If you’re like me, you can’t get enough of the super-crisp, nutty taste of homemade seed crackers. If you want to try more gluten-free recipes, I highly recommend whipping up my protein-packed Seed and Nut Bread—an ideal pick for an easy breakfast or a quick midday snack. Or, try out my Buckwheat Millet Bread for a foolproof loaf that tastes as good by itself as it does when topped with your favorite jam.
Ingredients You Will Need
In my opinion, the best way to make healthy crackers is by using this tasty variety of seeds. These simple ingredients—many of which are also superfoods!—are delicious, nutritious, and usually available at the local grocery store.
- Chia seeds: Packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants, chia seeds are a must-have ingredient in this recipe for crackers with seeds. Not only do they have a mild nuttiness that’s undeniably delicious, but they’re also helpful in supporting bone health and aiding weight loss.
- Raw & Unsalted Sunflower seeds: One of the most classic types of seeds, sunflower seeds lend these homemade crackers a nuanced sweetness and delicate crunch—but that’s not all! Sunflower seeds also transform this basic recipe into “anti-inflammatory crackers,” as their high levels of vitamin E and other plant compounds help reduce inflammation and boost heart health. When selecting sunflower seeds for this recipe, look for all-natural, raw ones to ensure they don’t have any added salt.
- Unsalted Pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds are also a great source of healthy fats, magnesium, antioxidants, and fiber, which may have other beneficial effects, such as regulating blood sugars and getting a good night’s sleep. I recommend buying pumpkin seeds that don’t have any additional salt—in other words, look for raw pumpkin seeds when shopping for this recipe.
- Sesame seeds: Crunchy and buttery, sesame seeds taste fantastic in this recipe’s seed mixture. However, they also boast a range of other health benefits. For example, their high levels of B vitamins, calcium, and protein contribute to good vascular, muscular, and nerve health.
- Ground flaxseeds (aka Flax meal): Flaxseeds are among the greatest superfoods to eat when you want to boost your digestive health. In particular, they contain high levels of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids that help relieve constipation and promote digestive regularity. During my recipe research, I found variations of this recipe where others used whole flaxseeds, but I chose to use ground flaxseeds (AKA flax meal) because they’re easier to digest and help work as a binder—similar to how flour works in bread recipes. Other versions may also use psyllium husk as a binder, but I found this unnecessary, given my use of ground flax seeds.
- Hemp seeds: The addition of hemp seeds gives these seed crackers earthy and nutty undertones. This tiny seed also contains essential nutrients and minerals, such as fatty acids and manganese, which help maintain healthy skin, joints, and bones through collagen production.
- Kosher or sea salt: Salt helps with flavoring the crackers and helps them achieve more of a store-bought savory flavor, so do not skip it.
- Olive oil: I used olive oil to give these crackers their rich, full-bodied taste and golden-brown exterior, but you could also use avocado oil if preferred.
- Water: If you’ve seen other seeded crackers recipes, you might find that some ask you to use boiling water—particularly when making psyllium husk crackers. However, I’ve found that the temperature of your water doesn’t affect seed crackers that don’t use psyllium husk as a binder. Therefore, room-temperature water will work just as well as warm water when following my flaxseed cracker recipe.
Variations with Optional Add-Ins
One bite of these sunflower seed crackers, and you’ll want to whip up a batch every week. Once you get the hang of it, you can even put your own spin on this basic recipe, giving it nutty, herby, or even cheesy undertones. The following are just a few of my go-to additions:
- Seasonings and herbs: If you want to give your crunchy seed crackers bright, garden-fresh notes, I highly recommend adding some of your favorite herbs, like dried rosemary or thyme. Or, if you want a more robustly flavored chip, seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and paprika will lend your seed cracker recipe irresistibly savory flavors. You can even make an easy everything bagel crackers recipe by adding a pinch of everything bagel seasoning!
- Nuts: Filling, protein-packed, and oh-so-delicious, nuts make a great addition to this seeded cracker recipe. Depending on your desired flavor profile, I recommend using finely chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or pistachios. You can also use a few tablespoons of almond flour (or even Homemade Almond Flour!) to reduce your prep time while still getting that classic “nut and seed crackers” taste. No matter which nuts you use, just be sure to use less of another dry ingredient to ensure a consistent ratio of wet-to-dry additions.
