Ultimate Seed Crackers

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Crunchy, flavorful, and full of nutrients, these healthy seed crackers will soon be your new favorite snack. Plus, they’re naturally gluten-free and easy to make. All you need is a mix of four different seeds, plus salt, water, and your favorite herbs and spices.

Seed crackers in a bowl.
Photo: Gayle McLeod

Why These Seed Crackers Are Special 

This recipe is a riff on flax seed crackers but boosts the flavor and nutritional profile with a variety of seeds and herbs for the ultimate homemade cracker. Here’s a few reasons why you’ll love them.

  • They’re much healthier than packaged kinds. When it comes to healthy crackers, many store-bought options have fillers and preservatives to extend their shelf life. But you won’t have to worry about any of that since this recipe is made fresh from scratch.
  • They’re highly nutritious. Seeds are one of the simplest superfoods you can incorporate into your routine — they’re loaded with fiber and rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and so much more. 
  • They’re an easy and delicious snack to keep on hand. When you’re craving a salty crunchy snack, these are the perfect solution. They’re a cinch to whip up and far healthier than potato chips. Just keep a batch handy and ready to go! 
Ingredients for seed crackers on a table.

Seed Crackers Ingredients

  • Seeds: I’m using a mix of pumpkin seeds, ground flax seeds, sesame seeds, and chia seeds. But feel free to swap in any other seeds you’d like!
  • Water: The water acts as a binder, especially when mixed with the chia seeds and flax seeds – they all magically gel together. 
  • Optional Spices: I’ve added garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, basil, and salt. But feel free to get creative with other dried herbs and spices. I think smoky paprika, za’atar spice, or everything bagel seasoning would be awesome!

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Grinded pepita seeds in a food processor.

How To Make Seed Crackers

First, blitz the pumpkin seeds. Because you want everything to be a smooth and fine texture you’ll start by blitzing the pumpkin seeds in a small food processor until it resembles coarse sand. 

Then, stir everything together. Add the ground pumpkin seeds along with the ground flax seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, salt, and water to a bowl and stir it all together. After you’ve stirred for a minute or so, you’ll notice the mixture start to thicken (thanks to the chia seeds). 

Mixed seeds in a bowl.

Roll out the seed mixture into a flat layer. Spread half the mixture onto a piece of parchment paper, cover it with another piece of parchment paper, and roll it out. It’s up to you on how thick or thin you’d like the crackers. Thinner chips will cook faster and be more delicate, but will also be more prone to breaking. Thicker chips are better to use for scooping up dips.

Be patient with baking! Score the chips for easy breaking, then bake in a 200°F oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours (thicker chips will take longer). The key here is to cook them low and slow to properly dehydrate. Once they’ve cooled, break them up and enjoy! 

Rolled out seed crackers on a sheet pan.

Helpful Tips

  • If you find that your crackers are sticking to the parchment paper, they may not have been fully dried out or completely cooled. Sometimes this happens if the dough is too thick. Try rolling them a bit thinner next time. You could also try using a silicone mat such as a Silpat.
  • You can substitute any of the ingredients with other nuts or seeds, just make sure to swap it for the same amount.
  • If you want to add a base so it’s not entirely seeds, mix in 2 tablespoons of flour, whether it be oat, almond, or other types of flour. 

COMMON QUESTIONS

Can you use a dehydrator?

While I haven’t personally tried this recipe in a dehydrator, other readers have told me that they’ve done this successfully in a dehydrator at the highest setting. Just make sure to flip them halfway through and keep checking on them to see when they’re dry. If you try it,  let us know in the comments how it turned out!

How long can you store them?

These will stay good for up to two weeks in a sealed bag or container. I store them in the pantry, but you could also store them in the fridge. 

A pile of seed crackers.

These Crackers Pair Well With

More Homemade Chips

I hope you enjoy these homemade seed crackers! If you make them, I’d love to know how they turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.

A bowl of seed crackers.

Ultimate Seed Crackers (Flax Seed Crackers)

4.94 from 59 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Crunchy, flavorful, and full of nutrients, these healthy seed crackers will soon be your favorite snack. Plus, they’re naturally gluten-free!

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

Additional Flavorings

  • Herbs and spices, Add up to 2 tablespoons of your favorites. I added ½ teaspoon ground garlic, ½ teaspoon ground onion, 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 1 teaspoon dried basil

Instructions 

  • Blend the pumpkin seeds. Preheat your oven to 200°F (100°C). Add the pumpkin seeds to a food processor and pulse several times, until it resembles coarse sand.
    Pepita seeds in a food processor.
  • Mix everything. In a large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin seeds and all remaining ingredients. Stir together for a minute, until the seeds start to gel together.
    Mixing seed cracker dough.
  • Roll it out. Grab two 11×17 baking sheets and set aside. Place half the mixture on a large piece of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper on top and roll to your desired thickness. Repeat with the other half. 
    Rolling out seed cracker dough.
  • Score. Use a knife to score the mixture into evenly sized pieces.
    Seed cracker dough on a sheet pan.
  • Bake. Place the parchment sheets with the cracker mixture onto the baking sheets and cook for 2½ to 3 hours or until fully dehydrated, rotating the pans halfway through. Allow crackers to cool completely, then break apart.
    A white bowl of seed crackers.

Lisa’s Tips

  • Store the crackers for up to two weeks in a sealed container in the pantry.

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 246mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: flax seed crackers, seed crackers
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted January 2016, but updated to include new photos and information. 

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.94 from 59 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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215 Comments

  1. Hi Lisa,
    Could you use an air fryer to cook these crackers . I Love all your recipes and have your book. It’s my go to cook book.

    1. Hi Peggy – The nutritional information will always be per serving, and this recipe is split into 8 servings. The amount of crackers will depend on how big/small they are.

    1. Hi Val – You might be able to, but I’m not sure what the process would be as I don’t have a dehydrator. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!

  2. Hi, I LOVE these crackers and have shared the recipe with all my friends. I have osteoporosis so am wondering if the 149 mg of calcium is per cracker or per recipe. Looking forward to hearing from you.