These easy crunchy flaxseed crackers come together quickly in one bowl and with only a handful of ingredients! No need for fancy equipment, they’re oven baked! Gluten free, grain free and dairy free.
Once you make these crunchy flaxseed crackers, you can seriously crack down on your fancy store-bought crackers budget. They are so crunchy and tasty. AND completely free of gluten, dairy and sugar… heck, they don’t even have any eggs in them, so they are vegan-friendly too. And they are SO easy to make, with only two or three main pantry ingredients to mash together with a little water, plus seasonings of choice.
I have given you two options for these crackers – you can either make plain flaxseed crackers or make flaxseed & almond ones. The almond ones are a bit lighter and sweeter tasting than the plain flaxseed, but both are great! And you can adjust the flavour by adding different herbs and spices, of course. Enjoy them with your fave dip (maybe this bright Beetroot & Lentil one!)
Crackers smell burnt? Read this update!
UPDATE JUNE 2018: A note on oven temperature. I have had some feedback that sometimes the crackers come out smelling strange, and potentially I think this may be burned flaxseed. I have reduced the oven temperature from 190C to 180C, however if you have a really hot/unpredictable oven, or you get a burned result, try reducing the oven to 160C and baking for slightly longer so the crackers dry out. Unfortunately ovens are all set a bit differently and hold heat differently! I’ve moved house since I first posted many of the recipes on my blog and I have found I have had to adjust temperatures and cooking times slightly for a few things.
Easy Crunchy Flaxseed Crackers
These easy crunchy flaxseed crackers only require a few ingredients, they make a great healthy snack! Vegan, gluten free and paleo.
Ingredients
- 1 cup ground flaxseed (or half flax, half almond meal)*
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt - OPTIONAL
- 2-3 tsp dried herbs & spices of choice - OPTIONAL
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 C. Prepare a large baking tray by lining with baking paper.
Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Slowly add the 1/2 cup water, mashing it in to the ingredients as you go so your "dough" forms.
Scoop the mixture out on to your lined baking tray. Now, using the back of a spoon (and your fingers - I find it's easiest to use your fingertips, slightly wet), press and smooth the mixture out so it is no more than 5mm thick, like a giant thin pancake. This requires some patience and pushing the dough back together if it breaks up a bit. But getting it nice, even and thin ensures crunchy crackers, and won't take you that long.
Using a sharp knife, deeply score/cut your dough along desired cracker shapes. This will ensure you can break the end result into nice tidy pieces.
Bake in the oven for approximately 30-35 minutes (check to make sure they are not burning).
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, then break into crackers.
Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Recipe Notes
*UPDATE JUNE 2018: A note on oven temperature. I have had some feedback that sometimes the crackers come out smelling strange, and potentially I think this may be burned flaxseed. I have reduced the oven temperature from 190C to 180C, however if you have a really hot/unpredictable oven, or you get a burned result, try reducing the oven to 160C and baking for slightly longer so the crackers dry out.
*Another option is to use 1 cup of ground LSA to make these crackers – i.e. linseed, sunflower and almond meal.
*Baking tray size: mine is about 30cm x 50cm – the mix doesn't cover the whole tray. I don't care about the shape of my crackers (I like the mismatched rustic shapes!) so I just smooth out the dough into a blob shape on the tray. You could trim the edges of the dough using a knife so the dough forms a perfect rectangle, then cut evenly-sized crackers in, if you prefer.
*Please note, it is really important to get the mixture thin and even, so the crackers dry out enough during the baking process to become “crackers”. If they are too thick they will be chewier! If you find that most of the crackers are cooked through but a few right in the centre of the tray are a little soft, you can just bake those few again for 5-10 minutes until they've dried out more.
Hello! I absolutely love these crackers they are delicious and so healthy. I’ve made them a few times but they come out very very crispy, like difficult to eat! Perhaps I am making them too thick? I love the flavour though and want to get it right. Thanks 🙂
Hi Nina, thanks so much for your feedback 🙂 Wow, I have never heard of them coming out that crispy before! They are quite crunchy, haha but I hope not so unbearable. You could try making them thinner so they are a little easier to snap, you shouldn’t break your teeth on them! They are supposed to be flattened/rolled out quite thin.
