These gourmet fruit and nut crackers are packed with dried fruit and nuts, but are still super crispy and crunchy. They're the perfect addition to any charcuterie board or for snacking!
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If you've ever seen the price tag on those fancy crackers at the store, then you'll know they're super expensive and you only get a few crackers per box. That's why these crackers are absolutely worth the effort!
Flour, fruit, nuts, and spices are mixed together and then baked as a loaf, then frozen and sliced into crackers, which are baked until crispy and delicious.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Better (and cheaper) than store bought: These crackers are just as good or better than the similar crackers you can buy in the store, except they're a lot less expensive to make from scratch. This recipe makes about 50 crackers, which is 3-4x more than what you get from the store-bought version. You can also customize with any dried fruits, nuts/seed and herbs that you already have on hand!
- Packed with fruits and nuts, but still crispy: These crackers are really special because they stay crispy despite being packed full of ingredients.
- Fun & impressive recipe: There's a bit of waiting involved, but this is a really fun recipe that we enjoy making - you bake two loaves of bread, then freeze and slice it into crackers, and then bake again. The end result is so worth it! You can also keep loaves stashed in the freezer so you can slice and bake whenever you need a batch. Your guests will be so impressed!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these gourmet fruit and nut crackers:
Ingredient Notes
- Fruits: You can use whatever dried fruits you like, just make sure to use the same total quantity (¾ cups) of dried fruit. We used dried figs and apricots in our version. Other options include: dates, raisins, cranberries, cherries, prunes, etc.
- Nuts: We used pistachios and pumpkin seeds, but you can use whatever nuts or seeds you prefer, just be sure to use ¾ cups total. Other options include: almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, hazelnuts, etc.
- Herbs: We used fresh thyme and rosemary, but you can use your favorite fresh herbs. You can also use dried herbs (use 1 teaspoon).
- All purpose and whole wheat flour: We used a 50/50 mix of the two, and the whole wheat flour gives these crackers a distinct color and flavor. You can of course just use all purpose flour if you don't have any whole wheat.
- Baking soda: Be sure to use baking soda, not baking powder in this recipe.
- Spices: We like to add cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper to these crackers, which pairs beautifully with the dried fruit and nuts. However, feel free to play around with seasonings depending on your preferred flavor.
- Milk: Any kind of milk will work in this recipe. We typically use oat milk to keep them dairy free.
- Honey: These fruit and nut crackers taste best with a little bit of sweetness. You can also use agave or maple syrup.
Step-by-step Instructions
PREP: Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two mini loaf pans (~5 ½” x 3 ¼”) or one regular loaf pan (~8 ½” x 4 ½”) with parchment paper.
STEP 1: 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.
STEP 2: Divide between the 2 mini pans (or just the 1 regular loaf pan). Bake for ~25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
STEP 3: Let cool to room temperature, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight. (You can also leave them frozen for up to 3 months, as long as they are tightly wrapped.)
STEP 4: Remove from the freezer and preheat oven to 300˚F. Use a serrated knife to slice into ⅛” thick slices. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
STEP 5: Bake for 12 minutes, then flip each cracker over. Bake for another 12 minutes, then check for doneness. 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! If they’re not quite golden brown, flip and leave in the oven for another 3-6 minutes.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Loaf pan size: We used two of these mini loaf pans for this recipe. The size is about 5 ½ inch x 3 ¼ inch. You can also use one standard size loaf pan (~8 ½” x 4 ½”), 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 ⅛" 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.
Without freezing them, it's very difficult to slice them into thin, evenly-sized slices. It's also much more difficult to cut through the dried fruit if the loaf isn't frozen.
You can use all purpose flour or almond flour instead of whole wheat flour.
Though we haven't tested it, you can use a 1-to-1 gluten free flour as a substitute.
Related Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Recipe
Print📖 Recipe
Fruit and Nut Crackers
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 52 crackers 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These gourmet fruit and nut crackers are packed with dried fruit and nuts, but are still super crispy and crunchy. They're the perfect addition to any charcuterie board or for snacking!
Ingredients
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup dried fruit, chopped (apricots, figs, dates, raisins, cherries, etc)
- ¾ 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)
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two mini loaf pans (~5 ½” x 3 ¼”) with parchment paper.
- 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, or overnight. (You can also leave them frozen for up to 3 months, as long as they are tightly wrapped.)
