Easy Seed Crackers
Easy Seed Crackers are light, crispy and delicious. Grain-free, gluten-free, made with nothing but seeds including chia, water and your chosen seasonings, they’re the perfect crunchy accompaniment to spreads, dips, soups or cheese. Great for adding to lunch boxes or enjoyed as a healthy nibble.
This is an updated version of a post first published in 2019.
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It’s many years now since I stopped buying most packaged biscuits and crackers. Yes, they’re really convenient to have. But I mainly wanted to avoid palm oil and also reduce my intake of ultra processed foods. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that not only do homemade savoury crackers taste loads better, they can also be incredibly easy.
Since then, I’ve posted loads of recipes; you’ll find my savoury favourites brought together in the post linked to above. I’m still dreaming up new ones, but felt it was time I updated one of my earliest recipes: Easy Seed Crackers.
Packed with seeds, they’re an excellent source of fibre and healthy fats. They’re also ideal if you need a gluten and/or grain-free</strong> cracker. But perhaps most excitingly of all, they must be the easiest crackers ever in terms of the small number of ingredients needed and the dead simple method.
EASY SEED CRACKERS: JUST SEEDS
Would you believe that Easy Seed Crackers are made almost entirely of just seeds? There’s no flour, no egg, nor any expensive hard-to-find fancy ingredients. Besides seeds, the only thing you really need is water.
To that you can add seasonings if you want to, or even just salt. I sometimes like a little garlic powder or granules and a few dried herbs such as sage, rosemary or oregano. You could try spices like cumin or chilli, fennel or celery seeds or maybe onion powder. If you fancy them a little cheesy, you can sprinkle some over towards the end of baking.
So, what is it that holds together Easy Seed Crackers?
CHIA SEEDS
The not-so-secret ingredient that acts as a binding agent is chia seeds. When I first started writing about food, virtually no one in Britain had heard of these tiny seeds. A member of the mint family native to Central America, chia seeds are thought to have been a staple of the Aztec and Mayan diets. Now, I’d guess that most people interested in modern food trends will have heard or tried them.
While chia has nutritional benefits (e.g. fibre, protein, omega-3 fatty acids) it’s a very special property which makes them perfect for Easy Seed Crackers. Due to their high soluble fibre content, chia seeds can absorb many times their own weight in water. This means that when they’re soaked in liquid they become gel-like.
It’s this gel which holds together all the rest of the seeds in my Easy Seed Crackers. Once cooked, the gel is completely undetectable in the wonderfully crisp, light and crunchy crackers.
The important thing to note is that while you can use almost any combination of seeds you like, you must include the correct amount of chia seeds. In the detailed recipe card at the end, which makes one standard tray of crackers, you’ll need a total of 240 grams of mixed seeds. Of these, 50 grams MUST be chia.
It’s also important to note that over time the soluble fibre in chia can break down, especially if they’re been stored in hot conditions. So, if your chia has been in the cupboard a while or in a warm place then it might be best to buy a new bag rather than risk it not gelling.
HOW TO MAKE EASY SEED CRACKERS
To make Easy Seed Crackers, start by stirring together your seeds (here there’s pumpkin, sunflower, flax, black and white sesame plus the chia) along with any seasonings. Now carefully measure out 175 grams/millilitres of cold water and stir thoroughly through the seeds.
You then leave the mixture to soak for 20 – 30 minutes to allow the chia seeds work their magic. After sufficient time, all the water should have been absorbed. To check, use a dessert spoon to lift up a heap. When ready, the mix should still together as shown in the image below. If it doesn’t, leave a little longer and check again.
After 35 minutes, if the mixture still isn’t gelling then your chia may be old or hasn’t been stored properly. If you’re one hundred per cent sure you used the correct ratio of seeds and water then it might be best to start again with a newly bought bag of chia.
To bake the Easy Seed Crackers, you’ll need a shallow baking tray 32 x 22 centimetres or with a similar base area. This will ensure the crackers are robust enough to hold together but also thin enough to be crunchy all the way through. Be sure to line it with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.
Spread the seed mixture evenly across the paper, using a rubber spatula or similar. Make sure you go right up to the sides and corners of the tin as the mix will shrink a little as the water evaporates in the oven. Your crackers are now ready to bake.
BAKING
If you want evenly shaped crackers, just before putting into the oven you can mark out into squares or rectangles. But I don’t usually bother as a like them irregularly rustic. Either way, the crackers will need approximately 1 hour in an oven preheated to the temperature shown in the recipe card. As ovens can vary, I recommend having a look after 30 minutes. If the crackers are browning too much then turn the oven down a little.
If you want to add grated cheese to some or all of the surface, sprinkle over after 45 minute’s baking. Here, I used Parmesan.
Once the hour is up, carefully lift one corner of the sheet of crackers off the paper and have a peep underneath. Does it look dry and fully cooked? If not, return to the oven for another five minutes. When the crackers are completely dry, put the tray on a wire rack. Wait until completely cold before peeling off the paper.
