Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. I’m working on a new Western historical set in 1897 (More on that in a future post!) In one of the scenes I was writing I needed to come up with a treat for a two-year-old that could be bought at a general store.
Thinking of my own grandson, his favorite treats are goldfish crackers. Of course those weren’t around in 1897. But my mind made one of those leaps to animal crackers (fish – animals, yeah my mind works in strange ways). So I did a little digging and Eureka! Animal crackers were first produced in the US in 1871. Problem solved.
But while I was digging into this, I uncovered a few interesting tidbits I thought I’d share with you today.
The story of animal crackers begins in England, where biscuits (as the British call cookies) shaped like animals were first produced in the mid 1800s. These early versions were simply called “animals” and quickly became popular as a fun and playful treat. They were particularly popular among children, who loved the idea of munching on little edible zoo animals.
But it wasn’t long before animal crackers made their way across the Atlantic to America. In the late 1800s, American bakeries began producing their own versions of these animal-shaped biscuits. The most notable of these was the Stauffer Biscuit Company, which started making animal crackers in 1871. However, it was the National Biscuit Company—known today as Nabisco—that truly cemented animal crackers’ place in American culture.
In 1902, Nabisco introduced Barnum’s Animals, the iconic brand of animal crackers that we still see on store shelves today. The crackers were named after the famous showman P.T. Barnum and his traveling circus, which was a beloved form of entertainment at the time. The packaging itself was a work of art—a small, rectangular box designed to look like a circus train car, complete with a string for hanging on Christmas trees. This brilliant marketing strategy helped make Barnum’s Animals a holiday favorite, and the brand has been associated with fun and festivity ever since.
Over the years, the cast of animal characters has evolved. Originally, there were 18 different animals, including lions, tigers, bears, elephants, and camels. However, new animals have been introduced, and others have retired to the great zoo in the sky. In 2002, Nabisco even held a contest to let the public vote on a new animal to join the mix, with the koala emerging as the winner. Today, there are 19 different animals in the Barnum’s Animals lineup. They are: Lion, Tiger, Bear, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Hippopotamus, Camel, Kangaroo, Monkey, Rhinoceros, Seal, Gorilla, Sheep, Bison, Leopard, Penguin, Koala and Polar Bear.
One major change occurred in 2018 when, after more than a century, the design of the Barnum’s Animals box was updated. In response to a campaign by animal rights activists, Nabisco redesigned the packaging to show the animals roaming free in their natural habitats, rather than being caged in circus cars. This change was a nod to changing social values, emphasizing animal welfare and conservation.
Animal crackers aren’t just a snack—they’ve become a cultural icon. They’ve appeared in movies, TV shows, and even songs. Who can forget Shirley Temple’s famous rendition of “Animal Crackers in My Soup”? This playful tune helped cement the snack’s place in pop culture, making it a beloved treat for generations. If you’ve never heard it, or just want to hear it again, here’s the LINK.
Beyond their nostalgic appeal, animal crackers have also inspired creative culinary uses. From pie crusts to cheesecake bases, these versatile crackers add a touch of whimsy to any dessert. And let’s not forget the chocolate-dipped versions, which elevate the humble animal cracker into a truly indulgent treat.
Fun Facts and Trivia
The average box of Barnum’s Animals contains 22 crackers. That’s 22 little animals to bring a smile to your face!
In the 1930s, Nabisco considered adding a kangaroo to the mix but ultimately decided against it.
The monkey is often considered the rarest of the animal cracker shapes, as it’s produced less frequently than other animals. (No indication as to why…)
Animal crackers were reportedly one of President Theodore Roosevelt’s favorite snacks. He even served them at the White House!
While animal crackers are a distinctly American treat, they have international versions too! In Japan, they’re called “dobutsu biscuits” and are often paired with educational games about animals.
Nabisco, the most famous producer of animal crackers with their Barnum’s Animals brand, produces approximately 40 million boxes of animal crackers each year. That’s around 4,000 tons of animal crackers!
In 1995, a sculptor named Nancy Rubins created a massive installation called Monument to the Last Horse in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The sculpture used thousands of animal crackers embedded in concrete, making it one of the most unique uses of the snack.
In 2002, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Barnum’s Animals, Nabisco created the world’s largest box of animal crackers. The box measured 8 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 2 feet deep, containing a whopping 3,000 pounds of animal crackers. (I wonder what happened to them?)
In 2010, Stauffer’s, another major producer of animal crackers, released a limited-edition “Endangered Species” set of animal crackers to raise awareness about conservation. The crackers featured animals like pandas, gorillas, and polar bears.
