Gluten Free, Vegan Rosemary Flax Seed Crackers

I never planned on being gluten free. I’m not really. I also never planned on being vegan. I’m not really vegan either. But then Lennon came along and her taste preference is always for gluten free, vegan choices. And she doesn’t just prefer, she outright denies a lot of food that has gluten and any animal products. She is a sucker for some yummy cheese every now and then and will eat eggs maybe once a week. But offer her pizza and she will refuse out right. So much so that when I put an uncooked pizza in her shopping cart at the grocery store today she forced me to take it out. I’m talking full temper tantrum I don’t want that anywhere near me style. Moments later when I put the corn in, she nodded her head yes. Goof ball.

The easy and lucky thing for me is that my best friend and Lennon’s beloved aunty is both vegan and gluten free. Together we have started tackling the somewhat daunting journey of creating delicious homemade variations of favourite foods with a gluten free, vegan twist.

These crackers are very easy to make. Once you have the gluten free flour and xanthan gum on hand as well as the flax seed as egg replacer, many recipes become easily adjusted. We used Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour and xanthan gum. Both easily found at health food stores.

You will need:

1/2 cup flax seeds (can be replaced with hemp seeds)

1 1/2 cups flour 

3/4 tsp of xanthan gum

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp margarine or vegetable shortening

1 tbsp dried rosemary or 2 inches freshly chopped rosemary (fresh is best!)

1/2 cup soy milk (I used rice milk though)

How its done:

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. In a food processor or with your hands, blend together the flax seeds, flour, baking powder, salt, margarine, and rosemary until well mixed.
3. Place in medium bowl and slowly add the milk.
4. Mix and knead together until the dough forms a ball
5. Chill dough for 15-20 minutes.
6. Divide dough into 4 even sections.
7. On wax paper or a Silpat, roll out the dough very thinly to form a rectangle.
8. Cut into desired size squares or use cookie cutters for fun.
9. Repeat with remaining dough.
10. Transfer on to lightly oiled cookie sheet or keep on Silpat and bake for 15 minutes, flip over and bake for 5 more minutes.
11. Makes around 24 - 36 crackers.

They are surprisingly easy to make and really delicious. Plus, they cost nothing compared to store bought crackers and have no preservatives or junk in them, making them an awesome snack for everyone. 

Let me know how they turned out!