These flaxseed crackers are nutty, crispy, and crunchy. Since they contain nothing but flax seeds, you can really make them exactly to your taste. These crackers are vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.
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Flax seeds play a really important role in creating gluten-free baked goods with great texture. They are a type of hydrophilic binder (they gel upon contact with water-based liquids) and require time to work (they need a few minutes to create a "glue" to keep the baked goods together).
Flax seeds are effective enough to be used alone in recipes, but work the best in combination with other hydrophilic binders, such as chia seeds and psyllium. This is because out of the three main hydrophilic binders - flax, chia, and psyllium - flax seeds have the weakest binding effect. The binding effect does increase when the seeds are ground, but it is still weak.
So, for best result, flax seeds shouldn't make up more than 75% of a binder. The one exception is when flax seeds themselves constitute 50% or more of the entire recipe, e.g., these flaxseed crackers.
Tips for Making Flaxseed Crackers
Ingredients
The ingredient list for these flaxseed crackers couldn't be any simpler:
- Flax seeds: there are two types of flax seeds - brown and golden. Most people find that the dark brown seeds have a somewhat stronger flavor than the golden seeds. So, in recipes where flax seeds are the main ingredient, I tend to use the golden variety. I prefer raw flax seeds, but if all you have is roasted flax seeds, feel free to use them.
- Salt: without salt, these crackers are quite bland, so I recommend using not only salt, but also herbs and/or spices. So far I have tried basil, cumin, garlic powder, rosemary (my favorite!), and thyme.
How to Make Flaxseed Crackers
If you haven’t tried making your own homemade crackers yet, this is your chance:
- Mix. Add the flaxseed meal, salt, and water into a medium bowl and mix until well combined. The dough will be wet and sticky at first, but as the flaxseed meal absorbs all the water, the dough will become drier. The dough will always be slightly sticky, but it should be easy to handle. If it's too sticky or wet, sprinkle a little bit more flaxseed meal onto the dough to dry it out. Form the dough into a ball.
- Roll out the dough. Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and flatten it with the palm of your hand. Place the center of your rolling pin on the center of the disk. Press firmly into the dough, rolling towards yourself and away from you. Repeat until the dough is about ⅛ inch/3 mm thin. The fine texture of the flaxseed meal will allow you to roll the dough out as thin or as thick as you like. Thinner crackers cook faster and become crispier. However, they are also more delicate and prone to breaking. Thicker crackers are better for scooping up dips. Regardless of the thickness, make sure the crackers are rolled out evenly, so the crackers bake at the same rate.
- Score the dough. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, score the dough into any shapes you like. I cut the flaxseed crackers into squares, but it's up to you. You can also use cookie cutters for more interesting shapes.
- Bake. Carefully slide the dough (with the bottom layer of parchment paper) onto a large baking sheet and bake it at 350°F/180°C until crispy and golden brown, 20-25 minutes. I recommend checking the crackers every 5 minutes after the first 15 minutes of baking. If your crackers are thinner than mine, they will bake faster. Also, the crackers on the outside edges of the baking sheet will brown quicker than the ones in the center and crackers at the back of the oven may turn golden sooner than the ones at the front. So, rotate the baking sheet during baking to even out the browning. If you find that most of the crackers are cooked through but a few right in the center are a little soft, bake those few again until they have dried out more, about 5 minutes.
- Cool. Transfer the baked "cracker" onto a cooling rack, so air can circulate and no condensation takes hold. The higher the baking temperature, the more condensation can form. Once cool, break the cracker along the scored lines.
Flaxseed Crackers Variations
Flaxseed crackers are literally a blank canvas for experimentation. My favorite flavor combination is garlic powder and rosemary, but other herbs, spices, or even nutritional yeast work equally well.
You could also incorporate small seeds, such as sesame seeds or hemp hearts, into the dough for more texture. Just make sure to avoid chia seeds - a type of gelatinous seeds - which would affect the consistency of the dough.
