Oatmeal Crackers
Snappy, substantial, homemade oatmeal crackers - made with rolled oats and rye flour.
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The concept for these oatmeal crackers is straight-forward. You make a pot of oatmeal, combine it with rye & all-purpose flour and a few seasonings, then work it all into a dough. When these crackers are at their best, they are full of toasty oat flavor - hearty and substantial. They are snappy not soft, and will keep for a week or more sealed tightly in a jar.
Oatmeal Crackers: The Inspiration
I’ve been preparing for a few cookbook release events over the past week - making postcard packets to give away, doing a bit of menu planning, etc. I thought homemade crackers could be fun, and I like the recipe for Oatmeal Crackers in The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas. I considered making them as part of a lunch menu I did for an event with Little Flower School and June Taylor. I thought I'd top them with a spread (of some sort) in place of crostini, but I ended up making the crostini from Super Natural Cooking instead. That said, I like these crackers enough that I wanted to share them. And I have some tips and tricks I've come by to make them extra good.
Tips
To get crackers snappy you need to roll the dough as thin as you possibly can. And then you need to bake the crackers to within an inch of their lives - dark, dark golden. Can you see how thin I've rolled the dough up above there? Work it even thinner if you can.
Shapes
You can cut the crackers into whatever shapes you like. And you can either bake them bumped up next to each other, or spaced out. I make strip shapes for cheese plates and spreads, and tiny animal crackers for my nephew from the scraps.
More Oatmeal Recipes
Oatmeal Crackers
I tend to use fine grain sea salt in the crackers, and then a flakier salt sprinkled across the tops before baking. I grind my anise seed in a spice grinder.
- 1 cup / 3 oz / 85 g rolled oats
- 1 1/4 cups / 300 ml whole milk, heated just to boiling
- 1/4 cup / 2 oz / 55g unsalted butter, room-temperature
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 3 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- 2 teaspoons crushed anise seed, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 1/4 cup / 5.5 oz / 155g dark rye flour
- 1 1/2 cups / 6.75 oz / 190g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- more salt for sprinkling
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In a large bowl combine the rolled oats and boiling milk. Let stand until cool. To speed this up I sometimes place the bowl in the freezer for about 35 minutes. When cool, stir in the butter, sugar, baking powder, anise seed, salt, and rye flour. Stir in the all-purpose flour, a bit at a time, until a stiff dough forms. Turn out onto a counter top and knead until the dough comes together and is uniform.
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Heat the oven to 425°F / 245°C with racks in top and bottom thirds.
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Divide the dough into two parts, just so you have a manageable amount to work with. Now, you're going to want to roll the dough out very thin - 1/8th-inch. This way your crackers will have snap. Have a look at the photo up above, and try to get it thinner than that. If your dough is at all stubborn, just let it rest there for ten minutes or so, then try again.
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Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheets [they don't spread much), and sprinkle with a bit more salt - flaky salt if you have it.
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Bake for roughly 14 minutes, but here's the trick. When the cracker bottoms are deeply golden, roughly 9 minutes in, flip each cracker, and brown the flip side as well. Use your best judgement and remove when well done. Cool completely before storing in large air-tight jars.
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Repeat with the remaining dough, and cut the scraps into tiny soup crackers.
Makes dozens of crackers, depending on how large or small you cut them.
Adapted from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas.
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Comments
These are delicious, thank you for the recipe. I’ve made them twice; once exactly as written and the second time with buckwheat instead of rye flour (I’d already soaked the oats before I realized I was out of rye flour and figured buckwheat would add flavor). Great both times; even my 17-month-old gobbles them up. My oven overheats, but even adjusting for that they cooked in 7-9 minutes total, flipping halfway through. I cut mine out using cookie cutters in different shapes and the recipe made over 100 crackers a little bigger than 1″ squared each.
Heidi, I’ve been watching and have been inspired by your blog for ages but never posted till now, these crackers are just too cool! I made them quite differently but loved the idea of a pot of oatmeal as a base! Mine had poppy seeds, sesame, flax, quinoa, ground pistachios, lemon zest and loads of black pepper and they came out just amazing. With the oodles of ground pistachios I used, I only had to use about a cup of flour to make a workable dough, which I think is a win and makes me think that a gluten free version is very possible. I left out the sugar, anise seed and rye because I didn’t have them on hand but look forward to my next grocery trip to make your version which sounds delightful 🙂
I love your food, and your blog – and I’ve never posted before now. suddenly I’m cooking for my 8 month old son as well us his parents, and so I’m trying to use as little salt as possible in our food. Baby-led weaning is a delight, and so is finding a savoury recipe for little fingers! Do you think the salt in these crackers could be reduced without affecting the ‘science’ of the baking? It’ll alter how many of these he can have, and if you have time to guess for me, I’d be so grateful!
