Real Food Crackers: Gluten-Free

 

I love crunchy crackers with my tuna, or as a side with a big salad. However, most crackers you find in the store are lacking in nutrition; they are high in processed grains, salt, and low in protein and fiber. And the brands that are gluten-free (for those people sensitive to wheat and gluten) tend to be super pricey. Now you can stop attempting to find healthy crackers in the grocery store, and just make my recipe. My real food crackers are made with dried chickpeas, flax seeds, oats, pecans, and some chia seeds thrown in for good measure. Instead of buying chickpea flour, you can save money and make your own by running dried chickpeas through your food processor. I don’t think whole wheat flour is unhealthy if you aren’t sensitive to gluten, but I love fiber and protein, and beans and seeds have more of both than wheat!

 

My crackers contain 7 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein per serving, so they are a snack that will actually keep you full until your next meal, or a filling addition to a healthy meal like a salad! Plus, they stay crunchy for at least a week in the pantry. They could possibly stay fresh longer than a week, but mine didn’t last that long.

 

 

 

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{Real Food Crackers: Gluten-Free}

Crunchy crackers made from chickpea flour, oats, flax seeds, pecans, and chia seeds. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, and go great with salads or alone as a filling snack. They are also high in fiber, and the beans and flax add extra protein, which means you’ll stay full longer!

 

Servings: 6 (5 crackers per serving)

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried chickpeas

1/2 cup rolled oats (certified gluten free if sensitive to gluten)

1/2 cup whole flax seeds

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (or any other nut)

4 tsp chia seeds

2 tbsp olive oil or melted coconut oil

1/2 cup water

 

 

Directions

In a quality food processor or blender (I used my Vitamix) process dried chickpeas and oats until they resemble flour (a really cheap processor probably won’t turn dried beans into a fine flour). Add flax seeds, spices, and baking powder and process until flax seeds are no longer whole (a few larger pieces is fine). Dump mixture into a bowl and stir in pecans and chia seeds. Then add oil and water and stir until a ball forms–you will have to use your hands for this. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray and spread dough all the way to the edge of the pan with a rolling pin (a drinking glass works too).

 

 

With a knife or pizza cutter score score into 30 pieces–you don’t need to cut all the way through the dough. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes. Times may vary based on your oven, they should be slightly brown but not burnt; mine took 13 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet, and then break crackers  along score marks.

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrition info per serving (5 crackers): 220 cal,  15 g fat (1 g sat fat), 17 g carb (2 g sugar), 6 g protein, 7 g fiber

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