homemade fruit and nut crisps
Confession: I could live on cheese and crackers.
One of my favorite meals is this: Cheese, crackers, fruit, olives, maybe a cured meat like prosciutto or summer sausage. Plus wine. And chocolate for dessert. The end. Repeat forever and ever.
Every few weeks, the husband and I will make a smorgasbord of these foods for dinner and just snack away while catching up on our Netflix queue (House of Cards, amiright?). It’s the best, because we usually buy too much of everything and then end up with a ton of leftovers to enjoy for lunch the next day.
Recently I introduced to our snack-y dinner situation some fruit and nut crisps I got from the grocery store that are insanely delicious. I first had them at the dinner club I’m a part of and I could. not. stop. eating. them. But the box costs a pretty penny and because they’re so good, we tend to devour the contents within a day or two. No bueno.
So I did the food blogger thing, and I made some myself.
Guys and gals, these are the real deal. They taste just like those fancy, expensive storebought crackers but they’re made from scratch and much more affordable. They’re also incredibly easy, and the recipe makes more than what you’d get in a typical box — which is to say, we went through this batch in about four days as opposed to two.
They’re also incredibly versatile. You can mix in your own favorite nuts (I used a combination of almonds, cashews, pistachios and hazelnuts) and dried fruits (I used golden raisins, but cranberries, regular raisins or chopped dried apricots would be fantastic, too). The same goes for the seeds — I used flax seeds, but sunflower seeds or pepitas would be great additions as well. You can even add chopped fresh or dried herbs, like rosemary or thyme, if you want. Just mix it all together in a bowl with some flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and milk, bake it in a loaf pan, freeze it, slice it and bake again until crisp.
And because they’re so thin, they cool very quickly and you can eat them pretty much right away. BONUS.
We, of course, have been eating them with cheese, but they’re good with just about anything or nothing at all. Just don’t be surprised if you, like us, leave them in a container on the kitchen counter within constant view and suddenly, they disappear. Good thing another batch is just hours away.
Me + couch + cheese + fruit and nut crisps + wine + Thursday night + Netflix = let’s do this.
PrintHomemade Fruit and Nut Crisps
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 mins
- Yield: About 4 dozen crackers 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted mixed nuts
- 3/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup whole flax seeds
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter or spray bottom and sides of 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In large bowl, stir flour, nuts, raisins, flax seeds, brown sugar, salt and baking soda. Stir in milk. Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.
- Bake 50 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack. Transfer to freezer and freeze at least 1 hour, but no more than 3 hours.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove loaf from pan. Use sharp serrated knife to cut loaf into 1/8-inch thick slices. Arrange slices in single layer on rimmed baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown, flipping halfway through baking. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store at room temperature in airtight container up to 1 week.
I’m so making these this weekend! Love it! 🙂
Hi! !how do you cut whole nuts without breaking the thin slice of this loaf???
A sharp serrated knife. Slow sawing motion without appealing too much downward pressure. Let the knife do the work.
What a wonderful recipe!
I have dried cherries, sunflower seeds and some assorted mixed nuts in my pantry so I am going to make these tonight when I get home from work! What kind of cheese did you spread on them?
I know the commercial product you referred to. But looking at your recipe, the homemade version wins, hands’ down.
Now, if there is a way to turn this into a yeast bread, you would have an almost perfect replica of Publix’s breakfast bread. If you’ve never had it, it’s delicious, just sweet enough with dried fruit baked in. My Florida friend introduced me to it during a recent visit, and I enjoyed it slathered with plain Greek yogurt, rendering it even more healthful!
Thanks for the recipe for the crisps; I will definitely give it a go.
Any suggestions for slicing the loaf into thin slices? I know a serrated knife is helpful, but I always end up with thicker and broken pieces! Really wanna try this recipe this weekend!!
Freeze then slice then bake
So much yumminess is happening here!! Love the mix of nuts and raisins!
Would you recommend raw or roasted nuts?
I’ve never thought to make these. I can’t wait to try this with some runny brie. Yum.
Wow these look great! Very cool.
