Dr. Uma‘s Crispy Seed Crackers

Introduction

Who needs store-bought crackers when you can have these easy-to-make, oh-so-crispy, and oh-so-fiber-rich crispies instead?!

Ingredients

3 cups of seeds total:

• 1 cup mixture of pumpkin, sunflower seeds
• 1 cup mixture of sesame (black and white), poppy, chia, flax seeds.
• 1 cup mixture of flax and more pumpkin/sunflower (your preference).

2 heaping tablespoons of psyllium husk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon caraway seeds or fennel seeds (or a mixture of both)

2 tablespoons of a mixture any of your favorite blend of “Italian spices”

500 ml water

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spread parchment paper on 2 standard-size (~10in X 15 in) baking sheets.  

(Optional, but consider brushing a little butter or oil on the sheets to help the crackers peel off more easily after baking.)

Mix up all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Add the water and mix the cracker batter well.  (It will start to thicken pretty quickly, but remain pourable.)

Divide and pour the batter onto the two separate parchment paper-covered baking sheets.

Using a spatula, spread the batter out to cover the parchment paper and get it as thin as possible, without having too many holes in the batter (but if there are small holes, don’t worry, as these will typically get filled-in during the baking process).

Bake the crackers at 300 degrees Fahrenheit X 15 min, then bring the sheets out, and make scores with a knife (so it’s easier to break the crackers apart later).  (I usually make large-size crackers, so score 3-4 lines down horizontally and vertically, to create 9-12 crackers per baking sheet.)

While making the scores, increase the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Return the pre-scored crackers to the oven, and now bake at 325 X ~ 45 minutes.  

About halfway through the remaining baking process, flip the crackers and slightly spread them apart at the scored edges (to make each individual cracker have even crispier corners!) (Having the crackers on parchment paper makes the flipping part much easier!)

Once crackers are finished, let them cool, break apart, and enjoy!  These taste great alone, or with dips and cheese spreads of your preference.   I like to enjoy these with a mid-morning cup of coffee or tea!

Dr. Uma‘s “disclaimer” with her recipes:

While I love to eat, I’ll be the first to admit I did not grow up a “foodie” nor as a cook.  (In fact, my mom pampered me as a child, cooking for me and barely asking me to lift a finger to help.  I barely had a clue as to how to make rice or tea/coffee until I was well into my thirties!)  And when I finally did start to cook on my own, creating healthy food was my last priority.  In fact, I developed a penchant for baking, and quite clearly remember my “go-to” comfort foods/recipes were apple crisp, lemon squares, and oatmeal cookies!

All this is to say, my interest in cooking has definitely evolved, and I’m still working hard to be an even better cook for myself, for my health, and for the health and wellness of my friends, family, and patients.   So when I share recipes with you here, on this website, it’s not to make claims that I am a “super chef” or anything even remotely like that.  It’s just to share that if I can do it, anyone can.  

And I don’t tend to use precise measurements when I cook at home.  Like my mom, I tend to be somewhat spontaneous as I cook, creating and modifying as I go.  I try to recollect flavorful memories from my childhood, travels near and far, and often “play around” with recipes after “Googling” ideas and ingredients online.

For instance, I shared a recipe for an Ecuadorian travel-inspired avocado chickpea red onion salad here.  I suggested using 3 avocados, but you might like it more or less!  Or, you might like more red onion or no black pepper!  Some of you might like to add in some garlic and/or cherry tomatoes!  Now that I’m typing this….. I’m thinking adding some mint could add a fresh taste too!

One of the best parts of cooking is the fun you’ll have learning to experiment.  Half the fun is making edible mistakes and sharing your recipes for helpful hints and collaboration too!

Here’s to cooking for health!

Love,

Dr. Uma