This Seed Crackers recipe is easy, gluten-free, and blood sugar-friendly. It requires just a few ingredients, including flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and hemp hearts. These crackers are relatively low-carb, offer a lot of heart-healthy fats and are nutrient-dense.
Be sure to check out Jen's section on why this recipe is dietitian-approved for anyone wanting to reduce insulin resistance or better manage their prediabetes or diabetes.
Why we love Seed Crackers
- Gluten-free and Fiber-rich - Whole food ingredients, instead of refined flours, mean these Seed Crackers have a less significant impact on blood sugar levels. And, because they don't contain any gluten, they are great crackers for anyone who eats gluten-free.
- Rich in Protein and Healthy Fats - Seeds (flax, pumpkin, sunflower, hemp hearts) are naturally rich in plant protein, unsaturated fats, omega-3, and omega-6 fats.
- Affordable - store-bought seed crackers can be quite pricey. This recipe ended up costing me about $2.50 per batch for approximately 55 crackers (so, about 0.04 cents per cracker or $0.16 per ounce). In my research, I found that store-bought seed crackers, on the other hand, cost anywhere from $0.57 per ounce to $1.15 per ounce. Of course, I ended up with leftover ingredients I can use to make more crackers or other recipes.
- Easy to Make - It might sound intimidating to make your own crackers, but I promise it takes very little hands-on time and effort.
Ingredients for Seed Crackers
- Flaxseeds - Since flaxseeds are better digested when they're ground, I used both whole and ground flaxseeds. Whole seeds provide crunch and texture, while ground seeds act as a binder for the other ingredients. You can buy flaxseeds already ground, or use a mini-blender, coffee grinder, or food processor (affiliate links) to grind them. I used my mini blender, and the consistency was perfect with just a few pulses.
- Raw Pumpkin Seeds, otherwise known as pepitas, are the green, shelled seeds of pumpkin or squash. They're high in healthy fats with a good amount of protein and are relatively low in carbohydrates. They taste delicious toasted (try them on salads!). Look for salt-free pumpkin seeds.
- Raw Sunflower Seeds - Be sure to buy the salt-free, shelled, raw variety (Note: shelled means without the shell - I used to be confused by that.) They are so flavorful!
- Hemp Hearts - these are the chewy "inner" part of the hemp seed. Hemp hearts provide a good amount of protein, are low-carb, and offer plenty of heart-healthy, polyunsaturated fats. And, I love their earthy flavor.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - a healthy fat that adds richness and crispness to the crackers.
- Kosher Salt - Use any variety of salt you want, but I always prefer Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, (affiliate link), which dissolves easily and is less salty than most salts, making it easier to make subtle adjustments to recipes.
- Water is mixed with the whole and ground flaxseeds to create the binding agent that will hold your cracker ingredients together.
- Seasonings - Optionally, you could add rosemary, smoked paprika, garlic powder, everything bagel seasoning, za'atar seasoning, or any herbs and spices you like.
How to Make Seed Crackers
- Preheat oven to 325° F (low and slow is the answer to crispy crackers)
- Mix the flaxseeds with water and let stand 15 minutes.
- *Optional (see note): toast the sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in a dry cast-iron skillet (or other heavy-bottomed skillet) set to medium heat until fragrant (stir frequently to avoid burning). Tip: Since pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds toast at different rates, toast them in two separate batches. Allow the seeds to cool before combining them with the flaxseed mixture.
- Place all the seeds, the salt, and any seasonings into a medium bowl and combine.
- Once the flaxseed mixture has gelled, add the olive oil and stir.
- Pour the flaxseed mixture over the seeds and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread it thin (about ¼ inch).
- Bake for about 45 minutes (check them at 35 and 40 minutes, as the thickness of the crackers will vary and alter the baking time).
*Note: Toasting the seeds before baking your crackers will give them a nuttier flavor, which I prefer, but it's not required. You might be asking, "Why not just buy toasted seeds in the first place?" Freshly toasted seeds taste nuttier, and many times packaged toasted (or roasted) seeds include salt, which we don't want.
Common Questions About Seed Crackers
Some people think flaxseeds taste fishy. This is typically the case if your flaxseeds have gone rancid, so make sure they are fresh. If you still want to avoid flaxseeds, you can replace them with whole chia seeds 1:1. Be sure to soak the chia seeds the same as the flaxseeds (one cup chia to one cup water). The texture of your crackers will be more glassy and crispy with chia seeds.
Remove the crackers from the oven at the 20-minute mark and score them with a pizza cutter or knife, then finish baking.
