These Low Carb Flax and Chia Seed Keto Crackers are paleo, vegan, gluten-free, and will satisfy your craving for crunchy foods when you're on a low-carb diet. They're nutty, savory, loaded with healthy fats and fiber, and best of all, crunchy! They are worth the time it takes to bake them.
One of the first things people start to miss on a low-carb or keto diet is the crunch that you get in crackers, pretzels, toast, and all those carb-filled snack foods! With that in mind, we created these satisfying crackers with a great crunch that are perfect for dipping in guacamole, hummus, or eating on their own. These flaxseed crackers are a great low-carb, gluten-free, vegan, and Keto cracker option!
Low-Carb Cracker Ingredients
These nut-free crackers are filled mainly with seeds! This keeps them low in carbohydrates while being really flavorful and high in nutrients.
- Flax seeds - These brown or golden seeds are heart-healthy and high in fiber.
- Chia seeds - These black or white seeds are high in fiber, protein, and omega-3s (a healthy fat!)
- Sunflower seeds - Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E, folate, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin B6, iron and zinc.
- Pumpkin seeds - They provide plant-based protein, plenty of fiber, omegas 3 and 6, and important minerals including iron and zinc.
- Seasonings - Salt and za’atar, but if you don’t have za’atar, any dry herb works well! Try oregano, herbes de provence, chili lime seasoning, Italian blend, Shawarma spice mix, or Garam Masala
- This is a great way to change up the flavors each time you make these crackers!
What Are Chia Seeds?
Chia seeds are native to central and southern Mexico. They’re tiny and oval in shape with a neutral flavor that makes them perfect for recipes like this because they absorb the other flavors in the recipe! You may see white or black chia seeds, but there’s little difference between the two.
What Are Flax Benefits?
Flax (sometimes called linseed) is a flowering plant! Flax seeds are used in many different ways to add nutrients, most notably fiber, into different dishes and recipes. You can use them as simply as sprinkling them on top of oatmeal! For this recipe they’re soaked in water with chia seeds before being baked.
How to Make Keto Crackers
- First soak the flax and chia seeds in water. They will absorb the water, thicken and form a seed-based "dough"
- Add more raw seeds like pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Another good option is to add raw sesame seeds.
- Choose your favorite seasoning
- Spread the mixture evenly on the lined baking sheet and bake at low and slow for 90 minutes. Flip it over and bake for another 90 minutes.
- Let the crackers cook and enjoy!
- For even size crackers, score the dough with a knife before baking
Tips On How to Make The Best Flax Chia Seed Crakers
These crackers are pretty simple to make, but there are a few tips that will make the process a bit easier!
- Make sure you line the baking sheet with parchment paper to make flipping the crackers as easy as possible and to prevent them from sticking to the baking sheet.
- Use raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Double check any packaging to make sure they aren’t already roasted or they may burn.
- Having wet hands makes spreading the “dough” out onto the sheet a lot easier!
- Don’t try to speed this process up! It takes a full 3 hours in the oven (flipping them after 90 minutes) to get perfectly crunchy crackers, and we promise it’s worth it. You can make the dough a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator before baking.
- Your finished crackers can be kept in a cool pantry for 2-3 weeks or frozen up to 3 months.