- Preheat oven to 300˚F.
- Remove from the freezer and use a serrated knife to slice into ⅛” 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
Loaf pan size: We used two of these mini loaf pans for this recipe. The size is about 5 ½ inch x 3 ¼ inch. You can also use one standard size loaf pan (~8 ½” x 4 ½”), 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 ⅛" 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.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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
HeatherB says
I made these and they are really good. I just have to get a little bit better at slicing the loaves nice and thin. I would suggest you slice a few and toast them before you slice up the whole batch so that you can test it out.
Thanks for the receipe.
Kathy says
Is the batter suppose to be runny? I ended up with a chunky soup consistency other than a thick muffin batter.
Added 1/4 cup of both flours.
Lexi says
Hi Kathy, 1/4 cup is not the correct amount listed in the recipe (it's 1/2 cup of each flour), so I'm wondering if maybe the ratios were off. The batter isn't super runny, but runny enough that it settles in the pan. You can see what ours looked like in the photos above.
Kahty says
I had to add an extra 1/4 cup of each flour. The batter was thicker. If I had not the fruit would have sunk to the bottom. Otherwise very tasty!
CP1005 says
Just made these using Einkorn flour instead of all purpose. How high does the bread rise in the first bake if using all purpose flour. (or what is the size of the finished cracker) (Just trying to see if the einkorn rose as much or not). Thanks.
Lexi says
Hi! If you scroll up to the "step by step instructions" part of the blog post, there's a side by side photo of before and after baking that should be a helpful visual. Thank you!
Karla says
Too much salt 😕
Lexi says
Hi Karla, I'm surprised to hear that! We have never had that issue. Do you mind sharing what kind of salt you used?
Loredana Ragone says
I saw a few recipes but decided on yours. I’ve made this 4 times in a week. Love how you can customize. I find using a food processor to chop finely is easiest, and I am using a cocktail bread pan which is perfect for baking and then I used my crank bread slicer to get the best slices.
Lexi says
Wow, that is the best feedback ever, thank you so much! Such a great idea to use a bread slicer for even slices!
Kelsey says
Any suggestions to make these gluten free?
Lexi says
I have not tried them gluten free, but I believe other people have with success. Just use your favorite gluten free all purpose flour blend!
Margaret Arason says
These are fabulous and easy to prepare. My partner has a nut allergy and so many of the commercial varieties have nuts in them. It’s wonderful to make some with a variety of seeds and dried fruits. Thank you!
Jeannine says
I have made these crackers over and over again! They are outstanding! I have used all different combinations of dried fruit and nuts and they are always amazing.
Ine says
Can I use Maple syrup instead of honey?
🇩🇰
Debbiann says
Absolutely perfect.
Trish Vowless says
Hi, can I use 50/50 flour and cornmeal?
Leisa Rich says
Really good! So easy to make, love that they can be frozen to final bake later. Will definitely make again!
Libby says
Can I use an 8 x 8 brownie pan? Suggestions re baking time? Thank you, looks really good.
Lexi says
Hi Libby! Unfortunately an 8x8 brownie pan won't work well for this recipe. But you could use a standard loaf pan instead, they will just be very long and thin versus the more square-like shape you see here.
Tanya says
What an awesome recipe, thank you!! We have a Coeliac, so I subbed the flours to 4/5 plain GF flour and 1/5 psyllium husk and it worked a treat first time. I love that I can put more figs in than the supermarket ones! Have the other loaf in the freezer ready for next time we have guests!
Perfect ratio of everything else, thank you!!
Tracy says
In the oven for the first bake as I'm writing this and I'm wondering if I could dehydrate them instead of doing the second bake?
Debbie says
OMG, these are amazing. I just have to learn to slice them thinner to get the crunch. The possibilities are endless.
Lexi says
So glad you enjoyed! It definitely takes some practice getting them super thin!
Ariane says
Delicious, easy to make, endlessly customizable : a perfect recipe !
Lexi says
So glad to hear that!
Jan says
These are delicious - I pay upwards of $7 per sleeve at the market!! The recipe was easy and directions clear. I may have 2nd baked them slightly longer than called for but that would be an oven variance. I used pumpkin seeds, chopped pecans, dried cranberries, chopped figs - crisp and perfect. I made an extra batch (before the 2nd bake) and will keep them in the freezer.