How to Store Flaxseed Crackers
- Storing at room temperature: transfer the crackers into an airtight container and store in a cool, dry, and dark place for up to 1 week.
- Refrigerating: transfer the crackers into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
- Freezing: transfer the crackers into an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
MORE SEED CRACKERS RECIPES
If you are looking to switch things up, I have a plenty of seed cracker recipes on the blog:
- Flackers: crackers made entirely from whole flax seeds. They are nutty and incredibly crunchy - similar to sesame brittle but without the sweetness.
- Nut & seed crackers: my absolute favorite seed crackers. Nutty, crunchy, and because the main binder is psyllium – a strong binder – the crackers are also very sturdy.
- Seed crackers: the flavor of these crackers is very similar to these nut & seed crackers - neutral and slightly nutty. However, the texture is very different - these seed crackers are light and delicate (while nut & seed crackers are quite sturdy).
- Chia seed crackers: if you’re looking for seed crackers with a bread-like texture, this recipe is it! These crackers have a slightly sweet, nutty flavor and a crunchy, bread-like texture. They are also sturdy enough to scoop up the thickest dip.
If you try any of these recipes, please, leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.
Flaxseed Crackers
These flaxseed crackers are nutty, crispy, and crunchy. Since they contain nothing but flax seeds, you can really make them exactly to your taste. These crackers are vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.
Servings: 40 crackers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Mix. Add the flaxseed meal, salt, and water into a medium bowl and mix until well combined. The dough will be wet and sticky at first, but as the flaxseed meal absorbs all the water, the dough will become drier. The dough will always be slightly sticky, but it should be easy to handle. If it's too sticky or wet, sprinkle a little bit more flaxseed meal onto the dough to dry it out. Form the dough into a ball.
- Roll out the dough. Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and flatten it with the palm of your hand. Place the center of your rolling pin on the center of the disk. Press firmly into the dough, rolling towards yourself and away from you. Repeat until the dough is about ⅛ inch/3 mm thin. The fine texture of the flaxseed meal will allow you to roll the dough out as thin or as thick as you like. Thinner crackers cook faster and become crispier. However, they are also more delicate and prone to breaking. Thicker crackers are better for scooping up dips. Regardless of the thickness, make sure the crackers are rolled out evenly, so the crackers bake at the same rate.
- Score the dough. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, score the dough into any shapes you like. I cut the flaxseed crackers into squares, but it's up to you. You can also use cookie cutters for more interesting shapes.
- Bake. Carefully slide the dough (with the bottom layer of parchment paper) onto a large baking sheet and bake until crispy and golden brown, 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through baking**. I recommend checking the crackers every 5 minutes after the first 15 minutes of baking. If your crackers are thinner than mine, they will bake faster. Also, the crackers on the outside edges of the baking sheet will brown quicker than the ones in the center and crackers at the back of the oven may turn golden sooner than the ones at the front. So, rotate the baking sheet during baking to even out the browning. If you find that most of the crackers are cooked through but a few right in the center are a little soft, bake those few again until they have dried out more, about 5 minutes.
- Cool. Transfer the baked “cracker” onto a cooling rack, so air can circulate and no condensation takes hold. The higher the baking temperature, the more condensation can form. Once cool, break the cracker along the scored lines.
- Store. Leftover chia seed crackers keep well in an airtight container in a cool, dry, and dark place for up to 1 week (or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month). For longer term storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
*I used golden flax seeds because they have a more subtle flavor and lighter color than brown flax seeds. I like to grind my own flax seeds into flaxseed meal, but you can store-bought flaxseed meal.
**The easiest way to flip the cracker is to slide the parchment paper from the baking sheet onto a big cutting board. Then cover the cutting board with the baking sheet and flip the cutting board over.
***Nutrition information is approximate and may contain errors. Please, feel free to make your own calculations.
Nutrition Facts
Flaxseed Crackers
Amount Per Serving (1 of 40)
Calories 21
Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 0g0%
Protein 1g2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Paula
Thank you for the recipe! The crackers turned out great.