More Cracker & Dip Recipes
- Falafel Flavored Gluten-Free Crackers
- Beet Hummus Dip
- Dried Fruit and Nut Crackers
- Vegan Queso Dip
- Homemade Hummus
- Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip
- Gluten-Free Za’atar Bagel Chips with White Bean Dip
Flax Chia Seed Keto Crackers
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 35 crackers
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Low Carb Flax and Chia Seed Crackers are Keto, paleo, vegan, gluten-free and will satisfy your craving for crunchy foods when you're on a low carb diet.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flax seeds
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- 3 tbsp za' atar (see note #1)
- 1 tbsp date syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
- Soak the flax and chia seeds in water in a large bowl for 15-20 minutes
- After the seeds have been soaked, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well
- Wet your hands and spread the mixture evenly on the lined baking sheet, pressing it it tightly
- Bake at 200F for 90 minutes. In the meantime, prepare another same size baking sheet and line it with parchment
- Remove the crackers from the oven and flip the baking sheet onto the second lined baking sheet. Peel the parchment paper from the top of the cracker dough and bake for an additional 90 minutes
- Once cooled, break it into pieces (makes approximately 35) (see note #2)
Notes
- If you don't have Za'atar you can use any dry herb you like. We suggest:
- Dried oregano
- Italian blend
- Rosemary and thyme
- Herbes de Provence
- Chili lime seasoning (adjust the salt amount if seasoning contains salt)
- Garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper
2. For even size crackers, score the dough with a knife before baking
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: snack
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: Keto
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cracker
- Calories: 34
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 70
- Fat: 2.5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 1.5
- Fiber: 1.4
- Protein: 1.8
- Cholesterol: 0
This post was originally published on April 22, 2013 - The recipe has remained the same but the post has been updated.
Tammy Evans
Please can you tell me what is za’ atar????? Where can I get that? Is there something similar in case I can't locate this? Thank you so much the crackers look fab.
Vicky & Ruth
Zaatar is a middle eastern blend of herbs and spices mainly thyme, sumac, sesame seeds etc. You can read more about it here. You can usually find zaatar in middle eastern markets, the kosher section on your supermarket or specialty gourmet stores. You can also buy it at Amazon.com
If you cannot find it near you, you can use an italian spice blend or oregano to add taste to the crackers.
Donna
Za'atar is hard to fine here,too. I make my own. this is the recipe I used.
http://www.freshbitesdaily.com/homemade-zaatar/
Sami
You can find seeds for Za'atar through Baker Creek. I was excited to find this recipe, as I just ordered seeds this year.
Vicky and Ruth
Thank you, Sami! We will have to check them out!
Dunya
You can find it in any middle eastern smaller shops. Also, it is the same as Oregano. You can plant it and ground it, and use it fresh with sesame and olive oil.
Joy
Za'tar is not the same as oregano. It is a blend of spices. I've seen several recipes. BTW, sumac, one of the ingredients, grows prolifically in many places and you can easily collect the large heads and process it yourself. It's a bit time consuming but a heck of a lot cheaper than buying it.
Vicky and Ruth
Yes, you are correct Za'tar is not the same as oregano or thyme, etc. Since not everyone has Za'tar handy I was suggesting other herbs that may work well with these crackers. It's very cool that you can make your own sumac!
The Travelling Chopsticks
I LOVE these!! A couple of weeks ago, I started a new type of diet/lifstyel called LCHF - which stands for Low Carb High Fat (it sounds odd - but it is a really interesting concept). Eitherway, sugar is out as well - and the one thing I have been missing is the CRUNCH! So I found a similar recipe to this and made it over the weekend - what a life saver! I would have never thought of making it with Zaatar - but that is genious! I am currently living in Mexico so it will be impossible for me to get this here- but my bro lives in Abu Dhabi...so I am going to ask him to buy me a whole load and he can give it to me when we meet at home in Sweden! Ha, it seems as though my family is just as mixed up as your! 😉 Love the blog by the way, you have a new follwer 🙂
Vicky & Ruth
So glad you found us. WOW! I thought out family was spread out all over the world! Now we have some competition 😉 We hear it a lot from people in low carb diets that they miss the crunch, these crackers are the perfect solution. While you get zaatar you can probably use oregano and other herbs to flavor the crackers.
Brooke Schweers
Yum what a great idea for a healthy gluten free cracker! Can't wait to try these.
Heather
The only problem I have with these is that I don't know how to stop eating them!!! I used honey instead of date syrup and my own concoction of herbs & spices. They turned out absolutely fantastic. It's so hard to find good GF recipes without a million ingredients. Will be making these often and sending the recipe to friends 🙂 Thank you!!!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you for sharing how you adapted this recipe and made it your own. We really love that!
