These homemade Sourdough Rainbow Goldfish crackers are everything your kids love, only better. They’re buttery, cheesy, and crisp with a subtle tang from sourdough discard, and they’re naturally colored with natural plant powders that you can’t even taste (like red rice yeast, spinach, and turmeric). Shaped like fish just like the nostalgic goldfish snack we know and love, these crackers are the perfect way to elevate your child’s meals with ingredients you can feel good about.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

These Sourdough Rainbow Goldfish crackers are the best of both worlds: fun and colorful for kids, but made with clean ingredients you can feel good about. Made with real cheddar, cold butter, and sourdough discard, the dough comes together quickly in a food processor with just a few pantry staples. You can chill this dough overnight for added fermentation benefits to allow the sourdough starter to really work it’s magic and break down the gluten.

Tools You’ll Need:

• Food processor– for combining ingredients.
• Plastic Wrap- to wrap and chill dough.
• Rolling pin– to roll out dough.
• Fish-shaped cutter- to cut out goldfish shapes. I used this cookie cutter linked here.
• Skewer or toothpick- to shape the fish eyes.
• Small teaspoon– to make fish mouth.
• Parchment paper- to keep crackers from sticking.
• Baking sheets– to bake crackers.

As an amazon affiliate, this post may contain affiliate links. Which means I may receive a commission for qualifying purchases. I will only recommend products that I personally love and use.

Gather Your Ingredients:

• Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Brings bold, classic Goldfish flavor and helps bind the dough. You can use pre-shredded or you can shred your own.
• Salted Butter – Keeps the crackers rich and tender. Gives them that buttery taste and crispness.
• All-Purpose Flour – Provides structure and crunch to the goldfish.
• Cornstarch – Lightens the texture for a crisp snap. You can omit this if you want.
• Sea Salt – develops the flavor of the crackers and balances them.
• Honey or Sugar – Balances the salt and boosts browning.
• Baking Powder – Adds a subtle lift if you want an extra puffy cracker. You can leave this out if you’d like.
• Sourdough discard– Adds tangy flavor and moisture and is the magic that ferments your dough. Can be used fed, past peak, or straight from the fridge.
• Natural Color Powders (Optional) – These natural color powders help achieve the “rainbow” affect of the crackers. You can skip this step but below I have listed what I used to achieve each color if you want to try them. Green– to achieve a green dough, you can use ceremonial grade matcha powder or organic spinach powder if matcha is too strong. I have linked a spinach powder for you here. Orange- you can add turmeric powder and a little paprika to achieve a more orange dough. Red- I used this red rice yeast powder linked here to make my red crackers. You can use beet powder, but be aware beet powder usually bakes out and looks more brown after.
• Ice Water – Helps the dough hold if needed.
• Flaky Salt (Optional) – For topping after you bake your crackers. I like to use Maldon Sea Salt linked here.

Now let’s bake some crackers!

Rainbow Sourdough Goldfish Crackers

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (225g) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded cold
• ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder (optional)
• ¼ cup (60g) cold sourdough discard (100% hydration)
• 1–2 teaspoons ice water, as needed
• Natural color powders (see notes above in ingredient notes)
• Flaky sea salt for topping (optional)

Instructions:

Step 1: Make the Cracker Dough

In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse the shredded cheddar and cold butter until a coarse crumb forms, into small pea sized bits.

Add flour, cornstarch, sea salt, garlic powder, and baking powder to the food processor. Pulse until combined. Mixture will be crumbly as pictured below.

Add sourdough discard and honey to the dough. Pulse until the dough starts clumping. If it’s too dry, add ice water 1 teaspoon at a time until it just comes together. Be very careful when adding water not to add to much, you want dough to barely form a ball as pictured below.

Step 2: Color Dough

Split the dough into 2–3 portions depending on how many colors you want to make. Add natural powders in 1/4 teaspoon at a time to dough pulsing in the food processor until blended. Add enough powder to reach the desired color, but go very slowly as to not overpower the dough with the taste of the powders. I used roughly 1/2 teaspoon of powder to achieve the colors I liked.

Shape dough into discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.

Overnight Fermentation (Optional): If you want additional fermentation time for the sourdough starter to really work on breaking down the gluten in the dough, refrigerate dough overnight.

