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!
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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?
I MADE THESE I LOVE THESE CRACKERS….
thanks so so much for sharing your recipe. I am making a second batch tonight after my workout at the Y. Also going to make homemade Hummus to go with.
Funny on your blog you mention kicking the bosses butt after eating these. I shared my with my boss and now he wants me to make him some…LOL… when it comes to butt kicking it may be a tie…..
thanks again. yummy
Hey Angela! I was wondering how long these last in an airtight container?
Thanks!
http://youtube.com/addalittlefood
We’ve made these so many times….LOVE them. My boys nicknamed them Lembas Bread (the Elven bread from Lord of the Rings that’s supposed to sustain you). They take it to Scout camps and hiking. We eat it with hummus, sliced meats and so on. We even made a sweet version by subbing some of the water for maple syrup, that works way better with peanut butter!
Hi Angela and all lovers of this delicious food,
These crackers are really amazing and soooooo easy to make. I made these for my friends who are total meat lovers and they pass like nothing. just amazing, thank u :)
Jana
Anjela – hi! Thanks so much!
Just found this delicious recipe and they are a hit!
We just got married last year, so I’ve got a new fancy kitchen with loads of wonderful new gadgets. So first thing I did was to grind up all the seeds in a rough or course grind in my spice grinder. And also I received for my shower a nifty set of flat baking sheets with a slight lip to one edge, so instead of using a spatula, I just used another sheet of parchment, doubled the pan, flipped and moved the parchment back to the backing pan.
For spices, I used granulated garlic and onion instead, time was an issue. Also, I’m an energy healer and I work with essential oils, but one of my favorite uses of the oils is in cooking – so I added a few drops of oil – you could use basil, thyme, coriander, lemon, etc. or any combination.
We’ve been working our way up to 45 to 60 grams of fiber a day, so these are a great way to sneak that fiber in, and also enjoy a delicious snack.
Thanks again – Cat Stone
Wow. Thank you for these. They are excellent! I have made them twice in the last couple of weeks and everyone I share them with thinks they are delicious. I added a little rosemary and it is a great addition.
Angela, I’m having a bit of difficulty printing this recipe… I think the link to print is possibly messed up. I was able to print another one of your more recent recipes, but this one goes to a blank page when I click on the ‘print this recipe’ link. Thanks.
Hey Nic, It should be working now (I think perhaps the Recipage website was down?) Let me know if it works for you now. :)
It works now… thanks! :)
HAH! “ever seen a tired bird?” BEST COMEBACK EVER! I cannot tell you the amount of times I’ve been told I eat bird food, just because I don’t stuff myself with McDonalds and steaks.
On my way to the store to make these crackers now!!!
thanks a lot for this recipe ! I made them many times for my partner and myself but I also like to make them for friends. They love it !
These look amazing!! Any chance you’ve tried making them in a dehydrator!!??
Yes I have! I left them a bit too long I think because they got really crispy, but were still delicious :)
Hi Angela,
I made these last night as per the instructions but I’ve realised today that they are a bit soggy and not as crispy as I would have liked. Should I have cooked them for longer or maybe made them thinner?
Do you think I could pop them back in the oven at a low temperature and see if it dries them out a bit more?
Thanks!
Charlotte
Yes you can certainly try baking them a bit longer – 5-10 mins might work? Crackers can be impacted by humidity levels so my guess is that the humidity might have made them a bit softer.
hello! recent new fan of your site as I was searching for some good and nutritious snacks to send to school with my son. Are these crackers ‘freezable’ to keep their ‘crunch’? or just make ahead at the beginning of the week – just wondering about the longevity/shelf life thanks!!
Hi Wendy, They do soften a bit by the next day, but they are generally pretty crunchy. It also depends on how humid your area is I think. You might be able to pop them back in the oven for a quick toasting if they do get a bit soft.
Hi! I was wondering if I could replace the sesame seeds with something else, such as hemp seeds? Thanks :)
Hi Tiana,
Yes that should be fine. Although I wouldn’t substitute the chia seeds as they are a key component in binding the crackers.
i have been making these since I found your blog. I have added
Flax seeds and I use my Magic Bullet to purée the garlic clove and 1 tbsp sweet onion with the salt and water. Fabulous!
What a fantastic recipe! I did a 27km charity walk this weekend and took some of these along to fuel us along the way – they were a great healthy energy boost. Our batch turned out to be a bit thicker than in your pics, although that ended up working out well as it meant they were a bit sturdier and didn’t get crushed to crumbs in our backpacks before we could eat them!
Thanks for sharing this recipe – will definitely have to remember these as a go-to snack in future :)
Just to say thanks so much for there recipe. My 2yo helped me make these yesterday and they turned out great. He’s allergic to egg so we’re always looking for suitable recipes.
Wanted to let you know that I started making these crackers about a year for my son (now 2). These crackers became an instant hit with him and all his buddies. Mind you none of the mums I know are vegans, but they are all now hooked on those crackers. These crackers are now biggest hit in snacks category in St.George area Sydney Australia :-)
Another day I came to the children’s playground 10 minutes drive from my home and another mum I never met before was telling me about good-for-you crackers as a snack for a child. She heard it from someone else :-)))
Another comparable hit is the on-the-go chia muffins from your book. My son’s 3rd word after ‘where’ and ‘yakky’ was ‘chia’. I only wish these muffins could use some other sweetner instead of maple syrup, like dates or banana…
Now that you have a child I am hoping that you will snow us under with new recipes that are healthy, easy to make and loved by kids!
I love love love all your recipes, but some of them are difficult to give to children because they are spicy or not easy to eat for the little ones.
This look gorgeous and nutritious! The only thing that perplexes me is how I will try it without hummus or something? I react to concentrated foods like nut/seed butters and hummus and it’s hard for me to stop at one serving with those dips! It would probably be good with some fresh mashed avocado and a sprinkle or two of Real Salt to dip with it. I am allergic to dairy and eggs, among other things too, so those are out. I will save the recipe and brainstorm! This is too good to pass up! Thanks!
I made these last week to try them, and they turned out great! I’m in Italy for 3 months visiting my boyfriend and I couldn’t find Herbamare or Kelp Granules, so I used Oregano and black pepper instead. My boyfriend absolutely loves them and has asked me 3 days in a row when I’m making them again! I just put the next batch in the oven :)
Yum! I can’t eat chia… Would flax work instead? If so, whole or ground?
Thanks!