My family are completely (into) crackers!
Unfortunately, once I started reading labels and learning more about what goes into our food, the list of crackers from the supermarket that I thought were okay has dwindled to practically zero! Even the crackers that appear to have no additives still use vegetable oil (most likely canola if none is stated) and are heavily processed. So we were cracker-less for some time and the kids were not happy! I tried making my own using my pasta maker and they were okay but so time-consuming to make.
So I was beyond excited when I first saw all these seed cracker recipes popping up around the internet on the paleo and vegan pages. I can’t believe it took me so long to find out about them and make them. This is my version – I make lots as they go quick around here and I give mine a cheesy, herby twist!
We have made them lots of times now and everyone loves them. They are perfect with some avocado and tomato on top for a little snack, served alongside a salad for some crunch, dipped in some cashew cheese or as a portable snack for kids on the go. They keep for ages -I just pop them in a glass jar in the pantry.
Easy Seed Crackers
Vital Stats: Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Vegan, Paleo
Okay so this is what you need:
3 cups filtered water
1 cup organic sunflower seeds
1 cup organic pepitas (or pumpkin seeds)
1 cup organic chia seeds
1/2 cup poppy seeds
1/2 cup organic sesame seeds
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon dulse flakes
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes or onion powder
2 teaspoons dried garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried chives
1/2 to 1 tablespoon Herbamare seasoning (or salt)
Okay this is how you do it:
Preheat your oven to 180° celsius.
Whack everything together and mix. I told you it was easy! You can even get the kids to do this one!
Wait a minute or two until all the water is absorbed by the chia seeds.
Line two large, shallow baking trays with non-toxic baking paper. Spread the mixture out evenly over both trays. I use a spatula to smoosh it down so it’s nice and smooth. Make sure the mixture is an even thickness or you will get some bits burning and some bits still wet in the middle.
Fling the trays in the oven for 30 minutes.Take them out and then flip over. Peel away the baking paper. If the baking paper won’t peel away easily, it means they need a bit more cooking on that side.
Score them if you like into squares – but don’t cut all the way through. The scoring will just make it easier to break into bite-size chunks later.
Fling them back in the oven for another 30 minutes or until really dried out and crispy. This will depend on your oven and how thick you spread the crackers.
I like to keep an eye on them and knock the temperature back to 150° celsius if they are starting to burn on the edges.
When they are done, put them on wire racks to cool. Break into chunks and store in an air-tight container.
Jazz up your crackers:
You could pretty much use anything you want in these crackers!
*Replace the seeds for nuts or any combination of seeds, just as long as your quantity is equal to 4 cups. But you do need chia seeds to gel the water and make them stick together, so leave that in.
*Add spices like turmeric and paprika or even dukkah
*Add superfoods like Vital Vegie Power
*Make them sweet by leaving out the savoury additions and using a little rapadura sugar, coconut and cinnamon
*Add finely diced organic sun-dried tomatoes
*Add fresh onion, garlic or finely grated vegetables like carrot and zucchini
*Whizz a little spinach into the three cups of water and make green crackers
* If you can tolerate dairy, try some finely grated parmesan cheese
* Add some dehydrated chicken bone broth to make chicken flavoured crackers
* Add psyllium husks for extra fibre
* Use freshly squeezed vegetable juice instead of water
* Add a little pureed banana or apple to the water
* Add a little coconut oil
…… you get the idea right?!
Also try them with some super-healthy Everymite on top!
Give them a go and let me know what you think!
They sound and look great Sonia 🙂
thanks for inspiring me to make them!!
Yes I most certainly will!! I’ve been looking for something like this for ages. I’m going to the place I buy my nuts and seeds on Friday so I’ll add a few things to the list. Can’t wait to try it!
let me know how you go!!
I will be giving these a shot. I will let you know how I go! 🙂
awesome Krystle – would love a piccy!
Home-made crackers are the best! I’m loving all your jazz up suggestions!
thanks Bren – do you have a cracker recipe?
Hi! These look great- just wonder if it would still work ok if I blitzed all of the seeds/nuts a bit so my toddler could have them? (He still doesn’t have many teeth to be able to chew the seeds that well. I’m guessing it shouldn’t effect it as long as I use the chia? Thanks
should be okay Rebecca!! let me know how you go please 🙂
Ooh, these sound great! Cant wait to give them a crack!
he he 🙂
Thanks for a great post. I also have been disappointed with the crackers at the Supermarket! Not good so love this cracker recipe you posted
It is so disappointing but not surprising. I am so glad these are really quick and easy !! 🙂
What does the nutritional yeast do?:)
just makes them taste cheesey and has nutritional benefits – mostly B vitamins 🙂
Oh I will have to buy some 🙂 I love your recipes by the way!!
Definitely on the make list!!
report back Lesley!