- Nutritional yeast: No one can resist the savory, rich taste of a cheesy cracker. Simply add a bit of nutritional yeast to your recipe to give it a cheesy—yet vegan-friendly!—flavor.
How to Make Seed Crackers?
If you’ve never tried making crackers at home, you’re in luck! It’s a cinch to make these healthy crackers, and my step-by-step instructions will ensure they always come out with that satisfying “crunch.”
- Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. (162 degrees C.), line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set it aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Add the chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, ground flaxseeds, hemp seeds, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- Add the wet ingredients: Pour the olive oil and water into the same bowl and stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for five minutes—but no more than 7-8 minutes—until it thickens slightly. Too much resting time will result in an overly thick cracker.
- Transfer to pan: Scoop the mixture onto the prepared baking tray and use an offset spatula or large spoon to spread it into a single, even layer. Alternatively, you can place another piece of parchment paper on top of the mixture and spread it with your hands.
- Bake: Bake the sesame seed crackers in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until the edges turn a light brown. Then, remove them from the oven and let the crackers cool before serving.
How to Store & Freeze?
One of the best parts about this gluten-free cracker recipe is its easy storage. With long-lasting crispiness and hearty flavor, these crackers will stay fresh whether you store them in the pantry or the freezer.
- Store: These keto seeded crackers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to ten days.
- Freeze: For extra-long storage, you may freeze your crackers in a freezer-safe container until ready to eat. However, keep in mind that the low temperatures may make the seed chips more brittle, so you should store them in a flat orientation to avoid breakage.
Ways to Serve These Seeded Crackers
Homemade crackers are a must-try for anyone who loves versatility in their snacks. While they’re absolutely wonderful by themselves (literally, they’re such a great stand-alone snack!), they also make a fantastic spread when paired with other tasty recipes.
- Dips: Easy, filling, and nutritious, this sesame crackers recipe makes a great snack alongside classic Mediterranean dips. Hummus is a zesty, creamy classic that pairs great with the earthy undertones of this easy cracker. You can also serve your recipe with smokier, savory-sweet dips, like Baba Ganoush or Muhammara.
- Serve it as a flatbread: My favorite way to enjoy this recipe for seed crackers is as a flatbread topped with avocado, sliced eggs, and pickled red onions. You can also spread this cracker with cream cheese and smoked salmon for a quick morning fix. Or, if you’re in the mood for a sweeter variation, try spreading your crackers with nut butters, like peanut butter or almond butter, for a satisfying yet healthy dessert.
- Cheese: No one can resist a five-star Meat and Cheese Board brimming with crisp crackers, flavorful cheeses, and savory meats. These multi-seed crackers make the perfect addition to any charcuterie board, but if you’re short on time, they also make an unbelievably delicious pairing with your favorite cheese.
- Topping for salads: This sesame seed cracker recipe is the ultimate choice when you want to add a light crunch to your salad. You can crumble these crackers on top of any bowl of greens, from a sweet and tangy Apple Kale Slaw to a creamy Cauliflower Broccoli Salad.
- With soups: Healthier and more flavorful than oyster crackers, these pumpkin seed crackers are an excellent topping for soup when crushed into small, crunchy bits. I especially love using this cracker recipe with my smooth-yet-zingy Carrot and Ginger Soup and creamily spiced Sweet Potato Soup.
Expert Tips
These gluten-free seed crackers are a foolproof recipe for beginners and experienced chefs alike. Check out the below pro-level tips for the crunchiest, most flavorful crackers, regardless of your skill level.
- Rest timing: Though resting is essential in making this recipe, don’t let the mixture rest for more than five minutes. Too much resting time will cause the chia seeds to swell, giving you a “doughier” mix that’s harder to spread. As a result, your seed crackers will be thicker and less crisp.
- Spread it evenly: Even spreading is vital to ensuring your super seed crackers come out with a thin, crisp, and uniform texture. You can use a spatula, a spoon, or the back of a ramekin to spread your mixture effectively. Or, for easier clean-up, you can also place an additional sheet of parchment paper on top of the cracker mixture and use your hands (or a rolling pin) to press it into an even layer—as long as you remove this second piece of parchment paper before baking, of course.
