Easy Grain-Free Crackers (Round 2)

by Angela Gallardo in Recipes, Sides & Snacks

2 comments

A recent trip to an out-of-town convention prompted me hunt down some easy, Paleo-friendly snacks.  When needing steady energy for 14-hour days in a chair, low-ish carb snacks are a priority.  I’m not a fan of my energy levels shooting up thanks to sugar, just to fall again a couple hours later.

The snacks I relied on (and worked REALLY well at keeping my energy even) were:

Salami & olives (olive snack packs FTW)

Lots of jerky

Snap peas & sliced bell peppers

Epic bars (not my favorite but good in a pinch)

Tuna pouch with theeeessee crackers!

I also kept a pack of Hail Merry Macaroons on hand just in case.  So as people around me were whipping out peanut butter M&M’s (a pre-Paleo favorite of mine!), it was easy to turn them down!

These crackers were inspired by Jillz Crackers.  Which are pretty delicious, if you don’t mind spending the money.  But you’ll get a lot more for your money with the recipe below.  And by my guesstimate, they are lower in carbs and taste a bit more hearty.  Which I like.

I have a previous cracker rendition you can find here, but I have since discovered that I prefer everything to be ground together in a uniform fashion.  Much more like a “normal” cracker that way!

P.S. on a slightly unrelated note, Chosen Foods has new mayo flavors that are AMAZING! They sent me a few to try out and I am loving them on these crackers in any way, shape, or form.

Get a printable PDF of the recipe

Grain-free Crackers

Yields: about 24 3″ crackers

1/4 c. whole black or white chia seeds

2 tbsp. whole flax seeds

1 tsp. whole caraway seeds

1/2 c. pumpkin seeds

1/2 c. sunflower seeds

1/2 c. sliced almonds

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

2 tbsp. hulled hemp seeds

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 c. filtered water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 275F.

Grind the chia, flax, and caraway seeds in a high-powered blender, coffee grinder, or Magic Bullet-style blender until powdery.  Pour into a large food processor.

Add the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, garlic, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper to the food processor.  Process until everything is finely ground, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.

Add the apple cider vinegar and filtered water to a large bowl.  Pour in the ground nut and seed mixture.  Mix with a spatula until the water is fully absorbed.

Spread the mixture out onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat.  Shoot for a rough rectangular shape.  You want to spread it very thin so it cooks evenly, about 1/4″ in thickness.  A large offset spatula (lightly greased to prevent sticking) can help with this.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the whole sheet of cracker can be flipped easily.  A handy trick to do this is to carefully pick up the parchment or silpat and turn the whole thing over (onto a new piece of parchment or silpat), then gently peel the previous parchment/silpat away.

Bake for another 30-45 minutes, to desired doneness.  45 minutes will yield a “toastier” tasting cracker that holds together very well, while closer to 30 minutes yields a much less toasty flavor and a slightly softer cracker. (The softer cracker will still hold together well enough to top or dip with but will have more crumbs.)

Cut the crackers IMMEDIATELY after removing from the oven.  Leave the cut crackers on a baking sheet or other non-absorbent surface until fully cooled.  Store in a sealed container for up to a month. (Note: desiccant packets really help these keep their freshness/crispness for this length of time.)