I have the worst luck trying to find gluten-free products worthy of buying at the grocery store that truly taste good. Do you have this problem too? It’s why I make so much of my food at home and I tell you, there is something about making a food from scratch (especially a snack-type of food) that I find more cathartic making it than eating it. Is that weird? Take crackers, for instance. I had a hankering for a gluten-free vegan cracker so I got to work creating a recipe and wouldn’t you know it. I ate probably five of them. It wasn’t because they weren’t good because believe me, they were super good. I just get disinterested in whatever I make usually within the first 10 minutes of them coming out of the oven.
But maybe it’s because I have a condition. You know, maybe I’m the type of person who needs her snack foods enclosed in plastic and protected by a bright box. How messed up does that sound? I’m a product of a very terrible childhood diet of processed foods and maybe that is an actual condition. That’s an actual condition right? Yeah, it totally must be. I’m pretty sure it is…
Regardless, gluten-free vegan crackers are a very easy thing to recreate at home. Think of it like making a pie crust–the process is very similar. You want to cut the butter into the flour to create pea-sized balls within the dough. Then you want to add the wet ingredients–just enough to coat the dough making it easy to roll out (and remember, the thinner you roll out the dough, the crunchier that bite becomes). Wa-la! That is the base of a cracker recipe. Simple enough, right? Whatever flavors you choose to add to the ingredients list is up to you at this point.
Now, if you are known to also suffer from the condition that I described above, go ahead and throw those homemade gluten-free vegan crackers into a ball of plastic and shove them into a brightly colored box so you too can pretend you are eating the processed food you very well loved and remember in your youth (tone to be read here: tongue in cheek).
Yield:
Print
PinIngredients
- 1 1/4 c. Cara’s All-Purpose Blend (see link below)
- 3 Tbsp. flaxseed meal
- 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced (or 2 tsp. dried rosemary)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 3 Tbsp. vegan butter, softened
- 1/4 c. water
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine the flour, flaxseed, rosemary, and salt together. Add butter until small crumb grains form.
- Add water and syrup and blend until a smooth dough ball forms. If your dough gets too crumbly, add a teaspoon of water at a time.
- Divide into 2 balls and roll in between 2 pieces of parchment paper; the thinner the dough rolls out, the better (but also note the more delicate the dough becomes).
- Using either a pizza cutter or rigid cookie cutter, cut squares into the dough. Delicately place each square on top of parchment paper-lined baking sheet with a metal spatula. Sprinkle tops with salt.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes (or until browned along the edges). Allow to cool on the baking sheet.
Notes
- Cara’s All-Purpose Blend: http://www.forkandbeans.com/2013/12/30/guide-gluten-free-flours/
Oh and wouldn’t you just know it but I have a non-dairy Cranberry Walnut Cheese ball that these gluten-free vegan crackers would go great with. Imagine that! You will have to wait until next week for that though. I know. The world can be so cruel 😉
A tip to making them easier, roll them out on parchment paper that is already on a cookie sheet, THEN take off the top piece of parchment paper, cut them with a pizza cutter or knife. But leave them right there on that parchment paper. Then bake. Much easier, you do not have to move delicate crackers. Oh yeah these are great with sesame seeds sprinkled on top!. You can also use this as a good pizza crust.
Hi! My little snacker is allergic to everything, including flax.. anything I could substitute for that? Thank you so much 🙂
Chia seed :)!
Made these yesterday and we have nearly eaten them all already. Even my 3 year loves them. Thankyou!
Now that is the kind of comment I love to hear! So glad that you and the family enjoyed these 😉 xo
Cara, great stuff, my friend. Every time I come back to your blog, it’s better than the last time. You’ve really made it great. The pictures are fantastic! Hope you are well.
MJ!! Thank you so much, friend. I have been toiling away over here in hopes of making it better and better–glad to hear it’s working 😉 Hope YOU are well! xo
Hello my dear! These are beautiful! You are so inspiring with all of your creativity and talent in the kitchen! I am always in awe of you. Can’t wait for your cookbook!
That picture of you always makes me smile! Thank you so much for the love, BB. You have been such a good friend to me 🙂 xo
Yes! I could not agree more! I also think things taste better when you make them yourself 🙂 I will definitely give these a try, I need some carb filled snacks to keep me going on my training….and running 70 miles a week I need a lot of snacks!!! Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
Giiiirrrrrlllll, 70 miles a week? I’m lucky if I get 1 mile in 🙂 What are you training for?
I keep thinking of trying my hand at making my own gf crackers. I spend an absolute fortune on them!
Goodness, this is unbelievable! I can’t wait for your recipe next week. I’m not a big cheese and crackers kind of person (never have been, really) but this just looks splendid.
I am a HUGE crackers and cheese lover. But then again I said that in response to your comment with the ice cream sandwiches. haha.
Hi Cara!
I am so looking forward to the Cranberry Walnut Cheese ball to go with! btw, it wasn’t the bread that I had a reaction too nor any of it’s healthy ingredients. I ate it later and no problems, it is amazing how moist it is and how thin it slices without the slightest bit of crumbling! I have frozen some and then used it and it worked beautifully! I love that you don’t use massive amounts of sugar and fats in your recipes as is found in the prepackaged gluten free items (most have sugar and starches as the 1st and 3rd ingredients.) They are so bad for the body. You had better be careful Cara, you may just make us healthier, one recipe at a time! xxx
Debbie Riffel
You are too cute Debbie! So glad that you liked the bread and I’m sorry that I am so sneaky with my recipes 😉 hehehe. All my love, xo
I hear you. lately whoever gets us cupcakes from places like whole foods picks up gluten-free ones. apparently the gf+vegan are easier to find than just vegan 🙂 and god, most taste awful. and i am accustomed to the rice, sorghum, starch tastes by now. dont even get me started abt a bread i tried long back. these crackers look wonderful!
GF store-bought bread–THE HORROR! Girl, I so understand what you are saying… It makes me want to start my own food production line and sell these items for slightly lower costs but with exceptional flavor. Is it really THAT hard to create a good-tasting product???
These look great! Super excited for the nutty faux-cheese ball too! MMmmm 😀
hehe I love the name faux-cheese ball 🙂
I have a hard time finding gf items that are even close to what I make at home too! These look super yum. I’m immediately thinking of how they might work with olive oil in place of the butter because I was just thinking the other day how much I missed the olive oil/rosemary triscuits. You can make pie crust with oil, so it should work here too, right? right? 😉
I think the oil would work great, Dawn! You are 100% right 🙂 xo