PetraScott
Thank you so much for the feedback, Paula! ❤️ So happy you enjoyed the recipe.
leticia aguilera garcia
me encanto la receta mañana la preparo gracias ! exelente tus recetas gracias!!
PetraScott
Thank you so much! ❤️
Patrick
I added a boatload of rosemary and granulated garlic and used a tortilla press to make rounds. I put the the round on parchment paper and use a pizza cutter to cut into strips. Convection baked at 350 F for about 15 minutes. Perfect! I think I would even up the spice level the next time.
PetraScott
Thank you so much for sharing your tips and feedback, Patrick! That's really helpful. So happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Margaret
Hello,
I just printed your recipe "Flaxseed Crackers from Whole Flaxseeds' In instruction number 4 you state to dehydrate the crackers and in the sentence right after you say to bake. Is it either/or, or, do I have to do both steps, dehydrate and bake?
Thank you
PetraScott
Hi Margaret - I am sorry for the confusion! I will fix it. But to answer your question, no, you don't have to do both. Either dehydrate or bake the crackers 🙂
Margaret
How well do they keep crisp and can you freeze?
PetraScott
Yes, you can totally freeze the crackers. I would recommend freezing them in an airtight container to help protect the crackers from moisture and freezer burn. The crackers are crispy for a few days but do soften with time. If that happens, just bake the crackers for a couple of minutes and they will be crispy again 🙂
Christin Charrette
I used whole flax seeds and the recipe still turned out wonderful I added everything bagel seasoning. Next time I will grind the whole flax into meal.
PetraScott
Thank you so much for your feedback, Christin! ❤️ So happy the recipe turned out great.
Savera Noriega
I love this recipe and the crackers were delicious. Thank you for sharing it.
PetraScott
Thank you so much for the feedback, Savera! So happy you enjoyed the recipe. ❤️
Alexia
I love this simple flax cracker recipe. I eat them with my vegan stew for lunch and dinner. And snack with hummus. I used sesame and rosemary. I bake them a little longer to get out the flavors.
PetraScott
Thank you so much for the rating and feedback Alexia! I really appreciate it. ❤️
Shifa Javeed
Omg the crackers were amazing
PetraScott
So happy to hear that, Shifa! Thank you so much for your feedback!❤️
Sylvia T Ramos
Hello! When you say "flip the crackers" does that mean flip them over? Will the crackers still be attached to the parchment paper or you remove the parchment paper when you flip them over?
PetraScott
Hi Sylvia - at that point, the crackers won't be attached to the parchment paper anymore. You will be able to easily lift them up. You can leave the parchment paper on the baking sheet and just flip the entire "cracker" over.
Sylvia T Ramos
Thank you! I tried it and it was quite nice.
PetraScott
Thank you for the feedback, Sylvia! So happy you enjoyed the crackers 🙂
Mai Mariano
I’ve already tried this 3x (the ground one) already and the first 2 tries they edges were burnt but the middle were soft and some inflates not every piece came out the same. I like the taste and the ingredients are very simple that’s why i wanted to try again. The last one i did Baked it for a lower temperature 300f and longer time (Maybe double the time) and poke holes using a fork and they came out great
Ioanna
Great recipe for cracker. The net carbs is one or zero ,if we get out the fiber gr. Thank you.
PetraScott
Thank you Ioanna!
Reeda
I tried these (rosemary flavoured) & they are amazing! So simple to make too; now I know what to do with all the flaxseed I have lying around 🙂
Thank you Petra, your recipes are amazing.
PetraScott
Hi Reeda - thank you so much for the feedback and rating!❤️ I really appreciate it. So happy you like the recipe so much!
Rita
Hi! I made the crackers on saturday and they were perfectly crispy I used salt and basil but I still could taste the flavor of the flaxseeds. Since the dark flaxseeds are the only ones that I can get near where I live, do you have any suggestion or tip on how to lower the flavour of the dark flaxseeds or maybe use another seasoning?
Thank you!
