Nut & Seed Crackers

Last night I tested out three and a half different types of nut and seed crackers and was pleasantly surprised by all of them. My two favorites are the Crunchy Primal Crackers from Mark's Daily Apple and the Rosemary & Sea Salt Flaxseed Crackers from I Breathe...I'm Hungry... 

Today I took some with me when my dad and I did a spectacular snowshoe hike to Kendall Peak Lakes at Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. I ate them with some chorizo, goat milk cheese, parmesan cheese and baby carrots. It was a really satisfying lunch and a great re-energizer after a long hike to the lakes. We only found one of the lakes and it was covered with snow, but the views were incredible! Surrounded on all sides by snow-frosted mountains and hillsides coated with half a foot of fresh powder.

The key to all of these recipes is to roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper, getting it AS THIN AS YOU CAN. It really does make a difference. If you roll them too thick they turn out soft and cakey instead of crisp and crunchy. The Crunchy Primal Crackers and the Sunflower Sesame Crackers still taste good even when a little thick, but the Flax Seed Rosemary Crackers definitely benefit from the thinness. 

One: Crunchy Primal Crackers - I think these are even better than real crackers. They have a really nice olive oil and sea salt taste and the dill adds great additional flavor. You can also do a lot of variations on these crackers. Add a half cup of parmesan cheese if you do dairy. Other additions could be onion or garlic powder, sesame seeds, basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme...

Two: Rosemary & Sea Salt Flaxseed Crackers - The dough for these gets really sticky and kind of messy to deal with. Try and get them SUPER thin...like wafer thin. Also, she suggests on her website that if you want them extra crispy, turn off your oven when you're done, let it cool down a little bit, and return the crackers on the cookie sheets for another hour to let them dry out more. I recommend doing this. Also, next time I make them I think I might add a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, inspired by the Crunchy Primal Crackers. 

Three: Sunflower Sesame Crackers - I could kind of take these or leave these. I added a little salt to the dough in the food processor as well as sprinkling some on top because I thought they would be too bland without. That worked for me, but I still didn't like them as much as the first two. 

Three and a half: Cinnamon Sunflower Sesame Crackers - Add a tablespoon of cinnamon to the Sunflower Sesame dough and blend in the food processor. I think I like the original version better, but it is a nice variation.

If you don't have the time to make crackers, White Lion Baking Co. makes paleo crackers from almond flour. They have four flavors: Cheddar & Sea Salt, Chili-Herb, Onion & Dill, and Rosemary & Thyme. With the exception of the Cheddar & Sea Salt, all the crackers are made with grass-fed ghee (the Cheddar & Sea Salt are made with grass-fed butter) so they should still be ok for anyone not eating dairy.