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Arugula and Sunflower Seed Crackers

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raw gluten free Arugula and Sunflower Seed Crackers served in a handmade wooden bowl

~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~

Arugula’s deliciously pungent flavor may come as a surprise if you’ve never tasted it.  It is characterized as having a “peppery-mustardy” flavor.  If you are familiar with arugula,  then it’s likely you know how much depth and interest that it can bring to a salad.

If you find yourself standing in the produce section, presented with baby arugula and regular arugula,  you may be wondering what the difference is.

Baby arugula is a young leaf that is mild and tender.  The leaves are a lighter shade of green and don’t yet have the pronounced flavors of mature arugula.  It is perfect for salads and a great way to introduce yourself to this wonderful green leaf.  More mature arugula will be a darker shade of green, and the darker the green, the stronger the flavor.

A few weeks ago I popped into the grocery store to buy some spinach for my morning smoothies.  I darted in and darted out.  The next morning I prepared my smoothie.  I piled in all my goodies and then stuffed the blender carafe with spinach.  I hit the “smoothie” button and patiently waited for my breakfast.

Once ready, I poured it into my favorite jar and snuggled up on the couch with Bob.  As we were chatting away and I was sipping my drink,  inwardly I thought to myself,  “Hmm, there is a bite to my smoothie.  How odd.”  I finally mentioned it to Bob because the flavor was getting stronger and stronger.

Regardless, I finished my smoothie and wiped the green mustache away from my upper lip.  Later that day as I was rummaging through the fridge,  I went to grab the spinach… it was then that I noticed that it wasn’t spinach!  It was arugula!  lol  Oy-vey!  That explains my smoothie.  I can’t say that I would purposely do that again but it made for a funny memory.

As I was preparing this cracker I wanted to really showcase the peppery notes.  So, to elevate them, I added black pepper and a few other spices.   There is no doubt that arugula is a “green” tasting leaf and I didn’t want to hide that, it deserves to be the star of the recipe.  The additional flavors of the olive oil and sunflower seeds really help to ground that earthy taste.  This cracker is packed full of flavor and great nutrients.  So, don’t wrinkle your nose, be adventurous, and give it a try.  You just might find a great new way to get more greens into you!

P.S. See the bowl in the photo? I created that on a lathe machine out of a big square block of wood. It was one of my first ones.

side view of raw gluten free Arugula and Sunflower Seed Crackers served in a handmade wooden bowlIngredients:

Yields 2 (16×16″) trays

Preparation:

  1. In the food processor bowl, place the arugula in the bottom of the bowl, then follow with; the chopped zucchini, yellow pepper, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, ground flax, while flax, olive oil, garlic, sesame seeds, lemon juice, onion powder, salt, and pepper.  Pulse together until everything is combined.
    • By putting the arugula in first,  the weight of the zucchini will help hold the arugula down and make it easy to process.
    • Pulsing helps to draw the ingredients into the blades preventing them from being over-processed.
    • Set aside for 10+ minutes so the flax seeds can thicken everything up.
  2. Spread half of the batter on the teflex non-stick sheets that comes with the dehydrator.
    • Square up the edges and score into cracker shapes.
  3. Sprinkle coarse sea salt on top.
  4. Dehydrate for 1 hour at 145 degrees (F), then reduce to 115 degrees for roughly 8 hours.
    • Remove the trays and flip the crackers over onto the mesh sheet partway through the drying time. Peel off the non-stick sheet. This will help speed up the dry time by allowing the air to better circulate around the crackers.
  5. Allow the crackers to cool to room temperature, snap the crackers into pieces, and store them in an airtight container.
  6. Crackers should keep for a few weeks in a sealed container.

Culinary Explanations:

spreading the batter of raw gluten free Arugula and Sunflower Seed Crackers on an Excalibur dehydrator tray

Spread the cracker batter out to roughly 1/4″ thick. Score into the shape and size you want, then slide into the dehydrator.

a dehydrator tray of dried raw gluten free Arugula and Sunflower Seed Crackers on an Excalibur dehydrator tray

This is what the final product looks like.

22 thoughts on “Arugula and Sunflower Seed Crackers

  1. Stacey says:

    Thank you for such a cool recipe. got a bag of wild arugula yesterday (mine didn’t come back after I’d cut the leaves) and will make these today. I appreciate the time you take to make sure we are successful with your recipes. they are truly original.

  2. Pam says:

    This looks amazing!!! Have you ever used anything else in place of the flax? My husband can’t eat flax well (it causes him terrible stomach aches). Looking forward to your thoughts and ideas!