Sarah
I just made two batches of these, one as noted above and one with chia/flax, but added 1 tbs of honey, 2 tsp of cinnamon, and 1 tsp of vanilla. I want to dip these in some homemade almond butter as a replacement for Graham Crackers!
Thanks for sharing!
Vicky & Ruth
We really like the addition on vanilla, honey and cinnamon for a sweeter cracker . Thank you for sharing your creative changes to the recipe.
blima
How long will these stay good for?
Vicky & Ruth
These should stay fresh in an airtight container for a week to 10 days.
carolyn
I have made these several times as suggested but went with a sweeter version myself this time with cinnamon and maple syrup and some currants. I also decided to substitute some ground flax for some of the flax seeds so we'll see how they turn out. I am trying to make them a little thinner too (more like "Mary's Crackers) so reduced all the ingredients a hair as well.
theresa
Okay, I'm in the middle of making these and I'm confused. I flipped them as suggested, but what to do about the parchment? My first idea was to take it off the (now) top, but it wasn't working so well. Paper sticking in some spots and then seeds sticking to paper in others. SO I just left it on and continued baking. I'd hate to waste all these yummy ingredients (not to mention the time). Is there a trick or did I miss something?
Vicky & Ruth
We are sorry, you are experiencing problems with he crackers. We never had the crackers stick to parchment paper however, we did have them stick to aluminum foil paper. That's why we switch to parchment paper. When we make this recipe we are able to take the crackers in one whole block (since bake them uncut) from the parchment paper and flip them with no problem. We are not sure what went wrong. The only thing we can think of is that maybe you spread the mixture too thin into the pan.
Denise
Maybe bake them on a silicon baking sheet?
Vicky & Ruth
Great Idea!
Myrthas Mascary
Try the next to spray parchment with a olive oil or canola or in a pinch spray with coconut oil spray may help
Heather
I had the same problem my first time making these.. if the parchment paper sticks when you flip it, spray lightly with water, let sit for a few minutes and the paper should peel right off. Because of this issue, I bought some of those silicone baking sheets and used them instead of the paper. They work perfect! Good luck!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you so much for your feedback.
Greta
Heather, I am so happy I read your comment before baking. I am in progress at the moment and to my surprise the paper got stuck!! Spraying with water helped 95%. 5% pealed off with the paper. I am so happy to rest the rest! Thanks soooo much!!
Vicky & Ruth, many thanks for sharing. Crackers are amazing (even after half time 🙂 )
Andrea
I have made these half a dozen times now and love them. The last batch I added 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and 1/2 tsp chilli powder 🙂 winner!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you so much..glad you enjoyed them! Sounds like a great addition 🙂
Leigh Doyle
Hi just made you're,chia & flaxseed crackers,for the first time,any ideas for a topping on top of them.
I don't eat dairy products,like cheese,milk,or eggs.
I do eat chicken, and salmon,though.
I can have soya products.
Many thanks
Leigh Doyle.
Vicky & Ruth
You can top the chia and flax seed crackers with some avocado and radishes, Hummus and grated carrots, almond butter and apples, mustard and your favorite protein. We hope that helps.
Leigh Doyle
Many thanks.
Leigh.
karen
Oh yeah! Hummus dip would be great!
jean Hertsted
I have made these 1/2 doz times, love them. I've tried different variations of seasonings, eat them plain, or with dips, whatever is available. I've also been passing the receipe onto to friends
Vicky & Ruth
That is awesome!! So glad you're enjoying this recipe. And thank you for sharing it! 🙂
Lisa
I would like to make these in a dehydrator, can you tell me what temperature and how long they would take?
Thanks
Vicky & Ruth
We are sorry, we are not familiar with dehydrators, so we can't really help you. Let us know how they come out, if you decide to try them.
Dan
Mine never got crispy. What did I do wrong?
How long do these last before going bad?
Vicky & Ruth
We are so sorry, maybe you spread the batter too thick? Try baking them again and see if they crisp up. The flax cracker last 2-3 weeks in an airtight container and a couple of months if you keep them in the fridge or freezer. Let us know if you need any more help.
karen
I don't "get it". The directions say:
Re: "In a large bowl, soak flax and chia seeds in water for 15-20 minutes."
