These mini sourdough cheese crackers are comparable to a homemade goldfish. They are flaky, cheesy and have zero percent of all the junk found in the storebought cheese crackers. This is a simple recipe that makes healthy snacks not only attainable, but fun!

โค๏ธ Why You’ll Love Sourdough Goldfish
All of the fun, double the flavor and none of the junk.
You can use goldfish cutters, or this cute Heart Shaped Cutter for variation!

๐ฒ Ingredients
Sourdough Discard – unfed, inactive sourdough starter works best because of the consistency of the dough.
Flour – I use Kirkland’s organic, unbleached, all-purpose flour because of the quality and price point. But use what you have on hand!
Cheese – It is better to shred good-quality cheese yourself. Use sharp cheddar or a blend of cheeses for rich flavor.
Salt – Any salt you have on hand.
Butter – Cold butter to make a flaky cracker.
Paprika – This is optional but it enhances the flavor!

๐ฉโ๐ณ How to Make Sourdough Goldfish
- To your food processor, add flour, salt, and paprika, and pulse 2 times.
- Add in your shredded cheddar cheese and pulse until the cheese becomes fine and incorporated into the flour.
- Cube your cold butter and add to the processor, pulse the butter until the entire mixture because crumbly like coarse sand.
- Add your sourdough discard and process until fully incorporated.
- Add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together into a rough ball shape. Transfer to a lightly floured work space and cut into two equal sized pieces.
- Wrap one piece in plastic wrap and store in your fridge while you roll out the first piece.
- Roll out the dough until it is about 1/8-inch thickness.
- Use a goldfish-shaped cookie cutter (or any small cookie cutter you have) to cut out the crackers. Place the cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you donโt have a fish cutter, you can use a knife to cut square or rectangular shapes.
- (If using the goldfish cutter, once you cut out your shapes, you will have a lot of extra dough. Simply collect all the dough scraps and roll it out with your rolling pin until you have cut out all of the dough with the goldfish cutter)
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Keep an eye on them to avoid burning. The time it takes to bake will be determined by your oven temperature and how thick the crackers are.
- Once your first round of crackers is baking, you can work on the second half of your dough or place it into the freezer until you would like to make crackers again!
- Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to parchment paper to snack and store!
- Once fully cooled, store your homemade sourdough goldfish crackers in an airtight container. They should stay fresh for up to a week.

๐ช Tips and Tricks
- Feel free to experiment with different types of cheese or spices to customize the flavor to your liking!
- If your dough gets too warm while rolling out, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Cheese: Use a good-quality cheese, like sharp cheddar or a blend of cheeses for rich flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works well, but you can experiment with whole wheat or gluten-free flour if needed.
- Butter: Use cold, unsalted butter for flakiness.
- Spices: Don’t hesitate to add spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, or even nutritional yeast for an extra kick.

๐ Variations
Crackers are a simple and fun snack to make, and they are a great flavor profile for any seasonings you like best! Check out these recipes,
- Sourdough Ranch Crackers – Acts Of Sourdough
- Sourdough Discard Cheesoning Crackers – Acts Of Sourdough
- Sourdough Discard Graham Crackers – Acts Of Sourdough

๐ Substitutions
- Cheese: Use a good-quality cheese, like sharp cheddar or a blend of cheeses for rich flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works well, but you can experiment with whole wheat or gluten-free flour if needed.
- Spices: Don’t hesitate to add spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, or even nutritional yeast for an extra kick.
- Try adding herbs, spices, or even a touch of hot sauce to the dough for unique flavors.

๐ Best served with
- Lunch box snacks
- Cracker plate
- Fruit and nuts
๐ How to Store Leftovers
Once fully cooled, store your homemade sourdough goldfish crackers in an airtight container. They should stay fresh for up to a week.

๐ค Common Questions
If your goldfish are coming out too tough, you may have overworked the dough. Try mixing just until combined
Ensure you bake them until they are sufficiently golden and crisp. Baking them longer at a lower temperature can help achieve the desired crunch without burning

Sourdough Creese Crackers
Equipment
- Heart shaped cutter for variation
Ingredients
- 1 ยฝ cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 6 tbs cold butter diced
- ยพ cup sourdough discard unfed
- ยฝ tsp salt
- ยผ tsp paprika (optional)
- 1 – 2 tbs cold water
Instructions
- To your food processor, add flour, salt, and paprika, and pulse 2 times.
- Add in your shredded cheddar cheese and pulse until the cheese becomes fine and incorporated into the flour.
- Cube your cold butter and add to the processor, pulse the butter until the entire mixture because crumbly like coarse sand.
- Add your sourdough discard and process until fully incorporated.
- Add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together into a rough ball shape. Transfer to a lightly floured work space and cut into two equal sized pieces.
- Wrap one piece in plastic wrap and store in your fridge while you roll out the first piece.
- Roll out the dough until it is about 1/8-inch thickness.
- Use a goldfish-shaped cookie cutter (or any small cookie cutter you have) to cut out the crackers. Place the cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you donโt have a fish cutter, you can use a knife to cut square or rectangular shapes.
- (If using the goldfish cutter, once you cut out your shapes, you will have a lot of extra dough. Simply collect all the dough scraps and roll it out with your rolling pin until you have cut out all of the dough with the goldfish cutter)
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Keep an eye on them to avoid burning. The time it takes to bake will be determined by your oven temperature and how thick the crackers are.
- Once your first round of crackers is baking, you can work on the second half of your dough or place it into the freezer until you would like to make crackers again!
- Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to parchment paper to snack and store!
- Once fully cooled, store your homemade sourdough goldfish crackers in an airtight container. They should stay fresh for up to a week.
Notes
- Feel free to experiment with different types of cheese or spices to customize the flavor to your liking!
- If your dough gets too warm while rolling out, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Cheese: Use a good-quality cheese, like sharp cheddar or a blend of cheeses for rich flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works well, but you can experiment with whole wheat or gluten-free flour if needed.
- Butter: Use cold, unsalted butter for flakiness.
- Spices: Don’t hesitate to add spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, or even nutritional yeast for an extra kick.
Nutrition
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These are absolutely fantastic!! Better than any Cheez-it or Goldfish! So easy and delicious. Thank you!