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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!
Easy High Protein Crackers
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.
Recipe Benefits
- High protein (7 grams per serving)
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Grain-free
- High in fiber (3.2 grams per serving)
- Easy to make
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- chickpea flour (also called garbanzo bean flour or besan)
- nutritional yeast flakes
- natural cane sugar (see recipe card notes for options)
- salt
- neutral vegetable oil (e.g., avocado oil, safflower oil, melted coconut oil, olive oil)
- warm water
- Dijon mustard
- Optional: large grain sea salt for topping
Step by Step Instructions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
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.
In case you were wondering, yes, the crackers are also great for dunking into spreads and dips!
Flavor Additions
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 🙂
FAQ
How should I store the crackers> Store the crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 6 months.
Can I use other varieties of mustard? Yes. Other varieties of mustard, such as yellow mustard or hot mustard, can be used in place of the Dijon mustard. If you are strictly vegan, be sure to check the label of the Dijon mustard to make sure it is vegan.
What can I substitute for the natural cane sugar? You can omit the sugar if needed, or use an equal amount of the sweetener of your choice (e.g., maple syrup, brown sugar, coconut sugar, agave nectar). I added the sugar to create a balanced flavor, but it is not essential for the recipe to work.
Happy baking!
Related Recipes
Cheese-y Chickpea Flour Crackers (Vegan, Grain-free, High protein)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups chickpea flour, sifted, if lumpy, plus more for dusting
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1.5 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 (180C). 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
Nutrition
How can I replace the nutritional yeast with actual cheese?
Hi Lily,
What kind of cheese were you thinking of using? The easiest would be a drier, finely grated cheese, such as Parmesan–you could add an equal amount of the grated Parmesan cheese. Cheers 🙂
These crackers are beyond delicious. I used coconut sugar as the sweetener and added 1 tsp of dried rosemary to the dry ingredents which I processed in my vitamix first. That way all of the dry ingredients were full blended and tbe rosemary was fully broken down into a powder.
I needed 5 TB of warm water to achieve the proper consistency. I weighed the flour and used 240g. I used virgin olive oil. The dough was very easy to work with.
We ate half the batch or shall I say ‘inhaled it’ soon after baking them. These are addictive, much like potato chips (except that these crackers are far better). I will be making these again and again.
Thank you so much for the recipe!
I am so glad you love the recipe, Cathy! We tend to inhale them, too, soon after they emerge from the oven 😂 Enjoy!
They look delish! Got some out of date chickpea flour so will use this to make those crackers tomorrow. Love the look of the dip on one of the images – how did you make this? xx
Hi Inken! I’m so glad you are going to give the crackers a try— they are worth the effort, which is still minimal 😊 It’s been a while since that post, but I know that the dip was one of many renditions of an easy eggplant dip I make. Here is a Thai version on my site. I think the version in the photo is a version I make with Mediterranean herbs. You can follow the Thai recipe but do the following: 1. use plain non diary milk in place of coconut milk, 2. Use 1.5 teaspoons herbed de Provence or Italian herb seasoning in pace of the curry paste, and 3. Use lemon instead of lime. As I type this, I realize I should put this version on my site 😆 Enjoy! Here is the link to the dip recipe: Eggplant Dip
These are family favorites! I can barely keep up with my family’s demand for them 😆 I typically add a lots of seeds (poppy,sesame, smites caraway or fennel) for extra crunch, protein and flavor, along with a smidge of onion powder and garlic powder. Thanks for such a great healthy easy cracker recipe!
I love seeded crackers and breads, Fiona, so that sounds wonderful 🙂 So glad these are a hit with your family!
Sorry Stephanie, there seems to have been a glitch. Thank you for alerting me, the recipe should show now 🙂
Hello from NYC,
Can the nutritional yeast be substituted for baking powder or baking soda?
🙂
Hi Judith,
Greetings back, from East Texas :). Alas, no. The yeast here (nutritional yeast) is a flavoring, not a leavener. It adds the cheesey, umami flavor, and protein, to the crackers (without cheese). You can make the crackers without the yeast (add an extra tablespoon or two of chickpea flour). The crackers will not hav3 a cheesey flavor, but you can add other flavors that you like (for example, some dried herbs, like rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, spices, or sesame seeds).
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.
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Jade! Thanks so much for sharing your tips and insights, too, so helpful 🙂
Hi! Great recipe! Can you make them in a food dehydrator instead of baking them?
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.
Please do some research on ingesting raw chickpea flour, which is what you would be doing if you did these in the dehydrator… If memory serves, it’s not recommended… Toasting the chickpea flour in a dry skillet might be enough “ cooking” to make it OK but please do the research.
Hi Marie!
I do not own a food dehydrator, nor do I have recipes on my site for a food dehydrator. If individuals are interested in using dehydrators to make any of the recipes here (I am guessing you are responding to a question in another comment for this recipe), then yes, they should do their research. Cheers.
