Abundant Veggie Flax Crackers
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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~
As you scroll down to the recipe list you will find that there really isn’t one. (gasp) Crazy huh? This is one of those recipes where I didn’t measure a darn toot’n thing. There can be a slight downside to this approach…. you could possibility create a household favorite and now you don’t have measurements in order to replicate the recipe. Well, that is exactly what happened here.
I was sort of kicking myself but I decided to reframe the situation and turn it into a possible lesson. The lesson being that you can open up the fridge and pull out all those tidbits of veggies that need to get used and create a healthy, wholesome cracker.
Along with the veggies, you will want to add some soaked flax or chia seeds and sprinkle with some seasonings. My ratio goes something like this; 2 cups of flax (soaked in 2 cups of water) to one food processor full of fresh veggies. Seasoning is always different based on what we are hungry for. So this is a great time to be creative.
The items listed below will give you an idea of what I needed to tend to, but don’t limit yourself to them. And please don’t be intimated by this process. It is quite freeing and a good launching off tool in becoming a more creative chef. :) Trust me. I wouldn’t put you in a place of failure.
Think of it this way… when you make a salad, you pretty much add what you have into a bowl and have at it. Same concept when making crackers except we are going to add the flax or chia as a binder to hold it all together.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flax seeds, soaked in 2 cups water
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Onion
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
- Garlic cloves
- Apple
- Fresh Parsley
- Tomatoes
- Celery
- Salt & pepper
- Italian seasoning
Preparation:
- Soak the 2 cups of flax seeds in 2 cups of water for 30-60 minutes, or until all the liquid is well absorbed.
- Rough chop all the veggies and load up the food processor that has been fitted with an “S” blade. Use the pulse button so the blades continue to pull the veggies into the blades.
- Once everything is broken down, you can blend it as creamy as you want it or you can leave it chunky. No science to this part at all. The chunkier you leave the more pops of color it will have.
- Spread the mixture on non-stick sheets, taking it from one edge to the other. Be sure to spread it evenly so it dries evenly.
- Dehydrated at 145 degrees for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees for up to 16 hours.
- About 1/2 way through the dry time, flipped the crackers over and peel off the non-stick sheet. This will allow the air to fully circulate around the crackers and speed up the dry time.
- Dry times will always vary depending on the climate, humidity, and how thick or thin you spread the batter.
- At the flipping time, score lines into the sheet of batter to create cracker shapes.
- Once dry and cooled, snap them into cracker sizes and stored them in a zip-lock bag.
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: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan
How do you get yours so neat on the trays? mine always come out uneven and dry with holes in them! any suggestions?
Good morning Alta,
Q. How do I get them so neat on the trays, even and with no holes?
A. Some of it just takes practice of spreading the batter around. The thicker the batter the easier it is to spread it. I use an off-set spatula most of the time, which gives me good wrist motion due to the
bend of the spatula. Then I tip the spatula sideways, using the flat edge to even up the edges which allows me to square it up. If your batter is to thin/runny, it is harder to control the edges of it. I have
also found that adding veggie pulp and/or ground flax seeds to the batter will help to give it body. All of this too should help omit the “holes” that happen during the drying process. As far as
unevenness, using the off-set spatula help with that. It is always best to spread the batter nice and even so it dries even. Otherwise you can end up with crispy edges and chew centers.
Does that help Alta? I understand your frustrations. With a few techniques and practice, I promise you it gets easier. If you have any more questions, just let me know. :)
Can i bake it in oven or only dehydrates
Good day Tina,
I haven’t baked this particular recipe before, but I would lean more on the side of dehydrating it because it is a thinner cracker. There is a link in the post where I talk about using an oven for low-heat baking. If you are asking because you don’t own a dehydrator, you can use your oven but first check out the post I wrote.
https://nouveauraw.com/reference-library/dehydrator-basics/conventional-oven-food-drying/
blessings, amie sue
Thanks, Amie-Sue, the hunt is on for an offset spatula. I’ll give it another go and with time and practice, maybe my crackers will look at beautiful as yours! You have a real flair for presentation, I love to see the photos of your recipes.
Your welcome Alta. If you look under my “store” on the ths web-site, you will see the offset spatulas that I use. You can order them through Amazon. :) I have complete faith in you!! Blessings, amie sue :)
Greetings,
I’ve been going through your website…it’s awesome I might add…and have a question about storing nuts and crackers as you mention here and there in mason/ball air tight glassware. Can you use straight from store after rinsing or does it have to be boiled like my grandmother use to do before canning peaches?
