Grain Free, Gluten Free: Flax Crackers

Here is the one thing I probably cook the most in our home: crackers! The Scratch.Love Family are IN love with these. I bake a batch at least every other day and sometimes daily. I love knowing my family is getting all of the benefits of flax in a crunchy little package. Best of all these are grain free, gluten free, dairy free.

Continue reading after the jump...


Flax Crackers:

• 1/4 Cup Golden Flax Seed (whole)
• 1/4 Cup Golden Flax Seed (ground)
• 1/4 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds (ground)
• 1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 3/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Red Crushed Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Method:

Using a blender or food processor (I have a vitamix and use the grain blade) grind the 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds until it resembles a course flour.

Set aside in bowl. Do the same for the Flax seeds and add to the bowl.

Then add the whole flax seeds, sesame seeds and spices.

 Mix well.

Slowly add the water to your mixture and form a paste/dough.

Put this mixture onto parchment paper or a silpat if you have one.

You will need another sheet of parchment paper on top. Take a rolling pin and roll to your desired thickness.

I prefer a cracker on the thinner side for more crunch, but it is totally up to you. Remove the top piece of parchment paper.

Take a butter knife and lightly score the dough into the shape you wish your crackers to be. I just kind of do it haphazardly but if you are a perfectionist you can make perfect little squares.

Put your silpat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place in a 300 degree oven. Here is the tricky part- the cooking time of these crackers can vary quite a bit since it really depends how thin you rolled the dough. Check after 25 minutes. I find mine generally take about 35 minutes to get the way that I like them. I check them often. When they are done they should be slightly firm to the touch and slightly golden brown.

If you are in more of a hurry you can try cooking them at 350 but you have to really watch them, I have burned too many batches this way so I prefer the lower heat setting. Also, at 350 I often had the edges just the way I wanted them but the center was slightly undercooked.

These crackers are something that I am constantly perfecting. I love to change the herbs and spices to get different varieties. Sometimes I add other seeds, you can experiment to find what you like best. The above recipe is the variety my family enjoys best, I hope yours does as well.

If you find you are making these often you can grind all of your ingredients (minus your spices and the water) and put into an airtight container in the fridge. That way you can just scoop out a batch at a time as needed.

I submitted this recipe to Real Food Wednesday, check it out for other great recipes from real food bloggers.