I love these crackers!! Twice I’ve made them with zahatar spices–cumin, sumac, thyme, sesame seeds, and a few cloves of pressed, fresh garlic. Added a little olive oil just because. YUM!!! I let the oven cool down with the crackers still in to ensure they got dried out completely.
Hi Lil, thank you so much for your positive feedback, I really appreciate it 🙂 Yum, I love zaatar spices, they would be so yummy in these crackers. Leaving them in the oven to dry out is also such a great tip!
A lovely recipe. In our household we use a ratio of 1:1 Black Chia and LSA. For liquid component, we use tomato juice or veggie stock. We will be adapting it for school lunches though. I am thinking of adding some hemp seed to the mix.
Baking paper really speeds the process along. If you have a dehydrator, the recipe can be made raw and you can add dulse flakes for a lovely smoked note. Love your blog!
Hi Lucy, thank you very much for your comment and for your leaving some interesting variations on this recipe! I am going to try it with veggie stock; that’s such an easy, clever way to add flavour to the crackers. And yes, definitely recommend using baking paper, so much easier! 🙂
I’ve made these twice now. They are simple and the perfect thing to make when I’m craving something crunchy to dip in my hummus and I’m sick of carrots.
Thank you so much for your comment Ashley, I really appreciate it 🙂
I put a sheet of baking paper over the dough and rolled it out to the required thickness, then tidied up the edges. (Indian shops sell very thin rolling pins for chapattis, etc. and one of these is perfect because it’s light and easy to manipulate.)
BTW the font in the section for leaving a comment is tiny, and it’s very hard to see typos.
Hi Heidi, thank you for the tip on the rolling pins! And sorry about the comment text – I will see if I can get my web developer to help me fix it 🙂
Just made these and they are delicious! I can’t wait to try different flavor combinations. I made these with the half flax/half almond flour, rosemary, roasted garlic, and sea salt.
That sounds like a delicious flavour combination! My favourite way is to use half almond flour and half flax too 🙂
I added garlic and sesame seeds to mine. They became an instant favorite!!!
I’ll be travelling to Disney World with my family soon, and I wanted some yummy, healthier snacks to take with me. These will be on my lunch box for sure! Thank you!
Hi Rayanne, thank you so much for your lovely message! These crackers are proving quite popular and I’m very happy to hear that they are turning out well for everyone! Enjoy your holiday 🙂
Do I have to use parchment paper for this recipe.
Also, is parchment paper waxed paper? That would melt, wouldn’t it?
Thanks for the awesome recipe and blog.
I’m looking for Keto and Paleo (low carb, high fat recipes). Thanks!
Hi Cynthia, I would definitely recommend using parchment paper for this recipe, so the crackers don’t stick to the tray. Parchment paper is coated with a heat-proof coating to help it stay nonstick. In Australia where I am it is specifically called “baking paper” – I am not sure if this is the same where you are? I would just check the packaging to make sure the paper is suitable for baking. Thank you for your lovely message 🙂
Good question… not the same thing. Don’t use Wax paper! That will burn. Look for parchment paper at the store in the same section (similar packaging) as wax paper.
What oven temp do you use for fahrenheit?
Hi Sharon, 180 degrees Celsius is about 350 Fahrenheit, and 160 Celsius is 320 Fahrenheit. 🙂
HI. Wonderful recipe. To flatten out crackers just use parchment paper over the top and flatten that way. You will get uniform thin crackers. Yum, yum. 🙂
Thank you so much for your positive feedback, Birte! Yes, that is the best way to get flat crackers for sure, wish I had known that from the start 🙂
I have a mini roller that I use to press out the cracker batter evenly. I just press it right over the top sheet of parchment.
Hey! This looks like a marvellous recipe. Unfortunately, mine came out smelling almost like fish. I’m thinking this might be burnt flax seed oil? The ground flax I used is less than a month old and had been kept in the fridge. Not too sure about eating this batch. Suggestions ? Will try again…
Mine also came out a tad bit fishy smelling, but I know I overbaked mine by a few minutes and the edges were a bit burnt. I suspect because the flaxseeds are so oily, it altered the state of the oil? Just a thought. Of course, if you didn’t burn yours even a little (I didn’t burn so much as oberbajed) that doesn’t help you any!
