Ultra cheesy and with a killer crunch, think of these keto goldfish crackers as the ultimate crisp snack! Bonus points: expect all staple pantry ingredients!
Homemade Keto Goldfish Crackers
Legit Crisp (& Yuuuuum!!)
These are not your average (i.e. dense) keto crackers. Rather, think loads of buttery flakey goodness and a wonderful crunch!
Feel free to shape them into actual goldfish (I used this cookie cutter), or just trim them into squares with a pastry cutter or knife. Either way, a wonderful addition to your cheese board… or a tasty snack on-the-go!
Looking for more crackers? Don’t miss out on our (40 second!) keto crackers!
The Deets
Creaming the butter properly is paramount here to build a nice structure for the crackers. Think some crunch and a beautiful flakey texture. So start with the butter at room temp and don’t stop beating until it’s soft and airy.
The other indispensable thing, is that the dough be thoroughly chilled before baking. Why? The butter in the dough has to have solidified once again before you can roll it out and cut it up.
Top tip for extra (extra!) crispness: do a double bake (think just like Italian biscotti!). You see, baking them once will give you a lovely soft and airy crunch… but allowing them to cool and baking them again, is what’s going to give you more of that lovely crispness from commercial crackers.
And alternatively, feel free to use a dehydrator (I know many of you use them in our other cracker recipes and even cereals).
The Flours
I found that for these keto crackers, super fine almond flour did a killer job (solo!). Add a touch of xanthan gum, and we’re golden.
In terms of brands, for the almond either Anthony’s or WellBees work great. Both are super fine grinds.
And For The Cheese Factor
Your regular variety cheddar cheese works the charm here. I personally love to grate it myself (no additives you know!), and you can also get it extra fine.
Otherwise, a lot of the ‘higher quality’ cheddar cheese nowadays (grass fed, raw, etc) are no longer yellow. So with artificial colorings becoming a big no-no (with reason!), I added 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric to get that popping yellow hue that goldfish are known for.
And for extra cheesy-ness I love to add some nutritional yeast. You see, this wonderful ingredient adds that addictive cheese flavor and texture from commercial goods… with absolutely no artificial flavorings and colorings!
Fun fact: nutritional yeast is a powerful source of vitamins, particularly rich in vitamin B12, as well as being a complete protein.
Homemade Keto Goldfish Crackers
Ingredients
- 192 g almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast totally optional (for extra cheesy-ness!)*
- 3/4 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
- 80 g grass-fed unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 100 g grated cheddar cheese
Special Equipment
- goldfish cookie cutter optional (but super cute?!)
Instructions
- Add almond flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, nutritional yeast (optional, see notes), paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined and set aside.
- Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add in egg, mixing until just incorporated. The mixture will appear slightly 'broken' (i.e. not thoroughly smooth).
- With your mixer on low, add in half of your flour mixture- mixing until thoroughly incorporated. Mix in the rest and mix in the cheddar cheese.
- Wrap cracker dough with cling film (saran wrap) and refrigerate for at least an hour (up to 3 days).
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and cut out goldfish (I used this cookie cutter) or trim into squares with a pastry wheel or knife. Note that the thickness will determine much of the texture: thinner cookies will be much crispier, while a thick dough (particularly if under-baked) will yield a softer one.
- Place shaped cookies on the prepared baking tray and place in the freezer for 10 minutes prior to baking.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes, until fully golden. Note that I found baking time varies a lot here, depending on thickness and size of the cookies. So just keep an eye out for them the first time around.
- Top tip for extra (extra!) crispness: do a double bake (think just like Italian biscotti!). So allow your crackers to cool completely after their initial bake (transfer them to a rack and it'll take 15 minutes), and bake them a second time for 7-9 minutes. To avoid overbrowning, bake them until just lightly golden the first time around.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
The goldfish cookie cutter maybe super cut but it is super useless!
Why useless?! It worked well for me! 🙁
Hey just made these and they taste yummy but I bad to make them into crackers because the fish wouldn’t’ work the dough kept falling apart. Any tips on how to make the fish without it sticking and falling apart?
