Easy Homemade Seed Crackers Recipe (Gluten-Free)
These homemade, grain-free seed crackers are a super easy recipe that offers a satisfying crunch that perfectly complements their nutty, wholesome flavor. Eat them on their own or with a spread of avocado or schmear, and enjoy this nutrient-packed snack!
Photography by Devon Francis
What are Seed Crackers?
Seed crackers are a type of cracker made primarily from a variety of seeds such as chia, flax, sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds. They are often combined with water and a small amount of arrowroot powder (used as a binder), and then baked until crispy.
These crackers are popular for their health benefits, including being rich in fiber, healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. They’re gluten-free, sugar-free, and preservative-free, making them a nutritious and convenient snack option. Enjoy them on their own or paired with dips, cheeses, or spreads.
What Makes This Recipe Great
I’m conflicted writing about a recipe that comes from a book about detoxing and cleansing since I do neither. But I do like Gwyneth Paltrow’s taste in food and her style of cooking, so I knew I would find something delicious and healthy in her new book, The Clean Plate. Just to be upfront, GOOP sent me her book as a gift, along with some amazing body oil. Opinions are my own, but I always think you should read multiple reviews of books before committing.
I love crackers. I love them for breakfast with avocado or on top of soup or to scoop up some creamy dip. However, crackers are usually not great for blood sugar since they are typically made with refined flour. Plus it is so easy to overeat them. These grain-free, gluten-free Seed Crackers are truly nutritious with different types of seeds, packing a high fiber, high protein punch with good fats to boot. This is my trifecta for feeling satisfied and keeping blood sugars stable. Blood sugar stability is the name of the game, people.
This seed cracker recipe was super easy to make and truly turned out just like the photo in her book. As you know, I think flaky salt makes anything taste better and these homemade crackers are no exception. In her book, she shows the crackers with avocado on one page and smoked salmon on another. But I think vegan cream cheese and pickled vegetables would be great, too.
I’m definitely not encouraging anyone to do a cleanse, but instead just share an easy and healthy cracker recipe that you could keep on hand for breakfasts on the go, lunches, or even on a cheeseboard. Or does putting cheese on a seed cracker negate the healthfulness of it?? I think a thin slice or a schmear is just fine. Let me know if you make these, and if so, what toppings you add!
Ingredient Notes
- whole flax seed
- arrowroot powder
- sea salt
- black sesame seeds
- white sesame seeds
- hulled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- boiling water
- flaky sea salt or kosher salt
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the flaky salt. Let sit for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Lay a large piece of parchment paper on the counter and use a rubber spatula to scrape the seed cracker mixture onto the paper. Top with another piece of parchment and use a rolling pin to roll the seed mixture into an 8 x 11-inch, 1/4-inch thick sheet. (I used a ruler to measure this.)
- Transfer to a baking sheet pan and carefully peel off the top layer of parchment (go slowly, as a few seeds may stick to it.) Sprinkle with flaky salt and bake for 45 minutes. If the crackers don’t seem dried out on the bottom, turn off the heat but leave the pan in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Check the crackers and leave them in longer if necessary.
- Allow to cool, then break the crackers into large individual crackers and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Expert Tips
- Variations: As with most recipes, you can add and omit ingredients according to your diet and preferences. Feel free to season with a little black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, or another spice you like (bagel seasoning would be awesome here!). Add your favorite type of seeds like sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and/or hemp seeds, and really make these crunchy seed crackers your own.
Serving & Storage Tips
Serve these crispy crackers with your favorite dip, as part of a larger cheese board or charcuterie board, by themselves as a healthy snack, or with a thin layer of your spread of choice (almond butter, cream cheese, etc).
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Store your seed crackers in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within 1 week.
More Snack Recipes
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Easy Homemade Seed Crackers Recipe (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole flaxseeds
- 1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 Tablespoons black sesame seeds
- 3 Tablespoons white sesame seeds
- 3 Tablespoons hulled pepitas
- 1 cup boiling water
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the flaky salt. Let sit for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Lay a large sheet of parchment paper on the counter and use a spatula to scrape the seed mixture onto the paper. Top with another piece of parchment and use a rolling pin to roll the mixture into an 8 x 11-inch, 1/4-inch thick sheet. (I used a ruler to measure this.)
- Transfer to a baking sheet and carefully peel off the top layer of parchment (go slowly, as a few seeds may stick to it.) Sprinkle with flaky salt and bake for 45 minutes. If the crackers don't seem dried out on the bottom, turn off the heat but leave the pan in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Check the crackers and leave them in longer if necessary.
