So, you’re a cracker addict. It’s okay, I get it. We all have our vices — mines dark chocolate. I’m not here to judge, I’m here to pose a solution — a buttery, salty, crunchie one.
There’s really nothing “wrong” about a cracker. Same with dark chocolate (at least this is what I tell myself). But honestly, what’s gone wrong with food is the processing and preparation of it. We should be able to enjoy delicious foods without the guilt and we can.
The secret? Making them yourself.
That is exactly why I started this blog — to empower you. Whether I am posting a blog about life, spirituality or crackers, it’s all with the same purpose, I want to empower you to be more self reliant. Yes, crackers can do that.
With this simple recipe you will move from cracker consumer to connoisseur in no time. These crackers are incredibly simple to make, quicker than you’d expect, cost-effective and most importantly f*@king delicious.
Savory Sunflower Seed Crackers
The Benefits:
- Light and Energized– Chia seeds rich in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese. All of these nutrients help prevent hypertension, maintain ideal weight, and aid metabolism, which is what extracts energy from food.
- Strong and Youthful- Grassfed butter is one of the few sources fat soluable vitamins. Despite the bad reputation of animal products, they provide the most absorbable sources of vitamin K2, vitamin A, and vitamin D. It also comes packed with cholesterol, which is actually a powerful antioxidant and hormone builder. All of these fat soluble nutrients are the building blocks of our hormones. Without cholesterol, saturated fat and these fat soluble vitamins we would age rapidly.
- Relaxed and Calm– Sunflower seeds are a great source of magnesium. This mineral is touted for naturally relaxing the muscles and calming the nerves. It’s a crucial mineral thats used to maintain healthy blood pressure, energy production, balance calcium for strong bones and many many more bodily functions. Got a headache? Magnesium. Constipated? Magnesium. Muscle cramps? Magnesium. Basically, insufficient magnesium levels can cause all sorts of stress-related symptoms. I couldn’t advocate more the important of getting enough of this mineral. The best choices are always food sources; leafy greens, raw cacao, mackerel, avocados, millet, and of course seeds such as sunflower seeds are amongst the highest sources of magnesium. Though these crackers pack a great dosage of this wonderful mineral, it’s also wise to supplement with a quality magnesium supplement, as many farmed soils are lacking it. My favorite is CALM — it’s delicious and highly absorbable.
What you’ll need:
To make these delicious crackers only takes a few simple ingredients. I suggest buying them all in bulk as it is highly cost-effective and you can make so much for so little. These are great to have on hand to keep you from indulging on overpriced manufactured crackers that don’t have any real nutrition.
- 1 lb of raw organic sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup of organic flax seeds
- 1/4 cup of organic chia seeds
- 2 tbsp of grass-fed butter (preferably raw/cultured) *substitute with ghee for lactose and casein free option
- 1 tsp of thyme
- 1 tsp basil
- 2 gloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp REAL sea salt
To make:
- First, sprout your sunflower seeds the night before you want to bake these. To do this, simply place your sunflower seeds in a big glass bowl, add water to cover and some sea salt. Let sit on the counter overnight. In the morning, strain and rinse them.
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Let the chia and flax soak in enough water to cover them and no more. Within a few minutes they will have started to gel. Once they do, add in your sunflower seeds — you will need a rather large bowl to mix in.
- Once the seeds are all mixed together, add the seasoning.
- Melt the butter in a pan, mince the garlic and add once the butter is melted. Brown the garlic but careful not to burn.
- Once garlic is browned, strain the butter into the seed mixture. This creates a “garlic butter” that really makes the crackers pop-off like a little part in your mouth. Not to mention, you get the added health benefits of the butter!
- Once the butter is in the mix, you will need to grease a large baking sheet with butter or coconut oil. Pour the seed mixture onto the dish and spread evenly (reference the photo for an idea of what it should look like).
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the top has started to brown. Using another baking dish or cutting board, place it over the dish and flip and bake the other side.
- Once you have flipped the sheet of crackers you should have the softer side up. Use this time to cut the crackers into desired size. Then lower heat to 200 F and bake until desired crispiness.
That’s all folks! Enjoy these delicious, sugar-free, gluten-free, completely guilt-free and nourishing crackers with your favorite guac recipe or however you’d like. 🙂