Thanks
insanely good! I added in some cheese powder and mixed cheddar with parmesan 8/20 – love the nuttiness. No one can believe they are keto-friendly! My fish cutters were an epic fail so I cut them into squares. What size should I make them so the per serving counts are similar to the recipe?
Any suggestions on how to go dairy free with these crackers? Thanks in advance.
My grandson is very allergic to eggs and flaxseed. Can you recommend a substitute that still gives the crunchiness?
Will this work?
Can I substitute the called for 1/2 tsp of Zantham Gum with Guar Gum and if so, how much please?
Thanks!
I don’t have molds yet, so I just broke off pieces, which I’m sure were too big, but I didn’t care. These crackers are SO GOOD! On my way to make another batch. I ate them all myself in about 3 days. he he!
Paola, you’ve done it again. All I had was extra sharp white cheddar, so I used your turmeric trick! I rolled out to a little under 1/6″ and cut these into cheezit size squares using my pizza wheel and ruler, then poked with a fork. I sprinkled some kosher salt on them prior to the freeze, so it could “sink in” to the dough, then froze and baked 2x for extra crisp. 7 min @ 350 first bake, 6 min second bake. This made ~120 1″ square crackers. They puff up when baking so next time I think I’ll roll a little thinner. AMAZING! **Glad to hear your physical therapy is working and that you’re mobility is returning!**
I really love these. I have made it twice already and made up my mind to always keep dough in the fridge for an easy cheesy snack. I love the benefits of nutritional yeast. They’re quite rich that cannot overeat them.
Omg!!!! These are my savior!!!! They are light and flaky and cheesy!!
I LOVE THEM!!!
I did the second bake which made them perfect!
I’ll add some parmesan cheese next time I make them as well for extra tang.
Thank you soooooo much!!!
These are perfect!
How many crackers are in a serving?
Jeanne, I ran the recipe through MFP basing it on a yield of 80 goldfish crackers per Paola. It says 1 goldfish is 29 cal and .3 net carbs. I entered everything, including spices. I based it on the Anthony’s brand flour which is 2 g net carb vs Bob’s 6g. Hope that helps. I’m switching brands and trying this tomorrow.
Hi Paola, I love your blog! I have a home daycare and love making the kids nutritious yummy things. I can’t wait to try these little crackers! Your pumpkin bread was to die for, by the way!
Hi, thank you for this!!! Xanthan gum is bad for my family (autoimmune disease), is there a substitute? Can’t wait to make these.
I only have coconut flour, would this be ok to substitute?
Oh my goodness 😍!!!! These are a favorite. My toddlers live on “fish” some days LOL. Making asap!
OMG can you just open a factory already and let me buy these delicious treats?
You are SUCH a creative genius. Thanks for all of the marvelous recipes. You are keeping me very busy in my kitchen laboratory!
Way to make me blush loooool!! Working on a little something something 😉
Love the molds! Too cute! Also love the idea of double baking for added crunch. Thanks Paola 🤗 How ya feel? ❤️
Thank you Lisa!! I’m better thanks for asking! Physical therapy has honestly been a bit more challenging than I expected lol… but moving again feels like such a privilege 🥰 how are you?! Always so lovely to hear from you friend
Yeah, I know from experience that physical therapy can be an exercise in patience. Sending you good vibes and prayers for a peaceful healing process. We love you so much for sharing yourself with us during healing your journey ❤️❤️❤️
I’m doing pretty well myself. My challenge these days has been exercising some serious restraint in my cooking and baking as I’m trying to break a weight loss stall 🤪 It’s a good problem to have because I’m still enjoying some awesome food. Speaking of which, you’ve got to try BBQ flavored Keto Cheetos – a play on your original recipe! I’m addicted! Gnom-Gnom!!!
NO WAAAAAY!!! goldfish were my favorite always, dying a bit here! Thanks Paola, I hope this means you’re on the mend 🙂
Lol hope you love Sophie!! And yuuuuuup! Slowly but surely I’m getting back :)!!! xo!
So glad to hear you’re on the mend! Hugs to you!