- Allow to cool, then break the cracker into large pieces and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
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Store your seed crackers in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within 1 week.
19 Comments
I have made these crackers several times now and am getting consistent results. I mix as directed, then spread on parchment. I bake at the directed temperture and set the oven to shut off at the end of the cooking time. Then I leave them in the closed oven until I get around to coming back and pulling the, out. I always get good results.
I have also started making pre-shaped crackers, rather then one big sheet of cracker. That works too. I get better portion control this way.
Thank you for sharing, Ellen. I’m glad you’ve had consistent results with this recipe.
I had the same issue as a few other readers; my batter did not fully thicken. I added 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to absorb some of the water before baking. I baked the time stated and then shut the oven off for 15 minutes. Mine came out softer than a cracker and slightly gooey in the center when I cut them. I firmed them up by toasting in the toaster oven and they were delicious for avocado and egg toast and sunflower butter toast. FYI- the blueberry chia jam from the Clean Plate is also delicious and a great topping for these!
I like the idea of adding chia seeds here. I wonder if it would have helped to leave the crackers in the oven with the oven off for longer? That’s my secret when I make granola for crispy clusters.
I have made the recipe from Gwyneth’s book, as I own and love her cookbooks. I love that you gave GP credit for the recipe. Too many people change one tiny thing and claim it as theirs! Mine have turned out perfectly. I do take a short cut and put the mix directly on the sheet pan and smooth out with a spatula. After taking out of the oven, if some parts were too thick, I simpy peel them in two and put those pieces back for a little while longer until they are crisp. They freeze beautifully and stay crisp in a sealed container for a month. Our new favorite cracker.
I’ve liked other recipes from that visually stunning cookbook, but this was a total fail. I left the water and seeds for 15 minutes and I ended up with a bowl of water with some seeds. Then I let it sit some more and still felt I needed to drain off some water. When I took it out of the oven very few of the seeds stuck together! I had a sheet mostly of loose seeds. I was really disappointed as I’d tried other recipes from the book with success. I have no idea what I did wrong. :/
I’m sorry to hear that. I have had limited experience with Gwyneth’s cracker recipe, so I’m not quite sure. Did you add the arrowroot powder to the seeds when you combined the seeds with the boiling water?
I’ve made these crackers about five different times. They are so delicious, and truly do go perfectly with a poached egg and avocado ! Rolling them thin (and evenly) has helped result in a crispy, fully cooked cracker! Francine, I wonder if your arrowroot flour to seed/water ratio was off- that would seem to account for the watery-ness of your mixture.
These crackers were so easy and so very delicious thank you very much for sharing!!!
Thank you, Judy. Glad you gave them a try!
Hi, just wondering the calories in this or the nutritional info?
Thank you
Worked perfectly for me… delicious!! Hail to the queens GP & PS!!
Great to hear!
Hi Pamela,
I had the same result as Terri. I was able to salvage it by turning it over onto a fresh piece of parchment and peeling the wet paper off (with some difficulty as the bottom was pretty sticky) and baked it at 325º for another 30 minutes and it did get crisp enough to break into pieces when it cooled. Because the cooking time was longer at that temperature, it had a slightly overdone taste but I liked the combination of seeds so I might try it again with a dehydrator.
I didn’t mean to rate this recipe – but couldn’t get the one star to go away…
Hi Freda, see my response to Terri. I will put this same advice in the notes of the recipe as well. Thank you!
The same thing happened to me and the parchment paper stuck to the bottom which made it difficult to salvage. I tried it twice. I’m going to try Pamela’s tip below but am still worried about the parchment appear sticking to the bottom, more so than it not cooking all the way. Any suggestions?
Thanks!.
I think leaving it in the oven with the power turned off is the way to go. Another solution is to roll between plastic wrap and cook the cracker directly on the baking sheet.
Hey Pamela, I tried this recipe and encountered a problem. The bottom parchment paper became soggy during the rolling step and never dried out. The result was a crispy top and soggy bottom when the cracker came out of the oven. Any thoughts on this problem? I place to try this recipe again. Kindest regards, Terri
Hi Terri! The problem with my taking other people’s recipes is that they are not tested by me as much as I test my own recipes. I have had limited experience with Gwyneth’s cracker recipe, but I did not encounter this problem. What I would do next time is if the cracker is not dried out after your timer goes off, turn the oven completely off and leave the pan in the oven with the door closed. The residual heat will dry out the cracker without burning or cooking it. Check on it after 30 minutes and another 30 if necessary. I hope that helps!