These homemade cheesy goldfish crackers are so easy to make and packed with simple, everyday ingredients you probably already have at home. They’re perfect as a quick snack, tucked into lunchboxes, or packed up for fun days out at the park. Enjoy!
Goldfish crackers are such a fun little snack that kids love to munch on—whether at home, school, or the park. The store-bought versions may be convenient, but they’re often packed with preservatives and less-than-ideal oils, so they’re not always the best choice.
It’s actually super easy to make your own homemade goldfish crackers! Plus, it’s a great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen. I like using a cute fish-shaped cutter (easy to find online), and you can reuse it for other dough recipes, both sweet and savory.
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👩🏻🍳 Why you should try my recipe
- Easy to prepare with simple ingredients you already have in your pantry.
- Suitable for toddlers and kids of all ages.
- Ready in under 30 minutes.
- Great for school and days out.
- You can get the kids involved into shaping the goldfish crackers.
🥘 Ingredients
To make these homemade goldfish crackers, we are going to need all-purpose flour, yellow cheddar cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, butter and cold water.
- Cheddar: Yellow cheddar is what gives these goldfish crackers their signature light orange color. If you use white cheddar instead, the crackers will turn out just as tasty, but with a lighter shade.
- Spices: I like to add a pinch of garlic and onion powder to give the crackers extra flavor and make them taste as close as possible to the originals.
- Butter: I’m using unsalted butter and water to bring all the ingredients together and form the dough.
For full quantities and to print the recipe, see the recipe card below.
🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
So get your ingredients ready and let's get started!
01. I start with grating the cheddar. I'm using a block of yellow cheddar, about 8 ounces, and grate it coarsely.
02. Next I add the grated cheese, flour, onion and garlic powder, salt and cubed butter to a food processor.
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04. Then I add two tablespoons of cold water and pulse a few more times until the mixture comes together into a dough. I press the dough into a round disc shape, wrap it in cling film, and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Chilling helps the dough firm up, making it much easier to roll and cut into shapes.
05. Then, I roll the dough out into ⅛ inch thickness and I start cutting it using my fish cutter.
06. I place the fish on a lined baking tray, leaving about a finger space between them. It usually takes about 2 trays for the whole dough. I place the first tray in the oven and while they bake, I shape the rest.
07. The goldfish crackers need about 12–15 minutes in the oven to turn golden and crisp. Once you take them out, let them rest for 5 minutes, they’ll be soft while warm but firm up as they cool.
🍽 Serving suggestions
These goldfish crackers make a great snack alongside veggie sticks and hummus. They’re also perfect for packing into lunchboxes or taking along for days out at the park.
🧰 Storage
Once they’ve cooled a bit, transfer the goldfish crackers from the tray into an open container. Leave it uncovered for 1–2 hours to cool completely, then seal with a lid. They’ll keep well on the countertop for up to a week.
❓ FAQ
Yes, you can! They won’t have the same bright yellow color, but they’ll still be just as cheesy and delicious.
You will get about 180-190 goldfish crackers using the quantities in this recipe.
If you tried these goldfish crackers or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📋 Recipe
Homemade Goldfish Crackers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz yellow cheddar (225gr)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (130gr)
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)
Instructions
- Grate the cheddar cheese and place it in a food processor.
- Add the garlic and onion powder, flour, salt and butter cut into cubes.
- Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Add 2 tablespoons of cold water. Pulse until the mixture comes together.
- Form a round disc by pressing the dough together. Wrap with cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Roll the dough out into thickness about ⅕ inch. Cut it into goldfish shape using a fish cutter.
- Place the fish on a lined baking tray, leaving about a finger space between them.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes in a preheated oven set to 350℉ / 180℃.
- Let them sit for 4–5 minutes to cool down before removing them from the tray.
Video
Notes
- You could use white cheddar instead of yellow.
- You could skip the salt for younger kids.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Nutrition
🥣 More to try
If you liked my homemade goldfish crackers recipe, you should try some of these recipes too:
Julia Droulia
I really loved creating this recipe and post for you; I hope you make it and enjoy it as much as I do. Please leave me a comment here and share your feedback with a star rating as well