If you marked lines before baking, carefully snap into individual crackers. If you didn’t score it, don’t be tempted to use a knife as they’ll most likely crumble. Better to break up with your hands into irregular shapes of whatever size want, or you can try score with a ruler and knife then pick up and snap along the lines.
SERVING EASY HOMEMADE SEED CRACKERS
When you first make these wonderfully easy, tasty crackers, you might find it impossible (as I did) to stop nibbling them just as they are. I made the mistake of keeping them in a container on the kitchen worktop and just had to sneak a piece whenever I passed by!
But I’ve since managed to be a little more restrained. It helps that I stash them away in the cupboard: out of sight, out of mind. Now, my favourite way of enjoying them is for lunch or as a snack with different toppings. I particularly like seedy crackers with hummus plus a bit of grated carrot and a sprinkle of cumin.
For me, the test of a good cracker is whether it’s a winner with cheese. Happily, Seed Crackers passed this wonderfully well with hard cheeses such as Cheddar as well as spread with creamy soft cheese, topped with cucumber and tomato for freshness.
Easy Seed Crackers are great with soups too. Eat them instead of bread for dunking, or even crumble over as croutons.
As they’re so moreish, I’ve not had a batch of these easy, fantastic crackers last for more than five days. But they were still good and crunchy at that point, so I think that makes them a great contender for packed lunches or a take-to-work snack. Bake a tray or two at the weekend and you’ll have fibre-packed, healthy and crunchy crackers throughout the week.
If you’ve made this recipe, I’d love to know what you thought. Please do leave a comment and rating.
Easy Seed Crackers
Light, crispy and delicious, grain-free and gluten-free. The perfect crunchy accompaniment to spreads, dips, soups or cheese. Add to lunch boxes or enjoy as a healthy nibble.
Use an alternative combination of seeds totalling 240 grams if preferred, although this MUST include 50 grams of chia seeds or they won't hold together.
It's recommended that you read the accompanying blog post before starting.
Ingredients
- 65 g pumpkin seeds
- 65 g sunflower seeds
- 50 g chia seeds (note the quantity of chia cannot be changed of the crackers will not hold together)
- 40 g sesame seeds
- 20 g flax seed/linseed
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder and/or dried herbs, spices (optional: see blog post for alternatives)
- 175 g/ml cold water
Instructions
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Take a large bowl and put in all the seeds and seasonings. Add all the water and stir well.
Set aside for 20-30 minutes or until the mixture is gelled together: see image in blog post for how it should look if you spoon some out.
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While the seeds are soaking:
Preheat the oven to 160°C /140° Fan /Gas 3 /325° F.
Take a shallow baking tray 32 x 22 cm or with a similar area and line it with baking parchment or grease proof paper.
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Spread the gelled seed mixture evenly over the lined baking tray, making sure you go right up to the edges and into the corners.
Tip: if you want regular shaped crackers you can mark them into squares or rectangles now.
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Put the tray in the oven and bake until the mix is completely set, dry all the way through and underneath, and lightly browned: approximately 1 hour.
Tip: check after 30 min and if browning too quickly lower the temperature a little.
Optional: after 45 minutes you can sprinkle a little grated cheese over some or all of the tray.
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Put the tray on a wire rack until completely cold before peeling off the paper.
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Snap into individual crackers, along marked lines if you made any.
Note: trying to cut with knife at this stage is likely to crumble the crackers. Better to either snap into irregular shapes with your hands, or you could try scoring lines with a knife and ruler then snapping.
Should keep for a week in an airtight container.
This is a great recipe which I have used many times. I always keep the ratios the same and once at the right stage to bake, separate the mix into different bowls and add different flavours to get mixed crackers. So much better than any shop bought cracker. Any pieces that are too small for cheese etc, I put into a jar and use them as a topping for soup and salads.
Thank you so much for your kind comments and 5-star rating, Jane! Lovely to hear you’re enjoying my recipe, and I very much like the sound of using bits to top soup and salads!
I’ve made these twice now and they are absolutely delicious. I’m British and I started off with boiling water and dissolved a teaspoon of Marmite (yeast extract) and then allowed the water to cool down before adding the seeds. Yummy! The quantities and timings are spot on. I just waited until there were no more little puddles in the wet seed mix. The most time-consuming part is spreading the seeds in the lined tin as it’s important to get the mixture as level as possible to ensure consistent crispness. I broke the baked crackers into small pieces. They would be wonderful with cheese, but I just like having them in a tin as a savoury snack. Thank you for this fabulous recipe!
Thank you for your lovely detailed feedback and 5-star rating, Katherine! So pleased you’re enjoying my recipe.
So I am making this right now and I’m finding the seeds need extra soaking time. I’ve soaked them an hour so far and it’s still pretty watery. Is this normal?