PetraScott
Hi Rita - you could try adding nutritional yeast or even spices. Was it just the pure flavor of flaxseeds that bothered you? I am asking because flaxseeds can turn rancid easily, so I just want to make sure they didn't go rancid.
Zahraa
Hi there I really want to make this and half my batch (one half garlic powder and other half rosemary and sea salt) however I’m from Australia and I’m confused with the measurements, should I be using metric or the Us system because over here 1 cup of 250grams and I know that in America it’s different so I’d appreciate if you could help me out here hahahah thank you
PetraScott
HI Zahraa - yes, that's true. If you have a scale, I would use the metric measurements. They are always more precise. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Melissa Miskavi
I was so excited to make these crackers but for some reason, they turned out really soft in the middle - I wonder if it's because I didn't roll the dough thinner or if I didn't let the dough rest more than 5-10 minutes... I will try again!
PetraScott
Hi Melissa - I would definitely recommend rolling the dough thinner. Was it just the middle crackers that were not crispy or the entire batch? Sometimes what happens is that most of the crackers are cooked through but a few right in the center are a little soft. If that's the case, you can just bake those few again for ~5 minutes until they've dried out more.
Tricia
All I can say is Thank You....these crackers are perfect....im happy
PetraScott
Yay! That makes me so happy, Tricia! Thank you so much for the feedback!❤️
Mary Ellen Wright
Thank you this recipe is easy as mud pies but so delicious. Add some swiss cheese a bit of Chopra and start eating. I added rosemary some sesame seeds and a tablespoon full of hemp hearts and sprinkled some large Salton top. I'll make these again and again.
PetraScott
Haha, love that expression! Thank you so much for the feedback and rating, Mary!❤️
Dale
Could you give me the proper timing with dehydration on the crackers.Does dehydration healthier? and keep them longer?
Love the recipe is nice and easy.
PetraScott
Hi Dale - dehydrating simply means that you're keeping all the enzymes intact (which makes digestion easier). You also don't lose any nutritional content. The dehydrating instructions are in the recipe box. I am just going to copy and paste it here: "Dehydrate the crackers at 110°F/45°C for ~ 6 hours, until dry and crispy. Flip the crackers halfway through dehydrating to promote even even browning." The crackers will keep for about 3 weeks.
Renee-Claude Tanguay
Is this for both cracker recipes or just the ones with the whole flaxseeds?
PetraScott
Hi - I am not sure I understand your question. There are two recipes in this blog post - one for crackers with whole flax seeds ("Flaxseed Crackers from Whole Flax Seeds") and one with ground ("Flaxseed Crackers from Ground Flax Seeds"). Please, let me know if you need further clarification.
Renee-Claude Tanguay
I only see the time and temperature for the recipe with the whole flaxseeds, is it the same time and temperature for the one with the ground flaxseeds?
Vadim Chernov
Last time I mixed flaxmeal with half a cup of blanched Almond meal. Came out so good. I couldn't stop eating them. I am going to make them again but only using flaxmeal this time. Thanks for the recipe.
PetraScott
I love the addition of blanched almond meal. Thank you so much for sharing your feedback, Vadim!
Samia
Hi! I’ve tried the wraps and turned out great, I wonder if it’s possible to make the cracker recipe to make a pizza crust. Thanks Petra I love your recipes!!
PetraScott
Thank you so much for the feedback, Samia!❤️ I think that you could totally adapt the recipe to a pizza crust (I frequently make an entire loaf out of flaxseeds). However, you would most likely need to do some tweaking and also add a leavening agent.
Ellie
Hi I just put the whole flax seeds with water to soak overnight but my mistake I did 2 cups flax and 2 cups water . Will that be ok ? Or will I be able to drain some of the water tomorrow if it’s too much ?
PetraScott
Hi Ellie - I am so sorry for the late reply! The mixture should be thick and roll-able. If it's too thin, you might want to try spread it onto a baking sheet (as opposed to rolling it out) and perhaps even add some flaxseed meal (if the mixture is too thin). I know I am 2 days late replying (my apologies once again!), so perhaps you already made the recipe? If so, how did it turn out?
