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Easy, super-healthy, and cheese-y chickpea flour crackers that are high in protein (7.2 grams per serving), grain-free and vegan. Crisp, flaky and filling, you will love them!
Super-Power Crackers, Made with Chickpea Flour
Think of these as crackers with benefits.
Notably, a whopping 3.2 g of fiber and 7.2 g protein per delectable serving.
They are also:
- vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- nut-free
- seed-free
- gluten-free
- grain-free
You can call them what they are: Cheese-y Chickpea Flour Crackers!
Crackers are Actually Easy to Make!
Crackers have long been (since childhood) one of my go-to snacks, but I never made them from scratch until I began working with alternative flours. I am not sure what took me so long to give homemade crackers a go, but the exorbitant cost of “healthier” crackers–some of which leaned more cardboard than cracker in taste and texture– prompted me to get cracking with homemade crackers.
And guess what? They are really easy to make. Even if you (like me) do not favor rolling pins, crackers are very forgiving. It’s especially true with grain-free and gluten-free crackers. With the absence of gluten, doughs can be re-rolled and pinched and pressed into place without any worry of tough crackers.
How to Make Cheese-y Chickpea Flour Crackers
Ok, enough about crackers in the abstract, let’s get to these golden, addictive, cheesey crackers in particular.
Step 1: Mix the Cracker Dough
First up, the dough. It’s a one-bowl affair comprising chickpea flour, the oil of your choice, salt, a smidge of sugar, and water. To give them their eponymous “cheesey” flavor, nutritional yeast flakes and prepared mustard are also added. Stir the ingredients until you are left with a stiff, smooth dough (it should not be sticky).
Step 2: Roll the Dough
Onward to the rolling.
The key to making these crackers extra crisp and light is rolling the dough very thin. To do this, I divide the dough in half. To make the rolling easier, shape the dough half into a square-ish or rectangle-ish shape. Place it on a large piece of parchment paper that has been dusted with additional chickpea flour. I sprinkle some flour directly on top of the dough, too, to prevent sticking.
Now roll, baby, roll! Aim for a rectangle that is roughly 12×8 inches. You can pinch off dough and press it into thin or wobbly-shaped areas to achieve the rectangle shape.
Step 3: Cut the Dough
Cut the dough into rectangles (or squares, triangles, or any shape you like). I cut 40 crackers from each dough half.
If you like, brush off excess flour with a damp pastry brush, and (optional) sprinkle with a little bit of coarse salt.
Step 4: Bake the Crackers
Lift the parchment and dough onto a large baking sheet and bake in a 350F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until dry and light golden brown. Yes, these are as good as even better than they look!
Let the crackers cool completely, and then follow the same process with the remaining dough.
These crackers are completely addictive, but in the best of ways: they are very filling (in large part because of their high fiber and protein content), so unlike other chips and crackers, it is easy to stop at a single serving.
I should add, too, that they are CRAZY good with additions such as chopped fresh rosemary, smoked paprika, sesame seeds, and freshly cracked black pepper. Not all at once, though 🙂
In case you were wondering, yes, they are also great for dunking into spreads and dips!
Happy baking!
More Easy and Yummy Crackers to Make:
- 3-Ingredient Teff Crackers {vegan, gluten-free)
- 2-Ingredient Almond Flour Crackers {Keto, Vegan, Paleo}
- Almond Oat Chickpea Flour Crackers {vegan, gluten-free}
- Multi-seed Quinoa Crackers {vegan, gluten-free}
Cheese-y Chickpea Flour Crackers {grainfree, vegan, high-protein}
Easy, super-healthy, and cheese-y chickpea flour crackers that are high in protein (7.2 grams per serving), grain-free and vegan. Crisp, flaky and filling, you will love them!
Ingredients
- 2 cups chickpea flour (sifted, if lumpy), plus more for dusting
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1-1/2 teaspoons cane sugar (see notes for options)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup neutral oil (I used avocado oil)
- 4 tablespoons warm water (more, if needed)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Optional: large grain sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Set aside a large baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the oil, mustard and 4 tablespoons water, stirring until blended. The dough will seem dry at first, but keep stirring until completely blended. Add a bit more water, only if needed to combine all the dry ingredients. The dough should be smooth and stiff, but not sticky (see photos).