You already saw that I did! Haha. Amazeballs!
awesome Lesley and thanks again for sharing 🙂
Hi do you find these can stick to the baking paper or are they ok ? I made a similar recipe and they all stuck completely ….
totally fine! what baking paper do you use? I like the If you Care range 🙂
I would LOVE to make these but I can’t have nutritional yeast (yeast intolerance). It is one of those ingredients that is almost impossible to substitute. Do you have any ideas? Would it work without the yeast flakes?
definitely work without the yeast flakes Naomi ! all you really need is the seeds and water – the rest go crazy and make up your own version!! 🙂
You can make these with flaxseeds and skip the chia if you don’t have them. Flax gel up really well too 🙂
Can I leave out yeast flakes and dulse flakes? (Just cause I don’t have them) … Will it still work? Should I use oats instead? If so, what quantity? THANKS
yes, just leave out – you really only need the seeds and water – the rest is optional flavourings – might need to just adjust the water slightly 🙂
Hi I made these crackers today and am a little disappointed.Mine are to soft and damp.I should have gone with my gut feeling and used less water.Mine didn’t need three cups.they were far to wet.I followed the recipe exactly.I will use them somehow but certainly won’t use three cups of water next time.
Still think it is a good recipe but for me needs adjusting.
Thanks
Hiya could you use a dehydrator instead of cooking in the oven Thanks
I love love these crackers. I did have to cook longer than suggested. Up to 30 mins more on 150 degrees. But so good. Thanks heaps for the recipe. I have made them twice now.
thanks for the feedback Mel… yes I found that it depends on how thick you spread it 🙂
Hi there,
Im about to make these and was wondering if you keep them in the cupboard or fridge and how long they last.
Thanks
Renee
Hi Renee – I keep them in a glass jar in the pantry. They stay fresh for weeks! Just make sure you have dried them out and they are crispy. 🙂
Hi,
When you take them out and score them do you out them back in the oven the same way they were baking originally or on the reverse side?
I flip them over Anna so they can dry out on the bottom 🙂
These crackers are awesome! I have been struggling on the Gaps diet to find something tasty that I can quickly grab to nibble on without a lot of preparation or having to constantly eat raw fruit and veg… these have given me the healthy “filler” that I was looking for and needed. I can’t thank you enough for sharing this!
Thanks Donna – they are fabulous aren’t they! So tasty! 🙂
Thanks for the great cracker recipe! So simple! We wondered whether perhaps they could be made thinner- maybe half the thickness? They are quite strong in flavour. Did you experiment with the thickness? We thought maybe when you flip them, they might break if they were thinner? Mine were about 5mm thick- is that what yours were?
I made them pretty thin so they would crisp up. They need to be flipped to get the underside to crisp. Pretty much do what you prefer! You can cut back on the flavours easily – I usually eat them with avo, so I like them stronger in flavour 🙂
Woohoo!~Thanks Sonia. My boy could actually eat these despite all his allergies. Thanks
Fabulous! they are great for avoiding all the big allergies! x
Hi, if I soaked the seeds (except the chia) overnight and added them to the mix wet would it work? How much water do you think you would add then, as I’m thinking less than 3 cups? Thanks in advance 🙂
yeah, try it Siobhan and see how it goes, it should not have any excess water and be gloopy
Turned out well…just way too salty for my taste buds. Would probably about halve the salt.
I’ve made these yummy crackers twice but both times have spent absolutely AGES peeling seeds off baking paper before flipping. Any tips apart from changing baking paper? It’s making an easy recipe v hard.
Are you using non stick baking paper? That is the only thing I can think of sorry!
Thank you for this recipe! These crackers are awesome! I added linseeds, black & white sesame, poppy seeds and some brown mustard seeds in mine, they turned out great! I’ll definitely be making these again 🙂
Oh wow Tiffany, I never thought of brown mustard seeds! Brilliant thanks! 🙂
These are super easy and I’ve tried every way I can plus and they always work. Today I’ve put oatmeal in them. Also I can not seem to make mistake no matter how I throw them together. Fennel seeds are ymmy too. Best EVER recipe, shared it with many people. Love these, thank you!
Oh thank you Kay! I love the idea of oatmeal!! Thanks for the tips 🙂
Hi Leslie,
I love this recipe. Every adult who has eaten them loves them and about 1/2 the kids. I make it weekly. My tweaks include,
1/2 the quantity
Put baking paper over the wet mix & roll out with a rolling pin to about 1 seed thick. (Soo much faster than patting)
Baby the end of the cook process. Once the timer goes off, pull the cooked crackers off and return the rest to the oven for 2 minutes. Repeat as many times as you can be bothered, or until all crackers
Are snap-perfect. Just don’t forget to use a timer. The line between perfect and burnt is very fine for these crackers. Thanks for a pantry staple.
These are great, really delicious. I was doubtful but worked out there was a soaking step missing. There was a lot of water so it took time to let the chia seeds absorb the liquid.
Hey thanks for the heads up. I think mine just always absorb really quick so I didn’t add that in. But it probably depends on what brand and what other ingredients too. I added in that step as an aside – thanks again!