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Homemade Animal Crackers

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A platter of zoo animal cookies in paper cups

Homemade animal crackers – a fun and easy baking project for kids of all ages!

I grew up baking with my mother and grandmother, starting at a very young age. My whole life those food memories have held a special place in my heart. I’m grateful Mom took the time to share her baking knowledge with me, and all those amazing recipes, too!

Now’s the time to create some food memories with your little ones!

This recipe for a not-to-sweet cut-out cookie is a great one to start with. Our easy recipe was created to mimic the animal crackers from my childhood. Do you remember Barnum’s Animal Crackers in a box that looked like a train car with caged circus animals? After 115 years Nabisco did a great thing and redesigned the box freeing the animals from the cages, after some encouragement from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.)

While our treats are a little more cookie than cracker, they’re delicious and loved by all. With a small size and big vanilla flavor, these homemade animal crackers are great for snacking. And what kid doesn’t love to play with their food?

 

Zoo animal cookie stamps in 4 designs and colors

These simple animal crackers are a great recipe to try with your budding bakers!

Our animal cracker recipe is simple to make:

  • Mix the butter and sugar together;
  • Add an egg and vanilla;
  • Blend in the dry ingredients;
  • Refrigerate the dough before rolling out into your favorite shapes.

The cookie dough is easy to work with so it’s great for little hands. The dough holds its shape when baked, making it perfect for detailed cut-outs. If you are using larger cookie cutters, adjust the baking time accordingly.

 

An overhead view of 4 zoo animal cookie stamps

These inexpensive and adorable animal cookie cutters/stamps make perfect sized treats, too.

I bought these cookie cutters from Amazon and have seen them sold on the King Arthur Flour website for the same price. The spring-loaded stamp presses beautiful designs into cookie dough, pie crust and even fondant. Animal crackers make cute decorations for birthday cakes, and are great for grab-and-go treat bags for the kiddos.

 

Animal crackers in paper muffin cups on a platter

For crisp animal crackers, roll the dough a little thinner, bake longer, or both.

There are many ways to use this dough, but my favorite is to use stamps to make detailed cookies like these. Since the dough holds its shape when baked, it’s perfect for just about any design. Roll the dough at least 1/4-inch thick for the most pronounced design.

 

 

A platter filled with homemade animal crackers

Can the animal cracker cookie dough be made ahead of time?

Absolutely! Make this cookie dough up to 24 hours in advance. When taking it out of the fridge you’ll need to let it rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to soften before rolling. If you roll it out and the dough breaks and splits, give it a few more minutes to soften and try again.

Can these animal crackers be frozen?

These cookies freeze very well. Cool completely then seal in an airtight container. The cookies will keep well for up to three months in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

 

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A platter of homemade animal crackers in decorative muffin cups

 

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PRINT THE RECIPE!

5 from 3 votes

Homemade Animal Crackers

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 55 mins
Course: Dessert
Author: Tricia
PRINT RECIPE
Lightly sweet cookies cut into little animal shapes for kids of all ages!

Equipment

  • Cookie Cutters
  • rolling pin

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (343g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (6oz or 170g)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (115g)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix just until blended. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula; mix again until incorporated.
  • Add half the flour mixture and blend on low until combined. Blend in the remaining flour and beat until incorporated. Divide the dough in half and form each into a disk, about 1-inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to one hour.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for 5 - 10 minutes or until pliable. On a large piece of parchment paper or wax paper, roll a portion of the dough out to ¼-inch thick. Cut into animal shapes and place about 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Once the pan is filled, bake while cutting out the remaining dough.
  • Gather scraps and either re-roll or refrigerate until chilled. Repeat with remaining disk of dough until all cookies have been cut out.
  • Bake for 8 to 12 minutes (depending on thickness) or until the bottoms are browned. Remove to a cooling rack. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

  • Freeze cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 2895kcal | Carbohydrates: 360g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 144g | Saturated Fat: 88g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 37g | Trans Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 525mg | Sodium: 1253mg | Potassium: 450mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 119g | Vitamin A: 4436IU | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 15mg

Here are a few more recipes you might enjoy:

 

A plate of cut-out sugar cookies in the shape of flowers

Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

 

 

Spritz Cookies on a platter

Spritz Cookies

 

A platter of chocolate sandwich cookies

 

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14 Comments

  1. Pam says

    January 22, 2021 at 11:57 pm

    Great recipe. Wondering if I can use the same recipe for making hand crafted 3D cookies.

    reply to this comment >
    • Tricia Buice says

      January 23, 2021 at 8:45 am

      Thanks Pam. I haven’t tried using this recipe for 3-D cookies. I know for sure our Cut-Out Sugar Cookie recipe will work for 3-D cookies. That recipe is perfect 🙂

      reply to this comment >
  2. Lea says

    January 16, 2021 at 9:25 am

    I haven’t tried the recipe but I was wondering about how many cookies does this recipe yield. I think I’m planning on getting the same cookie cutters.
    Thanks so much!

    reply to this comment >
    • Tricia Buice says

      January 16, 2021 at 12:34 pm

      Hi Lea. I believe there were more than 50 cookies using those cookie stamps. It also depends on how thick you roll out the dough. Enjoy!

      reply to this comment >
  3. Joy says

    October 7, 2020 at 10:49 pm

    5 stars
    I followed the recipe and weighed the flour and sugar. I added 1/2 tablespoon of butter because the dough was crumbling. They don’t taste like Animal Crackers. They taste like Danish Butter Cookies. My family loves them.

    reply to this comment >
    • Tricia Buice says

      October 8, 2020 at 9:06 am

      Hi Joy – thanks for the feedback and for trying the cookies.

      reply to this comment >
  4. William Page says

    August 17, 2020 at 1:37 am

    Thank you love cooking

    reply to this comment >
    • Tricia Buice says

      August 17, 2020 at 7:41 am

      Thank you William.

      reply to this comment >
  5. Chris Scheuer says

    March 30, 2020 at 3:28 pm

    5 stars
    So cute! What child, big or little, of any age, wouldn’t love these!
    I bought the woodland cutters a few weeks ago as my grandson is crazy about foxes and racoons but haven’t tried them yet! Now you’ve made me want to get going on that! ?

    reply to this comment >
    • Tricia Buice says

      April 1, 2020 at 10:51 am

      Thanks Chris – we’re having tons of fun with these stamps and even use them with playdough.

      reply to this comment >
  6. Mimi says

    March 30, 2020 at 11:35 am

    Oh goodness these are cute! My grand daughter would love to try these. I’m just not very adept at such a thing… But they’re cute!

    reply to this comment >
    • Tricia Buice says

      April 1, 2020 at 10:51 am

      Thank you Mimi. Try using the stamps with playdough – so fun!

      reply to this comment >
  7. Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says

    March 30, 2020 at 8:37 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely adorable and such a great project to do with the kids. Fun to make and delicious to eat 🙂

    reply to this comment >
    • Tricia Buice says

      April 1, 2020 at 10:50 am

      The kiddos really enjoyed these crackers Jennifer. These stamps are also terrific for playing with playdough 🙂

      reply to this comment >

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