Good evening JoyAnn,
There is no need to boil the jars if you decide to use them unless there was something “weird in it”. But then I would question using it. Anyway, I suggest using glass jars to store most things in just to avoid weirdnesses in the plastic leaching out into the food. In reality, most of the raw foods that you make will be eaten fairly quick so it shouldn’t be an issue. Besides, I have a jar fetish…so I use them ALL the time. :) I hope this helps. Thank you checking out my site. I am here if you have any questions. Blessings, amie sue
Do you think you could use Chai seeds in place of Flax seeds? I love to give this a go but don’t have any flax seed on hand just chai. Thank you!
Also, do you have any recipes that I can use with my left over plup that we get when we juice? Could I use it for the with this recipe? What do you think?
Good morning Christina,
Yes, you can use chia in place of flax seeds, they work very simular. Flax crackers are an awesome way to use up the veggie pulp from juicing! That is exactly what I use it for. You can take just about any of the recipes that I have here for crackers and just add it in as an ingredient. It will change the flavor a tad from what I may have achieved but it should taste amazing regardless. You can easily use it for this recipe. Just add in the pulp and adjust spices to your liking. I offen end up freezing the pulp until I have time to use it, so that is a thought as well. Good luck and have fun! amie sue
The veggie mixture here sounds like the pulp from making green juice, right? I freeze mine.
I love your crackers and have a batch of these in the dehydrator right now!
Thank you so much for the great recipes and website.
Hello Malka,
You can use fresh or frozen veggie juice pulps for sure. :) Thank you for sharing and I hope the crackers turn out amazing for you. amie sue
Hi Amie-Sue! This is the most awesome and helpful site! I’ve TT to get my husband on the “raw wagon” for years for health reasons and you’ve really helped get us there! Thank you so much! I just stumbled on this recipe from another recipe page here and I can’t tell you how excited I am! I’ll be making this tomorrow- taking the juicing pulp out of the freezer to thaw tonight! Can you give a rough estimate of cups of veggies to flax?
Good evening Geannie,
Thank you so much for sharing this with me. It made my night. :) Just take it one recipe at time and he will come around.
Try about 2 cups and see how the batter feels. If it needs to be thickened up, just add more. You can’t go wrong. But better to start on the lessor end, being able to add more if needed. Keep me posted how it goes. Blessings, amie sue
can i use flax meal, and would it still need soaking?
Hello Karen, yes you can use flax meal. You will need to add some liquid to the recipe. The flax is used as a binder for the crackers. I hope this helps. Many blessings and Merry Christmas, amie sue
How long do you soaked the flax?
Good morning Julio,
Soak the 2 cups of flax seeds in 2 cups of water for 30-60 minutes, or until all the liquid is well absorbed.
Thanks for asking, I updated the recipe for future readers too. Blessings, amie sue
Hi!! I have a presto dehydrator that has a steady temp of 165 degrees..what would be your recommendation on drying times….I tried the blueberry Chia bars and 16 hours was bit long….
I really can’t comment Nichole since I don’t ever use those high temps. You will have to monitor the foods you are drying at those higher temps and record them so you can understand the dry time patterns. Is your goal raw? Have a great weekend. amie sue
Dear Amie Sue, I am making again these great crackers, actually this is 4th time, everybody loves them and they always turn to be so delicious and great. Thank you so much!
That is awesome Leya. So happy to hear that you are enjoying them so much. It’s great to have staples like this. :) Happy Holidays and many blessings, amie sue
What a great idea to use up veggies that might otherwise go bad! I have my first batch in the dehydrator now. Cauliflower, carrot, cucumber, onion, garlic, dill, celery and seasonings. It taste super yummy and fresh.
That’s great Shelly! I bet they will turn out great. Keep me posted and thanks for sharing. Blessings, amie sue
Amie can I bake these ??? What temp and tim would it need ???
Good afternoon Pardita,
If you look under “Culinary Explanations:” I have a link on how to use an oven instead of a dehydrator. I typically don’t bake my crackers so I haven’t tested it on this recipe. If you want to keep as close to raw as possible, follow what it says in the link. I hope that helps. amie sue
Thanks Amie 😘