If you think wheat – or any grain for that matter – is necessary for crispy crackers, be prepared to have that belief well and truly quashed. Like flat earth theory, alchemy, and the theory of the four bodily humors, we now know that grains do not always a cracker make.
Kellie’s Theory of Healthy Cracker Happiness:
Nuts + (grinding x flavouring) + slow baking = a tray of yummy, snappable crackers.
It’s practically revolutionary!
nut and seed crackers with a bowl of beetroot, tomato and cumin soup – recipe soon
The key to these is not to grind the nuts and seeds too heavily: there is a fine line between slightly nubbly, cohesive cracker ‘dough’ and nut butter. If you go too far just pop it in a jar and tell people it’s for spreading! Either way you gain a healthy, satisfying snack. It’s just one is the dunker and the other is the dunk-ee.
As for the flavours, keep it plain or go a bit fancy. The hint of southern France is my main suggestion here (which sounds fancy to me anyway), but the basic dough does invite experimentation: go Japanese with ground toasted nori and sesame seeds; add Korean pepper flakes; try ras al hanout, or my beloved za’atar, for a Middle Eastern treat. Loads of possibilities. Keeping them plain will make them ever so slightly more versatile. Although most of us will dip anything in hummus, including a Korean-ish nut cracker.
To whiz these up use a food processor or a good blender, like my fab Froothie. My Froothie blends really well without the need to stop and scrape down the sides, mincing everything more evenly than a food processor. A hand blender would most likely turn this into nut butter.
I’m thinking these crackers would be great additions to children’s lunch boxes, customizing to your brood’s likes and dislikes. Maybe you could get them to use cookie cutters to fashion cool shapes – squirrels and monkeys anyone?
You would be nuts not to try these crispy, protein-packed crackers.
P.S.The crimson-hued soup you see is coming soon. :-)
Herbes de Provence Seed and Nut Crackers {grain-free + vegan option}
Easy, nutritious, satisfying. And delicious. No soaking or faffing, just a quick spin in your blender, roll and bake. Child’s play.
2 cups mixed raw, unsalted nuts and seeds (I used broken cashews, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds)
2 heaped tbsp nutritional yeast (for a savoury almost cheese-like flavour)
½ tsp ground pepper
½ – ¾ tsp fine salt
2 heaped tsp herbes de Provence or mixed dried herbs of choice (not old stuff from the back of the cupboard, please)
1 medium egg OR equivalent vegan ‘egg’ such as Orgran
1 ½ tbsp. water
Seeds to sprinkle (I used poppy and sesame)
- Preheat the oven to 150C/300F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or Silpat.
- Coarsely grind the nuts and seeds in your blender or food processor. You want a nubbly mix that is just beginning to clump together. I found it best to whiz on a medium speed and then pulse once it was evenly chopped but not small enough to use as dough.
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- Pour the ‘dough’ into a mixing bowl. Crumble with your fingers to break up any lumps then stir in the dry ingredients. Take a pinch to test for seasoning, adjusting as needed.
- Stir in the egg/vegan egg and the water; mix to form a stiff dough.
![nut and seed crackers]()
- Roll out as thinly as you can between two pieces of parchment paper. The ones in the photos are not as thin as they can go but they will be more snappy if you go further. Top with the extra seeds, slightly pressing them on.
![nut and seed crackers]()
- Cut into strips or cut out into shapes. Transfer to your lined baking tray and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes. For further crispness, use a spatula to lift the baked crackers onto a baking rack and return to the oven (lowest shelf) for a further five minutes. This will pull out any residual moisture from the bottom of the cracker.
- Allow to cool completely before storing in a sealed container.
Nutrition: Far from being something to limit to the occasional treat, a 2013 study from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham Woman’s Institute and Harvard School of Public Health found that people who ate a daily handful of nuts were less likely to die from any cause during the 30-year study period than those who didn’t eat nuts. They were also found to be – wait for it – slimmer. Death from cancer and heart disease were significantly reduced. Look here for a lay view of this important study. And here’s a good chart detailing the nutrients packed into a wide variety to nuts, seeds and pseudo grains. Can wheat make such claims?
Other healthy wheat-free snacks to try:
Fresh Blueberry Flapjacks from Tinned Tomatoes
Grain and Gluten-free Cream Tea {Scones} by Tabitha’s Gluten-free Dishes
Easy Homemade Crackers by Serious Eats
Savory Potato Rice Crackers {Baked Namak Paare} from Vegan Richa
Apricot and Citrus No-Bake Bars by Food To Glow
Spicy Seaweed Popcorn from Food To Glow
Crispy Middle Eastern Baked Vegetable Fries by Food To Glow
My Crispy Fennel Seed Flatbread Cracker recipe is easily adapted to use a gluten-free flour blend