- Sheet pan size: I suggest using an 18 x 13-inch pan to make these chia crackers, as this large pan size will allow for a very thin layer of batter. However, if your baking sheets are smaller, I recommend baking your crackers in two batches to ensure the mixture doesn’t lay too thickly.
- Parchment paper: Lining your sheet pan is critical to easy cracker removal post-baking. If you’re a baker, you can also use a silpat to line your pan due to its reusable, non-stick silicone base.
- Cutting: I usually choose to “cut” this multi-seed crackers recipe by cracking it, giving each cracker a rustic, aesthetically pleasing shape. However, you can also use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut individual crackers if you prefer a less hands-on splitting method. If you want more uniformly shaped crackers, remove them halfway through baking and score the sheet with a sharp knife. That way, your keto crackers will split into more uniform portions once fully cooked.
FAQs
Have more questions about this healthy cracker recipe? This handy FAQ has everything you need, from nutritional information to term definitions.
Seed crackers are a crispy, thin “flatbread” type of cracker that uses seeds—sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, chia, and more—as its primary base. In addition to these seeds, this cracker often uses other natural ingredients, like salt, water, and herbs, to give it texture and taste. These low-carb crackers also tend to be gluten-free, paleo-, and keto-friendly, as they use flour-alternative binders, like psyllium husk or ground flaxseeds. Furthermore, they often have a greater nutritional content due to their seeds’ high levels of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Also known as Norwegian crispbread, Norwegian flatbread crackers are similar to seeded crackers due to their thin, crispy consistency and several core ingredients. However, the Norwegian variation—popular at specialty grocery stores like Trader Joe’s—is thinner and more delicate, and it also includes ingredients like oat flakes, rice bran, sugar, and rye flour. Meanwhile, seed crackers don’t traditionally include flour, and they boast a slightly thicker, seed-based body.
Definitely—in moderation, of course! Unlike store-bought crackers, this healthy crackers recipe includes nutrient-rich superfoods, like chia and sesame seeds, which have higher levels of protein and fewer carbs than flour-based alternatives.
There are approximately 204 calories in each of these seed crackers.
If you try this Seed Crackers recipe or any other recipe on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It is a great help to others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.
Seed Crackers Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup chia seeds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds, raw and unsalted
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, raw and unsalted
- ¼ cup sesame seeds, both white or black sesame seeds would work
- ¼ cup ground flaxseeds, (aka flax meal)
- 3 tablespoons hemp seeds, optional
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. (162 degrees C.). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, combine chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, ground flaxseeds, hemp seeds, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Pour in olive oil and water. Mix to combine. Let it sit for 5 minutes or until it is slightly thickened (gel-like consistency.) Do not let it sit for more than 7-8 minutes, or otherwise, your crackers will be thicker.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared sheet and spread it evenly throughout the sheet pan using an offset spatula or a large spoon. Alternatively, you can place another parchment paper on top and spread it using your hands or a rolling pin.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the edges turn light brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool before serving.
Video
Notes
- Yields: This recipe makes a large sheet of crackers, ideal for 8 servings. The nutritional values listed below are per cracker.
- Source: This recipe has been adapted from my dear friend Alexandra of Occasionally Eggs’ wonderful cookbook. I made a few minor changes to her original recipe, but all credit goes to her.
- Water: Some versions of this multi-seed crackers recipe use boiling water. I tested it using both boiling and room-temperature water and decided that room-temperature water works just fine.
- Make it your own: After you make this recipe (as written) a few times, feel free to experiment with different flavors by adding other ingredients like poppy seeds, fennel seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, and more.
- Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to ten days.
- Freeze: For extra-long storage, you may freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container until ready to eat. However, keep in mind that the low temperatures may make them more brittle, so you should store them in a flat orientation to avoid breakage.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tried this as a base recipe and substituted flax meal for almond flour. I also did not use hemp seeds because I didn’t have those.
I loved the crispiness of these crackers and that they are very low in carbohydrates. The flavor is very good too.
I used a rolling pin and parchment paper to shape the crackers thin.
I also reduced the temperature to 300 Farenheit and even to 275 Farenheit, to prevent burning the crackers.
Thank you for the recipe 🙂