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?
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!
@Camilla,
Okay thank you for responding. I will give one of these a try.
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.
Yay! So glad both you and your little one like them ????
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.
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 🙂
Just made these today for my mother who needs low salt crackers. I am ready to make them again! They are delicious, and require ingredients I always have on hand. I used stone ground mustard because it’s what I had, and I needed a little more water to get the dough the right consistency to roll them thin. I went light on the salt and used Himalayan pink salt. I’ll need more practice but I’m happy to eat my practice work. Thank you!!!
Ooh, yum, Christine! I have a minor mustard obsession, so I love that you used stone ground mustard for these. How wonderful that you made these for your Mom! I am so glad that you like them.
@Camilla, on my 4th batch today! (Yes, I’m obsessed). I totally love these. I finally decided today to go with 1/4c water from the get-go and it’s been a game changer for me. The dough rolls out right the first time with no adjustments. I’m also using a pinch of monk fruit powder instead of sugar (I am zero sugar). I will have to start doubling my batches ????. Thanks again for this amazing but simple recipe!
Wow, I am so impressed, Christine!!! You are so welcome, I am thrilled that you love the recipe!
This is the best recipe! Thank you so much. I have dearly missed Cheez-Its for over a decade now. I did roll the dough a little thinner and added salt on top before cooking. My whole family loves them too!
I am so glad you and the whole family are enjoying the crackers, Jen! I am a big cheesy- cracker fan, too 🙂
I think I’ve made more than 10 batches of these now and I’ve never even needed to use extra chickpea flour when I rolled it out. It just don’t stick at all and the dough is so amazingly easy to work with. Recently, I used this recipe to line a life-sized skull pan from Nordicware to make a huge hollow cracker skull. It came out absolutely brilliantly and I will do that again every year for Dios de los Muertos! I’m also going to try this recipe in some of my Christmas Bundt pans to make savory cracker decorations.
Hannah! Wowza, what creativity!!! I would have never ever thought of using the cracker dough like that (cracker skull!!!), that is stone cold brilliant. I am so going to follow your lead and give it a try with some of my Bundt pans.
I haven’t made these yet, but sound delicious! Is there anything I can use instead of mustard as I have a couple of fussy eaters that don’t like it. Thanks so much.
Hi Sarah! You can omit it, no need to add anything. The mustard adds to the cheese-y flavor (you do not taste mustard at all). But the crackers will still be cheese-y and delicious without it 😊
They were ROCK HARD and did not come out as fluffy as in the picture. Also tasted like cardboard. What did I do wrong?
Hi Silvia,
Oh no, so sorry the crackers did not turn out. They should definitely not be rock hard. The most likely explanation is that they were overbooked. perhaps your oven runs a little bit hot?
Hi im new to uour site but am so impressed with the recipes.being gluten free due to medical reasons I find it hard to find most foods that actually taste nice . Made and tried the crackers . Oh my god so easy and absolutely delicious. .REALLY looking forward to trying some more recipes
Thank uou so much. Xx
Hi Rosie,
Welcome! So glad that you found my site. Let me know if you have any questions or need suggestions for simple recipes to try.
These look fun. I’m avoiding oil anything I could substitute?
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!!
Hi Abby! Can you eat nut butter or seed butter? That could work to add some fat (which you want to give some crunch to the crackers) in place of the oil.
@Camilla
Hi. What amount of nut/seed butter would you recommend to use? Would it be the same amount 1/4 cup? Thanks.
Hi Irina,
Yes, I would suggest using the same amount 🙂
Love these crackers! I have referenced your recipe a lot of time and just did not follow it 100%… a fault of mine. Today I followed the great directions, and they are fantastic. Thank you
So happy you are enjoying them, Bee!
These are so good! Thank you!
These are amazing and by far the EASIEST crackers I have ever made! I’ve been adding some garlic powder and a bit more salt than called for as well.
Yippee! So glad, Jen. 😊
I used unfiltered sesame oil (the oil, not the sesame oil in the Asian food section) and wished I’d used olive oil instead.
First batch burned a bit (maybe due to sesame oil) so I adjusted the temp on the second round, and added in Penzey’s Forward spice blend,
My first round was very good but still not great. But I do love using chickpeas whenever I can and this was my very first attempt with chickpea flour. I’ll try this again with olive oil next time!
Just made these and they turned out great! I have a tortilla press so I used that to get the dough nice and thin and than used my pizza cutter to cut into triangles. They taste like Cheez-its! but better!
Fabulous, Alesha!!!
@Alesha, what a useful idea! I have a tortilla press that I will now be able to put to good use.
Holy yum sauce! These came out delicious!!!
The first round I added thyme and sea salt and the second chives and sea salt.
I used the rolling pin to lightly press the seasonings in 😀 thank you so so so much for this wonderful recipe!!!
