Are Animal Crackers Gluten Free? (& GF Recipe)

Last Updated on July 4, 2024

Do you love animal crackers and wonder if they’re gluten free? Finding gluten-free snacks can be difficult if you’re new to the diet, but there are plenty of delicious snacks to keep you going throughout the day. Below you’ll find the best gluten-free animal crackers recipe, for you to make your own animal crackers from the comfort of your home. But are animal crackers a gluten-free snack? Let’s take a look.

What Are Animal Crackers?

Despite the “cracker” in its name, animal crackers are in fact, a type of cookie. They are baked, sweet, and incredibly tasty. They are baked in the shape of animals, whether that be a lion, tiger, elephant, or bear – those are just some of the most popular choices. While they usually come plain, you can also buy chocolate and frosted varieties.

Are Animal Crackers Gluten Free?

Unfortunately, animal crackers are not gluten-free. Most animal crackers contain wheat as the main ingredient. As wheat is a gluten-containing grain, it’s best to avoid them at all costs, whether you’re celiac or gluten intolerant. But don’t worry, there are plenty of gluten-free alternatives if you’re craving animal crackers!

Animal Crackers Nutrition Information

For a serving size of Nabisco Animal Crackers, here is the nutritional information:

Calories: 130
Fat: 3.5g
Sodium: 85mg
Potassium: 20mg
Carbohydrate: 23g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 2g
Iron: 0.9mg
Calcium: 130mg

Gluten Free Alternatives To Animal Crackers

While traditional animal crackers are not gluten-free, because animal crackers are so popular – there are plenty of gluten-free alternatives! Let’s take a look at our top picks.

Glutino

Glutino is a solely certified gluten-free brand. This means that all of their products are tested for gluten, and made in a dedicated gluten-free facility – making their products as safe as can possibly be for us! Their Gluten-Free Animal Crackers are sweet, buttery, and perfect with a glass of milk.

Not only are they free from gluten, but they’re also free from other allergens, including casein, soy, and wheat. The Glutino animal crackers contain the following ingredients:

• tapioca starch
• rice flour
• sugar
• palm oil
• tapioca syrup
• dried egg whites
• cassava flour
• potato flour
• water
• salt
• soy lecithin
• baking soda
• xanthan gum
• natural flavor
• caramel color

Simple Truth

Simple Truth is the healthiest option when it comes to animal crackers. This is because they do not use high fructose corn syrup and are free from artificial colors and ingredients. They’re also non-GMO, kosher, and made in a peanut-free area – making them suitable for a range of dietary lifestyles.

The Simple Truth animal crackers contain the following ingredients:

• soy flour
• rice flour
• potato flour
• organic cornflour
• potato starch
• corn starch
• xanthan gum
• butter
• sugar
• arrowroot flour
• canola oil
• honey
• natural flavors
• soy lecithin
• egg powder
• baking powder
• sea salt

Kinnikinnick

The KinniKritters Animal Cookies are free from a range of allergens, including gluten, dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, and soy. They are a “may contain” for egg, but other than that – they are completely allergen-free, and vegan too! The main ingredients in these tasty treats are pea starch and potato starch.

 

Gluten Free Animal Cracker Recipe

If you’re looking to make your own animal crackers (that way you can add your own flavorings, frosting, whatever you desire), here’s a gluten-free recipe inspired by GF Jules. Let’s take a look.

Ingredients

The ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are:

• 1/4 cup of shortening (palm or vegetable)
• 3 tablespoons of brown sugar (or coconut palm sugar)
• 2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Method

Once you have the ingredients, all you need to do is:

1. Grab a bowl and cream together the sugar, maple syrup/honey, and sugar. Once creamed, add the lemon juice and egg. Mix well
2. Using a different bowl, mix the dry ingredients together well. Now add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. You should now have a dough that holds together (it should not be crumbly)
3. Leave the dough for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. That way, it becomes easier to work with
4. Preheat your oven to 350F once your dough has chilled and line a tray with parchment paper
5. Lightly flour a clean surface, and lightly dust your cookie cutters with flour too (you don’t need to make animals, they can be anything!)
6. Roll the dough to around 1/8″ thick. Using the cutters, create your shapes. You may need to dust the cutters with flour throughout if they become too sticky
7. Once you’ve used up all the dough, bake in the oven for around 7-9 minutes. The edges should be slightly brown when you take them out of the oven
8. Your animal crackers are ready to eat! (This recipe should make between 60-70 animal crackers)

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped to answer the question: are animal crackers gluten-free? And given you a range of gluten-free options to try if you’re missing the traditional gluten-containing animal crackers. We certainly don’t have to go without when it comes to animal crackers.

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