- Divide dough in half. Shape one half into a a rough rectangle or square and place onto a large piece of parchment paper (about the size of the baking sheet) that has been lightly dusted with chickpea flour. Using a rolling pin, roll dough very thin into about a 12-inch by 8-inch rectangle. Tear off pieces of the dough and squish them into place, as much as needed, to make a relatively even rectangle.
- Using a pizza cutter or large knife, cut the rectangle into 40 crackers. If desired, brush off any excess flour with a damp pastry brush and (optional) sprinkle with salt.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and lift parchment (with crackers) onto a cooling rack. Cool completely. Break into pieces.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
Notes
Storage: Store the crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 6 months.
Mustard: Other varieties o mustard, such as yellow mustard or hot mustard, can be used in place of the Dijon mustard.
Sugar: You can omit the sugar if needed, or use an equal amount of the sweetener of your choice. I added the sugar to create a balanced flavor, but it is not essential for the recipe to work.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size 10 crackersAmount Per Serving Calories 167Total Fat 8.5gSaturated Fat 1.3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 173.8mgCarbohydrates 14.5gFiber 3.2gSugar 2.7gProtein 7.2g
Jade
Sunday 4th of February 2024
I made these today and they turned out well. I ended up using my convection oven and baked for a total of 25 minutes. I turned the oven off and then left the crackers in the oven for about another 20-30 minutes. Then I took out to cool. They turned out very crispy. I also rolled these out on a silpat and cut with a pizza cutter before baking. No sticking. I will likely make these again, but I may add some additional spices as you suggested. FYI for anyone wondering, they are not super cheesy if you are looking for a 'cheez-it' sub, but still tasty.
Camilla
Sunday 4th of February 2024
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Jade! Thanks so much for sharing your tips and insights, too, so helpful :)
Adrienne
Wednesday 17th of January 2024
Hi! Great recipe! Can you make them in a food dehydrator instead of baking them?
Camilla
Thursday 18th of January 2024
Hi Adrienne, I know that I have seen crackers made in a food dehydrator , but Al’s, I have never used one. If you have another cracker recipe you make in the dehydrator, perhaps follow those guidelines with a few of the chickpea crackers to experiment.
Cali
Sunday 10th of December 2023
Good morning Is there anyway to make them cheesy without using nutritional yeast. Anything else you can think of to give a cheesy flavour please?
Cali
Thursday 14th of December 2023
@Camilla,
Okay thank you for responding. I will give one of these a try.
Camilla
Monday 11th of December 2023
Hi Cali! Yes! You can get umami flavor (that’s what the yeast is adding, creating the “cheesiness”) a few other ways : if you are ok with soy, replace a tablespoon of water with soy sauce or liquid aminos (cut back on salt). You can also get liquid coconut aminos that are soy free. Miso paste will also great umami. Ground dried mushrooms are a great option, too. Chickpea flour itself has an umami flavor. For any of these, be sure to add some prepared mustard (vegan Dijon or yellow). The sharpness enhances the umami flavor to create a cheese flavor. I hope this helps!
Rachel
Saturday 29th of April 2023
These are a hit with my toddler!! I baked for 15 min and it was the perfect amount of crunch yet softness for someone with only four teeth lol. I love them too.
Camilla
Tuesday 2nd of May 2023
Yay! So glad both you and your little one like them ????
Leslie
Monday 20th of February 2023
Hi, I used chickpea flour for the first time making this recipe, and I really enjoyed the crackers. They were easy to make. I made the flour from dried chickpeas in the blender and then sifted out the rough parts. I used cookie cutters to shape the crackers instead of cutting them into squares. I'm looking forward to making these crackers again and adding rosemary and pepper. Thank you for the recipe.
Camilla
Thursday 2nd of March 2023
You are so welcome, Leslie! I am so pleased that you are giving chickpea flour a try, it is one of my favorites. How clever re: using cookie cutters! I definitely need to do that. I think I need some heart-shaped crackers asap :)