How much water? One cup? Enuf to cover the seeds?
Then what?
After 20 minutes, do I drain the water & keep the seeds?
Re: "Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well."
So, am I using ANOTHER cup of water to make the crackers?
I haven't tried this recipe yet, but just reading the directions to make sure everything "adds up".
Vicky & Ruth
Hi there,
The flax and chia seeds are soaked in the (one) cup of water that is listed on the ingredient list. After 15-20 minutes, the mix will thicken, becoming almost gelatinous. That's when you add the rest of the ingredients (no need to drain or add another cup of water).
Hope this helps. Let us know if you have any more questions.
karen
OMG! These are delicious! I couldn't find Za'atar, so I just added some thyme & oregano. Yummy!
Vicky
Wow! These look amazing! I can't wait to taste them and try the texture.
Sarah
Thank you so much!!! These have saved me on my low carb diet. I use them to dip in soup and put cream cheese or almond butter on them...so GREAT!
Vicky & Ruth
So glad you are enjoying them
Deryn | running on real food
I've been trying a few chia crackers at home but nothing I've been super happy with yet! Definitely going to give these a try! I haven't been able to get them crunchy yet so I can't wait to try these out! I love the flax and sunflower in there too. Thanks!
Vicky & Ruth
These are pretty crunchy, let us know what you think when you make them.
Wilma
I can't eat corn wheat gluten eggs or dairy. I've been craving pumpkin pie flavor. Has anyone tried adding pumpkin, sweet potato or any other mashed ingredient?
Vicky & Ruth
Hi Wilma, you can probably just replace the za'atar in the recipe for pumpkin spice mix. If you add some pumpkin to it, you probably will need to let it cook a little longer. Let us know how they came out if you try them out.
Lizzie Valentine
Great recipe. I've varied it a couple of times:
- by adding 2 tbs of my home made chilli sauce,
- by adding 1/2 cup of soaked then chopped sun-dried tomatoes - I used the tomato water to pre-soak the seeds.
- by adding 1/2 cup of finely grated parmesan cheese.
Thanks for posting.
Vicky & Ruth
We really love your ideas for the Flax and Chia Seed Crackers. Thank you so much for sharing Lizzie!
Angie Fleet
Cant wait to try this! can I use ground flax seeds instead of whole ones? (never send hubby shopping lol)
Vicky & Ruth
Hahaha lesson learned!! You should be ok with ground. If the dough is too dry, add a tiny bit more water and you should be good. Hope you like them!
Angie Fleet
Also...how long will these stay crunchy in an air tight container? Thank you
Vicky & Ruth
In an air tight container about to weeks. If they start to lose the crispiness you can warm them up slightly in the oven 🙂
Jeanette
Thank you so much for a great low carb cracker! I made mine with parm cheese and Italian seasoning.I'm so excited to eat these with cheese and dips! They are so good!
Vicky & Ruth
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Sam
I tried making this. I followed the recipe even added Zatar but they tasted like paper.
Vicky & Ruth
We are so sorry that you didn't like this recipe Sam. It is one of our most successful recipes, people love these crackers. Are you sure you used parchment paper and not wax paper when baking. We are not sure why the crackers tasted like paper.
Jessica Roberts-Farina
How much water do you use for soaking the flax and Chia seeds? And do you discard any leftover water before you mix in the other ingredients? I'm totally new to making this kind of thing as I embark on a truly grain free life. Thanks!
Vicky & Ruth
Hi Jessica, you use a cup of water when soaking the flax and chia seeds. The seeds should absorb all the water. Let us know if you have
any other questions.
T. Perkins
This is a wonderful recipe! My only complaint, the first time I made them, I ate too many and got super bloated! I think my body needed to adjust to all that fiber 🙂
Instead of layering this spread across parchment on a baking sheet, I use only the parchment paper. I layer another piece of parchment across the top and flatten completely on my counter. I use my pizza spatula to lift the sheets and put them directly on the rack in the oven. The crackers are not perfectly smooth, but I like them this way. Because they cook right on the rack, I don't need to flip the mix half way through- I just leave them for 3 hours and their done.
