Appetizers

These Seedy Flax Crackers~Oil-Free & Gluten-Free have just two basic ingredients and you can add in any nuts, seeds, or seasonings that you like.

If you are following a gluten-free and oil-free way of eating, you know how hard it is to find crackers without those ingredients. I have only found one brand that makes crackers without oil and gluten ingredients and they are expensive! So I decided to try making my own and this is it!

They are crispy and hold up well for dipping in hummus or as a base for cheese.

Scroll down to the recipe box if you don’t need to see photos of the process.

I used the tools you see below to make it easy, but you definitely don’t need the cracker roller…it just makes them more uniform in size and they look a little nicer. You can use a knife instead of the scraper/cutter. The little bands on the rolling pin make it easy to get the dough rolled to an even 1/8th inch, but you can eyeball that instead. In addition to these tools, I also use a silicone spatula…the kind used to mix and scrape.

Let’s get started. Mix the flax meal with the boiling water and let it sit for 5 minutes. If you are going to add any nuts, seeds, or seasoning, get them out. Chop up the nuts or seeds.

The flax mixture will be thick and can be pressed into a ball (using a rubber spatula) at this point. Use the rubber spatula to knead in any of the optional ingredients. You can also do this with your hands if you wet them, but it is messy.

Tip the dough out onto a parchment-lined cutting board (I used a flexible plastic cutting board)  and press it with the back of the spatula or your wet hands. Form a rectangle narrow enough to miss the spacers on your rolling pin.

Top the dough with another sheet of parchment and roll the dough out until it is 1/8th inch thick

Carefully peel the top parchment off. Using the cutting board, slide the parchment and dough onto a baking sheet. If using a cracker rolling tool, roll it to create perforations.  If not using the roller, you can bake it as is and break it into pieces when it’s done. Or you can use a knife and score it before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes and remove from the oven and carefully flip it over. I used a piece of parchment and the flexible cutting board on top and then flipped it. Be sure that only parchment is on the baking sheet and not the plastic cutting board! I may or may not have put my PLASTIC cutting board in the oven for a few minutes before I realized what I’d done!🤭

Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, watching for browning. If any edges start to get too brown, break those crackers off and take them out, leaving the rest to finish.

They will crisp up more when cooled, so it’s good to pull one out towards the end and let it cool and test it for crispness.

Cool on the baking sheet or move to a cooling rack. When completely cool, store in an airtight container. They’ll be fine at room temperature for about a week or store for much longer in the refrigerator.

Serve with your favorite hummus or with your favorite plant-based cheese. The delicious cheese in the first photo is made using this recipe from Bradi at the Vegan8.

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Seedy Flax Crackers~Oil-Free & Gluten-Free

These Seedy Flax Crackers~Oil-Free & Gluten-Free have just two basic ingredients and you can add in any nuts, seeds, or seasonings that you like.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: gluten-free, oil-free, wfpbno

Keyword: Seedy Flax Crackers~Oil-Free & Gluten-Free

Author: Trish Hall

Ingredients

• 1 cup flax meal
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 2-4 Tbsp seeds of choice, chopped OPTIONAL
• 1/4 cup nuts of choice, finely chopped OPTIONAL
• 1-2 tsp seasoning of choice (See Notes) OPTIONAL

Instructions

1. Oven 350 degrees

2. In a small mixing bowl, add flax. Add boiling water and stir well. Set aside for 5 minutes.

3. If using optional ingredients, chop the nuts and/or seeds.

4. Add any optional ingredients to the flax dough. Push them in with a flexible spatula or wet hands. I used the silicone spatula/scraper and pushed and "kneaded" it just like you would knead bread dough.

5. Once everything is well incorporated, tip the dough onto a parchment-lined flexible cutting board or onto your counter. Press into a rectangle that is narrower than your rolling pin.

6. Add a sheet of parchment on top and roll the dough out to 1/8th inch thick. See the blog post for pictures of the guides I use on my rolling pin. Peel off the top parchment.

7. Carefully slide the parchment/dough onto a baking sheet using the flexible cutting board or just by lifting the parchment carefully.

8. Score the dough with a cracker roller or knife. (Or you can just bake it as it is and break it up after baking).

9. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are beginning to lift. Remove from the oven and flip the whole thing over using a piece of parchment on top. ( I used the flexible cutting board to help flip it over...don't accidentally leave it in there!)

Bake again for another 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. They will crisp up more after cooling, so I take one out towards the end of the time and cool it and check for crispness. You can break them apart as you check them, or wait until they are done and cooled.

1. Cool on the baking sheet or transfer to a cooling rack.

2. Enjoy with your favorite hummus, dip, or sliced vegan cheese.

Recipe Notes

For seasonings, I've used the following with good results:

Everything But the Bagel Seasoning (from Trader Joe's)

Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika

Rosemary, thyme, tiny pinch of sage