Yippee!!! thyme and sea salt sound like perfection for the seasonings, yum!
Hi! New to this recipe and I haven’t made it yet. I love a lot of your other recipes! Regarding this one, can I bake the crackers in a dehydrator?
Thanks!
Hi Wendi! I regret to say that I have never used a dehydrator, apologies that I cannot advise on this one!
@Wendi, raw chickpea flour tastes horrible, so I am guessing you can’t!
My dough was a bit crumbly? Is it ok to add more water?
Yes, that will work!
My dough was a bit crumbly? Is it ok to add more water?
Hi Claire, yes, definitely!
These are the best crackers I´ve ever made. Thank you! I love your recipes. Love from Argentina.
Love back to you, Magali! So happy you are enjoying the crackers 🙂
Can the yeast be omitted for a plain flavour? Nutritional yeast gives our family headaches. Or would the recipe need to be adjusted?
Yes, you can definitely leave it out, Ronalee. I do not think you will need to add more chickpea flour. But since there is no gluten, it is easy to adjust along the way without a problem. So mix it up without the yeast, and if it seems to wet/tacky, add a small amount of more chickpea flour to achieve a dough that looks like my photos (irm, not dry, but also not wet). 🙂
Oof! It seems like the flour grind size will make a huge difference with these. I ordered some chickpea flour from Amazon but it looks far too large for these. My crackers ended up having the texture of granola rather than crackers (even in the thinnest of spots). To anyone reading this, if your flour is larger than what you’d normally use, definitely run it through a food processor first!
Hi Hillary,
Oh no , I am sorry these did not work out! Yikes, that does sound like some unusual chickpea flour.
Hi Camila,
Ok…just made these crackers (made the quinoa seed crackers the other day too, which were amazing), these are my new favorite cracker EVER!! I made them with fresh rosemary and sea salt and WOW….love the texture and how easy the dough rolled out. Thank you for this great website…there are many more recipes I’ll be trying!
Yay!!! So good to find healthy snacks to love, right? Rosemary & sea salt sounds like perfection to me 🙂
Made these yesterday with my 8 year old as she is recently gluten free and we are finding it hard to find yummy recipes which work. We used mustard powder instead of mustard and added some grated cheese. We had them with home made hummus which she also made. They were a huge hit and will certainly be making again. Thank you!
Joanne Taylor, I was also thinking of adding grated cheese! I’m allergic to yeast and thought cheese can give some flavor instead. Good that I came across your comment! I’m also gluten free due to a health situation and have a hard time finding yummy recipes. Thanks for the tips and hope your 8 year old is very happy with her food! 🙂
Hi. These sound delicious . Can almond flour be used in place of chickpea flour ?
Hi Linda,
I have another recipe specifically for almond flour crackers 🙂 Here it is! 2-Ingredient Almond Flour Crackers You can add some nutritional yeast for cheesey flavor (or any herbs and spices that you like) 🙂
I can’t thank you enough for your recipes…you are one of the few recipe developers that I can count on for healthy, protein-filled cooking and baking ideas. I can’t have soy, dairy or gluten due to migraines and MAOIs, and your website has been the best resource! Thank you so much for sharing all of these wonderful recipes!
Hope, you are so very welcome! I am so happy that you have found recipes here that suit your needs. I am very appreciative of your taking the time to comment!
Wow! These are the best crackers I’ve done! Such a forgiving dough! Without being able to find plain white flour these challenging days I used the plenty of chickpea flour I had and never knew what to do with it… thank you so much xx
Wow, whay a compliment, Zee! Thanks so much, and so glad you like them!
Can you make them without Mustard? Allergy…
Hi Pam,
Yes, definitely!
Can the dough be made ahead of time then refrigerated for a few hours before rolling out and baking?
Hi Mich! I think that would work well, I do not imagine there would be any problems. 🙂
Is it possible to reduce the oil? Is that what make the crackers hold together or for flavor? I am intrigued with many of your recipes.
Hi Philis,
Yes, you can reduce the oil and the cracker will still “work” (roll out, look great, hold together). But the texture will be very different the less oil you add (especially if you go below 2 tablespoons. I tried these many times. The crackers with minimal oil are tough, not crisp).
In one of the photos it says to brush off the extra flour if desired but it looks like you are brushing ON something wet or oily?
Hi Linda,
No, no oil is added, but for both the photo and the recipe, I say with a “damp” brush. So yes, to make the brush damp, you have to dip it in water. Hope that clarifies! 🙂
Can these be made without the sugar? If not, can honey be substituted?
Thank you – these look great!
Hi Pat! Yes, you can omit it or sub in the sweetener of your choice. I have added a note to the recipe to this effect. Thanks for asking, as I am sure others will have the same question. 🙂
These look delicious and you’re just awesome, aren’t you?? ??
Katie, I need to hire you as my professional confidence booster 🙂 Thank you so much, and I hope you like these!