Joanne
Hi Petra, i've tried your recipe and added a few more seeds to the mixture eg sunflower, pepitas and sesame seeds. i've baked at 180deg for 20mins but its still not crispy, only the edges are,and i keep baking it and watching it . i ended up baking it for almost another 20mins and when i took it out, it is still not crispy to break but crispier. i also noticed the middle part is wet at the bottom, almost like it'sweating., so i transfer it to a cooling rack and flip it up side down (moist side up) and bake for another 20mins. And it is crispy and dry out the 3rd time. I have try to roll it out thin evenly as well. Can you please let me know what i could have done wrong to need such a long baking time. I'm using brown flaxseed meal (can't find golden ones). thanks
PetraScott
Hi Joanne - I am sorry you had trouble with the recipe! I assume you baked the crackers at 180 C, correct? Did you bake them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet? If so, what material was the baking sheet made of? Would you be able to tell me how thick the crackers were?
Beth Mariano
If using whole flaxseed, do i just soak it? No need
to grind. Thank you!
PetraScott
Hi Beth - that is correct. Just soak the flax seeds. No grinding required.
Daniel Fischler
Here in Israel it's hard to find good alternatives for snacks now and then, this solves a lot of problem when you wanna snack on something, thank you very much for such a simplistic and delicious solution
PetraScott
Thank you Daniel! I am glad the recipe has been helpful 🙂
Luisa
Hi! Thanks for this recipe! I am such a fan of your flaxseed recipes and these Flackers turned out great, I just added rosemary from the garden. They stand out by themselves, but paired them up with some homemade hummus, and it's a feast! All the best!
PetraScott
Thank you so much for the feedback and rating, Luisa!❤️ I really appreciate it.
Mimi
have tried both whole flaxseed and ground flaxseed. Both recipes i added sesame, chia, sunflower seed and pepitas. Whole flax tasted great and ground flaxseed did not taste so good. Do i need to do anything different when using ground flax?
Also are soaked flax ok to Digest?
esti
I did exactly as it says (I used brown flax seeds) in the video it is not clear what to do at first with the crackers ..
1 I did not get any dough, but a kind of sticky mixture like that
2 In the oven part swelled
The taste is nice but the texture did not come out well, what do you think was wrong?
I would love if you could tell me what I did not do well thank you!
PetraScott
Hi Esti - I am sorry you had trouble with the recipe. Could you, please, clarify if you were making the flaxseed crackers from whole flax seeds or ground?
estei
Hi, thanks for the reply i did with ground flax seeds, like in the video
PetraScott
Ok, a few more questions:
1. Did you let the mixture rest a little? Flax seeds absorb water gradually. The dough will always be a little sticky, but you should be able to roll it out. If it is too wet, I would recommend adding more flaxseed meal, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until you get a dough.
2. I find that sometimes my crackers swell in the oven when I don't score them ahead of time or when I roll out the dough too thin. Would any of that apply? If the mixture was too wet (not dough-like), that could also play a role.
3. When you say that the texture didn't come out well - what do you mean? What was the texture like?
Fereshteh
Is it better to use dry or fresh herbs for this crackers?
PetraScott
I have always used dried herbs in these crackers, but I think that fresh herbs would be amazing too!
Toon
Hello! New to your blog and content, and I'm dying to make some baked goodies as I go further into the keto world. I brought along my 'cooking skills' that contributed to messing things up, haha. I've seen great things here and I tried making these flaxseed crackers with the metric measurement system, but failed twice at the 'dough-phase'. I failed on my first try because I used the recipe for whole flaxseeds instead of ground flaxseeds (the one with flaxseed meal - for some miraculous reason I managed to make the final product of bland flackers and makeshift 'wraps' with difficulty in rolling out the dough... I digress), but 112 g golden flaxseedmeal to 120ml water still ended up in a dry lump with leftover meal. I forced it into the lump and added some cold water to make it more wet, but it was already too late as the meal curdled leaving no room to reshape itself. I don't know what went wrong, but I'm really starting to worry about my budget if I keep messing up like this. Could you please take a look at the metric ratios, and revise it? I can't mess up something simple like this! (I really want to enjoy these crackers)
PS rolling out your psyillium coconut flatbread/naan is so much easier and enjoyable. I'll try making thinner flatbreads with the rolling pin next time!
