Animal Cookies
Remember those circus animal cookies you loved as a kid? Yes, this is a recipe to make those childhood favorites from home!
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Animal Crackers Recipe
My kids love those store-bought animal cookies, but we all know they aren’t the healthiest thing in the world. But I love making this recipe for them because I know exactly what ingredients are in them, plus they’re whole wheat!
And who am I kidding, I always love an excuse to use these adorable cookie cutters! And with this recipe, the animal cookies actually hold their shape.

Ingredients for Circus Animal Cookies
- Butter – I always use salted butter, but if you only have unsalted butter you can just add a pinch of salt to the dough.
- Brown Sugar – The brown sugar really gives the cookies a great, deep flavor. But if you’re all out, you can substitute granulated sugar if needed.
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract – This is my favorite vanilla to bake with.
- Whole Wheat Flour – Yep, we’re talking unbleached whole wheat flour. I use whole wheat flour for this recipe because it gives the cookie that iconic graham cracker taste.
- Baking Powder

How to Make Animal Cookies
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350° F (180° C).
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- With an electric hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light in color and fluffy in texture.
- Then, add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Now add in the whole wheat flour and baking powder and continue to mix until a firm dough forms.
- Once your dough is ready, sprinkle some flour on a clean surface. This is where you will roll out your dough, so the flour is to make sure the dough doesn’t stick to your counter.
- Place the dough onto your clean, floured surface and roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it’s about 1/4 inch thick.
- Using cookie cutters, cut the dough into your preferred shapes. These are the cookie cutters I used to get these cute little animals!
- Place the cut-out cookies on your prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies in your preheated oven for about 9-11 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan before removing.
- Enjoy!
- Store your animal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Why are my animal cookies spreading and not holding their shape?
This usually means that you didn’t use enough flour. However, climate and humidity can play a role in this too. If your cookies spread too much, just add a bit of extra flour next time (about 1/4 cup) and that should fix it!
Are animal crackers a healthy snack?
I probably wouldn’t describe them as healthy, but they’re definitely much healthier than many other kid snack alternatives.


Animal Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light in color and fluffy in texture.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add the whole wheat flour and baking powder to the bowl and mix until a firm dough forms.
- Roll the dough out onto a floured surface until about 1/4 of inch thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut your animal cookies into your desired shape.
- Place the cut out cookies onto a parchment or silicone lined cookie sheet.
- Bake in a 350° (180° C) oven for 9-11 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature or in the freeze for up to 3 months.