I haven’t previously cooked a lot with chia seeds.  Sure, I put them in muesli, and bread, but I haven’t really got into making breakfasts and desserts using their amazing mucilaginous qualities (great word that!)

nori sheets

toasted until crisp

Enter these crackers.  I was after something yummy with a bit of crunch that would meet the requirements of school, scouts etc regarding allergies…and boy do these fit the bill!

mix seeds together

add oats, flour and toasted nori

stir in water

Firstly they are vegan, egg-free and dairy-free, and could easily be gluten-free too if you substitute gluten-free flour for the small amount of wholemeal flour in them.  More importantly, they’re absolutely delicious – crisp, tasting of toasted seeds with a touch of the sea, and fantastic with dips, cheese, or by themselves.

pat out thinly

roll partly cooked mixture thinner

mark into squares with knife or pizza cutter

The initial mixture looks like an unattractive runny gruel, and doesn’t seem like it will ever be remotely spreadable; but after 20-30 minutes of the chia seeds doing their thing, it becomes a sticky dough that, with a bit of coaxing, spreads into a thin sheet.  After a bit of cooking and another roll to make them even thinner, they bake into crisp, amazingly thin morsels.

If you’ve never cooked with chia before you really must give these a try, and if you have, you don’t need me to convince you!  I should also add, that apart from the chia, you could really use what ever seeds you like, and I’m also planning to try a batch without the nori and adding garlic powder and herbs for an Italian style cracker.

Seaweed seeded crackers

Adapted from a Nyoutritious cracker recipe

• 75g (1/2 c) chia seed
• 75g (1/2 c) sunflower seed
• 35g (1/4 c) sesame seed
• 45g (1/4 c) buckwheat
• 2 Tbs linseed
• 50g (1/2 c) rolled oats
• 60g (~1/2 c) wholemeal flour
• 2 cups water
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 sheet nori seaweed or 2 Tbs nori flakes

Preheat oven to 150C.  If using a nori sheet, toast until crisp by holding over stovetop gas flame or electric element with tongs.  Once cool, crumble into small pieces.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  The mixture will be very runny, soupy even!.  Leave mixture for 20-30 minutes until most liquid is absorbed and it forms a thick paste.

Pour half batter onto a large baking paper lined tray (mine is 30 x 44 cm).  Using the back of a spoon spread out roughly, and then wet your hands and gently pat out as thinly as you can.  Don’t try to get as thin as the pictures above – that comes next!

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a rolling pin to carefully roll thinner.  It should spread to nearly cover the tray, and be not much thicker than the largest seeds.  Use a knife or pizza wheel to score into whatever shapes you like – squares or diamonds are easiest.  Return to the oven and bake another 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven and cool, on the paper, on a rack before breaking into pieces.  Repeat for second half of batter.

These will store in an airtight container for at least a couple of weeks.