Hi Jill, no that doesn’t sound right. If you’ve used the correct proportion of chia seeds (i.e. 50g of the 240g total amount of mixed seeds) and added only 175ml of water then I’d expect it to take no more than 30 minutes for the mixture to gel as in the blog photo.
So, I’m afraid it sounds like one or more of your measurements were incorrect. You could perhaps try adding more chia seeds and leaving to soak for longer?
The other possibilities are that your chia seeds are perhaps old and/or have been stored in too hot conditions and so their soluble fibre (which creates the gel) has broken down. In which case they will not gel no matter how long you leave the mix I’m afraid.
Hi Guys. Can anyone advise the nutritional content for multi seed crackers ie protein and kcal?
Hi! Many thanks for your interest in my recipe, but I’m afraid I don’t have the facility to calculate and include nutrition data. I can only suggest you use one of the many websites or apps set up to do this. Sorry!
Good evening, I haven’t actually made these yet, although I fully intend to! I have a question, can I use milled linseed instead of whole linseed? Thank you
Although I haven’t tried it myself, I don’t see why you couldn’t, Jane. I might be tempted to add a little more water though, just in case the milled seeds soak up more water than whole seeds. Do let me know how it goes if you try it!
I tried the easy seed crackers and had a lproblem with them crumbling. Could the problem be I didn’t leave them in the oven long enough? I made them with garlic and I think I’m going to try cumin next time. Thank you.
Sorry to hear that. If the mixture gelled properly before baking then I guess it is possible the crackers weren’t cooked enough (or maybe even too much?). If the mixture didn’t gel (perhaps because your ratio of seeds to water was incorrect or your chia old) then the crackers wouldn’t be able to hold together no matter how long they were cooked. Do let me know if you have another go!
way to dry and crumbly
While I’m sorry you didn’t have a good experience with this recipe, it’s a tried and tested one.
The amount of water to seeds (and especially the chia seeds) are absolutely critical to getting the correct texture so I’m afraid I can only guess that you made an error with one or both of these. As you can see from the images in the post, the mix should already be holding together nicely before you spread it in the tin. If it did that then I can only guess that you may have overbaked it.
Sorry to be so blunt, but I make it all the time and have never had a fail.
Ingenious recipe! We absolutely love these and have made them several times now. Everything I have tried on this website has been so effortless and has worked out so well. I’m excited to try more. Italian pork meatloaf, we’re coming for you next …
Oh thank you so much for your lovely comments! 😊
Thanks for yet another fantastic recipe, made them yesterday we had them after dinner with cheese and wine my friends asked where did i buy them. Was glad i made a double batch they where all eaten
Thanks for the lovely feedback again Bryan!
You might be interested, Bryan, in my latest recipe: Sesame Crackers https://moorlandseater.com/sesame-crackers/
I’m rather pleased with these.
Loved this recipe… easy to make…. I did Crack sea salt over the top before I baked! Super yum !!!
Thanks for your lovely feedback, Shona! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 😊
Loooved this cracker recipe, definitely full marks. Even my very picky 5 years old got hooked on it.
I also had an issue with the middle staying a but wet, so just about to turn the remains upside down and put it in the oven for another 15 mins to fully dry it out. ☺️
Glad you and your little one enjoyed the Easy Seed Crackers!
Many thanks for taking the time to give your feedback and rate the recipe 🙂
How many does this make?, Can you double the recipe and curious as to the nutritional numbers as I am on. Keto and not liking the cracker recipes using cheese. If I want cheese will put it on my cracker. This recipe looks great and will make it this weekend. Thank you
Hi Beverly, thanks for your interest in this recipe!
How many crackers the recipe makes depends entirely on what size you choose to cut them. You may want them in long sticks for dipping, or square for adding toppings. However, as a rough guide: the amount is just right for a shallow baking tray that is 32 x 22 cm and if you cut this into approximately 5 x 5 cm squares then you’d get around 24 crackers. If you want to make more than one tray then just double the ingredients, or triple to make three trays etc.
I don’t include nutrition data on any of my recipes, but there are plenty of sites where you can put in your choice of ingredients and find out.
Do let me know how you get on if you choose to make these crackers!
The crackers were easy to make and tasted great. I’ll add some dried herbs and spices next time. Thanks for a super recipe
Thank you for your lovely comments Jayne! So glad you enjoyed the crackers.
These cracker are delicious and so easy to make. They were a hit and didn’t last long, only just made it into the tin. My daughter arrived just after they were made and took some home with her.
I have tried variations including some grains and nuts and provided you keep the chia seeds the same and the overall combined weights the same it seems to work.
I try to make score marks into the surface before cooking and that then gives a guide when breaking them up, We ate them with cheese or soft cheese, on their own and also as a base for open sandwiches with cooked meats and salad. So versatile, so very tasty and So Easy
Thanks so much for the great feedback, Christine!
That’s really useful to know that you can replace some of the seeds with grains & nuts so long as the amount of chia seeds is the same.