Little crackers for little people

As a mommy to a toddler, I am always looking for healthy snack options for my little guy.There are tons of snacks for kids, however, they are either too salty/sweet to be healthy, but too healthy to be tasty. One of my little guy's favorite snack is the good old goldfish cracker, the little orange little fish that we all grew up eating. They are not especially bad for you, but I do find them a little too salty. In my search for a healthier option, I found this great recipe and blog.

Whole Wheat Goldfish (dog done & teddy bear) crackers adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated cheese (the recipe called for cheddar, but I only had mozzarella, and it was just fine)
4 tablespoons  butter
1/2 cup  whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon table salt (No need for too much salt, the cheese is already salty)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, running the machine until the dough forms a ball, about two minutes.


On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick.

Gently transfer crackers to a cookie sheet (I lined mine with a Silpat, but parchment paper would work too) with a 1/2 inch between them. Bake the crackers on the middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are barely browned at the edges. Remove from the oven and set the cookie sheet on a rack to cool.

It was impossible to find goldfish cutters anywhere, so I settled on mini dog bone and teddy bear crackers instead. This recipe made enough to feed 4 hungry toddlers and a few hungry mommies too! It was a big hit at our recent playdate.  It was easy to make, I had all the ingredients at home already, and even cheaper than the bulk goldfish crackers from Costco! Although they are not as salty than the real thing, it tasted a lot of better, they were really cheesy and the texture was flaky and buttery.

I am never going to be one of those moms who serve only organic food, but at least it's good to know that with a little bit of work, there is healthy and tasty snack options for my little one! I am ready to whip up a new batch tomorrow!

This recipe is Tyler approved!