You’ll want to bookmark this one! This Chickpea Seed Cracker recipe is about to become your next pantry staple. These crackers are delicious, nutritious, and incredibly versatile, and they get along really well with all sorts of dips, hors d’oeuvres, and even make a great gluten free crouton sub for salads.
Nutritional Highlights
1. Protein-Packed + Satisfying Chickpea flour and seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, flax, sesame) bring a surprising amount of plant-based protein to every bite. This helps keep you full longer, supports stable energy, and makes these crackers a genuinely nourishing snack, not just something crunchy to munch on.
2. Rich in Healthy Fats for Hormone + Brain Support Pumpkin, sunflower, flax, and sesame seeds are loaded with healthy fats, including omega-3s from flax and monounsaturated fats from olive oil. These fats support hormone balance, brain health, and glowing skin… all from a cracker that tastes way too good to be this wholesome.
3. High in Fiber + Essential Micronutrients Between the chickpea flour and the whole seeds, this recipe delivers a big dose of digestive-friendly fiber along with minerals like magnesium, zinc, calcium, and iron. This combo supports gut health, steadier blood sugar, and overall metabolic balance—making these crackers a nutrient-dense upgrade to anything store-bought.
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Don’t have flax or sesame seeds? You can swap out with poppy or chia seeds. Add another tablespoon of water if you use chia seeds, they’ll absorb a little extra water.
- Switch up the spices— Skip the za’atar and add a quarter cup of nutritional yeast or everything but the bagel seasoning.
- No olive oil? You can use grapeseed or avocado oil.
Recipe Tips & FAQs
How to Get the Best Texture
- Use a heavy rolling pin – The thinner the crackers, the crispier they’ll be.
- Let the dough rest for 5 minutes before you roll it out – This allows the chickpea flour to absorb excess moisture.
- Rotate & swap baking trays halfway through baking for even browning.
Can I bake these in one large sheet and break them later?
Yes! If you prefer a more rustic look, simply bake as a single sheet and break them into pieces once cooled.
How do I know when they’re done?
They should be GBD- golden brown delicious all over and crisp to the touch. If they don’t have a legit tan, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Chickpea Seed Cracker Serving Suggestions:
On a Salad: Crumble them over this Spring Salad with Sherry Dijon Dressing for an extra crunch. I love using them as croutons.
With a Dip: Pair them with Roasted Carrot Harissa Hummus or Curry Chicken Salad.
On a Grazing Board: Serve with chevré and smoked trout or lox.
With Soups: Use as a crunchy side with this Chicken and Wild Rice Soup or lentil stew.
Storage & Shelf Life
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container and they’ll last for up to 3 months.
- Re-Crisping: If they start to soften, pop them in a 325°F oven for 5 minutes to refresh their crunch. I make these crackers all the time and I’ve literally never had to do this, but I’ll include this option just in case it’s helpful.
Pro Tip: Store crackers with a silica gel packet (like the ones found in seaweed snacks) to keep them crisp longer!
Final Thoughts
In culinary school they taught us about the concept of mis en place— which translates loosely to everything in its right place. When you’re a line cook it basically means you should always have all the ingredients you need for your station laid out and organized within reach.
But this concept can easily be adapted to a super helpful life philosophy. Identifying and naming all the different pieces of the puzzle that keep you living your best life is a solid use of your time. It’s all about being set up for success.
I say all this to tell you that these crackers are an essential piece of my life’s mis en place. They’re a versatile and nutritious part of my self care routine. See if they fit in well with yours.
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
And don’t forget to sign up for the Everyday Alchemy newsletter. You’ll get a seasonal, gluten free recipe delivered right to your inbox once a week.
Birdy’s Chickpea Seed Crackers
Special Equipment
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 3 Parchment paper sheets
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups chickpea flour
- ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- ½ cup raw flax seeds
- ½ cup raw natural, white or black sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoon za’atar seasoning
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 tsp and a pinch of sea salt
- ⅔ cup water
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325˚.
- Using a rubber spatula, mix the 1 & 1/3rd cup chickpea flour, 1/2 cup each pumpkin, sunflower, flax and sesame seeds, 3 tablespoons za’atar seasoning and 1 tablespoon kosher salt together in a bowl.
- Add 2/3rds cup water and 1/4 cup olive oil and blend until well combined with the spatula. The mixture will be a little bit wet. Let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the chickpea flour to absorb some of the extra liquid.
- While the dough is resting, prepare your pans. You’ll want 2 standard baking trays (18×13) and 3 pieces of parchment paper (18 x 13 inches). Alternatively, you can use silpats, but crackers will be thinner and crispier if you use parchment paper.
- Divide the dough roughly in half. Working with one half at a time, press the cracker dough down on a piece of parchment paper or a silpat. Then add another piece of parchment paper on top, and using a rolling pin, roll the dough as thinly as possible. It should take up almost the entire piece of parchment, you can stop rolling when you have an inch of space on all sides (f you are using a silpat, the dark border is an inch wide). Sometimes I have to pinch parts off sides that have too much dough and fill in areas that don’t have enough. I do this until I have a thin, even rectangle. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
- Bake the crackers in the oven for 12 minutes and then rotate the pans 180 degrees and swap their position in the oven, so that they bake more evenly. Bake for another 12 minutes then remove the crackers from the oven.
- At this point, once they are cool enough to handle, break the crackers into the size cracker you desire. I like mine to be about 3×3 inches big. Place the crackers back on the sheet tray, not touching, and put them back in the oven. Bake the crackers for 10 to 15 minutes, until they are golden brown all over.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool down, then store the crackers in an airtight container. They last forever, practically.
Hi, I’m Julia.
I’m a chef and wellness advocate passionate about helping others live well through nourishing food. I trained at the Culinary Institute of America and now work as a personal chef and community food advocate in Atlanta.
Want to know what inspired me to start Everyday Alchemy? Click the link icon below to read more.
My daughter and I are obsessed with these crackers we always have a bag in the car for a quick snack. They’re our go to when we’re on the move. Sometimes we get fancy with turkey, cheese, or that carrot hummus (that we love), but honestly, they’re perfect just on their own.
Thanks so much Amber, I’m so glad you and your daughter found these recipes to be kid friendly!
I never dreamed I would want to make my own crackers. Birdy’s crackers are the perfect taste and texture – absolutely delicious!
Thanks so much for checking out this recipe Liz!