These healthy homemade seed crackers are one of my favorite ways to replace store-bought crackers with something simple, nutritious, and delicious. They’re made with mixed seeds, chickpea flour, herbs, and extra virgin olive oil, with no added salt required.
There’s a brand of crackers I love here and they’re just about healthy! Except, I try and use olive oil over most others, the refined wheat flour doesn’t add much nutritional value, and there’s loads of salt (probably normal for most packaged crackers).
These on the other hand, are super healthy. The chickpea flour in these gives the crackers added protein and other nutritional benefits, and the seeds, herbs, and olive oil are also nutritional powerhouses.
Plus, you can adapt the flavors to suit your taste or mood. I’ll give you plenty of variations below, you just need to keep the quantities for the seeds, chickpea flour, and water the same. This recipe is so easy and flexible you’ll wonder why you ever bought crackers before.
Table of contents:
How to Make Healthy Homemade Seed Crackers
Ingredients (6 servings)
- 1 cup seeds (sesame, flax, chia, poppy, sunflower, hemp)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp dried rosemary (or other herbs, see below)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup warm water
- Salt (to taste – I don’t add any)
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking/parchment paper
- Baking tray
Instructions
- Add all your dry ingredients to a large bowl and stir.
- Add the olive oil and water and mix well with a spoon until it’s all combined into a semi-wet mixture.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes. You can preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F) while it’s resting.
- After 10 minutes, spoon or pour your mixture onto parchment (baking) paper on a baking tray and flatten it with the back of a spoon until it’s evenly spread and as thin as you can get it without any holes or gaps between the mixture (about 3 mm/0.1 in).
- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes (at least). They’re ready when they’re dry, crisp, and lightly browned around the edges. You can bake them for longer if you want extra crispy, just keep an eye on them every 5 minutes or so, because they’ll crisp up quickly and you don’t want to burn the seeds.
- Remove the tray from the oven and allow your crackers to cool.
- Break them apart with your hands or use a knife if you want to cut them into neater squares.
- You can now eat them or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 3 months (see notes below).
Notes
- Seeds: Use a variety (I recommend at least one from each category) – chia and flax absorb water and help bind the mixture, sunflower and hemp seeds provide texture, while sesame and poppy seeds add flavor. Today, I used about a quarter each of chia, flax, sunflower, and sesame.
- Turmeric: To get the full health benefits of the curcumin in turmeric, add black pepper, which helps your body absorb it. If you don’t like turmeric, add another spice (see options below).
- Rosemary: You can omit this and use oregano, thyme, or dill instead.
- Salt: I don’t add salt to these as I find the garlic powder and herbs makes them tasty enough, but you can add it to taste. Plus, I usually add toppings or use these with dip, so there’s already salt in the other ingredients.
- Oil: Olive oil is super healthy, but don’t be tempted to add more. I played around with this at the beginning but it makes the dough heavy, more crumbly, and hard to crisp up.
- Freeze: These freeze very well. Pop them in an airtight container and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. They crisp up even more after being frozen!
Flavor Variations – Make These Your Own
I make these slightly differently nearly every time. Sometimes I don’t want a strong herby flavor if I’m going to serve the crackers with something strong, and other times I’ll use a specific herb to accentuate what I’m dipping or spreading over the crackers.
If you don’t like any of the ingredients, or don’t have them at home but are dying for crackers right now, mix and match. Like I said earlier, as long as you keep the water to chickpea flour to seed quantity ratio the same, they’ll turn out.
Optional Spices
You can pretty much add any spice to these, but here are some that work exceptionally well:
- Chili: If you want some heat, add cayenne pepper or chili powder.
- Paprika: You can use sweet or smoked paprika, depending on your preference.
- Cumin: Adds some warmth, but go easy on it since it’s quite strong and can take over.
Optional Herbs
Again, you can use any dried herb to suit your taste. Here are some nice fits for these crackers:
- Rosemary: So versatile and not overpowering, it’s one of my favorites to use.
- Oregano: Another super versatile flavor that goes with many toppings and dips.
- Thyme: Ditto, except it’s even milder, so a great option when you can’t decide or not sure what you’ll be eating with your crackers later.
- Dill: This one’s a little more fussy and requires better pairing with other foods, so use it when you know it will complement your toppings or dips.
If you want plain crackers, where the flavor doesn’t shine through, leave out the herbs and spices completely.
What to Serve with Your Crackers
These are delicious on their own and filling. They have the super power of stopping me going straight for baguette and cheese if they’re in the house. Of course, cheese also works great on top of the crackers. My go-to healthy snack or light lunch is just piling some canned mackerel on top or dipping them in something fabulous like baba ganoush.
Here are some great options:
- Dips: Guacamole, tzatziki, hummus, taramasalata, baba ganoush, or your favorite dip.