Vicky
How long will these last??
Vicky & Ruth
In an airtight container, a week to 10 days.
Eilza Nimmich
I made this recipe and they did not dry out at all. They are gooey. Should I do something differently?
Vicky and Ruth
I am so sorry they didn't dry. It could be that you didn't spread them thin enough. I'll check the recipe to see if instructions can be more detailed
Carmelina
Great alternative to store bought crackers. And it makes itself!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you!!! So glad you liked them!! 🙂
Erica
So yummy! I used a homemade Ranch dressing mix instead of za'atar, omitted the honey and the salt. Delicious! Thank you for sharing
Vicky & Ruth
So glad you enjoyed it Erica!
Jocelyn Laue
So much flavour!! It was easy to make. The thyme goes really well with it. I used beef bone broth instead of vegetable broth. Made it with homemade almond milk. Thanks for the recipe!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you so much!
Sonia
Could I use my dehydrator to make these?
Vicky & Ruth
A dehydrator should work great!
Bradford
I used my dehydrator set at 45C for 8 hours and they came out perfect and didn't need to flip them.
I scored the mixture with a pizza cutter after about 30 mins and that worked great.
Shani
Simply the best Flax and Chia Seed Crackers
Janie
Flax and Chia Seed Crackers, simply genius!
Phil
Yummy perfection!
Lisa Joffrey
Wondering if you have any suggestions on how to store these? I made 2 batches!
Vicky & Ruth
Store in an airtight containers. Keep one on your counter, if your kitchen is not too hot and the other batch in the freezer. Let us know if you have any more questions.
Heidi
I love this recipe. I serve these crackers with everything, especially dips. I made my first batch with home made za' star and cut the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. Today I am making a second batch with commercial za' star and will keep the salt down. Also, I used honey in the first batch as I don't have date syrup. I will cut that in half.
Definitely a recipe worth keeping. I have passed it on to my brother and a number of friends.
Jennifer
Hi I am going to try this recipe out this weekend... Has anyone tried adding Nutritional Yeast to give them a cheesy taste? If so, how much did you use? Thanks.
Vicky & Ruth
Adding nutritional yeast sounds like a great idea, we would start with 1-2 tablespoons.
jennifer
I added the nutritional yeast (2 tablespoons), and they are FANTASTIC! So glad I found your recipe and that I got/tried za'atar.. Yummy. Thank you!!
Vicky & Ruth
We are so glad you found us too! Enjoy and Keep Cooking!
Rachel
Best crackers ever!!!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you!
Sandra D
Not crazy about these but I'll try them again. I used garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. I didn't add the syrup; next time I'll add some maple syrup (I won't give up). I like some of the suggestions for additions and dips, too. I'll probably half the recipe until I find one I like. It could have been because my seeds are old. We've been using the Chia seeds in our porridge everyday, and I never noticed a stale taste, but this is the first time I've used the flax seeds. The pumpkin and sunflower seeds were new 🙂
Victoria
Ok I made these and they were awfully burnt and dreadful! That’s when I realised the oven temp should be 200 fahrenheit not 200 Celsius... doh
Vicky & Ruth
Oh no! We are so sorry! We will update the recipe. If you try the recipe at the right temperature, ley us know what you think.
Jennifer E Woolard
What can I use instead of date syrup? The date syrup has a lot of carbs.
Vicky and Ruth
The date syrup is optional in this recipe. You can just skip it.
Sherman Dalen
lol....... :):):):):):):)
Emma
Hello
I made these yesterday and they were so good, but today they're not crunchy. I stored them overnight in a sealed glass jar. Any tips on keeping the crunch? Thank you
Vicky and Ruth
Hi Emma, you can put them for a couple of minutes in a toaster oven or regular oven at 250ºF, they should crunch up. Did you make sure they were completely cold when you stored them?