Thanks for your lovely blog.
Hi Marina – you can definitely scale back the salt.
This look great, we’ll definitely be trying them.
Thanks for this great recipe.
I choosed a hedgehog form and I have now many jummy hedgehog crackers…….
Thanks from germany
Just finished making these, with two helpers, and half the batch has been devoured by a horde of hungry siblings already 🙂 |Thankyou for the recipe.
As I was baking with an impatient kid, he didn’t roll his dough out quite that thinly, but they actually taste pretty good thicker too- kind of like a digestive.
the oatmeal crackers look adorable and yummy and the postcard packets are just stunning!
Ahh, I’ve tried to make crackers for my three small boys and this is the first recipe that actually tastes delicious. Thank you Heidi!
I just finished making these with the kids. I replaced the anise with caraway seeds and they are wonderful! Easy to roll out. The kids helped cut them into shapes using mini cutters from a Williams Sonoma Store. We have a huge jar of them. Perfect for a whole grain snack. Thanks for the great cracker recipe! I image you could use this recipe as a base for other crackers, say a graham cracker?
Just FYI, pasta roller will work, but you will have to roll it out fairly thin first – it is a pretty stiff dough (perhaps I let the oats sit too long?) and found rolling by hand was easier that the pasta machine. Typing this as the first batch bakes…the kitchen smells amazing!
These are darling. I cook a lot with kids, these will be perfect.
Thanks!
I tried these with my 3 1/2-year-old daughter today. It was a fantastic project for her to make her own special crackers (and for Mommy to get some baking done).
Great post! Since I have lots of oatmeal here, I think its time to be innovative…lol! Thanks for giving me an idea on how to eat the oatmeal..
Keep the ideas flowing!!
Cheers!
Alex
i adore this post.. congratulations! i can’t wait to get my hands on this book!
So, I’m just getting prepped to make these with my daughter and hit a stumbling block. Do you mean 1 1/2 cups of milk (therefore 360ml as writen) or truly 1 1/4 cups as written?
1 1/4 cups / 300ml. Thx!
Oh my goodness! I just made a gluten free batch of these and they are AMAZING. I substituted sweet rice flour for the all-purpose, and amaranth flour for the rye flour. I imagine any tasty whole grain flour would work well in place of the rye.
I noticed mine cooked a bit more quickly than the recipe indicates; maybe I rolled them out thinner. I just had to keep a close eye on them while they were in the oven.
Time to find things to eat with crackers! Yum!!!
The crackers look great! I’m always looking for good cracker recipes so I don’t have to buy them at the store.
And you’re so right about the therapeutic properties of rolling out dough! I secretly think that’s why I love making pasta by hand.
I love the little animals – and the sound of that recipe, too!
These look so adorable – I would have not guessed they were oatmeal crackers either. What a great project to do with your kids!
That is so cool that you cooked the oatmeal before adding it into the dough. Definitely something I want to try!
Going to try these next week while daughter is home for spring break…she can take some back with her! She commented several times over winter break about the lack of crackers in the house. (I quit buying them for obvious reasons) Used to make crackers when my girls were young, but drifted away from the habit as they got older & we became busier outside our home. I will sub whole wheat pastry flour in place of all purpose (I rarely have this) since that is my habit…tho…I wonder…will it overshadow the oat flavor…hmmmm. Thanks for sending this out!! The timing is perfect!
Ahh, I’ve tried to make crackers for my three small boys and this is the first recipe that actually tastes delicious. Thank you Heidi!
These sound quite delicious,,,thinking a little blue cheese and a glass of a cheeky little red. Looking forward to the cookbook.
Lovely crackers! Great post as always, thanks.
Fantastic idea! Is it weird that I want to crawl inside your blog and live here?
Heidi, I’m hoping you’re coming to Portland to do a book signing. Please let us know if and when you’ll do that. Any plans to teach a class in Portland?
My teenage daughter has been a vegetarian for over a year, and I still have trouble feeding her well. Your site helps immensely.
Hi Victoria, I am doing a signing in Portland – it should be fun, and I have a special guest too :)….I’m hoping to post the details soon!
As always, I’m hungry and inspired reading your posts.
That’s so true isn’t it. The crazier things get sometimes the more we long for a little mindless repetition, totally agree.