- Spreads: Olive tapenade, smoky goat cheese and artichoke, or your preferred choice.
- Fish: Canned mackerel, sardines, salmon, tuna, or any other canned fish.
- Cheese: Cream cheese, cottage cheese, or as part of a cheese platter.
These crackers keep you feeling fuller for longer so are perfect as a healthy snack or you can serve them as part of a party or mezze platter and ditch the processed bread or crackers.
Health Benefits of the Cracker Ingredients
You can’t really go wrong with any of the seeds, spices, or herbs you add. They all have nutrients and healthy properties to support your wellbeing.
But here’s a breakdown of the ingredients in this specific recipe.
Seeds
- Chia seeds: High in fiber, magnesium, and manganese, some studies have shown that eating chia seeds can lower “bad” cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.
- Sesame seeds: High in flavonoids and polyphenols, it’s believed that eating sesame seeds can reduce inflammation, helping reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Flaxseeds: High in fiber, copper, and thiamine, eating flaxseeds is also good for treating constipation, as well as reducing the risk of heart disease.
- Sunflower seeds: High in vitamin E, copper, and selenium, eating sunflower seeds can help with thyroid function and maintaining a healthy weight.
Spices
- Turmeric: You may as well call turmeric nature’s medicine. It’s been used for thousands of years as a traditional medicine in many cultures. Today, many studies have shown that the curcumin in turmeric has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help with arthritis pain, preventing diabetes, and blood sugar management.
- Black pepper: This also contains antioxidants, and the piperine in black pepper helps absorb vitamins and nutrients (like curcumin), so a win-win.
Nutritional Yeast
- Packed with protein, antioxidants, and certain trace minerals. Eating nutritional yeast can help support brain function, boost immunity, and lower cholesterol.
- An important source of B12, which is especially important on a vegan diet, since B12 is mostly found in animal products.
- Has a naturally savory, cheesy flavor, so can help you reduce sodium intake by adding flavor.
Chickpea Flour
- Healthier than refined wheat flour because it’s lower in carbs and calories, and contains much more protein and fiber (although whole wheat flour has more fiber).
- Naturally gluten-free, so it’s safe for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- There’s no shortage of info and studies that prove olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil is good for you. From supporting heart health, preventing certain types of cancer, and more, it’s the backbone of the Mediterranean Diet for a reason.
Nutrition Facts
(Approximate values for 6 servings)
| Nutrient | Amount per serving | %DV* |
| Calories | 149 kcal | 7.5% |
| Protein | 8.8 g | 18% |
| Total Fat | 4.3 g | 6% |
| – Saturated Fat | 0.9 g | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 19.1 g | 7% |
| – Dietary Fiber | 1.8 g | 6% |
| – Sugars | 1.7 g | 3% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 196 mg | 8% |
*% Daily Value (DV) based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Healthy Homemade Seed Crackers
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking/parchment paper
- Baking Tray
Ingredients
- 1 cup seeds mixture
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp dried rosemary or your choice of herb
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup warm water room temp is fine
- salt to taste (I don't add any)
Instructions
- Add all your dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir.
- Add the olive oil and water and mix well with a spoon until it’s all combined into a semi-wet mixture.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes. You can now preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F) while it’s resting.
- After 10 minutes, spoon or pour your mixture onto parchment (baking) paper on a baking tray and flatten it with the back of a spoon until it’s evenly spread and as thin as you can get it without any holes or gaps between the mixture (about 3 mm/0.1 in).
- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes (at least). They’re ready when they’re dry, crisp, and lightly browned around the edges. You can bake them for longer if you want extra crispy, just keep an eye on them every 5 minutes or so, because they’ll crisp up quickly and you don’t want to burn the seeds.
- Remove the tray from the oven and allow your crackers to cool.
- Break them apart with your hands or use a knife if you want to cut them into neater squares.
- You can now eat them or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 3 months (see notes below).
Video
Notes
- Seeds: Use a variety (I recommend at least one from each category) – chia and flax absorb water and help bind the mixture, sunflower and hemp seeds provide texture, while sesame and poppy seeds add flavor. Today, I used about a quarter each of chia, flax, sunflower, and sesame.
- Turmeric: To get the full health benefits of the curcumin in turmeric, add black pepper, which helps your body absorb it. If you don’t like turmeric, add another spice (see options below).
- Rosemary: You can omit this and use oregano, thyme, or dill instead.
- Salt: I don’t add salt to these as I find the garlic powder and herbs makes them tasty enough, but you can add it to taste. Plus, I usually add toppings or use these with dip, so there’s already salt in the other ingredients.
- Oil: Olive oil is super healthy, but don’t be tempted to add more. I played around with this at the beginning but it makes the dough heavy, more crumbly, and hard to crisp up.
- Freeze: These freeze very well. Pop them in an airtight container and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. They crisp up even more after being frozen!
