I suffer from food allergies (shellfish and cashews to be exact), so I understand that foods can affect different people in different ways. With this in mind, I try to create a variety of recipes that can be enjoyed by people with all different eating types and needs.
Although I do not have gluten sensitivities, I know plenty of people that do, so I’ve developed this cracker recipe with the gluten intolerant in mind. That said, you do not have to be gluten-free to enjoy these crackers. They are fabulous! The pecans and chia seeds give these crackers a nice rich, nutty flavor and an added boost of protein and fiber as well. Plus, these crackers are made from scratch. Goodbye preservatives and hello freshly baked crackers!
These crackers are easy to make and come together quickly thanks to a food-processor. I have also come up with a really slick technique to get these very thin crackers onto a baking sheet with ease. Make sure and read the detailed instructions below for these tips! Enjoy these crackers on their own, or dip them into peanut butter, soft Brie cheese or my Roasted Carrot and Pepper Tapenade. The skies are the limit!
Oh, and for those of you with nut allergies…sorry guys. I promise that I’ll create a cracker recipe for you soon!
To make the crackers, start by making a chia “egg”. To do this, mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of warm water in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add ⅓ cup of raw pecans to a food processor and process into a fine flour. Add ¾ cup of brown rice flour and ½ teaspoon salt to the chopped pecans and mix in the food processor until combined, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed. Next, add 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of maple syrup and 3 tablespoons of water to the bowl that contains the chia “egg”. Mix. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and pulse the mixture in the food processor until the dough just comes together. Working in batches, take half the dough and place it onto a hard surface that has been dusted with brown rice flour. Cover the dough with a large piece of parchment paper and roll the dough out until very thin (as thin as you can get it; see photos below). Peel back the parchment paper, and using a 1 ½ inch round biscuit cutter, cut out the crackers and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. I have found that the simplest way to transfer the unbaked cracker rounds to the baking sheet is to slide a knife under each cracker round, rather than using a spatula.
Keep rolling and cutting out crackers until your baking sheets are full. Sprinkle crackers with coarse salt and bake at 350 deg F for 10-15 minutes. Thinner crackers will bake faster than thicker ones, so start checking the bake after 10 minutes and remove the crackers from the oven once they are crisp and golden. The crackers will crisp even further as they cool. Repeat this process until all the dough has been used. This recipe makes between 50 and 60 crackers. Enjoy!
Pecan Crackers (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 3 tbsp water plus 3 tablespoons, divided
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- ⅓ cup raw pecans
- ¾ cup brown rice flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, make a chia "egg" by mixing 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, chop ⅓ cup of raw pecans into a fine flour. Next, add ¾ cup of brown rice flour and ½ tsp of kosher salt to the pecans and process to combined.
- Add olive oil, maple syrup and remaining water to the chia "egg". Mix to combine.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and process until the dough just comes together.
- Working in batches, take half the dough mixture and place on a hard surface that has been dusted in brown rice flour. Place a large piece of parchment on top of the dough and roll out until thin. Use a 1 ½ inch biscuit cutter to cut out crackers. Place on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Repeat process until all baking sheets are full. Sprinkle crackers with coarse salt before baking.
- Bake crackers at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until the crackers are crisp and golden in color. Let cool completely before eating. The crackers will continue to crisp as they cool.
- This recipe makes 50-60 crackers. Enjoy on their own or dip them into peanut butter, soft cheese or my Roasted Carrot and Pepper Tapenade.
