These delicious Seed and Kale Crackers are incredibly nutritious and even tastier than store-bought seed crackers. Pair them with cheese or a plant-based spread for a healthy afternoon snack! This recipe is vegan, paleo, and gluten free.
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I first became HOOKED on seed crackers when I picked up a box of Mary’s Gone Crackers to pair with my Whipped Butternut Squash Goat Cheese Dip. If you haven’t had them before, they’re so delicious AND super healthy!
But since they’re so tasty, I would go through a box rather quickly. I knew there had to be a way I could make something similar from scratch, so that I could whip up a batch when I ran out or couldn’t make it to the store.
Little did I know it’s so easy to make homemade seed crackers! Believe me, you’ll be kicking yourself that you didn’t try it sooner.
Of course, seed crackers are a great thing to pair with a veggie-loaded spread, but then I decided I could do you one better! Finely chopped, leafy greens would be an easy thing to add to the mix, and they’d provide a little color too. That’s how these seed and kale crackers were born.
Fun, right? And if this recipe has you craving more crunchy veggie snacks, check out the Easy Baked Parsnip Chips, Coconut Cinnamon Irish Potato Chips, and Baked Kohlrabi Chips with Shallot Yogurt Dip while you’re here.
How to Make Kale Crackers
- Mix together the seeds, kale, spices, and water in a large bowl. Let this sit for 15 minutes.
- Line a 14×17″ baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the mixture to the sheet.
- Put another piece of parchment on top, and use a rolling pin or wine bottle to roll out the mixture until it’s very thin.
- Remove the top piece of parchment and put in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and use a pizza slicer to cut individual seed and kale crackers. Carefully flip each cracker over, rotate the baking sheet, and put it back in the oven for 10 more minutes.
That’s not that intimidating, huh? But be sure to follow my expert tips below to help you with the process.
Expert Tips for Kale Crackers
- Let the seed mixture sit for at least 15 minutes before spreading it out on the baking sheet. This allows the chia seeds to gel and helps the mixture stick together.
- You need to roll the crackers to be thin enough for them to crisp up in the oven, but don’t go overboard. They should be ~1/16 of an inch thick.
- Recommended equipment: The kale needs to be very finely chopped, which can be done with a knife but it takes a long time. I highly recommend using a food processor. You can chop the kale in a matter of seconds! Also, this is the brand of parchment paper I use.
- After you flip the crackers, keep an eye on them. They may take less than 10 minutes to finish baking, and can burn/get brown quickly.
- Feel free to mix up the seasonings however you’d like. I used dried rosemary and garlic powder, but onion powder, dried chives, and dried thyme would also taste delicious.
- Store kale crackers in an airtight container in a cool, dry place or in the fridge. They lasted up to 10 days at room temp for me.
Now that you’re on your way to make a batch of these crackers, I have some fun ideas for how you can eat them! They taste great on their own, but I really enjoy them with a schmear of whipped cream cheese.
You can also serve Seed and Kale Crackers with slices of regular cheese, peanut butter, hummus, my Caramelized Onion White Bean Dip, or my Roasted Turnip Hummus. Be sure to let me know how you use them!
More Kale Recipes
- Kale Radicchio Salad with Sourdough Croutons
- Green Grapefruit Smoothie
- Carrot Ginger Kale Juice
- Sourdough Breakfast Strata with Kale
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
Seed and Kale Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely chopped kale - recommend using a food processor
- ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 14×17" baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the kale, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, chia, ground flaxseed, water, sea salt, rosemary, and garlic powder. Stir well, and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes so that the chia seeds can gel and help everything stick together.
- After 15 minutes, transfer the mixture to the lined baking sheet and put another sheet of parchment paper on top. Use a rolling pin to roll the seed mixture until it's ~1/16" thick. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and transfer the baking sheet to the middle rack of the oven. Cook for ~25 minutes, until the crackers get slightly brown around the edges.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a pizza slicer to cut into 25 crackers. Then carefully use your fingers or a fork to turn over the crackers. Put them back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes so that they firm up a bit more. Keep a close watch on them so that they don't burn.
- Let the crackers cool completely before eating. Serve with cream cheese, regular cheese, nut butter, or hummus. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a week.
Notes
- I recommend using curly kale, not lacinato (dinosaur) kale.
- Do not skip the step of letting the seed mixture sit for 15 minutes. It’s very important to let the chia and flax absorb the liquid and help the mixture stick together.
- Feel free to mix up the seasonings and sub in dried thyme or chives, onion powder, or your other favorites.
Nutrition
Enjoy this crunchy snack! – Lizzie
Jenn
Excited to make these with your purple hummus recipe! But I’m not a fan of flax… can I leave those out/is there a substitution?
Thanks!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Jenn, I’d recommend adding an extra tablespoon or two of chia seeds if you leave out the flax! Let me know how they turn out for you!
Laurie
These crackers are delicious! Thank you for the recipe! I made the recipe as is to use on the Fasting Mimicking Diet. I think I am going to add a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor and the beta glucans, and also dehyrdrate to preserve as much of the nutrients as possible.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Laurie, I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! I think they would be great with nutritional yeast. Thanks for your comment!
Laurie
So, I did make these again adding 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast and dehydrating them. They taste the same, no cheesy flavor. So sad. But the crackers retain the 5 star rating, because they are delicious, easy to make, easy to access ingredients, and so healthy! I also am a dietitian, and am always looking for easy and nutritious recipes to recommend to my clients. I will be sending them to this recipe and your site.
I am using these for a Fasting Mimicking Diet so I don’t want to add more nutritional yeast, which add calories.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Bummer that they didn’t get a cheesy flavor! But I’m glad they worked when you dehydrated them! Thanks for following up and great to hear from a fellow RD! I really appreciate you sharing my site.
Betty
Hi
I would love to make your Kale crackers but would like to dehydrate them in my Excalibur instead. I’m pretty sure it’s possible just confirming.
Looking forward to your response.
Thanks
Betty
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Betty, thanks for your comment. I have not tried to make these kale crackers in a dehydrator. I think it would work but don’t know for sure! Let me know how they turn out if you try it!
Babs
Made these this morning. Didn’t have some of the specifically named seeds, so mixed it up with finely chopped pecans, hemp seeds, etc, They’re delicious!! You really have to be careful with the timing of baking — they may not need a whole 25 minutes initially, so check on them frequently so they don’t burn. Love the incorporation of the kale, as well! Also made a large batch of hummus 😉
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Yum! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and were successful with the substitutions you made. Thanks for sharing!
Janice
do you think flax seeds would be a comparable substitute for chia seeds?
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Janice, I’m not sure if whole flax seeds would work as a substitute for chia seeds. The gelatinous texture of the chia seeds when mixed with water is key to holding the crackers together, and whole flax seeds won’t get as gelatinous as chia seeds. You could substitute more ground flax seed instead of whole ones for the chia seeds. I think that would work better.
Created4
Very tasty,thanks for sharing! Next time I need to roll it a little thinner
mentes25
love these. My entire family eats these up in an afternoon.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Awesome! That’s great to hear. They go quickly in my house too. Thanks for letting me know!
shawnee
Any suggestions how to make with almond flour added? Would love to try them!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Shawnee, I have never made them with almond flour so I’m not sure how that would work. If you try it, I’d recommend substituting almond flour for half of the chia seeds (so, 2 tablespoons chia seeds and 2 tablespoons almond flour). That may work. Let me know if you try!