Recipe: Chickpea Crackers {Vegan & Gluten Free}

Summary: Just before Christmas I was really baking up a storm! Sometimes I just get into the swing of it and I just wanted to bake all the things. I’ve had this kind of fancy cracker on my mind for a while now and Christmas seemed like a good time give them a go. I am so glad that I did because they were delicious and utterly addictive. I knew from the recipe that my family would love them and the celebration we attended on my husband side included a person who is celiac, so I made double batch straight up. I felt so fancy with my homemade crackers that look and taste just like those expensive artisanal ones near the cheese counter, but better!

These crackers are really easy to make and don’t require any fancy equipment. But like any cookie type thing, it takes a while to cycle the batches through the oven. We tried various thicknesses to see how they came out. We preferred them rolled pretty thin, so they are very crisp with a good snap. It was easier to roll them thin when working with a quarter of a batch at a time and keeping the rest of the dough in a bowl covered with a damp tea towel. They really do roll best between baking paper and it keeps the bench clean too. Chickpea flour is available in a lot of grocery stores but an Indian grocery will definitely have it. We like a pretty salty cracker but if you don’t, just omit or reduce the salt flakes in the topping. You can choose whatever toppings you’d like, I love this combo, especially the nigella seeds. My local fancy supermarket and health food store have nigella seeds or you can pick them up online.

Ingredients

• 250g chickpea (besan) flour
• 1 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp sweet paprika for colour
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup water

Toppings

• 1 tsp hemp seeds
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tsp nigella seeds
• 1 tsp dried garlic granules

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add the chickpea flour, salt, baking powder, onion powder and paprika. Mix to evenly distribute the ingredients.
2. Add the oil and most of water and stir with a wooden spoon until it becomes too hard to work.
3. Scrape off the spoon and knead the shaggy dough until everything comes together, adding any remaining water as needed.
4. Roll dough between two pieces of baking paper until the dough is very thin.
5. Remove top layer of baking paper, sprinkle with toppings and replace baking paper and press toppings into the dough.
6. Cut into desired shapes with a pizza cutter or sharp knife and place on a lined baking tray.
7. Bake at 180C for 10-13 minutes or until dry & crispy. Allow to cool on a wire rack until completely cooled. Store in an airtight container.