Crunchy Champions: Top Brands for Animal Crackers

Animal crackers, with their charming shapes and sweet taste, have long been a favorite treat for both kids and adults. Over the years, many brands have excelled in crafting these delightful snacks, each adding its unique twist to this classic. From traditional choices like Nabisco's Barnum's Animals to newer entries in the market, consumers today have a wide array of options to suit their taste preferences. Curious to find out which brands top the list? Discover the best selections below.

Illustration of animal crackers

Best brands of animal crackers in 2025

Stauffer's

Stauffer's, established in 1871, has been crafting delightful animal crackers for over 150 years, holding a significant market share of approximately 70% in the United States, with their iconic red bag becoming a nostalgic symbol for generations, and they bake over 250 million animal crackers daily across all their lines.

Barnum's Animals

Barnum's Animals, a brand that has been producing animal crackers since 1902, is a popular choice, with over 0.84 million Americans consuming eight or more packages in a month in 2020. Known for their iconic circus-themed packaging, which was redesigned in 2018 to show animals in their natural habitat, each serving of 17 crackers provides 130mg of calcium. Additionally, the brand uses nearly 8,000 miles of string per year on their packages, which come in various forms, including an 8oz Snak-Sak, ensuring a delightful and nostalgic snacking experience for consumers of all ages.

Keebler

Keebler, a prominent brand in the cookie and cracker industry since 1966, produces a variety of animal crackers, with their Frosted Animal Crackers being a popular choice, and are the #1 Cookie in K-12 foodservice, containing 18 grams of whole grains per serving and meeting USDA requirements. Keebler animal crackers have a crispy texture and come in fun animal shapes, with 53 different animals having been represented since 1902, with each package containing 22 cookies in current editions. While other companies also produce animal crackers, Keebler's product stands out with its unique taste and quality and is considered by many as a top brand. The brand also uses rotary dies for their production, creating more intricate designs since 1958 and ensures no high fructose corn syrup is used in the making of the crackers.

Annie's Homegrown

Annie's Homegrown, established in 1989, is a leading producer of delicious and wholesome animal crackers, with over 70% of their products being certified organic, making them a favorite snack for kids and adults alike; their commitment to using simple, high-quality ingredients ensures that every bite is a tasty and guilt-free experience; they offer a variety of fun shapes and flavors, delighting consumers for decades; this brand focuses on sustainable sourcing of their products, emphasizing their dedication to the planet.

Earth's Best

Earth's Best, a trusted brand for over 35 years, offers a delightful range of organic animal crackers, holding over 20% market share in the baby food snack category, made with wholesome ingredients since 1985, and specifically designed for little ones with easy-to-hold shapes. Available in multiple flavors such as vanilla and cinnamon, these crackers ensure a tasty and worry-free snacking experience. Explore their full range of products for a delightful snack time.

Happy Baby Organics

Happy Baby Organics, a brand founded by moms, offers animal crackers that are a great choice for toddlers, as they are made with organic ingredients and sweetened with grape juice concentrate, containing 2 grams of whole grains per 7-gram serving, and boast an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars from numerous customer reviews. These crackers, suitable for children 12+ months, come in fun animal shapes that are easy for little hands to hold and are baked to a perfect crispy and crunchy texture without any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. They are also a good option for those looking for a lower-sugar snack, with only 1 gram of added sugar, making them a guilt-free treat for both children and adults.

Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is a popular choice for animal crackers, offering both classic and unique flavors such as the Cheery Lemon variety, which has garnered positive reviews for its taste and affordable price of $0.99 per single-serving pack as of March 2024. They also have organic options, made with organic wheat flour and low in sodium, with one serving of 17 crackers containing just 100mg of sodium. Some customers describe the organic version as having an almost lemony flavor, costing around $5.99 per 16 oz. package in 2023. Trader Joe's animal crackers are known for being a satisfying and healthier option, as they are made with organic ingredients and without artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. A 16 oz. box of organic animal crackers is a great source of whole grains and a popular snack for both kids and adults. You can find more information about the ingredients of Trader Joe's Organic Animal Crackers.

Whole Foods 365

Whole Foods Market's 365 brand offers a variety of animal crackers, including organic vanilla, chocolate chip, and honey cinnamon varieties, with the organic vanilla being a popular choice, evidenced by over 6,800 customer reviews averaging 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon. These crackers, known for their light, crisp texture and subtle flavors, are made with quality ingredients that meet Whole Foods Market's standards, with some containing over 95% organic material, and they come in various sizes such as 6.3 oz multi-packs and 11 oz single bags. 365 brand animal crackers have earned the 37th spot in the Best Sellers Rank for Animal Crackers in Grocery & Gourmet Food on Amazon. You can find the 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Vanilla Animal Crackers here.

H-E-B

H-E-B brand offers a variety of animal crackers, including the popular Stauffer's Original Animal Crackers, known for their low-fat content and 0g of trans fat per serving, and the H-E-B Organics Whole Grain Animal Cookies, which are made with whole grains and contain no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, appealing to health-conscious consumers and families; the organic variety comes in 9 fun animal shapes that kids love; additionally, the traditional animal crackers contain 180 calories per 43g serving, with 2.5g of total fat. H-E-B animal crackers are widely available in stores and online.

Back to Nature

Back to Nature, established in 1960, crafts delectable animal crackers that contain 70% organic ingredients, and are loved by families for their wholesome taste and absence of artificial flavors; the brand has consistently upheld a commitment to providing healthier snack options that appeal to both children and adults; as a result, Back to Nature's animal crackers have grown to become a beloved choice, representing over 25% of the organic cracker market and are available in various delicious flavors. You can explore their full range of products on their website.