Raw Crackers with Basil and Sun Dried Tomatoes (Gluten Free, Soy free and Oil Free)
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In addition to being raw, plant based and gluten free, these crackers are seriously delicious and healthy. Because they are made with seeds, they are a great snack for those following a nut-free diet. You can serve these with raw vegetables and dips (I like hummus or this raw basil-kale pesto) or just throw some in a bag for an easy snack on the go. I also like to serve them with a hearty soup, like this Creamy Broccoli Kale Soup.
About preparing raw foods:
Soaking nuts/seeds:
Nuts and seeds naturally contain enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid. These things prevent sprouting in nature when the environment isn’t ideal for growth. However, they also make it difficult for our bodies to break down nuts and seeds. Soaking them in water initiates the sprouting process and makes them much easier to digest. In this recipe, soaking the sunflower seeds also makes them softer and easier to blend to a smooth texture.
Dehydrating:
A raw food diet includes plant based foods that are not heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. The idea here is that cooking and heating foods destroys the natural enzymes that help our body to break down food and get the most nutrients from it. You will notice that many of my recipes suggest dehydrating for a short time at a higher temperature before reducing the temperature to 115. This initially raises the AIR temperature (not the food temperature). Early in dehydration the food is releasing a lot of moisture and this moisture prevents the food temperature from actually raising to 145. This high initial temperature reduces the total dehydrating time and also helps to prevent the food from fermenting before it is dry. There are many dehydrators available. I recommend finding one that gives you control over the temperature. I have been using my trusty Excalibur Dehydrator for over a decade and it’s always my recommendation when people ask me about dehydrators for raw foods.
If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of a raw diet, along with helpful tips, I recommend checking out this post over at Thrive Market. I’ve been ordering my pantry staples from them for a long time and they are a great resource for you if you are interested in plant based, gluten free and raw diets.
Please let me know if you try this recipe. I’d love to know how it turned out for you!
Dehydrated Crackers with Basil and Sun Dried Tomatoes
Equipment
- Dehydrator
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sunflower seeds, raw soaked
- 1 cup flax seeds
- 1 onion large, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomoatoes (not oil packed) coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Soak the raw sunflower seeds for at least 2 hours (you can soak them up to 8 hours).
- Pulse the flax seeds in a blender to grind. Place this prepared flax meal in a large bowl.
- Strain and rinse the soaked sunflower seeds. Place them in a blender along with the water, onion, garlic and salt. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the sun dried tomatoes and basil leaves to the blender mixture. Pulse the blender a few times to combine and lightly chop these new ingredients. You can blend until smooth if you wish but I like to leave visible pieces of basil and tomato to add texture ands bursts of flavor.
- Add this blended mixture to the bowl with the flax meal and stir well to combine.
- Using a rubber or silicon spatula, spread the mixture onto two lined (with nonstick liners or parchment paper) dehydrator trays. This recipe will fill two 12"X12" dehydrator trays. Spread the mixture to a thickness of approx 1/8 inch.
- Dehydrate the crackers at 145 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dehydrating crackers. Using a dull knife (ie butter knife), gently score the crackers. You can create squares, triangles or whatever your preferred shape is.
- Reduce the dehydrator to 115 degrees and dehydrate for 10 additional hours. After a few hours you will want to flip the crackers onto an unlined dehydrator tray and peel off the liner. This allows the crackers to thoroughly dry.