These Homemade Gourmet Crackers are a revelation. A copycat of the gourmet fruit and nut crackers sold at the stores to serve with cheese that I love but are pricey! These are simple to make, keeps for weeks, cost 80% less than store bought and taste so much better, you’ll be amazed (I was!).
Spectacular with cheeses and spreads, and for gifting!
Stop press!!! Big news – DOZER HAS A BUTTON!!
↑↑↑ For all Dozer lovers out there who just want to skip straight to Dozer and see what cheeky antics he’s up to today, just click on the Dozer button and it will take you straight down to him, then you can come back and read the post!!!
Oh – there is a button to jump to the Recipe too, which I’ve had for a while now, and I also added a button to jump straight down to the Video.
A button for everyone – whatever you’re after! Dozer, recipe video or just the recipe!
OK, enough about the Dozer button. Onto today’s recipe – Homemade Gourmet Crackers!! I am super excited about this one because I’ve had some great feedback from my official taste testing team (aka my mother’s golf friends who descend upon the beach shack for a post-golf lunch and provide very constructive feedback on my recipes).
These crackers are so great, I really wish I had a fantastic story to go with them. But actually, I don’t. Quite simply, gourmet crackers are all the rage nowadays but I just can’t bring myself to pay the rather obscene prices for them. Fellow Aussies may have noticed a certain brand of gourmet crackers prominently placed near the cheese and spreads section of supermarkets like Woolworths and Coles. Crackers that look just like these homemade ones – except they are round – and they cost $6 for 15 pieces. $6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been known to drop a small fortune on designer shoes a handful of times in my life. However, I cannot bring myself to pay $6 for one packet of gourmet crackers, especially when 1 packet would never suffice for my gatherings, I’d have to get 3 or 4. Can you imagine paying $24 just for the crackers for a cheese board??
Oh wait, I just realised I totally lied. I did buy one packet – for taste testing purposes, to copy them. 😉 I’d been eyeing them off for months, wanting to do a huge cheese board with these gourmet crackers. Then finally the penny dropped – get a packet and copy them.
So that’s what I did.
These are very simple to make. It’s just like mixing up a muffin batter, except it’s baked in a loaf tin. Freeze (to make it super easy to slice thinly), slice, then bake again. It’s like making biscotti (ooooh, haven’t done that yet!!). It’s highly customisable, and brilliant for making ahead because the baked crackers stay crisp for at least 1 month OR you can keep the loaf in the freezer for weeks and weeks, then bake when you want them.
My taste testers agreed 100% that there is no contest when comparing these Homemade Gourmet Crackers to the store bought ones. With homemade, you can actually truly taste the ingredients – the spices, the cranberries, the sunflower seeds. The store bought one has far less flavour. When you taste them one after the other, which we all did, the difference is so “in your face”, it’s quite extraordinary.
If you’re planning a cheeseboard these upcoming holidays, I truly hope you consider these. Your family and friends will be blown away. They really are so simple, customisable, and make ahead – my taste testers were eating crackers I’d made 4 weeks earlier!
Oh – and they cost about 20% of the gourmet crackers that I copied. 🙂 I have a little gathering with friends this weekend, and I’m wondering how many times I will point to the crackers on the cheese board and proudly say “I made those”. I’ll ask my friends to keep count! – Nagi x
More cookie / cracker copycats
Other recipes I’ve created in the past for the same reason as these Byron Bay cookie copycat recipe (ie because I love ’em but they’re expensive!)
Byron Bay Cookies Copycat White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies – big, thick, buttery cookies loaded with white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Crisp with a tender melt-in-your-mouth texture, just like Byron Bay Cookies!
Muesli Cookies (Breakfast Cookies / Granola Cookies) – copycat of the thick, chunky, chewy muesli cookies sold in cafes across Australia. A healthy breakfast option because it’s like a bowl of oatmeal in cookie form – refined sugar free, low fat, gluten free, keeps you full for ages but it tastes like a sweet cookie!
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Homemade Gourmet Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 250 ml milk (any fat % cow’s milk)
- ¼ cup / 50g brown sugar , packed
- ¼ cup plain unsweetened yoghurt (I used Greek)
- ½ cup / 75g plain flour (all purpose)
- ½ cup / 75g whole wheat / wholemeal flour
- ½ cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit of choice)
- 1 tsp baking soda / bi-carb (or 3 tsp baking powder)
- ½ cup rolled oats (or 1/3 cup more nuts of choice)
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds (or other seeds or nuts of choice)
Spices:
- ½ tsp ground turmeric (can omit)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg (or All Spice or 1/8 tsp cloves)
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary (or ½ tsp more thyme)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (all oven types). Grease and line a small loaf tin with baking paper (mine is 21 x 11 x 7 cm / 8.5 x 4.5 x 3”) (Note 1).