PetraScott
Hi Toon - that is so odd! I just tried the recipe for flaxseed crackers (with flaxseed meal - I halved the batch, so I used 56 g flaxseed meal and 60 ml water) and it worked perfectly. I actually had to wait about 5 minutes for the flaxseed meal to absorb all the water, so I could roll out the dough. So, let me ask you a few questions to help me figure out what is happening:
1. Are you using finely ground flax seeds?
2. Can you share what brand of flax seeds (or flaxseed meal) you are using?
3. Are you adding any ingredients other than what the recipe calls for?
4. What exactly do you mean by curdled? When I was testing this recipe, I gradually added water until the dough reached the consistency I was after. There shouldn't be any problem adding more water to the dough. I do it all the time. In the same way, if the dough is too wet, you can just add more flaxseed meal.
Looking forward to hearing from you 🙂
Toon
Thanks for the fast reply, Petra! I'll share a link to my google photos so you can see whether it's the right kind of flaxseed meal.
1. I don't know, so here's the linkey! https://photos.app.goo.gl/uWb9SwKYpoczxEjr5
2. Woele supplied the meal, I guess that counts as brand.
3. I added everything, except for herbs and spices (4 out of 5 ingredients)
4. 5-10 secs after adding adding water and mixing, I figured the dough was too dry and there was so much meal yet to mix, I kneaded it to force it into the dough. At this moment it took on more meal but it felt really dry on the outside (as if you're sprinkling extra flour on the dough so that it will not stick to a surface. Some meal formed little curdles on it's own and refuses to blend in with the 'main' dough. Y' know when sticking some of the leftover dough back into the dough when making tortillas or sth like that? That didn't happen. Then I added an enormous amount of water (again cold), but the curdles/flakes/slices of dough won't mix in. I guess the meal already sucked in too much water. This kneading process took me 2 to 3 mins I think. Anyhow, it was nowhere near as porridge-y as your dough mix was.
I hope the stuff I'm writing makes a little bit sense xD
PetraScott
Thank you for such a detailed response and the images. That is extremely helpful.
I can see from the packaging that the product is 100% flax seeds, which is exactly what you want. I must say that the texture seems to be REALLY fine, which is probably the issue because the finer the flaxseed meal, the less it weighs (when comparing the same volume). For example, 1 cup of whole flax seeds weighs 168 g; 1 cup of ground flax seeds weighs 112 g; 1 cup of flaxseed flour (really fine flaxseed meal) weighs 106 g. Also, the more finely ground the flaxseed meal, the more water it absorbs. Judging from the pictures you shared, it makes sense that your dough was too dry. However, adding more water should easily fix that. Did you try adding more water when you realized the dough was too dry?
Next time you try this recipe, I would recommend starting with half the amount of flaxseed meal the recipe calls for (keeping the amount of water the same). Stir until all the flaxseed meal is hydrated and wait at least 10 minutes. The flaxseed meal will continue absorbing water. After 10 mins, check how thin/thick the dough is. I am assuming it will be rather watery. At that point, add more flaxseed meal, stir, and wait again. Repeat until you get a roll-able/spreadable consistency. My dough is always slightly wet/sticky. And just heads up - since you made the coconut flatbread - this flaxseed dough is very different. The dough for coconut flatbread is soft and pliable whereas this one is rather spreadable. Theoretically, you could transfer the dough onto the parchment paper and spread it (instead of rolling it out).
Hope this helps. Please, don't hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions.
Toon
Thanks for the heads-up, that cup-weight explanation also makes sense to me, haha!