Step 3: Shape and Bake The Crackers

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll dough to ⅛” thick. Cut into goldfish shapes and place on parchment lined pan. Use a skewer or toothpick to poke a tiny “eye”, and use a small spoon to shape the smile or mouth of the fish.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18–20 minutes, rotating the tray halfway, until golden and crisp.

Let cool completely before enjoying!

Yields: ~100 mini crackers

How To Store:

• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
• For longer shelf life, freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months.

FAQ’S:

Can I skip the natural color powders?

Absolutely. These crackers are delicious plain or in one solid color batch.

What kind of cheese works best?

Extra-sharp cheddar gives that classic Goldfish flavor.

Can I use active sourdough starter instead of discard?

Yes, but discard is ideal here since the crackers are not meant to rise much.

Enjoy your Sourdough Rainbow Goldfish Crackers!

Sourdough Rainbow Goldfish Crackers

These homemade Sourdough Rainbow Goldfish crackers are everything your kids love, only better. They’re buttery, cheesy, and crisp with a subtle tang from sourdough discard, and they’re naturally colored with natural plant powders that you can't even taste (like red rice yeast, spinach, and turmeric). Shaped like fish just like the nostalgic goldfish snack we know and love, these crackers are the perfect way to elevate your child's meals with ingredients you can feel good about.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Equipment

• Food processor for combining ingredients
• Plastic wrap to chill dough
• Rolling Pin to roll out dough
• Fish shaped cookie cutters to cut out fish shapes
• Skewer or toothpick to shape fish eyes
• Small teaspoon to make fish mouth
• Parchment paper to keep crackers from sticking and burning
• Baking sheets to bake crackers

Ingredients

  

Sourdough Rainbow Goldfish Crackers

• 2 cups (225g) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded cold
• ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch optional
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder optional
• ¼ cup (60g) cold sourdough discard (100% hydration)
• 1-2 teaspoons ice water as needed
• Natural color powders see notes above in ingredient notes
• Flaky sea salt for topping optional

Instructions

 

Step 1: Make the Cracker Dough

• In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse the shredded cheddar and cold butter until a coarse crumb forms, into small pea sized bits.
  2 cups (225g) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded cold, ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• Add flour, cornstarch, sea salt, garlic powder, and baking powder to the food processor. Pulse until combined. Mixture will be crumbly as pictured below.
  1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• Add sourdough discard and honey or sugar to the dough. Pulse until the dough starts clumping. If it’s too dry, add ice water 1 teaspoon at a time until it just comes together. Be very careful when adding water not to add to much, you want dough to barely form a ball as pictured below.
  1 teaspoon honey or sugar, ¼ cup (60g) cold sourdough discard (100% hydration), 1-2 teaspoons ice water

Step 2: Color Dough

• Split the dough into 2–3 portions depending on how many colors you want to make. Add natural powders in 1/4 teaspoon at a time to dough pulsing in the food processor until blended. Add enough powder to reach the desired color, but go very slowly as to not overpower the dough with the taste of the powders. I used roughly 1/2 teaspoon of powder to achieve the colors I liked.
  Natural color powders
• Shape dough into discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Overnight Fermentation (Optional): If you want additional fermentation time for the sourdough starter to really work on breaking down the gluten in the dough, refrigerate dough overnight.

Step 3: Shape and Bake The Crackers

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll dough to ⅛” thick. Cut into goldfish shapes and place on parchment lined pan. Use a skewer or toothpick to poke a tiny “eye”, and use a small spoon to shape the smile or mouth of the fish.
• Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18–20 minutes, rotating the tray halfway, until golden and crisp. Top with flaky sea salt if desired.
  Flaky sea salt for topping
• Let cool completely before enjoying!
• Yields: ~100 mini crackers

Notes

How To Store:

 

• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
   
• For longer shelf life, freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months.
   

FAQ’S:

 

Can I skip the natural color powders?

 

Absolutely. These crackers are delicious plain or in one solid color batch.

 

What kind of cheese works best?

 

Extra-sharp cheddar gives that classic Goldfish flavor.

 

Can I use active sourdough starter instead of discard?

 

Yes, but discard is ideal here since the crackers are not meant to rise much.

 

Enjoy your Sourdough Rainbow Goldfish Crackers!

 

Course Sourdough Discard Recipes

Cuisine Crackers