- Whisk the milk, sugar and yoghurt in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, add plain flour, wholemeal flour and cranberries. Stir – use fingers to break up cranberries if required.
- Add remaining ingredients, including Spices, plus the milk mixture. It should be a thick batter, like muffin batter (note: batter in video looks slightly thicker because it was standing for a couple of minutes, doesn’t affect outcome).
- Scrape/pour into tin. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Cool on rack, then wrap in cling wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours, up to 3 months. (Note 2)
- Unwrap loaf and allow to thaw partially so the outside is not rock hard frozen (around 20 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 120C/250F (all oven types). Place one shelf in the middle, and another shelf beneath it.
- Use a serrated bread knife to slice thinly – around 2 mm / 1/12” thick (see video). Place biscuits on 2 large baking trays, you can squeeze them in as they won’t expand or stick.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until they are a light brown, swapping trays halfway.
- Leave biscuits on tray to cool – they will harden so they snap when you break them. (Note 3)
- Store in an airtight container for 4 weeks (probably ok for longer, I’ve only done 4 weeks). Brilliant served with creamy cheeses like brie, camembert, but soft, creamy blue cheeses is the ultimate pairing!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
LIFE OF DOZER
Dozer smacking his lips over MY lunch today – a very spicy Asian Noodle Salad. No spicy salad for you Dozer! Too painful for you!
Nagi, I was one of these people that spent $6 for the crackers from Woollies, and I was thinking ‘What an idiot I am for spending this kind of money for some crackers. See I tried them at my friends house and they were delicious. Still you made my day by giving me this recipe, I am definitely going to make these!
You know the crackers I mean!! 😂😂 You understand!! I promise these taste even more amazing, and you’ve tried the ones I copied so I’d love your thoughts if you do try them! N x ❤️
I was eyeing off those crackers yesterday at the supermarket. Now I can make my own !
And a button for Dozer …Brilliant
Glad to hear I’m not the only one eyeing off those crackers!! 😂 N x
these just look like the Trader Joes ones!!! TJs fig and rosemary crackers, the BEST! I knew I’d miss them when I move back to Australia but I can make them at home now 🙂
The recipe I used for this was a Trader Joe’s copycat!!! 🙂 N x
A Dozer button is a brilliant idea! Thanks! And, the crackers sound delicious!
I shamelessly LOVE the Dozer button!! 😇
Wow, I always thought they were hard to make, but you always make your recipes so easy to follow. Cannot wait to make these tonight. Thank you.
Hope you love them Peter!! N x
Have been making these for some time. Like you I refuse to pay the price. To make round ones use a can. Just cut a circle of parchment paper for the bottom and coat it very well with cooking spray. I also use my mini loaf pans. So many interesting flavor combinations can be made to match you cheeses. Make ahead and freeze for the party season just around the corner. I add some to my gift baskets with my home made savory jams.
What do you think about the size of the crackers using a can?? I thought of that but thought they might be a bit large?? Love that you gift these, I’m doing these this year too! N xx
You could cut them in half before baking them. Different shape for an attractive platter. I live in Canada and we have tomato paste cans that are smaller. Also use my metal bread tubes for making fancy shaped bread sandwiches. I like a different shape for each flavor. Playing with my food is so much fun.
That’s a great idea!! I love having different shapes on my cheese board! 🙂 N x
Do you just use a normal can and with the mini loaf pans how long do you cook them for. Thank you for that great tip!!!
I use a soup can. There are several mini loaf pan sixes. Check after 10 minutes. Sorry but it is a trial and error for the first batch. Try baking one first. If the cracker gets stuck in the can just use a sharp knife and run it around the side. if that doesn’t work use a can opener and open the bottom and push it through. I have also used wide mouth canning jars. Have baked cakes in them as well and never broken any,
I have to admit I have spent that high amount of $$ to have fancy crackers on my cheese board because they are so pretty and tasty but now that I have a homemade recipe to make I know my cheese boards are going to be even better! Love the jump to dozer button! He’s a star!
I shamelessly love the Dozer button too!!! 😂
Loving the new buttons but can we possibly have a return to top button too.
My Boo thinks Dozer is a hunk.
Great idea Jackie!! Thanks for the suggestion, will look into it!
Dozer can roll his tongue?! Isn’t he talented! And I understand about not paying a fortune for crackers. They look delicious. Now, who had to do all of the quality control testings? I would gladly volunteer but we are a bit far from each other. Hope you have a great weekend. xoxo
So many hidden skills to be discovered!! 😂
Oh my goodness! Thank you for this recipe! My son can’t eat the store bought crackers because of a peanut allergy. I can’t wait to make these so he can try them and we don’t have to feel guilty eating them in front of him!
Ohhhh! I’m so happy to hear that your son can have these!!! N xx