I did not add water to the dough the moment I realized it was dry. I didn't have a clue what was going on when I figured kneading didn't make the dough soft and less dry... - yeah, I know- though I knew something was off when the water in my cup ran out. That lead to walking back and forth from the kitchen to my laptop several times. Cold water was added 2-3 mins after kneading but the dry flaxseed meal didn't want to mix in with the dough. Thus hard 'curdles' formed in this process. Although I could be mistaken with regards to the time the water is added, when I followed your (certainly helpful!) advice and made the crackers with half the flaxseed meal and the same amount of water, I could feel small hardened thingies in the dough mix, which resembled those curdles that had formed on my second attempt. I had to knead a small piece of dough thoroughly for the hardened bits to disappear. Now, those spots resembled the curdles in hardness; it could have been the (subjectively coarse) fine Himalayan Salt that caused this and also... me oversalting it. (about 3 grams for half that batch, whoops!). I'm still confused as to why adding cold water not immediately after the dough didn't work.
Surprisingly, 120 ml cold water was enough to mix 56g of flaxseed meal. It wasn't that watery at all! It was spreadable from the beginning, I still let it sit for about 10 mins and it became a dough that made me proud! Although it was spreadable, rolling it out was a pain in the neck. I had to add flour on the top (I also did the bottom) to roll it easily.
I feel like there's a lot to improve upon, so of course there are more questions to ask, though it might be better to list those issues in the baking process and send pictures along with it:
-Some crackers would swell up.
-The crackers had a big range of texture (from thinner crackers that are soft and/or chewy to thick crunchy AND chewy crackers) and taste - from mild to coffee(?I don't drink coffee - but that taste isn't what I was looking for in a cracker), which seems to be related to browning.
-After cooling the crackers stuck to the parchment paper, which was hard for me to remove.
Google photos link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ekKWxKaiefxFPXoDA
I baked the crackers in two batches for about 30 mins on 180 degrees Celcius. I didn't go longer because I was really sleepy, which was also the reason why this response came late, I didn't feel like replying after I made those crackers. Sorry!
I know I provided a lot of pictures, but I hope they are at least helpful in troubleshooting 🙂
PetraScott
I am so sorry you have had so much trouble with the recipe!
1. As far as the consistency of the dough goes, it really depends on how much water you add. If you have a spreadable consistency, just use a spatula to spread it into an even layer. If you have a roll-able consistency, roll it out. It works either way. One more thing you could try - if you are having trouble rolling the dough out - is lukewarm water (instead of cold water). Lukewarm water will make the dough more pliable.
2. If your crackers swelled in the oven, it means that there was too much moisture trapped in. An easy solution is to prick the crackers with a fork to allow the steam to escape.
3. The texture will depend on how thick the crackers are. However, I am surprised that your thin crackers were soft whereas the thick were crunchy. It should be the other way around. Unless it is related to you baking 2 separate batches. I try to roll out the crackers as evenly as possible, so they bake at the same rate. If anything, my border crackers are sometimes done before the center ones. If that happens, I just remove the border crackers from the oven earlier.
4. Well, I recommend using parchment paper because it has a silicone coating, which makes it non-stick. I have never had anything stick to parchment paper. However, I know my instructors always said that if you use cheap parchment paper, food may indeed stick to it. So, try a different brand. Food should not stick to parchment paper.
5. Thank you for sending the photos. It always helps. I would say that your dough looks really good. To bake the crackers more evenly, I would try rotating the baking sheet during baking and keep an eye on the crackers that are done earlier. My crackers are definitely on the thinner side. If you like thick crackers, you will just have to bake them a bit longer. If they are browning too quickly, reduce the oven temp a bit.
Hope this helps a little 🙂
Toon
I read your reply and wanted to apply the things you've mentioned, but for some reason it did not really happen. What I did apply was pricking the dough (before and during baking) to prevent the swelling -pricking during baking was way less effective because the dough already hardened- but 9 holes did not flatten them entirely. Other crackers did not need pricking to have them turn out flat. Can I resolve that with the mixing/kneading? I prefer not to overkill my dough with holes, haha.
