Black Sesame Cauliflower Crackers (nut-free)
Cauliflower? You bet you scratching your head on this one huh? I have used cauliflower as a rice substitute so why is it I never thought of using it in a cracker recipe?! I had to laugh because I ran to the store to pick us some cauliflower and when I arrived I headed straight for the produce department. I spied the cauliflower, bagged it and put it in my cart and continued my shopping. Then I realized that I had grabbed a purple cauliflower! lol I was so focused on just getting it that my brain didn’t even think about the color. Besides the common white variety, cauliflower is occasionally found in green and a vibrant purple color that turns pale purple during cooking. Flavor wise you would fine using any color, visually, well it would sure make for an interesting looking cracker now wouldn’t it?! haha
Be sure to choose a firm, compact, heavy head with no signs of brown specks, which form as cauliflower ages. Store in a plastic bag with holes poked in it for up to two days. Wash cauliflower well just before using. Cut into florets by pulling away the leaves and cutting around the core on the underside. Separate the florets by cutting them apart from the inside of the cauliflower. The green leaves at the base are edible, but have a stronger flavor than the florets. Adding a tablespoon of lemon juice will help to retain the color.
Buckwheat, which is commonly found in raw food diet recipes, has a slightly deceptive name that can easily cause confusion. Buckwheat is not wheat, nor is it related to wheat. It is not a grain nor a cereal and is gluten-free. So where does it come from? Buckwheat is derived from the seeds of a flowering plant. Buckwheat is a good binding agent, and when soaked becomes very gelatinous. Soaking, rinsing, and re-drying produces a crunchy buckwheat treat that can be eaten alone or added into other recipes. Buckwheat can be safely eaten by people who have celiac disease as it does not contain gluten. But be sure to know the source if you indeed have celiac. You want to make sure that the buckwheat isn’t contaminated in the processing plant. (see below) Buckwheat can be a good substitute for wheat, oats, rye and barley in a gluten-free diet.
Raw Buckwheat and Kasha – do you know the difference?
- Toasted buckwheat is used to make traditional dishes in several different cultures. Generally toasted buckwheat is referred to as kasha. If you are looking for raw buckwheat groats, you’ll want to avoid kasha. You can always tell by the color and the aroma. Kasha is a much darker reddish-brown color and has a strong nutty, toasted scent to it. Raw buckwheat groats are light brown or green and don’t have much of an aroma at all.
Recipe from Living Light Student Handbook
Ingredients:
yields 64 crackers (1 Tbsp cookie scoop) 
- 4 cups cauliflower florets, chopped
- 1 cup soaked, drained, rinsed buckwheat groats (see below) – expands to about 2 cups
- 1 cup golden flax meal
- 1 Tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 Tbsp black sesame seeds
- 3 (additional) Tbsp black and white mixed sesame seeds – for topping
Preparation:
- Buckwheat Groats need to be soaked for about 60 minutes, drained and rinsed. We are not taking them to the level of sprouting them with tails in this recipe.
- Place the cauliflower in the food processor and blend for about 10 seconds, just enough to break it down to make more room in the bowl for the remaining ingredients.
- Add in the buckwheat and give it a few pulses to start the blending process.
- Add in the flax meal and give a few additional pulses. By doing this after adding in the bulk ingredients, it will assure that everything gets well incorporated.
- Now add the olive oil, lemon, salt and water. Process for about 15 seconds. Add the sesame seeds and pulse together.
- Using a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop, place the batter on the teflex sheet that comes with the dehydrator. If you don’t have those, you can use parchment paper (I don’t recommend wax paper because the batter will stick).
- Flatten each “ball” with an item that has a flat bottom (I used a beaker). Have a bowl of water set aside so you can dip your flattening tool in it between each flattening process. This way the cracker won’t stick.
- Sprinkle extra sesame seeds on top and with a light hand, press down on each one just to embed the seeds.
- Option: You can also just spread the batter out on the teflex sheet and score it into cracker shapes.
- Dehydrate at 115 for 1 hour then reduce to 105 for two hours; flip and place on mesh screen with a 2nd screen on top to prevent curling; dehydrate for 5-6 more hours until crisp but not brittle.
This is my 1 Tbsp sized cookie scoop. This volume makes a perfect cracker size.
Here I am flattening each cracker. I used a beaker because it has a flat bottom and is the perfect size which gives me uniform sizes.
Don’t forget to wet the bottom of your flattening device that you use. This prevents the dough from sticking.
Sprinkle extra sesame seeds on top. You could also sprinkle flax seeds on it as well since that is part of the ingredient profile already.
Gently press the seeds down a bit. It’s a fast and quick motion.
You can contact these companies for information to help you decided whether you want to add buckwheat to your gluten-free diet.
