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Close up of gluten free goldfish, as well as other shapes in a wooden bowl.

Gluten Free Goldfish Crackers

Cheesy and crisp, these iconic crackers are easy to whip up, and make for a great snack or even to top soup or chili. Use different cheeses and herbs to create crackers for cocktails.
Course Snack
Cuisine North American
Keyword cheddar cheese, crackers, goldfish
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill time 30 minutes
Servings 100 crackers

Ingredients

  • 1 cup gluten free Cup for Cup flour blend, can use regular wheat flour instead
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more if you want to sprinkle the crackers prior to baking.
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp paprika, not Hungarian Hot, see Notes
  • 8 ounces shredded medium to sharp cheddar cheese, see Notes
  • 4 tablespoons chilled cubed butter
  • 1-2 tablespoons water, or as needed

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ยบ F. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Add the flour, salt, garlic powder, paprika and cheese to a food processor and pulse until it is evenly blended.
  3. Add the butter and pulse till even crumbs are achieved.
  4. Add water one tbsp at a time till the dough comes together. Depending on the humidity level in your kitchen, as well as the flour, more water may be needed. But don't add too much, once it relaxes it will hydrate.
  5. Remove the dough bal(s) to a counter and knead it into an even ball. Press out with your hands into a rectangle. Fold it in half and repeat two more times. Divide into two sections and wrap each in cling film. Press into a rectangle or disk. Place each into the fridge for at least 30 minutes. One section will make about 50-60 crackers, so feel free to freeze the other one for another batch.

  6. After cooling, Use a well floured rolling pin to roll out the dough to 1/6 to 1/4 inches thick on a floured counter.

  7. Have a small bowl of flour nearby to press the cookie cutters into before pressing into the dough.
  8. Use a knife or small off-set spatula to transfer the crackers to the prepared baking sheets. Use the blunt end of a skewer to create eyes in the goldfish.
  9. Repeat until you work through the dough. If you have more dough but won't fit on the baking sheets, return it to the fridge till ready to cut out the next batch.
  10. Optional, sprinkle the goldfish lightly with salt.
  11. Bake the crackers for 13-15 minutes (or less depending on the size of your crackers) They should be golden and lightly crisped. Transfer the crackers to a wire rack to cool.
  12. Repeat until you use up all of the dough.
  13. These will keep in a sealed container for a few days. To re-crisp, feel free to use a toaster oven or air fryer set at 300-325F for about 5 minutes, depending on your air fryer.

Recipe Notes

For an alternate flavour for these crackers, use 1 to 2 tsp dried herbs like thyme or sage. Switch the cheese to Milder flavour like Gouda, mild cheddar, Monterey Jack and a touch of Manchego.
Freeze any dough you don't wish to use for up to a month.