So I made the crackers with half of the ingredients today (forgot to salt them this time), and I made the dough a little bit drier, cold water (just to keep it simple for now). it tends to be on the solid side but pliable and moist inside. It rolls out nicely on my parchment paper, I was also able to handle slightly thinner layers by hand without tearing. Before and after the baking process, it didn't stick to the parchment paper. I'm still having trouble with my crackers turning out the way I want them to, but I guess I should pay lots of attention to how my oven works. I heated the crackers on 150 degrees celcius until their colours turned an almost solid brown, but not dark brown. Though I'm sure I rolled it out thinly for the most part, the crackers still ended up with different textures. Do you think that it might have to do with the set temperature (I don't know how a higher or lower temperature influences the end result - except for the browning and taste)? Or thickness? Or both? The temperature I used is a lot lower and even though my thinner AND thicker crackers were already hard to the touch, they were crunchy but don't have that 'finishing crunch'. This is what I'm looking for in the texture.
I'm starting to favour the swollen crackers I made this time, and not because their texture resemble crackers - they make a hollow 'bite' sound like crisps, keeping the texture crispy but with 2 'mellow' layers. Perfect texture on its own. They were sconed to form a small square shape and this seemed to make them swell in contrast to the bigger rectangular ones.
All these crackers are fun to make and apparently they tasted fine as I have gobbled them all up. I learn a lot from making these. I'll continue to make them in small batches until I have the flat-shape cracker texture I have. It's nice to know that there are some options to choose from regarding texture, especially when I'm feeling fancy C:
Just so you know, the unsalted crackers were delicious nonetheless (either with peanut butter or tahini)! I think the browning determines the flavour the most.
I want to thank you for your patience and guidance, I know these 'comments' are somewhat lengthy 😛
PS While I was waiting for your reply, I have made your almond-coconut bread rolls twice. I might post a comment on that page once I make them again. I have a few questions on that topic as well xD
PetraScott
1. You always want to prick the dough before baking. Sorry for not being more specific! I should have thought about that. You don't need a lot of holes at all. Look up "Premium Crackers" and look at some of the images. Also, more mixing will not prevent the crackers from puffing up.
2. Ok, so a few notes on temperature. Because crackers are rather thin, you don't want to bake them at high temperature because they can burn quickly - flaxseed crackers burn really quickly at high temperatures. If you want really crunchy crackers, then I recommend leaving the crackers in the oven after you turn the oven off. In other words, bake the crackers, turn the oven off - leaving the crackers in the oven - and wait until the crackers cool down completely in the oven - it will take a while. However, you have to be careful with this method because if you bake the crackers until they are fully done and then leave them in the hot oven, they will burn. So, you have to turn the oven off a bit earlier and then keep an eye on the crackers, so they don't burn. Or perhaps a bit easier - take the crackers out of the oven once they are done baking, turn the oven off, wait a little for the oven to cool but is still warm - and then put the crackers back in and wait till the crackers cool down completely (in the oven).
Toon
Thank you for clarifying Petra, I noticed the holes I made were a lot smaller than the Premium Crackers. Definitely gonna try crunching it up by letting them sit in the oven. I'll just have to try again when I got the time 🙂
I'll post a thing or two on your almond tortilla page when the time is right ^^
PetraScott
Sounds good! Looking forward to hearing from you 🙂
Amber Emley
Hi Petra! I was curious after reading the instructions why the blender was needed. This recipe is a necessity since I accidentally got my seeds wet and don't want to waste. I have the vitamix, but don't think I need it since all I do is soak the seeds, wait, roll out, and dehydrate.
PetraScott
Hi Amber - you got it right. You don't need the blender. You only need it if you're making the crackers from ground flax seeds (to grind the flax seeds). I will probably create another blog post for the crackers with ground flax seeds, so there is only 1 recipe per page.
N.Porter
These crackers were super easy to make and made the perfect vehicle for my snack of cream cheese and lox's.
PetraScott
Thank you so much for the feedback! That means a lot.