On a personal level, I have memories of eating these as a kid myself. And yes, my siblings and I would sometimes play with them rather than eating them, pretending they were animals in a zoo or even in the wild. And I remember giving them to my own children who happily munched on them, pretending they were eating real wild animals.
Do you have any memories of animal crackers, either from your own experiences or of giving them to the children in your life? Share your stories in the comments to be entered in a drawing for one of my books.
Winnie Griggs is the author of Historical (and occasionally Contemporary) romances that focus on Small Towns, Big Hearts, Amazing Grace. She is also a list maker, a lover of dragonflies and holds an advanced degree in the art of procrastination.
Three of Winnie’s books have been nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and one of those nominations resulted in a win.
Winnie loves to hear from readers. You can connect with her on facebook at www.facebook.com/WinnieGriggs.Author or email her at winnie@winniegriggs.com.
I love them, but haven’t had them in a while.
When I worked in the grocery store, it was not uncommon to see moms give them to their kids to eat as they shopped. Inexpensive way to satisfy the child(ren).
So true. But I hope they paid for them when they checked out…
They’d hand me the empty box to scan. As long as they paid for it at the end, it was okay.
Eating produce, not okay. It’s weighed.
I ate my share as a child and bought them for our own children. One summer, the theme of our library’s summer reading program was safari. Animal crackers were the logical snack. Just last year I found an unopened box of them buried on the back of a shelf when we cleaned out and reorganized the pantry. Who knows how long they have been there. I figured they were too stale to eat. They are now a kitchen decoration. Thank s for the walk down memory lane.
You’re welcome! And what a fun tie-in to your summer reading program!
I loved animal cookies as a child. They were cheaper than other boughten cookies. I gave them to kids in my Sunday School class. And Nursery from age 17 til I retired from teaching. I taught kids 44 years and used them always.
Wow, that’s quite a long history you have with animal crackers!
I ate animal crackers as a child, especially enjoying them with applesauce. Then for years, I ate them for lunch along with yogurt and fruit. I’ve started eating only two meals a day for weight control, but I still have them on my shelf.
I’ve never heard of eating them with applesauce. And I love that you still keep some on hand!
As a kid?! I still eat them! I buy Stauffer’s animal crackers that come in a big tub shaped like a bear!
LOL I’ve seen those big tubs! And like you I still like eating them 🙂
I can recall my kids love them. Usually, they were given to your child when in church so they would be satisfied and perhaps sit still during the service. They are good tasting as they are just a bit sweet.
Oh I can see that. They are absolutely a distraction for kids who are feeling a bit hyperactive. 🙂
We loved having them when I was young. We used to fight over how to eat them. Head first or something else?
Oh I remember doing that! As a kid, there was always something rather satisfying about chomping their heads off. Not sure what that says about me… 🙂
Now you’ve made me want to eat some!! I used to eat them quite a bit, and they’re an aunt of mine’s favorite snack! My cousin actually buys her a huge container of them for Christmas! lol!! I used to “play” with them, too, before eating them!
LOL it made me want to eat some too. In fact I put it on my grocery list right after I wrote this post 🙂
I haven’t had them in years. I use to buy them all the time when my son was young and have bought the iced ones when he was older. Because no matter how old you are you still love going back to your childhood for a little while.
Absolutely! And there’s something about eating them that makes you feel young again isn’t there?
This post brought back so many memories, Winnie! Animal crackers were a treat reserved for those times when I went to the rocery store with Mom. I can remember sitting in the cart and her pulling a red box of animal crackers off the shelf and letting me eat them, right there in the store! She would pay for the empty box at the checkout, of course. When I had kids of my own, I think I did that a few times, too. Family traditions, you know. 🙂 I still love the taste of those Nabisco aminal crackers and love looking at the shapes. Giraffes were always my favorite. I might have to buy a few boxes to keep around the house to help me feel young again.
LOL giraffes were my favorite too! I probably should say STILL are my favorite. 🙂
We had them as children as a treat once in a great while. Lol. We also bought them for our children when they were little. This brought back some precious memories. I had never heard the song Animal Crackers In My Soup by Shirley Temple. It was so adorable ?
So glad it brought back good memories for you. And yes I loved seeing and hearing Shirley Temple sing
I can’t remember eating animal crackers. But I found your post interesting. Thank you for sharing. Love your books.
Glad you enjoyed the post and thank you so much for those kind words about my books!
yes loved them and a kid and my kids used them to teethe on! I love the chocolate versions they have nowadays even more than the originals!
Ooooh, chocolate animal crackers, I’ve never had those. Must try them out soon! 🙂
Hi Winnie! I used to have a little 45 rpm record with the song “Animal Crackers in My Soup” on it. I think I wore that thing out. Animal crackers were one of my favorites, and when my kids were little, they actually made some with pink icing on one side of them. Great blog!
