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?
These look wonderful and I have tried them… TWICE! … to accompany the raw taco salad… but both times I ended up with very tasty salad topping… they didn’t hold at all. What am I doing wrong? Thanks!!
Do you spray the baking paper before placing the mixture on? I just tried making these and they stuck to the paper when I tried to turn them.
These are delicious! and are so easy to make… thank you, thank you, thank you. We are in the process of eating more and more healthy and your recipes are starring in our kitchen every week. Please keep them coming!
I am going to make these…they look so good. I LOVE Chia seeds and now have them with my Almond Breeze, Unsweetened Original Almond milk in the mornings. It does keep you full for a long time. Gives me great energy. I soak them in the fridge the night before and it is ready for me in the mornings but with these crackers, I will have my backup in case I forget to soak my Chia seeds. Love your Blog.
Hi Alison,
I tried to make this recipe to the letter and they just feel apart once cooked.
How do you get them to stay together.
They literally just feel back into a pile of seeds for me :(
Thank you for your help!
Jacquie
Just came across this recipe, would love to try it out because it’s so hard to find healthy snacks w/out the bad stuff and these look delicious :D
What’s the nutrional info for these so I can add them to myfitmess pal when I make them.
Thank you.
These were so quick and easy to make…and they’re delicious!
Love these crackers. Thanks. Do you know the nutritional count of these?
I am addicted to these.
I just made these as a part of the 2 day meal plan you posted yesterday, and they are perfect! I’ve never made my own crackers like this, but it was super easy! I didn’t have any sesame seeds, so I added a little bit more pepitas and sunflower seeds, and they worked out awesomely.
I made these last night and they are fantastic! I have them in a sealed container, just wondering how long they will last??
I made these and they were really good – the middle bit was a bit thicker so I’ll make them thinner next time.They were perfect with the gazpacho I made. I stored them in a zip lock bag and they lost their crunch, so I popped them in the toaster – and wow! So good with avocado and they toast up really well! I’m going to make them again. Today.
These are so tasty and easy to make. Definitely making these again soon. I seemed to lose a lot of seeds while slicing them half way through the bake time, anyone any pointers that might help?
Looks very nice and I definitely want to try it in the raw version.
What’s the time and temperature for the raw option in the Excalibur?
Angela, I loved these! Thank you! :)
Really tasty and easy to make! Plus, packed with nutrition. These are a winner.
I can’t wait to try these! Also want to recommend another difficult to find but worth looking for cracker. They’re organic flax seed crackers. “FLACKERS”, made by Doctor in the Kitchen. They have great ideas for flavoring too, from sun dried tomato & basil, dill, rosemary… etc. to slightly sweet cinnamon & currants. Really Awesome!
Love what you’re doing here! I’m a huge fan.
I tried this recipe! I was amazed at how well the chia seeds hold the mixture together. Unfortunately when I took it out of the oven to flip it, I found it had stuck to the parchment. Next time I’ll try making it thinner and maybe using a light coat of oil. What I salvaged was very tasty – added cumin seeds and chili powder.
I finally made these after looking at them for years! :)
Another great recipe, Angela! :)
I can’t believe it has taken me this long to make these crackers! I’ve been eying them for over a year. Finally made them Sumday while on a cooking binge (just got back from our honeymoon and missed my kitchen terribly!). I’m already making my second batch today, just two days later! I could eat them plain – but they’re also lovely with homemade hummus, and I had them alongside your raw taco salad yesterday. They remind me of Mary’s crackers, but better! My husband’s first response was “Who makes their own crackers?”… Well, me now, apparently! Of course, he loved them too. I may never have to buy crackers again ;) Thanks Angela!!
Fast, easy, energy-dense, and delicious!