As you may know, I love making crackers. I think that homemade crackers make an ordinary cheese tray or dip really pop at a party :). For us, avoiding sesame makes almost all store bought crackers off-limits, and for anyone avoiding sugar or grains, it can be even trickier. I love cracker dough because it's very hard to get it wrong. This dough is super easy, freezes beautifully, and is a blank slate when it comes to seasoning. I use some very warm wintery spices to accompany the pumpkin, but you could really make these savoury by subbing in garlic powder, hempseed, or even roasted seaweed. Whatever you like and whatever is safe for you. You could even mix the dough without seasoning, split it in to sections, and make a bunch of different flavours at once! So fun. I used almond flour, since it's a safe option for us, but you can easily sub in buckwheat or coconut flour, or really any safe gluten-free flour. Different flours will affect the texture, so keep a close eye on them as they bake and make sure you don't overcook them.
Ingredients:
1 can pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)
1 cup ground almond flour
10 tbs tapioca flour
2 tbs ground flax
1 tbs chia seeds
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (add once the dough is combined)
seasoning of choice: I use
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Combine ingredients (except your pumpkin seeds) in your food processor and pulse until a dough is formed. If your dough is wet, you can adjust the flour content to bring the dough together. It is a wetish dough, so don't go crazy. It should not, however, be sticking to the sides of the bowl, or sticking all over your hands. Add pumpkin seeds at the end so they stay semi-whole.
Turn the dough out onto the parchment lined pan. Using a second sheet of parchment, roll the dough between the two sheets as thin as you can, maybe 1/8 of an inch or so. The thinner, the crispier but watch it like a hawk during baking.
Once the dough is nice and flat, cut it into squares and then bake, about 25 mins. Remove any pieces that are becoming dark so they don't burn. For thicker crackers, increase the temperature after the initial 25 mins to about 375F and keep baking until they are crisp and golden. They continue to get crispy as they cool, so if they are a little pliable but golden brown, I would take them out.
These freeze after baking and keep in the fridge for a few days. Enjoy with your favourite safe dips, dairy-free cheeses, or a smear of sunbutter!
