Rosemary Coastal Crackers
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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~
Although most of us grew up believing that crackers only came from boxes, I am here to tell you that the humble cracker can be vastly improved upon with a homemade healthy approach.
These Rosemary Coastal Crackers are a sweet and savory blend of walnuts, almonds, cranberries, and rosemary. Combined they bring you a slightly sweet, slightly salty and slightly savory cracker. I am often creating crackers that are more neutral in taste so we can pile on flavorful toppings that won’t be heavily influenced by the taste of the cracker. But this cracker… this cracker can stand alone in the flavor department.
However, I did create a special spread for this cracker because I simply just couldn’t help myself. Raw Rosemary and Cranberry “Cream Cheese” Spread! A match made in culinary heaven.
Gosh, just the other day I was sharing some childhood memories with Bob about crackers. My love for decorating and playing house started at a very young age. Even though I always had my own room, I had to make it into two rooms. I did this by turning my closets into mini bedrooms, art rooms, kitchens, and so forth. That 16 square feet
Even though I always had my own room, I had to make it into two rooms. I did this by turning my closets into mini bedrooms, art rooms, kitchens, and so forth. That 16 square feet was prime real-estate! I remember one phase that I went through, where I set it up as a tea parlor where I served myself saltine crackers soaked in water and sipped pickle juice. lol Ah, the life of a child. :)
Ingredients:
Yields 36
Almond milk sludge:
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 cup raw almonds, soaked
Cracker base:
- 1 cup dried unsweetened cranberries, diced
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts, soaked & dehydrated
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked & dehydrated
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 2 Tbsp chia seed
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 2 1/2 cups packed, moist almond pulp
- 1 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
- 6 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
Topping:
- Minced rosemary
- Chopped sunflower seeds
Preparation:
Almond milk sludge:
- After the almonds are done soaking, drain and rinse the almonds. Place in a high-powered blender.
- Add the water and blend for 30-60 seconds. Set aside.
Cracker base:
- Dice the cranberries into small bits. Don’t rely on the food processor to do this job. They will just stick to the blades and just spin around and around and around.
- In the food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, pulse together the walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax, pepper and celery salt.
- Add the almond pulp, almond milk sludge, vinegar, sweetener (of choice) and rosemary. Process into a thick batter that is almost paste-like.
- Add the cranberries and pulse a few times, just enough to mix them into the batter.
- Divide in half and spread out on two teflex sheets that come with the dehydrator. Spread to about 1/4″ thick. Square of the edges and score into preferred shapes and sizes.
- Optional but I did this… I took a meat tenderizer and stamped each cracker square.
- Sprinkle extra minced rosemary and sunflower seeds on top and gently pat into the batter.
- Add a coarse finishing salt on top.
- Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees for up to 16 hours or until dry. Keep in mind that once they cool, they crisp up some. So it a good idea to pull a cracker out every once in a while and let it cool to room temp to test it for doneness.
- Store in airtight container on the counter for 5-7 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
Culinary Explanations:
- Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)? Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
- When working with fresh ingredients it is important to taste test as you build a recipe. Learn why (here).
- Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do however truly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.
© AmieSue.com
Tags: Almond Pulp, Dairy Free, Dehydrated, Gluten Free, Nut Pulp, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, sugar free, Vegan
Hello Amy… would like to have an information… when you say about the nuts and seeds… soaked and dehydrated… I would like to know how long it take ~ in average ~ to dehydrate them in an Excalibur? As I presume that we have to avoid the nut to be still “damp” in the centre… Or… how do you know they are dry enough?
This recipe looks delicious… thank you
Amyah
Hello there Amyah,
The dry times will vary so I do not have set times. For nuts, they can take 8+ hours. For seeds, 4+ hours. You want them completely dry. What I do is take a nut out after about 8 hours and let it cool. Almonds, I can snap in my fingers and that is an indicator to me that they are done. Other, harder nuts, you can cut in half and the color should be even all the way through. Let’s take a hazelnut… if you cut it in half and the nut is white on the outer edges but tannish/yellow in the center… that indicates that the center hasn’t dried all the way through.
I hope this helps. Have a great day, amie sue
Forgot to ask… I LOVE tamari almonds… and would like to make them raw. How would you proceed? Soak them in water first for the night, then soak them again in tamari for few hours and dehydrate…. or just soak them in tamari for the night and dehydrate? Or… soak them in water for the night and just dip them in tamari and hop, in the dehydrator? I know, I should experiment but, for the moment, I don’t have much time for that, sadly… so, maybe you know :)
Good afternoon Amyah, :)
No problem… I know we all get pressed for time. I would recommend soaking them first in water for at least 8 hours. This will help draw out the phytic acids and enzyme inhibitors. Drain and rinse them. Then place the almonds and tamari in a bowl or zip-lock bag, making sure that there is enough to coat the almonds. Let them soak for 2+ hours. The longer, the richer the flavor. Remove any liquid, if there is any, after soaking and then spread out on the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator. Dry for 10 hours, then check for dryness. Store in an airtight container. I hope this helps you! Blessings, amie sue
Hello Amie-Sue! I just got an Excalibur dehydrator and was looking for suggestions on how to use the pulp leftover from juicing to make crackers or another item in the dehydrator. I didn’t see anything listed. Have you tried this, if not can you give some ideas? Thanks very much!
Good evening Alan,
Yay for the dehydrator!! I hope you get as much enjoyment out of yours as I do mine. I have made many crackers and a raw bread in the past with veggie pulp, but I don’t have the recipes on line. Often times you can replace some of the nuts or seeds in cracker recipes. Even tossing with with flax seeds and some water to activate the flax, makes for a great cracker. Just be conscience of what the flavors are of your pulp. Have fun! amie sue
Hi Amie Sue! Just made these crackers and have them dehydrating now. They smell incredible and taste even better! I have a question about the recipe…….do you make the almond sludge ahead of time or just throw the individual ingredients in the food processor with the almond pulp etc? I also want to mention that I didn’t see where you add in the cranberries after processing and while I happened to see them sitting off to the side, I just want to make sure no one leaves them out……..that would be a shame!! :) Thanks, Sandy
Hello Sandy,
Thank you posting a comment! I always enjoy the aromas that come from the dehydrator. :)
I make the almond slug first, setting it aside till I am ready to mix it into the batter. I fixed the recipe so it read better for others. Thank for asking. I also added when to add the cranberries. :) I hope you enjoy the final product! Blessings and have a great day, amie sue
I wrote about these crackers a couple of weeks ago and my comments really didn’t do them justice! I’m still enjoying them and these crackers alone or along with the rosemary and cranberry “cream cheese” are just incredible! The flavors are irresistible! Thanks Amie Sue!
Thank you Sandy. I really appreciate your comment and it just tickles me that you love them as much as we do. :) Have a wonderful weekend! amie sue
HI, Amie
I am allergic to almonds what can I use as a substitute
THanks DOT
Dot,
You can use any nut or veggie pulp instead of almonds, sunflower seeds, or you can even try shredded zucchini. Keep in mind that another other substitute will change the overall flavor and possible texture of what I created here. Have a great evening, amie sue
Hey Amie-Sue,
Question: if I don’t have almond pulp, could I use almond flour? If so, in what measurement?
Thank you!
Good day, Jacobson,
You can… just expect it to create a different texture than what I set out for. As far as a measurement… that’s a little hard to determine since the almond pulp is a by-product and in its own category. I would start with 1 cup and mix everything together to see what the texture of the dough is. Add more if the batter feels too wet. Let me know how it goes. blessings, amie sue