You know animal crackers as being more like cookies than crackers that are shaped into various animals. Naturally, they are a favorite of kids who love to munch on some of their favorite shapes like lions, bears, tigers, and elephants. They have been enjoyed in America since the late 1800s and in England, much earlier, where they were invented.
You’ve come to the right place if you are looking to find a new animal cracker brand or are just curious about what is out there. Here are several popular brands:
Animal Cracker Brands
Annie’s
Website: annies.com
Annie’s is most known for its mac & cheese that rivals Kraft. The company was launched in 1989 by Annie Withey and Andrew Martin who previously helped started the popular Smartfood popcorn brand. Annie’s is now owned by General Mills with a focus on organic products such as condiments, dressings, graham crackers, cereal, and much more.
Annie’s mascot is a bunny so there are several cookie products in bunny shapes. They also produce organic animal crackers with farm animal shapes such as cows, tractors, and chickens.
Austin
This animal cracker brand is owned by Kellogg. They make single-serve bags of animal crackers that are convenient for school lunches or on-the-go snacking. You may better know this brand from its cracker sandwiches that are orange and filled with cheese or peanut butter.
Barnum’s
Website: snackworks.com, Amazon.com
Nabisco has been making animal crackers for more than 100 years. They were first marketed under the Nabisco name before taking on the “Barnum’s” name in 1902. They are named after P.T. Barnum, the famous showman known for his publicity stunts.
Its packaging previously featured caged animals to illustrate their connection to the circus. However, according to Smithsonian Magazine, the design was changed around 2016 when PETA requested that the animals be shown as roaming free.
Diamond Bakery
Where To Buy: DiamondBakery.com, Amazon.com
Diamond Bakery products are Hawaiian made. In fact the company is the largest cookie and cracker manufacturer in the state. It was started in 1921 by three Japanese immigrants and was named after Diamond Head, an iconic volcanic formation.
The company makes African themed animal crackers featuring lions, elephants, and rhino. They are called the following:
- Hawaiian Jungle Animal Crackers
Gerber
Where To Buy: Gerber.com, Amazon.com
You know Gerber for its baby foods. It got its start in 1928 when Dorothy Gerber began straining solid foods for her baby. This inspired the Gerber family to start producing its now iconic baby food out of their Fremont, Michigan canning facility. Keeping its humble beginnings in mind, it was sold to Nestlé in 2007 for well over $5 billion.
Gerber makes this flavor of animal crackers:
- Cinnamon Graham
Glutino
Where To Buy: In Stores, Amazon.com
Glutino makes gluten-free food products that don’t lack flavor like other gluten-free brands out there. The company was launched in 1999 giving it over 20 years to perfect the art of making tasty baked goods such as English muffins, cookies, wafers, pretzels, crackers, and related products.
Glutino makes these animal crackers:
- Original
- Graham
Goodie Girl
Where To Buy: In Stores, Amazon.com
This cookie and breakfast biscuit brand is the creation of Shira Berk. Berk had a career in the music industry before moving into baking delicious treats at her company, Goodie Girl café. As you likely guessed, the cookies were a hit at the café which inspired Berk to bring them to retail.
Goodie Girl products are certified gluten-free, kosher certified, and contain no peanuts. The company makes this animal cracker product:
- Magical Animal Crackers
Happy Snacks
Website: marketsquarefood.com
Happy Snacks is a brand of Market Square Food Company. It’s a better-for-you cookie brand that contains no artificial flavors, preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, trans fat, or cholesterol. All of its animal crackers are also nut-free, egg-free, and peanut-free.
Happy Snacks offers these animal cracker products for sale :
- Animal Crackers
- Chocolate
- Non-GMO Animal Crackers
Kinnikinnick
Where To Buy: In Stores, Amazon.com
Kinnikinnick is a Canadian food company that specializes in gluten-free baked goods. They were launched in 1991, long before gluten-free was widely known.
Today, Kinnikinnick products are free from ingredients that cause common allergies. The company guarantees its food is free from gluten, dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, and soy.
These are the flavors of Kinnikinnick animal cookies:
- Vanilla
- Graham Style
- Chocolate
Mother’s
Where To Buy: In Stores, Amazon.com
Back when Mother’s started in 1914, the first Mother’s Day was celebrated that same year. The company’s name was inspired by this glorious holiday. N.H Wheatley was the founder of this animal cracker brand who purchased the rights to the cookies from a customer at his Oakland, California newspaper stand.
Today, Mother’s specializes in producing iced animal crackers. These are its flavors:
- Original
- Sparkling Mythical Creatures
Stauffer’s
Where To Buy: In Stores, Amazon.com
Stauffer’s is one of the most iconic animal cracker brands in the world. It was started over 150 years ago and is credited for being one of the first to bring animal crackers to the American market. The company is based out of York, Pennsylvania where it first opened its doors in 1871.
These are the varieties of animal crackers made by Stauffer’s:
- Original
- Iced
- Chocolate Graham
Walkers
Where To Buy: Walkersshortbread.com, Amazon.com
Walkers Shortbread is based out of Scotland and is one of the country’s largest exporters of food. In other words, you won’t have to travel to Europe to find them if you don’t already live there. The brand dates back to 1898 when Joseph Walker started the business.
Walker’s Shortbread Animal Shapes are designed in teddy bears, highland cows, Scottie dogs, and sheep.
Image Credit – Jay Malone/flickr
