Ready to bring your app game to the next level? I thought so.
First I just have to say….Whoa! That was a long break. But, let’s leave the excuses for later and get right back into it because we’re fully into summer and you have mouths to feed and people to impress. Enter, homemade crackers.
Crackers are a go-everywhere, anytime win to have in your snack arsenal. I seem to have posted quite a few over the years (see Everyone Crackers and my recently rediscovered crush, Paleo Crackers. I have long dreamed of making those expensive fruit and nut crackers that I hoover down when they appear at any spread, but never tried to make them.
Well friends, the wait is over. With the recipe below, from Crowded Kitchen I became a near-instant pro. Here’s why this recipe is a Bring It! all star:
- First, it is easy—add everything to one bowl mix it up and bake it in a loaf pan.
- Second, it is not time sensitive. Once you bake the loaf and it cools you can keep the loaves wrapped in the freezer until you’re ready to slice and finish them with the second bake.
- Third, but really first, these crackers are deLISH!
For bonus territory, they are eminently customizable, and a true “love the one you’re with” situation as far as what you use for the dried fruits and nuts or seeds. My first attempts were with dried apricots and golden raisins for the fruit, walnuts sliced almonds and pumpkin seeds for the nuts. My second version had a different mix and equally as good. Pick your own adventure. Same goes for the type of milk (I used almond milk because I had it) and sweetener (I used maple syrup because it’s kind of the law around here.
SOME EDIE NOTES, as ever: The recipe calls for using two mini loaf pans which I will likely never own. Alternatively, I used one regular loaf pan and cut the loaf in half to make—ta-da!— two mini loaves. I did the cutting in half (with a sharp serrated knife!) after the loaf was completely cool but it could also happen after it is frozen. I like my way because then you can leave one mini-loaf frozen and only need to commit to one loaf’s worth of crackers (for me about 38) at a time. Also, the original recipe does not say to spray the lined pans with cooking spray, but not all parchment paper is created equally. Spraying them assures the paper will easily peel off.
That’s it!
- Total Time: 4 hours (breathe! most of it is inactive)
- Yield: It depends but I got 38 out of each half loaf. Original recipe says 52. Points to me for thin slices.
Gourmet Fruit and Nut Crackers
Originally from Crowded Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup dried fruit, chopped (apricots, figs, dates, raisins, cherries, etc)
- 3/4 cup nuts or seeds, chopped (pecans, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds etc)
- 1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest
- 1 cup milk of choice (we used oat milk, but any kind works)
- 1/4 cup honey
Method
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two mini loaf pans (~5 1/2” x 3 1/4”) or one regular sized loaf pan (~8 1/2” x 4 1/2”) with parchment paper. Spray them to make your life easier.
- Add both flours, baking soda, salt, herbs, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, dried fruit, nuts and zest to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined. Stir in the milk and honey until well combined and no streaks of honey remain.
- Divide between the 2 mini pans. Bake for ~25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Let cool to room temperature, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours, overnight (or up to 3 months.) If you used a regular loaf pan, you can now carefully slice it in half lengthwise with a serrated knife before or after freezing.
- Preheat oven to 300˚F.
- Remove from the freezer and use a serrated knife to slice into 1/8” thick slices. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 12 minutes, then flip each cracker over. Bake for another 12 minutes, then check for doneness. If they aren’t quite done, flip again and cook for another 3-8 minutes. They should be golden brown and feel dry to the touch, but they may still look soft due to the fruit. Don’t worry – they will crisp up as they dry! See storage information below.

Notes from Crowded Kitchen
Loaf pan size: We used two of these mini loaf pans for this recipe. The size is about 5 1/2 inch x 3 1/4 inch. You can also use one standard size loaf pan (~8 1/2” x 4 1/2”), but if you do, the crackers will be much longer and shorter. This may also change the cook time.
Bake time: When you’re baking these in loaf pans, use a toothpick to test doneness. If it comes out clean, you’re ready to go.
Second bake: You’ll know your second bake is done when the crackers turn a nice brown color – almost like the rye chips in a package of Chex mix. They’ll be slightly crispy, and will harden up even more as they cool.
Use a serrated knife to slice the frozen loaf into about 1/8″ slices.
Freeze and bake later: You can bake several loaves of these and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for later. If stored properly, they will last for a few months in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake, simply remove from the freezer, slice and bake.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a few days. If they start to get soft from the dried fruit, you can always pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to crisp them up. Note that dried fruit with higher moisture content (like apricots or figs) will make these go soft faster than fruit like dried cranberries.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 crackers
- Calories: 126
- Sugar: 10.7 g
- Sodium: 249.3 mg
- Fat: 4.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.1 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 2.7 g