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Easiest Animal Crackers Recipe

If you use larger cookie cutters, you may need to bake on the longer end of the baking time—and mini cookie cutters on the shorter end. This makes a relatively small batch, so double it if you want extras to last all week!
Course Snacks
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Servings 12 (Makes about 2 dozen very small cookies)
Calories 79kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole-wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Place all ingredients into a bowl and use your hand to mix together to form a dough. (If the dough is a little crumbly, be sure that it’s throughly combined and then if it’s still crumbly, add 1/2-1 tablespoon additional milk until it comes together.)
  • Make a flattened disc of dough.
  • Roll the dough ¼-inch thick between two pieces of lightly floured pieces of parchment paper. (The flour will ensure that the cut outs are easy to move.)
  • Cut out the dough with a cookie cutter and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 7-9 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. 
  • Remove from the oven, let cool on the baking sheet for a minute, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature.
  • You can also store any dough you don't bake in a zip top plastic bag, tightly sealed and with as much air removed as possible, for up to a week in the fridge. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling out to allow it to soften up.
  • I prefer to roll the dough out between parchment paper since it's easy, but you can also do it by coating the rolling pin with a little flour to prevent sticking.
  • You can use all-purpose flour if you prefer or if that's what you have. I like the flavor from whole-wheat, but both will work.
  • We like to make them using mini cookie cutters, but any size will work.
  • Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 style of gluten-free baking mix in place of the wheat flour.
  • Dairy-free: Use nondairy milk and softened coconut oil in place of the butter.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cookies | Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg