Remember the chia seed crackers that we ate at Chocolatree Café just before hiking up 0.6 miles of rocky mountainside?
ƒHere they are in all their glory.
We kicked some major mountain booty that day and I’d like to think the chia seed crackers had something to do with it. After all, the Aztecs and Mayans used chia seeds (known as a “running food”) for hundreds of years to fuel their long journeys!
As soon as I got home, I knew I had to bust out a version of these in my own kitchen. I was “running” on 3 hours of sleep thanks to a 4am wake-up call and the chocolate I was inhaling wasn’t making me feel any better. The chia crackers came to my rescue!
Endurance Crackers
Yield
22 large crackers
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
These Endurance Crackers are extremely light, healthy, and crispy while providing long-lasting energy. I love serving them with hummus (obviously) or smashed avocado and sea salt. Feel free to change up the seasonings and spices as you wish. These crackers are inspired by the ChcolaTree Organic Oasis in Sedona.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup pepita seeds (or pumpkin seeds)
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1 cup (250 mL) water
- 1 large garlic clove, finely grated on a Microplane
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF (150°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pepita seeds, and sesame seeds.
- Add the water, garlic, and salt. Stir with a spatula until combined. Allow the mixture to sit for a couple of minutes until the chia seeds absorb the water. After the 2-minute rest, when you stir the mixture, you shouldn’t see a pool of water on the bottom of the bowl.
- With the spatula (and a hand, if necessary), spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in two small rectangles, about 12x7 inches each and 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle additional salt on top.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully flip each rectangle with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes more, until lightly golden around the edges. Watch closely near the end to make sure they don’t burn. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes on the pan and then break the rectangles into crackers and let cool completely on the pan. Store in an airtight container or jar on the counter for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze the crackers in freezer bags for up to 1 month.
Tip:
- * If the crackers soften while storing (this can happen in humid environments), toast them in the oven on a baking sheet at 300ºF (150°C) for 5 to 7 minutes. After cooling, this should return them to their former crispness!
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
As I reached for my garlic powder, I thought why not use fresh garlic instead? My mom recently shared a trick with me for mincing garlic: just use a fine grater instead of chopping it. I used my Microplane and it was the perfect consistency for these crackers. Just be careful you don’t saw off the end of your nail like I almost did.
10 seconds flat for fresh garlic!
After grating, I whisked the garlic in a glass with the water (note: I ended up using a full cup of water instead of the 1/2 cup shown here).
Pour the water mixture into the seed mixture and stir well. It will be thick and gel-like in consistency.
Now season as you wish.
I used a mixture of Herbamare, kelp granules, and kosher salt for maximum flavour, but you can really play around with the seasonings any way you like! Add some spices too if you wish. Taste and adjust if necessary.
This picture hates me, clearly.
Spread onto your baking sheet lined with parchment (or a non-stick mat, but you will have to bake them a bit longer). You want to spread the mixture as thin as possible.
After baking for 30 minutes at 300F, remove from the oven and slice crackers with a pizza slicer.
I did a large diamond shape. You can do any size and shape you want, depending on how much ninja power you are looking for!
With a spatula, carefully flip the crackers and bake for another 30 minutes until toasty and golden on the bottom. Mmm.
My new favourite cracker, easily.
Not only are they vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, soy-free, nut-free, and sugar free, but they can be made raw if you dehydrate them.
After cooling, they are crispy, chewy, and basically mind blowing ninja fuel perfect for dipping into hummus. Eric said they taste better than the ones at Chocolatree, but he may be biased. I couldn’t get over how light and crispy they are!
The question is: Whose butt do you want to kick this week?
Your boss, tough assignment, killer workout, or midterm exam?
Go make a list of things to butt kick.
Eat these crackers.
Kick some butt, ninja style.
It’s like bird food, but waaaaay better.
Do you ever see a tired bird?
I rest my case.
~~
Many of you ask where you can buy chia seeds. If you are looking for an online retailer in the US, try www.chiaseedsdirect.com. I’ve found both of these businesses to have very competitive prices. You can also purchase chia seeds from bulk food stores like Bulk Barn here in Canada or in natural food stores! Update: More readers also told me Costco sells them (in the supplement section) and even Winners and Homesense! Who knew?
Can I substitute chia seeds with flax seeds?
Hi Ann, That’s a great question!! I haven’t tried swapping the 1/2 cup chia for 1/2 cup flax seeds before. The chia seeds are really great for binding things, so I’m not sure how these crackers would behave without them. That said, flax can be too. I may be more inclined to try ground flax instead since it might bind a bit better (maybe 1/4 cup ground flax?). But that’s not to say whole flax seeds won’t work either. If you do any experimentation please let us know how it goes!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times as written and live it. Making for a friend who doesn’t eat chia so I tried flax, 1:1. I also omitted sesame and pepita but added in pecans (accommodating multiple dietary restrictions). They came out great! I think flax is a totally workable sub for the chia.
I have to say these are the BEST!!! I love crackers (my go-to snack) but I need to be gluten free (or my stomach will hate me)… so I tried these and I cant stop making them, so easy and SOOO yum! I eat these with a slice of avocado on them, SOO good! thank you :)
Oh, I’m so happy this recipe is a winner, Julie! What’s snack time without crackers?!
I’ve made these so many times over the past few months, and I always love them. This time though, I wanted to change them up a bit. I kept the same basic recipe (which is great), but replaced 1/4 of the water with lime juice, and added paprika and cayenne, a little cumin, and some tamarind seasoning. Oh my stars. So good!!!!
Ohhhh sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your modifications. :)
How much sweet onion did you use? I don’t see it in the ingredients list but I see it in the recipe. I can’t wait to make these ASAP!
Sorry about that Olivia! I think I used a teaspoon of grated onion on the Microplane. I don’t tend to add it anymore when I make them, just to save a bit of time. It’s totally optional! :)
I left these on the counter by accident in the air, they are a little bit gray now, is that safe to eat?
Hey Heather, They tend to be fine on the counter for at least a few days, but it also depends on the room temperature (if it’s hot, they won’t be good as long) If they seem off they probably are. Sorry I can’t help you more!
I made this recipe a week ago (though I forgot the sunflower seeds) bought them, but forgot to add them to the mix. They stuck to the wax paper and seemed to be a little wetter than I thought they should be (after an hour of cooking at 300). I was wondering if I should lower the water to 1/2 of a cup, or if the lack of sunflower seeds made them wetter?
Thanks for your help! They were delicious otherwise.. from what I ripped from the paper haha. Def will be omitting the wax paper in the second round. Plan on making them again today.
Hey Amanda, I do think the lack of sunflower seeds may have caused some extra wetness. I’ve also found that using wax paper often causes things to stick…parchment paper works great if you can get your hands on some. I’m glad you’re still enjoying them regardless! haha.
Big big disappointment. I rarely leave reviews but I had to on this one because it was awful. First of all it took me 2 1/2 hours to bake the cracker and it never got crunchy. I finally took it out of the oven soggy messy and all it tasted was of garlic if you love straight garlic flavor you might like this it did taste when I had some super spicy hummus on it. I think the recipe needs to be revamped and described much differently. Don’t waste your time
Hey Laf, I’m so sorry these crackers didn’t turn out for you! That’s so strange you had them in the oven for 2.5 hours. Did you change the recipe at all (the chia is necessary to absorb water), or is it possible your oven temp is off? Hmm..I’m trying to think of possible reasons why this could’ve happened as I’ve heard from a lot of readers that they turn out great. It’s also important to use parchment paper and not wax paper and to spread the mixture very thin. I hope this helps!
Just cooking them now … !
If you’re in Oz you can get them at Coles ;)
Oops – by “them” I mean chia seeds – you can get Chia seeds at Coles
Where is the onion in this recipe? It’s listed in the description and I see it in the picture– but not in the recipe. Thanks so much!
Hey Katie, Oh good eye! My original recipe called for 1 teaspoon of finely grated onion, but I since removed it in future recipe trials. I didn’t find it was necessary for the crackers. I hope this helps clarify!
Hi, I wanna make your endurance crackers. It’s the first recipe for crackers I’ve come across that doesn’t call for oil and eggs (not that I’ve searched very hard ?.
After reading the recipe, I scrolled through the pictures. Under a picture I noticed you describe grating garlic and sweet onion and mixing it with water. The recipe doesn’t list sweet onion under ingredients. How much do you use?
Also, do you have any spices/dried herbs combinations to recommend? And how much do you add?
Looking forward to hearing from you :-)
Love Jane
Hey Jane, So happy to hear you’d like to try these out! My original recipe called for 1 teaspoon of finely grated onion, but I since removed it in future recipe trials. I didn’t find it was necessary for the crackers. I hope this helps clarify! As for a spice combo I like my 10-spice mix: http://ohsheglows.com/2015/12/21/10-spice-mix-gift-jars-printable-10-spice-veggie-soup-recipe/
These crackers are super! I’ve had them the past few days with the Best Marinated Lentils from your second book (which I really like mixed up with chopped arugula and cherry tomatoes!). I tried the dehydrator method and actually scored the crackers before putting them in the dehydrator, then after about 6 hours completely separated them into individual crackers and flipped them over to dehydrate for another 3 hours. They’ve stayed completely crisp in a sealed container in the pantry for nearly a week! I am so glad I tried them – I’m not a fan of whole chia seeds (I use the blender method from your first book for chia pudding – such a great tip!).
Hey Laura, Oh that’s so great you love them and that they worked in the dehydrator! Thanks so much for sharing your method. :)
I tried making your Sundried tomatoe and Garlic Seed Crackers today – they looked just like they should, but they did not stick together for crackers at all. They were all little crumbs :( Any tips? I can’t figure out what I did wrong!
Hey Sarah, Oh that’s so strange! Were they cooled fully? Did you make any adjustments/tweaks to the recipe?
Love these, but I have adapted the recipe in a couple of ways. For one, I spread it over 2 baking sheets to get more, but thinner crackers. So I reduce the time for cooking to about 25 minutes per side.
I also combine the sunflower and pumpkin seeds in the food processor and pulse for a bit to break things up. This makes them hold together a bit better. (I do a bunch at a time and put in a jar so they are ready for the next few batches).
Sometimes I throw in a bit of flaxseed and/or hemp seed. It is also good with finely chopped fresh rosemary, or black pepper. Definitely remember to salt the top as recommended…. not something I always manage to do!
Ground Chia seeds or whole?
whole chia seeds, thanks for clarifying! :)
These were outstanding! I used garlic powder (I was out of fresh), a vegan garlic and herb seasoning, and a touch more sea salt. Mine turned out a bit thicker than planned, so next time I will squish them own a bit more. Even so, they turned out amazing. Even my mom, who is an omnivore, loved them! Thanks Angela. :)
Aww I’m so happy to hear that Lea! Thanks for your review :)
Having tried several similar recipes, I really like these. The salt and garlic give them a nice flavor.
Thank you! So glad they’re a hit :) I love them with hummus
Hi! I can’t wait to try these! My son cannot eat sesame seeds. I know I can change/increase seeds but what do you suggest?
I LOVE these crackers so much- I take them to work or eat an hour or so before boxing… I just hate how expensive they are to make!!! Where I am (adelaide, south aus) chia seeds are super expensive!
Do you think there is anything else i could add to the recipe to make them stretch further, like oats or quinoa with a bit of flax as well as the chia?
Thanks!
Hey Lydia, Oh I love your ideas of using grains and ground flaxseed. I do think it could work with some experimentation. Chia helps them hold together but I’m not sure exactly how much of it you need for the crackers to still work. If you try anything I’d love to hear how it goes!
LOVE THIS!!! Thank you million times :)))))) So easy and I look like an expert when I make them! Already made them few times and they were great. I found your blog by accident but I will for sure look all your other reipes. Thanks again
I’m so glad these crackers were a hit! We make them a lot…they are so great with hummus and mashed avocado and salt :)
Which is it? 300 degrees or 325? Recipe says 300, blog says 325.
shoot, Im sorry…please follow the recipe (300F)…I’ll update the post now!
Do you use salted or unsalted seeds?
Hey Misha, I prefer unsalted raw seeds. If you use salted, you might want to tweak the amount of fine sea salt in the recipe to taste. I hope that helps!
Hello there, I don’t make comments usually. But I really felt I needed to make a comment about this recipe. I have made these crackers many times and have shared the crackers with friends. They all love them and have requested the recipe from me. In fact from time to time I will get a text out of the blue requesting the recipe. It’s a super big hit.
When I make them I use a garlic press to mush the garlic but I also use the press to mush a small piece of onion. I like the addition of onion.
A friend of mine makes a version where she skips the garlic and adds some cinnamon and a little bit of stevia. It makes a sweet cookie type cracker they are really nice too.
Anyway I wanted to thank you for giving us a such a great and well loved recipe.
Hi Holly, Thank you so much for your great feedback! I appreciate it so much. I too have tried a sweet version of the crackers…such a fun change and great with nut or seed butter and a little cinnamon on top!
DONT have sesame seeds at the moment can I use hemp seeds?
