Homemade Crackers

I am pretty pumped because one of my friends read my blog post, read Wheat Belly AND went gluten free.  I am excited because now I have another person to compare recipes with!  Super exciting.  

I really have found not eating gluten to be easier than anticipated.  I rarely ate sandwiches before and I have no problem swapping out pasta for spaghetti squash.  However, there was one problem.  And it was a gigantic problem. 

Hummus.

Bruschetta.

You know, all the things that tortilla chips (which I can eat-yay!) aren't dipped into.  I LOVE both of these foods and have fabulous recipes for both thanks to my friend Katie.  If you've ever looked at the store, there are now quite a few options for gluten free crackers, but many of them have lots of ingredients in them and aren't very healthy.  While there are a few I have found that I like and don't seem to have too many unfamiliar ingredients they are crazy expensive!  Who wants to pay $5 for a small box of crackers?  Not me.  Not ever.  I actually have had this recipe saved for awhile, but finally tried back in November when I cut out gluten and I have been hooked ever since.  They are so easy to make, don't have weird ingredients in them and taste sooooooo good.  Seriously, the only thing I messed up is not doubling the recipe.  Now, I know better. Trust me, make some for yourself and you will see.  I joked at Christmas when I was going to parties that I'm going to start carrying a bag of these in my purse so I can eat dip wherever I go.  I was sort of joking; sort of not.  Don't be offended if I show up to your house one day and pull a bag of these bad boys out.  If you're nice I'll share and you can enjoy the yummy goodness with me. 

The only ingredient I didn't already have in my pantry was nutritional yeast.  I had to ask where to find it at Natural Grocers and it was over by the vitamins.  It's an inactive yeast and it has a bit of a cheesy flavor so lots of vegans use it.  I had read about it, but never purchased any until this recipe.

 

 

While you can use a rolling pin I think it's easier to just use your hands to smash it and roll it out.  Get it as thin as possible.

I used a pastry scraper to cut mine into crackers.  You could also use a pizza cutter.

 The recipe says to cook for 18-20 minutes, but I say check it at 20 and then leave it in for about 5 minutes more.  My first batch tasted delicious, but were a little soft for my liking.  If you leave them in longer they will get crunchier and I have had no problem with them burning.

 How pretty are my crackers with my hummus?

  

Vegan and Gluten Free Homemade Crackers
Recipe from: www.ohsheglows.com

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup almond flour
2 tbsp ground flax
1 tbsp nutritional yeast 
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
scant 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp olive oil
 
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix well with spoon. Knead dough with hands until it comes together. Shape into a ball.

Place ball of dough on parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Roll out dough until it’s about 1/8th inch thick, or as thin as you can get it without ripping. With a pastry wheel or pizza slicer, slice into crackers

Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes until slightly golden in color.

Cool on baking sheet for 10 mins. Store in air-tight container once fully cool.

Enjoy!