Hi Danielle, thank you for your helpful feedback! I agree with you – I think the oil gets burned. I have suggested reducing oven temperature and letting the crackers bake for slightly longer to dry out. 🙂
Hi Anne, thank you for your message and I’m sorry this recipe hasn’t turned out well for you. I think this might have to do with the oven temperature – since I first posted this recipe on my blog I’ve moved house and changed ovens…and I think when the oven is a bit too hot, the flax burns and you get that smell. I would recommend reducing the oven temperature to 160 C and baking for a slightly longer time, until the crackers have dried out sufficiently. Let me know if this helps?
Hey! I wanted to reply because I also had this fishy problem. Funny enough, I had made them tonight to go with a dill pickle dip (which turned out a bit like fancy tartar sauce…) so the fishiness worked out in my favor 😂 SOOOO if the fishy thing happens again, I suggest you look up “4 ingredient dill pickle dip” on pinterest.
I am so excited to try this recipe, I think I will even give it a go tonight:) Thank you!
Update: the crackers are so tasty, I just took out of the oven 2 trays. Now I have to purchase lots of ground flexseed, I will not give up on these easily.
Hi Julie, thank you for your really lovely comments, it made me smile to see the two comments pop up like that! Amazing. I’m very happy you like this recipe!
Just found this recipe and I’m so excited to go home and try it tonight! I bet they will be amazing using Everything Bagel seasoning!
Thanks Ashley! Oh I wish wish wish we had everything bagel seasoning here in Australia! I have had it when visiting the US and it is damn amazing, you are right it would be great in these crackers 🙂
I made these crackers for band camp. They are wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing.
Food Network has a wonderful recipe for Everything Bagel Seasoning.
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup poppy seeds
3 Tablespoons dried onion flakes
3 Tablespoons dried garlic flakes
2 Tablespoons coarse sea salt
Toss everything together in air tight container. This can be stored for up to 1 month. This is wonderful, however the next time we make it we are cutting the sea salt down to 1 Tablespoon maybe less since it was a bit salty.
Karen – thank you SO MUCH for leaving me the directions for everything bagel seasoning! This is amazing 🙂 I’m so excited to try this out! I’m also very happy to hear you liked the crackers!
Great simple recipe. I used LSA, tblsp chia and tblsp hemp seed, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp of onion powder. Rolled out between parchment paper. i might break down into 2 next time so the middle bakes crisper but tgey turned out nice. i might add the salt next time thpugh and experiment with herbs as well!
Thank you so much for the feedback Carol 🙂 I really like making these with LSA too as I think it’s a nicer flavour than just plain flax, though herbs and spices make things even better! So glad you enjoyed them!
I want to try this recipe, but I’m wondering what would be as far as dried herbs/spices to add. Suggestions?
Hi Allison, some suggestions are: (i) dried rosemary, thyme and sea salt; (ii) dried garlic, italian herb mix, salt and pepper or (iii) dried powdered cumin, coriander, paprika and sea salt. 🙂
I wonder if flaxseed meal is the same as ground flaxseed? I will give it a go as that’s the only thing I have at the moment!
Hi Aki, yes that’s the same thing! Hope they turn out well for you 🙂
Monique…Oh wow! This is super awesome for keto!
1c flax seeds–total Carbs=49g,dietary Fiber=46g
2 tbsp chia…12 grams carbohydrates and 11 grams of fiber.
So for the whole recipe, you end up with 4 net carbs! Woo Hoo!!! Gonna try this out tomorrow!!
🙂 Very happy to hear you’re so excited about this recipe Vasu! I hope they turn out well for you. They work really well loaded up with lots of seasoning so don’t be afraid to incorporate dried herbs and spices into the mixture. And make sure you flatten out the mixture nice and thin!
These crackers are about 700 calories!
Hi Amy, yes these crackers would be relatively calorie dense as they are made from seeds, however they are packed full of healthy fats and loads of fibre. I assume the 700 calorie estimate you have reported is for all of the crackers; I probably wouldn’t eat them all at once 🙂
Hi are these crackers low carb please
Hi Karen, yes they are low carb 🙂
Turned out wonderfull!
Thanks so much for letting me know, Marie-Claude! 🙂 Very happy to hear it.