Yes absolutely!! :) enjoy
I didn’t have all the right ingredients so I made these with low expectations and they were so flavourful and satisfying!! Do you think I could make a sweet version- i.e. with cocoa powder and maple syrup?
Great to hear! :) yes I bet they would be delicious ?
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Do you have any idea at what temperature and time to make in the dehydrator? I can not wait to make it !
Hi Bertha, I’m sorry I don’t! Hope you enjoy them :)
I can’t wait to make these! Quick question… could you use sprouted seeds for this recipe?
Thanks!
Abby
Hey Abby, Hmm good question. Do you mean sprouted and dried/dehydrated seeds? If so that shouldn’t change anything. If you are soaking the seeds and using them “wet” the water may need to be reduced a tiny bit. I’d love to hear how it goes!
I tried this and it was a total flop. I ended up with a baking sheet full of seeds that were still all separate, that had garlic and salt added so I couldn’t even use them for anything else. I did have some water left after the two minutes and mixed another Tbsp. of chia seeds in – but it still didn’t work. Any idea ANYONE, what I did wrong please?
I made these endurance crackers and was amazed at how crispy and tasty they were. I did add a dash of soya sauce. However the ingredients list did not include the sweet onion which is mentioned after the recipe instructions?
Hi Ruby,
I’m glad you like them. The sweet onion was from an earlier version. I removed the note from the post to line up with the instructions. Thanks for finding this!
Hi – I made these, and they are delicious! It was my second attempt. On my first attempt I had what I can only assume was a moment of old-timer’s and used 1/2 cup of flaxseed instead of sunflower seeds. I have only made one or two recipes with flaxseed before, so I was just wondering if, in your experience, there is such a thing as eating too much flaxseed. As in, am I going to experience any sort of “intestinal disruptions” or anything crazy? They tasted good with the flax, but the texture was a little too “seedy” for me. I only ate a small portion until I could find out if I should be concerned about a possible incident. Any info you can provide is much appreciated. Thanks! Also your flourless peanut butter cookies are AMAZING!
chia seed really does not like my digestive system. I wonder if there is something I could substitute instead? Could I use ground flax
Yay I love Chocolatree. I havent tried the recipe yet…I need to soak and sprout some nuts and seeds first….also…has anyone tried this in a dehydrator? Is the oven the way to go….Im no longer raw, but I thought this would be dehydrated normally
thanks for posting. cheers!
Yes, several have used a dehydrator. Just your browser “find in this page” tool (Firefox = Ctrl-F) and scroll from post to post that pops up. Doug March 30, 2012 at 4:05 pm is first one I see.
I was gifted your cookbook OH SHE GLOWS EVERYDAY.
I make this recipe every week – I LOVE IT.
So easy and so delicious – I am addicted.
My daughter is Gluten sensitive and this fits the bill perfectly.
Thank you Angela.
Made these in my Excalibur Dehydrator and they came out beautifully. I think I dehydrated them for about 5-6 hours (didn’t really watch the time). I will be making these again – so yummy!!
Ooh thanks for this. Was scrolling to see if anyone tried dehydrating!!
This recipe has become a staple, it’s so easy and versatile, sweet or savoury. To simply the mincing, I throw and chunky seasoning (I like garlic, fresh hot pepper, rosemary) into a blender with the water, 10 sec done.
Hi Angela, I have your Everyday cookbook the the sun-dried tomato crackers, but made these because I was ready to go to bed and this recipe seemed simpler! They are a dream come true…sooo easy. I used your 9 spice seasoning plus fresh and dried garlic and put them in the dehydrator overnight at 135°F. They look like expensive fancy crackers from the health food store and are so light and crispy. I’m trying to figure out how to travel with them so that they don’t crumble! Thinking of brushing the tops with tamari next time. Lots of flavour possibilities!
I meant to give a 5 star rating but my phone had a glitch!
Love these crackers. Easy and delicious! I make them regularly.
I’ve tried this recipe several times and my crackers crumble. They taste great…but did not come out like yours. What do you mean by a “pool of water” on the bottom of the bowl? And what do I do with that water…discard? Thanks for your help cause I want to try again.
My daughter has a sesame allergy. What would you recommend in place of the sesame seeds?
Wonderful recipe! Thank you so much for the idea. I also experimented a little with flavors and added some flax seeds, beetroot powder to one batch and flax seeds, wasabi powder and spinach powder to the other. Both turned out great and I can’t wait to make more!
I have not read through all the comments but could you also do these in a dehydrator? Curious the temp and for how long?