    Thanks!

    • amie-sue says:

      Hi Pam, I would recommend swapping them out with chia seeds! Can he eat those ok? Have a great day, amie sue

  3. Leticia says:

    I want to make these, but I don’t have a dehydrator…how would I make these using my oven?

    • amie-sue says:

      Good morning Leticia. I don’t bake my raw recipes so I can’t say for sure. My best advice is to experiment. Sorry that I can’t help much, amie sue

  4. Nicole says:

    I tried this recipe last weekend, at the last minute I realized I didn’t have Arugula so I substituted with Spinach…..delish! Shared it around at the office and they think I should go into business:-)

    Thanks for sharing, you’re a source of raw inspiration!

    • amie-sue says:

      That is so wonderful Nicole! I am glad that you gave the recipe a try and that it was a hit. Thank you for sharing this with me, it really means a lot. Have a wonderful weekend, amie sue

  5. Vicki Porteous says:

    I do not have a food dehydrator as yet but I despartely need to try these cracker and bread recipes. as I love crackers. Can I dehydrate this in the oven and if so at what tempature? Thanks

    • amie-sue says:

      Hi Vicki,

      To be honest, I don’t use my oven for any of my raw dishes so I can’t say 100% how they will turn out. They won’t be raw after the fact but if I were to use the oven I would use the lowest temp possible, and just keep an eye on them closely. Good luck, amie sue

  6. Diana says:

    Aimee you are so wonderful to share these recipes. The Sun Dried Tomato Wraps are our new FAVORITE wrap and these green beauties are are FAVORITE cracker now. We love arugula and so we love these. Thanks!

    • amie-sue says:

      Perfect! I was hoping that others might like this cracker. Some cringe at the thought of arugula in them but I love the spicy flavor that they add. :) Have a great day, amie sue

  7. KT says:

    These are delish. I was not sure of them at first to be honest, but I love them now. I just made a batch and swapped the zucchini for yellow squash as I had to get rid of it. I am sure they will be just as great! I will let you know…..

  8. Krissie says:

    Aime-Sue!!! Your food, website, help, photos, time, energy, heart…it is all SO beautiful and so appreciated!! =)
    I am new to raw cooking and not 100 percent for I do not have a dehydrator nor food processor but an oven and scrappy blender. I am determined to attempt your gorgeous recipes regardless. Do you have any tips??
    Can I bake these chips?

    Thank You!
    Krissie

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Krissie,

      I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying my site. I do put my heart and passion into it. :)

      To be honest, I don’t ever bake my raw recipes… so you will have to experiment with the baking process. They won’t be raw once baked, just be aware of that. Without a food process it will be tricky. You can try it in the blender but you will need to do it in stages. But lets see if I can break this down for you.

      1. In a small bowl combine the 1/2 cup flax seeds with the 1 cup of water. Set aside while you prep the rest of the recipe. This will give the flax seeds time to soak and thicken.

      2. Shred the zucchini with a cheese grater. You can leave the peel on if it is organic. Place in a medium-sized bowl.

      3. If you place the arugula in the blender it will break it down to almost a paste. If you decide to do it in the blender add the yellow pepper and sunflower seeds, olive oil, garlic, sesame seeds, lemon juice, onion powder, salt and pepper. Pulse, don’t run the machine steady. Stop often and scrap down the side and mix things around. We don’t want this to turn in to a paste. Pour into the bowl with the zucchini.

      4. Hand mix in the soaked flax seeds and the ground flax seeds. Stir together and set aside for 10+ minutes. Over the years I have found that I don’t like to add soaked seeds in the food processor because it adds a strange look and color to the cracker.

      5. Spread them out on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. Score into cracker shapes.

      6. Bake at the lowest temp, keeping a close eye on them. You might need to flip them part way through.

      I hope this helps ;) Keep me posted if you try it. amie sue

  9. Deb says:

    Hi Amie-Sue,
    Is it possible to make some of your crackers oil-free? (i.e. is there something that could substitute for the oil? They all look soooooo delicious!!!

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Deb,

      You can omit the coconut oil in this recipe since it is just a small amount. Are you doing any other fats? I do have recipes without oil, but a person would need to scroll through them since I don’t know what flavors you like or if you have allergies to certain ingredients. You can always leave a comment at the bottom of those recipes (if they have oil) to see what I think. There isn’t always a substitution. Many blessings, amie sue

  10. flarchild says:

    Your bowl looks gorgeous !!
    and I am looking forward to trying these crackers- I love arugula !

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