Gosh, Goldfish just take me right on back to my childhood home full of four crazy kids running around.

My mom used to get the BIG boxes of Goldfish to satiate us all, and I can distinctly remember shoving my freckly little kid arm deep into the carton to grab handfuls of them at a time.

Goldfish have always been a favorite snack of mine, but I try not to buy that kind of thing often.


So, of course I had to challenge myself to make my own and throw in some sourdough to the mix because I’m me and I’ll never change.

I used a Goldfish cutter that I found online, but these could easily be cut into squares or whatever shape your heart desires.

Sourdough Goldfish Crackers

Homemade goldfish crackers with sourdough discard and sharp white cheddar cheese.
You'll Need...
- 120 grams all purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
- 3 grams salt
- 2 grams turmeric powder (optional)
- 100 grams sourdough starter (can be active or discard)
- 55 grams unsalted butter, soft
- 225 grams sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded finely
Directions
- Mix: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the starter, butter and cheese, and mix with your hands or a spatula until it comes together into a smooth dough. Depending on the consistency of your starter and the type of flour you use, you may need to drizzle in a little water if the dough feels too dry to come together. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. You can also let this dough sit in the fridge for up to two days to develop more flavor. This dough can also be made in a food processor!
- Roll & bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8th inch thick. If the dough is too firm to roll out, let it sit on the counter for up to 20 minutes to soften. Cut out into desired shapes. The scraps can be gathered and rolled again. Transfer the crackers to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and firm. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
Additional Notes
I used a Goldfish cutter I ordered online, but these could also easily be cut into squares/any shape just using a knife. Baking times may vary depending on the size of cracker you make.
These would be great with other flavorings like dried herbs, garlic & onion powder, etc.

Yay for homemade salty snacks that remind us of what it was like to be a kid.

thank you for the information
These are delish! My 5 & 1 year old loved helping cut them out as well! Definitely will make again!
So glad to hear your family enjoyed them! 🙂
Okay, dough is in the fridge! Fun new way to play with my sourdough starter!
Hope you enjoy!
Does this work without the sourdough starter?
I haven’t tried it myself, so can’t say for sure.
Wow love these ! At least it looks so good ,got a new granddaughter to try them out,!
This looks so good! What a great way to still serve up a childhood favorite in a healthy way!
What a great way to still serve up a childhood favorite in a healthy way!
Thanks for sharing! Do they freeze well?
I haven’t tried with this recipe, but I would suggest freezing the dough, not the baked crackers.
Made these today, cut into squares . Maybe others are smarter than me but I rolled my dough into a ball and wrapped it and put it in the fridge. Should’ve made it in a flat disc because it was a solid ball when I took it out of the fridge 4 hrs later and a bear to roll out. I’m not sure that I rolled it quite thin enough, my husband said it was about 1/8”, but they’re very puffy. Tasty enough though.
Hi Pam! Thanks for your comment. I’ve updated the instructions to suggest flattening the dough into a disc just to be clear.
What is the approximate yield from this recipe?
Depends on the size you cut them, but I would estimate 12-14 dozen crackers (Goldfish cracker size).
Can these be stored at room temperature after baking, or put in the fridge if not served immediately?
After baking and cooling, these should be stored at room temperature in a sealed container or bag.
Hi! I’m not accustom to cooking with these measurements – so I just wanted to make sure I did my conversions correctly 🙂
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
4 tbsp butter (or half stick)
1 cup white cheddar
1/2 sourdough discard
Thank you ! Excited to try your recipes
Hi there! Your conversions look accurate, apart from the salt. That would be closer to 1/2 teaspoon. I also want to note that I didn’t test this recipe converted to imperial measurements, so just a forewarning I can’t necessarily vouch that it will come out the same/as intended.
My grandkids can’t have dairy. Could I simply leave out the cheese?
I would suggest that you find another cracker recipe. The cheese is key to the consistency and flavor for this cracker.
Hi! These look great. Do you have a link for the goldfish cutter?
Hi there! Yes, linked in here:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/mostlysourdough/list/3F7GV06UQX1QS?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfmostlysourdough_RHF1RJ0VTQEGH8FGDS2P
In your experience, how long are these good when kept in the airtight container at room temp?
Thanks!
I would say up to a week!
Did the goldfish get soft after a day? Or did they stay crispy? Mine got soft even in an airtight container. Any suggestions on how to keep them crispy?
So sorry to hear that! You might need to bake them a touch longer just to make sure they’ve fully dried out. Each oven is different! I’d try 5-10 minutes longer and see if it helps.
Can you provide a link to the cracker cutter?
Linked in here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/mostlysourdough/list/3F7GV06UQX1QS?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfmostlysourdough_CDMXKGYKTEV1C51D24R6
I’m going to make these per the recipe today (aside from covering to gluten free- allergies 🙃), but I’m curious about other cheeses. Have you tried a garlic parmesan version or used any herbs? I hope it converts to gluten free alright- I’m so excited to try these!
I haven’t tried other versions of these, but that’s a great idea! Best of luck with the gf conversion!
Ok, so the gluten free version turned out great! I used a 1:1 flour mix and measured with a kitchen scale. I added 1 tbsp of water to begin with, then added 1 as necessary for rolling scraps together. I also only chilled by dough for 1 1/2 hours, and cooked the fishies for 14 minutes. They are such a beautiful color with the turmeric! My kids are thrilled to have “goldfish ” crackers again! We made it our mission in our family to give up and get away from all processed food and chemicals. This recipe has given us back one of their favorite snacks. Thank you so much! I’ll definitely be checking more of your recipes out!
Amanda,
I’m so glad you posted this! I myself have a wheat allergy and was curious if this recipe could be converted into a gf recipe using a gf starter and a 1:1 gf flour! Thank you so much, and thank you Sophie for the wonderful, fun recipe to try!
Hi! Love this!
I’m wondering if I could leave the dough out to allow the starter to ferment the ingredients, and if so, how long would you recommend? Thank you!!
Hi there. I haven’t tested this myself, so I can’t really advise. But I would probably start with just a few hours, and definitely still refrigerate after so the dough is easier to roll out.
Thanks for the recipe! I made this recipe dairy free by substituting a non-dairy butter and a non-dairy cheese. They are way better than regular gold fish and now it’s an iconic snack my kids can enjoy.
I don’t know what I did wrong my goldfish were starting to burn after about 5 minutes in the oven. Kind of bummed 😂🤣😂
I’m sorry to hear that! Every oven is different, so it could be a temp issue but sounds like there was a problem with your dough maybe? I’d try again! 🙂
Hi! Do you have the nutritional information for this recipe?
I do not, sorry! I’m sure there’s an online calculator you could use to figure that out.
Hey there! I have a goldfish cutter the hubby is printing the has 0 wasted space between the fishies. Feel free to email me if you’d like to set something up, I can send you a fishy cutter (cuts 15 at a time) and I would like your recipe to my website. I look forward to hearing from you. 🙂
These are delish!! Thank you!!
Just tried this recipe and love how my kids were obsessed with the healthy goldfish