to being a kid!
Servings: 12 (60-80 total crackers)
Calories: 359kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) salted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Berry Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh berry juice, such as strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries*
- sprinkles, for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- 1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, honey, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, beat until combined and the dough forms a ball.2. Generously flour your work surface. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disk. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Make sure you're using enough flour or your dough will stick. Cut out the crackers using a mini animal cookie cutter. Carefully transfer the crackers to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet and place the sheet in the freezer, freeze until firm, about 10 minutes. Roll out the leftover scraps, and repeat with the remaining disk of dough.3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the crackers on the middle rack of the oven for 8-10 minutes (8 for softer, 10 for crunchier) or until just lightly golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.4. To make the glaze. In a medium bowl, beat together the powdered sugar and berry juice until smooth and drizzly. If needed, thin the glaze by adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until drizzly. 5. Dip the tops of crackers into the glaze, letting the excess drip off. Transfer to a wire rack and decorate as desired with sprinkles or edible flowers. Crackers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature.
Notes
*To make fresh berry juice, simply muddle/smash 1/4 cup of your favorite berry until it is completely broken down and juicy. Strain the juice through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the pulp. 1/4 cup fresh berries will yield 2-3 tablespoons juice.
**Alternately, you can color the glaze with food coloring and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract for flavor.
***Recommended Cookie Cutters: Kai Vegetable Cutters (I use these), Wilton Noah's Ark Metal Cookie Cutters, or StarPack Animal Cookie Cutters.
Nutrition
Calories: 359kcal