Can’t wait to see this cookbook, very exciting 🙂
These look so cute! I grew up eating oatmeal crackers spread with a little jam on top and a nice cup of tea. Good times, good times!
those adorable shapes just gave me a much-needed smile on an otherwise dreary day. thank you, heidi.
Like one of your previous commenters, I would love to know if I can make these without dairy, maybe a nut milk? I will definitely be trying them. My kids love crackers and I would love not to have to buy them at the store with loads of preservatives in them.
I haven’t tried a non-dairy milk – maybe an oat milk would be nice? Let me know if you give any of them a try!
Mmmm… beautiful. I think I may try rolling the dough through my pasta maker to see if I can create that super-thin effect you talked about. Has any tried that?
I haven’t tried it with this particular dough – but it works a charm w/ other doughs I’ve used.
Sounds like you’ve been extremely busy lately and yet you managed to have the time to make these beautiful crackers! I can’t wait to get my hands on your cookbook.
OH!, how these gorgeous wee creatures have brought a smile and a bit of whimsy to a hectic day!
Many thanks xxx
Love these crackers, Heidi. Such an adorable idea. I’m going to try to make them with my gluten-free oats over the weekend. Thank you for sharing and have a great day.
Best,
Amie
They are all so cute, all perfect, and look so good. I have to try these. I love crackers.
Those crackers are so cute! They remind me of Scottish Oatcakes. I love them, and they’re so cheap to make but so expensive to buy imported! They’re dense and perfect with cheese and a cuppa tea. I will definitely try this rye type. Sounds like a match made in heaven!
This recipe looks great, thanks. When I start my family on our no-processed-foods cleanse I will definitely make these, and probably even before then.
This looks so fun! My kids love to bake and I will have to give this a go with them. I wonder though, if the dairy & gluten can be substituted. I have allergies to both but I’m new to that style of baking. If any readers have success, I’d love to hear about it!
So cute. Sometimes it’s fun to stand them up too like a little cookie diorama!
Can’t wait for your new cookbook. Pre-ordered at Amazon… wish I could make a signing but Colorado is a distance from Oregon…
The postcards and the little crackers are both such great ideas. I’m going to keep my eyes out for cute cutters! Thanks for all you do!
My mother always teases me when I make my own crackers because she can’t imagine why I’d make something from scratch that is so ubiquitous in the stores. Then, she tastes one and I think for an instant she understands: Nothing that good comes in a box!
These look outstanding. You’re rolled out crackers are beautiful! An inspiring goal for me to shoot for.
It is SO difficult to find healthy crackers in the store. These look like a great option. I love the shapes!
I used to love ‘animal crackers’ as a kid (but not as much as my little sister). These remind me of those! What a fun cracker for a get together Heidi.
Congrat’s on your book!!! SO cool. Already have it ordered 🙂
Can’t wait to try these! Will you be posting the yummy citrus studded nuggets you served this weekend at the little flower school? Those were so great. I just finished making your lentil soup and the limencello almond cookies. Great for this gray rainy day.
I love your little animal shaped crackers! They are so cute and I’m sure they are super tasty too!
Cracker from my kitchen! These will be a lifesaver on busy weekends and vacation days. Thanks.
These crackers look snackalicious! They are so adorable- love the little animal shapes!
Simplemente Delicioso!….
Not sure what to comment on first! The postcards are absolutely stunning, and I want to shove a handful of those crackers in my mouth, ASAP. Great post!
Those crackers look really yummy.
I’m wondering if you could use one of those hand-cranked pasta machines to roll the dough out super thin?
oops–kamut is not GF. What I meant to say was I wonder how gluten-free flour would work in place of the rye.
what a genius idea! i can’t imagine how crazy life gets when one is releasing a cookbook. i pre-ordered it and can’t wait to get it!
HS: Thank you Lesley!
I love homemade crackers, thank you so much for a new recipe! I usually resort to my pasta roller to get the dough thin enough. It works very well if you don’t mind working with one long strip of dough.
Bet these crackers would be great for a potluck together with a veggie pate. I wonder how Kamut flour would work in place of the rye, for my gluten-free friends.
Those animal crackers are so cute! I made my first crackers a few weeks ago and they were so easy!
These crackers look just like the ones I buy in a little natural food store in Brazil, of all places. They add flax seeds to some. I must find one of those clever cutters. You are ever so thoughtful and energetic to create those beautiful post cards, really lovely. I pre-ordered your book so long ago, it will be a welcome surprise when it arrives! Thank you for your endless inspiration.
Your recipes are so creative! I also love your animal cookie cutters – I’ve never seen shapes quite like them. Beautiful!
My nephew likes to break off the fox tails.
