Today, we'll show you how to make crackers with chia seeds, a crunchy nibble that's satisfying and good for you, too.
Seed crackers like these chia crackers are a healthy alternative to plain wheat crackers as, thanks to seeds, they are more nutritious and fill you for longer.
And the tiny but mighty chia seeds are one of the best seeds to put in crackers!
Chia seeds add a pleasant crunch and a load of nutrients, including proteins, fibres, omega-3, iron, and calcium.
Here, we mixed whole chia seeds into a gluten-free cracker dough with almond flour and rice flour, plus a little salt and water. That's it!
Used in gluten-free crackers, chia seeds also act as a binder for the dough, holding the ingredients together. Just leave the seeds to soak in the dough for about 20 minutes!
Our easy recipe yields 8 servings of chia crackers: each serving consists of 25 grams (1 oz) of crackers which packs the equivalent of 1 teaspoon of chia seeds.
So, you'll have enough healthy seed crackers to snack on for the whole week — perfect with this Indian plum chutney, ginger carrot chutney or kasundi mustard!
Do I need to use ground chia seeds for crackers?
You can make chia crackers with whole chia seeds, so there’s no need to use ground chia seeds.
Chia seeds can be used whole in recipes as they’re easily absorbed and digested in your body, unlike flaxseeds, which must be ground first.
Still, if you already have a packet of ground chia seeds, you can use them for these gluten-free seed crackers.
Do I have to soak chia seeds for seed crackers?
When you make crackers with chia seeds, you should leave the seeds to soak, especially if there’s no flour/gluten in the recipe — as in here.
Soaked chia seeds form a thick gel that binds the ingredients and makes the cracker dough more pliable, making it easier to stretch and roll out.
To use chia seeds in crackers, mix them with the other ingredients into a dough and then leave it to rest for 20-30 minutes to allow the seeds to absorb the liquids and swell.
Are chia seed crackers gluten-free?
Chia seeds are gluten-free, but not all crackers made with chia seeds are gluten-free. That depends on the other ingredients used.
This homemade recipe for chia crackers includes only whole chia seeds, almond flour, and rice flour, so it’s gluten-free — suitable for coeliacs or people with gluten sensitivity.
Are chia crackers low-carb?
Using seeds like chia seeds in crackers helps add lots of healthy nutrients while keeping the carbs low.
Made with 50:50 rice and almond flour, these chia seeds crackers have fewer carbs than regular wheat crackers — about 11g carbs for one 25-gram serving of chia crackers.
If you want to make chia seed crackers keto, use only almond flour. We’ve tested it and it works out great. The crackers are slightly less crunchy and a little more friable but just as delicious!
Are seed crackers high-calorie?
Weight by weight, seeds have about more calories than flour, so seed crackers are usually higher in calories than regular crackers.
However, seed crackers are very good for you: seeds are a nutrient-packed, wholesome food that’s healthier than refined flour.
To compromise between nutrient value and calories, we’ve made these seed crackers with a balanced mix of whole chia seed, almond flour and rice flour.
How do I keep homemade seed crackers crispy?
Homemade crackers will stay perfectly crispy for a few hours once baked. After that, they’ll start to lose their crunch if not properly stored.
To keep these chia seed crackers fresh for up to a week, follow these 3 simple tips:
Leave the crackers to cool completely on a rack to prevent steam from moistening them.
Once cooled, immediately transfer into a glass jar or tin box, ideally with an air-tight seal.
Store at room temperature in a cool, dry, dark place, like a cupboard.
Ingredients
| Chia Seeds | 30 g |
| Almond Flour | 100 g |
| Rice Flour | 100 g |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp |
| Filtered Water | 130 mL |
Step 1
Add chia seeds, almond flour, rice flour, and salt to a bowl and mix well (1).
Then, pour in the water and mix the ingredients until they come together into a compact dough. It’ll be slightly sticky and moist (2).
Step 2
Cover the dough with cling film and let it rest for 25 minutes at room temperature.
This allows the chia seeds to soak the water and swell, forming a gel that’ll hold the cracker dough together, so it'll be easier to roll out thinly.
Step 3
Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F) static or 140°C (285°F) fan and keep a baking tray in the oven.
A large oven shelf tray fits all the cracker dough once rolled out — if your tray is smaller, divide the dough and bake in batches.
Now, transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper the size of the baking tray and then cover it with a second sheet.
Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough as thin as possible, about 2 mm thick. The thinner the dough, the crispier the crackers will be.
Step 4
Peel off the top parchment paper and use a knife or wheel cutter to mark the outline of the crackers.
Step 5
Transfer the parchment paper with the chia crackers slab to the tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Halfway through cooking time, crack the crackers along the marked line and space them out on the tray for even cooking.
The chia crackers are ready when the top is firm: they will crisp up a bit more after cooling down, but try to make them as crispy as possible in the oven.
Step 6
Once ready, transfer the chia crackers to a wire rack, leaving them to cool down completely and crisp up (1).
Your healthy homemade chia seed crackers are ready (2).
Enjoy them right away or store them in a glass or tin container for 5 days.
Tips
We made our chia crackers 5 x 5 cm (2 x 2 in), but you can make them larger or smaller, rectangular, round or diamond-shaped if preferred.
If you're cooking the chia cracker slabs on two trays, rotate the trays top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking time for even cooking.
Swaps
You can replace rice flour with brown rice flour for extra fibre, buckwheat flour for extra proteins, or try black bean flour as in these black bean chips or chickpea flour as in these chickpea crackers.
Add-Ons
For a tasty twist and extra flavour, you can add:
Seed mix — make multiseed crackers with a seed mix of choice from sesame, hemp, poppy, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, like this seeded spelt crackers recipe.
Grated cheddar, parmesan, or plant-based nutritional yeast for a cheesy finish.
Spicy dijon or wholegrain mustard as in these mustard crackers.
Herbs & spices — try aromatic Italian herbs, like in these sourdough fennel crackers, Cajun spices, Za’atar seasoning, or curry powder.