Once the crackers have cooled, they will be easier to break into more even shapes.
The size of your baking sheet matters. Be sure to use a parchment-lined half-sheet baking pan (18 inches x 13 inches) (affiliate link) and spread the mixture evenly from edge to edge. Each cracker should be about ¼ inch thick. You may need to bake your crackers 5-10 minutes longer, depending on your particular oven and the thickness of the mixture on the baking sheet. If you prefer even thinner crackers, use a larger baking sheet to spread them thinner, but you will need to bake them for less time.
Room temp: ~1 week in an airtight container
Fridge: ~2–3 weeks
Freezer: ~2–3 months (re-crisp in the oven before serving)
What to Eat With Seed Crackers
Some blood sugar-friendly ways to enjoy Seed Crackers are:
- With our delicious high-protein Smoked Trout Dip
- With a serving of our No Mayo Chicken Salad
- Or with smashed avocado mixed with small curd cottage cheese and topped with chili crisp (as shown in the photo below)
Recipe
Seed Crackers: Gluten Free and Blood Sugar-Friendly
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup flaxseeds (ground or whole, or a combo of both — ground makes a more cohesive cracker, whole adds crunch). *See note below.
- ½ cup sunflower seeds raw
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds raw (also called pepitas)
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional) adds richness and crispness
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt plus more to sprinkle on top if desired
- seasonings of choice examples include: garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, za’atar, Italian herbs, or everything bagel seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven: 325°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the flaxseeds and water: In a large bowl, stir together the flax seeds (or ground flax) with the water. Let stand 15 minutes.1 cup flaxseeds , 1 cup water
- Optional: for a nuttier flavor, toast the sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in a dry cast-iron skillet (or other heavy-bottomed skillet) set to medium heat until fragrant (stir frequently to avoid burning). Tip: Since pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds toast at different rates, toast them in two separate batches. Allow the seeds to cool before combining them with the flax seed mixture.½ cup sunflower seeds, ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- Place all the seeds, the salt, and any seasonings into a medium bowl and combine.¼ cup hemp hearts, ½ tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, seasonings of choice
- Once the flaxseed mixture has gelled, add the olive oil and stir.1 tbsp olive oil
- Pour the flaxseed mixture over the seeds and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread it thin (about ¼ inch).
- Score (optional): Use a knife or pizza cutter to score lines for crackers so they break apart neatly after baking.
- Bake for about 45 minutes (check them at 35 and 40 minutes, as the thickness of the crackers will vary and alter the baking time).
- Cool & break: Let cool completely, then break into crackers along the scored lines (or into rustic pieces).
Notes
Nutrition
Dietitian Approved Recipe for Insulin Resistance: Blood Sugar & Heart Healthy
There are several reasons why I love this Seed Cracker recipe. We've already mentioned that it's gluten-free, which is great for anyone avoiding gluten. But, I really appreciate that these crackers are blood sugar-friendly and chock full of healthy fats.
First, let's talk about carbohydrates and protein. Seeds typically provide more healthy fats than carbohydrates. The protein amount in seeds is usually less or close to the carbohydrate amount. Therefore, this recipe is relatively low-carb and contains a moderate amount of protein.
Specifically, each cracker has about 34 calories with 1 gram of carbohydrate and 1 gram of protein, making the protein-to-carb ratio balanced. A balanced protein-to-carb ratio helps prevent blood sugar spikes.
Another thing that helps is that the carbohydrates are mostly fiber. Fiber slows down digestion and how quickly our blood sugar increases.
Okay, now on to healthy fats. Healthy fats can slow down how quickly carbohydrates turn into blood sugar (glucose). They are very satiating and can help with appetite.
Healthy fats also help reduce one's risk of heart disease. Specifically, reducing trans fats (processed, synthetic fats often found in store-bought crackers) and eating a diet higher in unsaturated fats, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can help reduce one's cholesterol and risk of heart disease. Our Seed Crackers are packed with healthy fats, with 3 grams per cracker.
This recipe definitely gets my approval, and like Jackelin mentioned, they are really easy to make. I hope you try them!
We Love Your Feedback
If you make this Seed Cracker recipe, please rate it and give us your thoughts in the comments section. As always, we appreciate it when you share the recipes you enjoy with friends and family!
Cami says
These are AWESOME!! I've been looking for a healthy cracker. These fit the bill. They came out firm enough to not fall to pieces in your hand.
Jen Birge, MS, RDN, CDCES says
Thanks Cami for trying our recipes and giving feedback. We are glad you like the seed crackers!