I loooove those fruit and nut crisps, and with a slather of brie, I have myself a meal 😀 I’ve got to try making them myself, and I love how customizable they are!!
Amy — Raw, unsalted nuts are best for this recipe.
Lisa — I used a very, very sharp serrated knife. That would be best, but if you have a regular chef’s knife that’s very sharp, that should work, too. Enjoy!
Misha — Sounds perfect! I spread Kerrygold Dubliner spreadable cheese on them and it was amazing. Any spreadable or soft cheese (or slices of hard cheese) would be great!
I could so live on these crisps, they look beyond fab!
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I have always wanted to make these at home and I will definitely be trying to find a way to GF adapt this soon. Thanks for the inspiration, dearest! <3
um, you are speaking my language girl! cheese, crackers, wine, win. and i’ve seen these fruit & nut crisps in the store all the time. so cool that you’ve made your own! they’re like a kaleidoscope. can’t wait to catch up in a few weeks!
I cannot wait to make these, they look AMAZING. May be perfect on the side of a white chocolate mousse for dipping.
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I made these crisps and they turned out great. I am wondering if you have any suggestions for making these crisps ahead of time (such as the day before)? I put them in an airtight container but they lost a lot of their crispness overnight. I tried toasting one and it still didn’t bring back the crispness that they had the first day.
Peggy — We had a bit of that problem, too, but I found that allowing the crisps to cool completely before putting them in the container helped maintain their crispiness. Still, they won’t be the same a few days after making them, as the moisture from the fruit will soften them over time. We still thought they were tasty, though. 😉
LOOOOOVED these! I used a combination of almonds/cashews/macadamias with craisins and flaxseed–yum! A warning: watch these like a hawk during the second baking…I burned the first batch by not paying close attention after I flipped them (of course I still ate them!). I had hoped to enjoy these plain, but after slathering one with a bit of cold butter there was just no going back.:)
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Can almond milk be used?
Sara — Yes, I do think almond milk would work!
Have you tried to make these with a non-dairy milk like almond or coconut milk? I have a few vegan friends and these would be awesome for them!
Kaye — I have not tried making them with a non-dairy milk, but I think they could work! If you try it, please let me know!
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I made these last weekend using mixed nuts, dried cranberries, raisins, flax seed and millet. Oh my goodness!!! They were not only delicious, but addicting. I had some friends stop by and everyone was hooked. Such a wonderful recipe. Easy and nearly foolproof. Thanks for sharing!!
Kathleen — Yay! I’m so glad! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
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Wow! No, double wow 🙂 I have been searching for a recipe for these crackers and found yours. I have just finished making them and they are just beautiful. So much better than shop bought and soo much cheaper. I used cranberries, walnuts, pistachios, pepitas and sunflower seeds. They will certainly be on my weekly baking list. Thank you so much for sharing. X
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Hello Stephanie,
I made your crisps for Christmas Eve supper and it was a huge hit!
Thanks again for the recipe.
Anne
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Thank you for the recipe! I just devoured an entire box in one sitting and thought there has to be a better affordable solution! 🙂
YUMM!
Love the look of this recipe, how would I substitute for Gluten Free please
I’ve never made this gluten free but I expect that using a 1:1 flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill’s 1-to-1 gluten free all-purpose flour) could work!
So you had better luck freezing the loaf after baking, BEFORE slicing, right? At least that’s what you said in the blog…but it’s not in the recipe. Just wondering which way is best…
Linda, the freezing is part of the recipe directions itself, not a tip for long-term storage. If you want to make these and freeze them for storage, I suggest slicing and baking then, once fully cooled, freezing them!
Made this recipe today and used the random nuts, seeds and dried fruits taking up space in my pantry. Turned out great. So easy and turned out great and a lot less expensive than similar crackers at the store.
★★★★★
Betsy, I’m so glad that you enjoyed them as much as I do!
Thanks for the recipe. Can I use gluten free flour like sorghum or buckwheat or quinoa. Ps guide.
Rozina, Great question! I have not experimented with other flours in this recipe, so I can’t say how they will perform. If you give them a try, though, please let me know!