Cheryl, so glad this brought back some fun memories for you. And I loved that Shirley Temple song too 🙂
Yes, animal crackers were my favorites.
I think I always tried to eat their heads off first! Weird huh?
Not weird at all! Unless I’m weird too, because I did the same thing 🙂
No, I don’t recall ever eating animal crackers. Thanks for an interesting post.
You’re welcome!
I ate animal crackers as a child while coloring in my Gene Autry coloring book. Ha. Sooooo long ago.
Oh I remember Gene Autry, watched him on Saturday morning TV when I was a little girl 🙂
I did like them when I was young, I have not had them for awhile, but I probably still like them.
I haven’t had them in a while either, not since my own kids were young, but I can still remember that taste, yum!
Yes I ate them as a child and bought them for my children and grandchildren. I haven’t eaten any in a while. Thank for the story it was very interesting. Love your books
Glad you and enjoyed the post! And thanks so very much for those nice words about my books.
I remember eating them with something we would dip them in. I think it was applesauce. I would occasionally give them to my children with applesauce.
You’re the second person to mention dipping them in applesauce, there must be something to that, I’ll have to try it! 🙂
Barnum animal crackers are my favorite. I think McDonalds used to have them in Happy Meals too which was great. My daughters grew up on the animal crackers that come in the big bags and are somewhat puffy. They would dip the animals in their cups of water in the church nursery. I think it’s gross but they loved them that way and all the kids were doing it by the time they “graduated” out of the nursery.
Oh I forgotten about the McDonald’s Happy meal animal crackers. I think my kids had some of those.
Oh man, Winnie! Who knew they were around that early? Wow! I love these animal crackers and still eat them for a snack now. They don’t care about my age. They’re a great cookie.
LOL right? Now that I know how early they came to be, they’ll probably show up in more of my books. 🙂
I don’t remember eating them as a child but I do remember giving them to the children I taught in Vacation Bible School.
They do seem to be a favorite snack among the church nursery and VBS crowd 🙂
Oh I love those… it has been a couple of years since I last ate any… used to get them for my nephew when he was younger.
LOL sounds like you’re like me in that regard, using purchasing them for a child as an excuse to sneak some in yourself. I do that with Disney movies too 🙂
wow thanks for this wonderful history. I love those crackers. they were one of the few cookies that mom would get us five kids once every other week. we loved the animals in the circus and would play with them all before eating them up with milk.
Sounds like your experience with animal crackers as a kid.was very close to mine and my siblings 🙂 ?
I should have read this post before I went to the store! We use to get the big containers and I would try to find at least one of each animal or sort my animals to see how many of each kind I got each time I ate some. I think my daughter would play with them sometimes before eating them.
I added them to my grocery list too 🙂
We never got the big containers, just the small circus wagon themed boxes. But those boxes were fun to play with too 🙂
ate them
Thanks for stopping by
I remember collecting the boxes and forming trains. The boxes had little wheels that would be folded out to complete the look. I miss the old design.
I liked playing with the boxes too. I always like that little red cord handle they had that made them easy to carry
“Animal crackers and cocoa to drink,
This is the finest of suppers I think”
That’s as far as I remember the poem that was in one of our girls’ little book of poems. It might be by Christina Rossetti, I’m not sure. They would recite it every time I gave them animal crackers. I think the last time I ate them was Christmas when one of our daughters brought a big bag of the iced ones to have on hand for snacks.
I had never heard this before but it intrigued me so I had to look it up. I located it at the link below and found it utterly charming! Thanks for the reference!
https://www.yourdailypoem.com/listpoem.jsp?poem_id=2509
I remember eating them as a child, but I can’t say that I am extremely fond of them. I actually find them a little bland.
I think they appeal for kids is not so much the taste as the shapes. And for adults it’s more nostalgia than anything 🙂
I remember eating them from the small box that you have on your post. I still eat them as an adult. It’s a healthier snack than most other things.
How fun that you still have them today as a regular snack. Probably much healthier than the snacks I eat 🙂
First I have to say i love your books I just finished rereading the Texas Groom series and second very interesting facts and didn’t realized they went back that far. U made me want to have some animal crackers. Brought back such memories me and my twin sister would open the box looking through the box to found our favorite animals which seems to be at the bottom then we exchange the animals that we want the least and then we devided those crackers 50/50. Thanks for the great memories Winnie.
You’re quite welcome and thank YOU for those kind words
I love animal crackers, especially the ones with white and pink frosting.
I’ve never had those, I may have to try them 🙂