- Arrowhead Mills, POB 2059, Hereford, TX 79065. Or call 806-364-0730.
- The Birkett Mills, POB 440, Penn Yan, NY 14527. Or call 315-536-3311
- Bouchard Family Farms, RR2, Box 2690, West Kent, ME 800-239-3237
- Minn-Dak Growers, Hwy 81 N, POB 13276, Grand Forks, ND 58208. Or call 701-746-7453 New York, NY
Posted on Saturday, January 28th, 2012 at 12:27 pm. Filed under: Crackers Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan RSS 2.0 feed.
hi – those look amazing!!!! ….before i make them, can you tell me if they have any “cauliflower” flavor? I love cauliflower, but only when it’s steamed or roasted (i am not 100% raw:) and do not like the “mashed potato” made with raw cauliflower. can you give a hint as to what the crackers taste like? thanks so much, this looks like an awesome recipe! i wonder if it can be made with zucchini also? thanks!!!!!!
Sarah,
To me there is an after lingering flavor of cauliflower. Not strong but it is there. You could use zucchini instead, the texture would be a tad different I would imagine because there is a lot more water in zucchini than cauliflower. If you give it a try, let me know!
They look so yummy Amie-Sue! And I bet they are! :)
Perfect snack with some guacamole! mhhhh
Oh you bet it would Jana.
I can’t wait to try these! This week I’m pulling out my dehydrator and I’ll let you know how it goes.
Please do!
Just decided that I have to make them for this coming saturday. I’m having guests over, and one of them is allergic to nuts, so these are perfect!
I’ll let you know how they’ve turned out. ;)
Wonderful Jana. It gets tricky these days with all the food allergies, likes and dislikes, doesn’t it? :P I hope they are well received. Many blessings to you!
Hi Amie Sue
So they just came out of dehydrator, making the house smell soooo good! I like the mild cauliflower taste, and how they look, the colour, with the black sesam seeds. I think they taste best with some raw cheese, or a dip. I really hope my guests will like them too. I will bring some of these to my aunt. She is a picky eater and most of the time she looks a bit strange at the food I am eating….:( but she loves cauliflower, so maybe she will like them.
I have the same thingy to make the portions, and I used a glass to flaten them, but the dough keept sticking on it… I was in a rush, so I just used my hands. However, they look not as beautiful as yours but still not bad.
Yes, it does get tricky with food allergies, esspecially when it comes to be sensitive to nuts, and preparing raw food treats. But I did found some nice things to make for my guest which are nut free.
Have a nice day,
Jana
Hello Jana,
Yes, this is a good cracker to use a vehicle to a tasty spread, which I welcome from time to time. I love a strong flavored cracker but sometimes you don’t want it to steal the show. Know what I mean?
When the dough keeps sticking, I mentioned to dip the vessel or even your fingers in water between flattenings (my word for the day)… that really helps.
I hope your aunt enjoys them. Since she might wrinkle her nose at the mere thought of them, being raw and cauliflower and all, maybe try not presenting them in such a way. Just serve them with dips / spreads and let her try them on her own accord without having time to say “yuk” before she even takes a bite. I am so use to this and have learned a valuable lesson in how I present healthier foods.
Have a great day! amie sue
If one does not have a dehydrator, can the oven be used on a very low temperature instead?
Good evening Bonie,
I am sure that would work, but I personally haven’t tried it. I would recommend putting the oven on the lowest temp possible and then keep the door slightly cracked. AND keep a very watchful eye on it. If you give it a try please keep me posted. :)
WOW! You continue to impress me! These are the best raw crackers I have ever had! Thank you so much for posting!
Dear Carley, thank you for sharing. :) I am thrilled that you have found a new cracker that you enjoy! I think these are pretty too. Have a great evening, amie sue
I don’t like buckwheat. Could I use almond meal instead?
Ben, almond meal should work ok in its place. I haven’t tried it myself. amie sue
Thank you so much Amie Sue for this site!!!
I just discovered it yesterday and I already started some of the recipes (the honey oat bread and the wasabi crackers).
I did not taste these crackers yet but I am SURE they are the best raw crackers I ever tried:). I will have them ready probably tomorrow.
Hello Daniela…
I love that you have a great attitude and love them already before tasting them. hehe But please do keep me posted once they are done as to what you think. :) Have a great day! amie sue
Well, as I expected the cauliflower are the best I tried so far because they don’t have the consistency/fat of the flax cracker (this is what I had before… in different flavours). I have them today with some delicious pate. I LOVE the taste of the bread. I am thinking about a different shape next time so that the slices are bigger so I can use with raw burgers :)
That is terrific Daniela. I am glad that you enjoyed them. :) I appreciate you sharing your experience with me. Have a wonderful day, amie sue