I have made these twice now and love them! They slice easily for baking, unlike some other recipes. And they are delicious, a little addictive.
★★★★★
Delicious…need to practice slicing so they’re all the same thickness, and watch that they do t burn. The fruit loaf is tasty without the second bake too.
★★★★★
Sounds like a delicious recipe. What would be the harm of chopping the nuts before baking? I would think that it would only make slicing it a little easier. I can’t imagine trying to cut through those whole nuts trying to make 1/8 inch slices.
★★★★★
Pamela, I didn’t chop the nuts because I wanted it to be as similar as possible to the ones you buy from the store — and I didn’t have any trouble slicing through them! That said, feel free to chop the nuts before baking if you’d like!
I’ve made this recipe many times. I alter the nuts, or the dried fruits, but it always comes out perfect. Great with cheese and a cuppa!!!
★★★★★
Mine are in the oven right now!!
A brilliant successful bake, and great for presents BUT As a UK baker I had to convert all the measurements including the cooking temp. The first batch burnt so I recommend 12 mins on 160* C which is 320* F but watch like a hawk. I put sour cherries and cashews in mine, with pistachios and sultanas. I will be making these over and over and swapping the fruits, nuts and seeds to ring the changes. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★
These crisps are great. They also can be sliced using an electric meat slicer when semi frozen.
Very first time for posting a review.
Can’t stop eating these crisps.
So good.
Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
You don’t need to brush the sliced bread with oil or butter before the second baking? Do they hold up very long? I want to make these for an event, but don’t know how far in advance I can make them. Thanks!
Carol, No need to brush with oil/butter. These will keep for up to a week when stored, fully cooled, in an airtight container at room temperature.
Fantastic and easy recipe!
Thank you for this.
I am never buying another overpriced box of these ever again.
I used dried cherries, unsalted pistachios, pepitas, subbed-in coconut sugar for regular sugar, lactose-free milk, added a tiny bit of orange zest, and a sprinkle of herbes de provence.
Perfection!
★★★★★
These are amazing! We have made over a dozen loaves. . Learned if we wrap in parchment paper, then air tight glad ware? Lasting over 4weeks. We also bake 2 at a time. Freeze. Slice. Then freeze one loaf, bake the other. Come out perfect. Thank you for this great recipe. Has become a staple in our diet and to give away to neighbors…
★★★★★
This looks so good! What a great snack for the afternoon!
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Love this recipe! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
This looks so good! What a great healthy and filling snack!
I’ve made these twice now and both times I’ve had trouble with the fruit burning at 400 degrees even though I watched them like a hawk! Everything went well until that final baking. I’m questioning tgat temp as I see other recipes call for much lower temps on the final bake.
Donna, I’m sorry to hear that! The temperature is correct, so I want to ensure that you are baking them on the center rack of the oven, that your oven temperature is accurate (if you don’t have an oven thermometer, I highly recommend one — it’s amazing how off an oven’s temp can be sometimes!), and that you are using golden raisins (or similar) per the recipe, as another dried fruit might contain more moisture and be more prone to burning. That said, the fruit does get quick dark on the exposed slices as you can see in my photos. I hope that helps!
These crisps are amazing and imho better than the boxed ones. I was recipe testing as I am doing a charcuterie board for 200 later this summer. I always include the boxed crisps on my board but wanted to research making my own. I was so concerned that I wouldn’t be able to cut these like you did but I followed your exact instructions and my yield was 47! I love that I can change up the add-ins (I used whole almonds, dried cherries and candied pulverized orange peel). I tried to tag you in my IG post but it didn’t appear to work.
Outstanding recipe. You cracked the code on this one! Thank you.
★★★★★
Just a quick question before I make the recipe—from my experience, I would use baking powder with milk, not baking soda, because milk isn’t acidic for it to react with baking soda. Can you explain why?
Larissa, Great question! In this recipe, we use baking soda with milk to get a mild reaction, because we need a little bit of leavening for lightness, but not enough to make these soft, since these are crackers. I hope that helps!