Did not come out…very crumbly and I followed this to a T.
I’m so sorry to hear that Olga, I have had great success with this recipe and the feedback I’ve had has been quite positive. I hope you might give them another go sometime! Maybe they just needed a little extra water.
These look great and there is plenty of detail in the instructions. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Thanks.
Hi Siobhan, thank you for your comment 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
This elevated my lifestyle. Thank you.
Aw Tim! Thank you so much for this lovely feedback! Very happy to hear it 🙂
Very excited to try this recipe. NOW those 2 dips in the picture look divine. Can you share those recipes too?
Hi Mary! Thank you so much for your lovely comment, I’m excited that you’re excited about this recipe! The dips in the picture are homemade hummus with special toppings… I will have to put them up soon 🙂
Is there a nutrition breakdown for these? Or can you recommend one to use?
Thanks
Clarify- Can you recommend a nutrition calculator if you don’t already have a break down.
Hi Lisa, I do not have a breakdown of this recipe (I don’t have them for my recipes, sorry) but you could try a fitness tracker website like myfitnesspal.com or there’s also a recipe analyzer called happyforks.com where I think you can just copy/paste the recipe in 🙂 Let me know what you end up using as it’s good to know! Thanks!
This is what happyforks,com came up with:
https://happyforks.com/analyzer/result
Thank you! 🙂
Help!
These are awesome, but mine have a plastic smell to them…
I used fresh ground flax & chia. I keep flax in the freezer and grind when needed. The expiration date is 2020.
I’m afraid to eat any more….
Any suggestions, or do they have a unique odor?
Hi Linda, thank you for your message. I am not aware of the crackers having a plastic smell to them, that does sound unusual to me! But it sounds like you’re using very fresh, quality ingredients. Did you add any herbs/spices that might affect the smell? If it makes you uncomfortable eating them, you may have to test another batch.
Did you use wax paper instead of baking paper? I’ve done that before and wondered where the awful smell came from!
They’re in the oven and smelling divine! I mixed the dough in my food processor.I added green za’atar(roasted thyme and sesame seeds). I rolled them between 2 sheets of parchment paper to get them really thin. Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I really appreciate it 🙂 And an amazing great tip about rolling them out between parchment paper – would you believe I’ve never tried that before with this recipe?! Definitely doing that next time, that’s so easy!
That sounds even better
I made this recipe and it was delicious! I used whole flax seeds (instead of ground) – and for herbs about 1/2 tsp. Montreal Steak seasoning, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 T. dried chives. I omitted salt for dietary reasons There are maybe changes I would make next time: reducing the seeds and adding some of the flour & keeping the salt in (both as you suggested) and perhaps turning the oven down to 325 degrees F (from 375) halfway through to reduce chance of burned edges. They turned out so good, I may make them to give as gifts. Thank you for a wonderful, heart healthy, and easy recipe!
Thank you so much for this detailed comment! I’m so glad you liked this recipe 🙂 Yum I bet they would have been awesome with whole flax seeds, the texture would be great and they’d look so pretty. I’ll have to give that a go myself!
Keep in mind your body can’t break down whole flax seeds, so you’re missing out on nutrients using whole seeds. You could do a combo of whole and ground for nutrition and texture.
Hi Susan. This recipe actually calls for ground flaxseed to make these crackers, not whole. 🙂
They are in the oven now looking so delicious. I’m not sure if they will be chewy or crunchy but I’m excited either way. I’m going to eat them with some olives and aged cashew cheese. Delicious
Hi Ayana, thank you so much for stopping by to leave a comment! It makes me so happy when people take the time to do this 🙂 I really hope you enjoy the crackers, your choice of toppings sound delicious!! Monique 🙂
Hi! Do you think it’s possible to use coconut flour instead of almond one? I just bought a new pack of coconut flour and I’m eager to try it out 😉 Super recipe and blog! Best
Hi Ola! I love coconut flour but I would not recommend substituting coconut flour in for almond flour here. Coconut flour has a very different flavour, and more significantly coconut flour is much more absorbent & crumbly than almond flour. It would produce a very different result and I’m not sure the crackers would come together. I would say save the coconut flour for something different (I have some other recipes with coconut flour if you want to try those) 🙂 Monique