Heidi, Your first cookbook inspired me to totally change my eating habits. This site has allowed me to continue expanding my collection of phenomenally creative, delicious recipes, while also enjoying your beautiful photography. I’ve preordered your new book and can’t wait to ‘play’ in the kitchen with your new recipes. Congratulations on your continued success!
Oh these are way too cute!
These are adorable and look delicious. I don’t think I would have the patience for the tiny cut-outs, but I wish I did!
These are freaking adorable! Great idea. I’m going to have so much fun making these!
I live quite close to a town famous for the quality of its steel, and can find beautiful cookie cutters at the market. I now have the perfect excuse to buy half a dozen of them: healthy crackers, perfect for lunch and dinner and snack.
I LOVE the tiny animal shapes–especially the duck. would you be willing to share your source for the mini animal cookie/cracker cutters, heidi?
Hi Jenny, they’re a set I’ve had as long as I can remember.
I’ve GOT to get me some of those cookie cutters! I’m afraid gingerbread man shapes just won’t cut it (no pun intended…) for these little guys. They remind me of Barnum’s animal crackers – but I’m sure the flavor is so much lovelier 🙂
Great post – photos and article. Will be baking these today. I like the way you use the scraps. I have tiny leaf-shaped cutters that will be fun for autumn. (Your Chocolate Puddle Cookies are still a big hit around here.) Thank you for this!
Heidi, what adorable little crackers! If I had cookie cutters that produced such cute shapes, I’d look for excuses all the time to bake some up. Thanks for sharing the cracker recipe. I’ll have to try it sometime soon. The crackers at the store seem a little boring compared to these.
Will you be doing an extensive tour for the new book? Would you consider visiting Chicago? *nudge*
After finding a recipe for homemade cheese crackers and now oatmeal crackers, it’s time to try this!
These crackers look wonderful, and I’m always looking for a way to incorporate more oats into my life! I love the animal crackers!
I absolutely love how thoughtful you are about giving out postcards. I’m sure people will definitely be grateful because of it! As for the oatmeal crackers- I just love ’em! I love how you said to bake them “to within an inch of their lives.” Lovely post! And I’m crossing my fingers that you’ll have a book signing in the NY/NJ area. 🙂
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Sounds great! I would add some caraway seed to really bring out the rye. Love the animal shapes! So fun.
Those look great! The rye flour and anise seed sounds amazing. These are definitely on my to do list 🙂
The crackers look delicious, and I love the packaging for those postcards. Simple and fulfilling… just like your recipes!
You are a brilliant woman! I love the postcards and crackers are right up my alley! I am always reaching for something crunchy but I will not settle for any old greasy cracker. I will make these as soon as possible!
These are absolutely adorable and show such impressive craftmanship with food – rolling dough that thin by hand and making straight lines with a dough cutter are tricky tasks! I’m wondering where you found those cutsie cookie cutters, I love the duckling!
What a great recipe for healthy and delicious crackers! I’ve never made crackers on my own but will definitely try this – and I love the animal shapes – so cute 🙂 Congrats also on getting close to your cookbook coming out – I can’t wait to come to one of your signings in SF!
Making homemade crackers is on my project list for this spring. These sound great and very different from what I had in mind. I think I’ll try them.
I have to try these! I have found that rolling out homemade crackers super thin is definitely key. It takes some muscle!
You’re so creative! I will have to try them. Can’t wait for your new book
Congratulations on being that much closer to publishing! I got the Great Scandinavian Baking Book for Christmas and while I love it, I have not baked as much from it as I would have liked because I am perhaps too spoiled for choice? Where to begin among all these delicious items? I have not had good luck with crackers in the past but perhaps this is a sign that I should try again (especially as we have had far too much sweet baking recently). It’s also a great chance to use my rye flour which has been neglected of late. (PS just made your ginger chocolate cookies from a past Christmas post–they are incredible–somehow we still haven’t eaten them all but they are as soft and delicious as fresh baked!)
Homemade crackers are a big deal lately! I can’t wait to try your version!
Also, I can’t wait to come to one of your signings! Keep us updated 🙂
love that you start w/a pot of oats and add rye! they look satisfying and delicious!
The postcards are beautiful. I love the oatmeal animal crackers but I would probably go crackers doing them. Rectangles are nice.
These crackers look fabulous and are just so cute!
I am going to really really try to make it to one of your sf book signings! Thank you Heidi for being such a great model of coolness, kindness and talent. xo
I love these crackers! I’m planning my birthday brunch- with assorted cheeses, and will make these for my guests! I love your crackers. Your first book, and website have changed my life!
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