American

Seeded Brown Rice Crackers

March 30, 2021
5
4 Ratings
Photo by Julia Gartland. Food stylist: Drew Aichele. Prop stylist: Sophie Strangio.
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • makes 2 large baking sheets of crackers
Author Notes

The toasty flavors and crisp texture of whole seeds combined with brown rice and oats create a truly irresistible gluten-free cracker. You won’t believe just how light yet satisfying they are until you try them for yourself. These crackers are also extremely versatile and can be made with any flavorings you like. Try adding minced rosemary, thyme, or sage; or dry spices like sumac, a generous amount of black pepper, or turmeric for a gorgeous golden hue. No matter how you make them, these crackers are a delicious vehicle for your favorite dip or spread, a great accompaniment to soup or salad; they're also the best snack simply on their own.

Once you overcome any mental blocks you may have about baking your own crackers, you’ll be making these a part of your weekly routine. In this recipe I’m including the way I cook brown rice so that the cracker dough is the right consistency, but after you get the hang of it you can try subbing in other leftover cooked grains.

This recipe is from the Cracker chapter in my latest book where you’ll find a base recipe and different variations using herbs, spices, nuts, seaweed and vegetables to change the flavor and colors of the crackers. They last well for at least three weeks but you’ll be lucky to store any for more than a day—they’re that good!

The recipe is slightly adapted from Whole Food Cooking Every Day by Amy Chaplin, with permission from Artisan Books. Copyright © 2019.
Amy Chaplin

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Seeded Brown Rice Crackers
Ingredients
  • Crackers
  • 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz  / 210g) raw unhulled sesame seeds
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 oz  / 190g) raw shelled sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup (5 oz  / 140g) raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup ( 3 1/2 oz / 100g) rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup (1 3/4 oz / 50g) chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • 2 cups (9 1/2 oz / 270g) lightly packed cooked and cooled short-grain brown rice (recipe below)
  • 3 tablespoons (1/3 oz / 10g) psyllium husks
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) melted extra-virgin coconut oil or olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) filtered water
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Brown Rice
  • 1 cup (6 oz / 170g) short grain brown rice, soaked overnight in 3 cups (720 ml) filtered water with a pinch of salt
  • 1 3/4 cups (420ml) filtered water
Directions
  1. Crackers
  2. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Have two large baking sheets ready.
  3. In a large bowl, place the sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, oats, chia seeds and flaky sea salt and stir to combine. Set aside.
  4. To the bowl of a food processor, add the cooked and cooled brown rice, psyllium husks, oil, water, and fine sea salt and blend well until the mixture is smooth and forms a ball. Transfer to the bowl with the seeds and use your hands to mix well; the dough will be sticky. Wash and dry your hands, then divide the dough in half; it should not stick heavily to your dry hands at this point, but if it does, set it aside for 10 minutes before continuing.
  5. Place a large sheet of parchment paper on your counter and crumble one half of the dough onto the parchment, forming a rectangular shape roughly 12 x 9 inches (30 x 23 cm). Cover with a second sheet of parchment and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough evenly to about ⅛- inch (3 mm) thick; use extra pressure on the center of the dough so it is no thicker than the edges.
  6. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper (save it for rolling out the remaining dough) and slide the dough, on the parchment, onto a baking sheet; the dough may tear slightly, but you can just press it back together.
  7. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until crackers are set. Remove the pan from the oven, lift up one side of the parchment, and flip the crackers over onto the baking sheet. Remove the parchment and bake for another 8 to 12 minutes, until fragrant and crisp. Set on a rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  8. Once the crackers are cool enough to handle, break into shards. (If the center of the cracker is not crisp, return that part to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes.) Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
  1. Brown Rice
  2. Drain and rinse rice and transfer to a heavy 2 quart pot with a tight fitting lid. Add water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 minutes or until all the water has absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before measuring out amount needed for crackers.
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Amy Chaplin is a two-time James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and vegetarian chef. Amy's approach to cooking is inspired by nature and the healing benefits of whole food ingredients. Her recipes have been featured in T Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Vogue, among other publications. She divides her time between Brooklyn and Upstate New York.

5 Reviews

Jane April 16, 2023
Love this recipe. A little confused by Amy’s recipe in her cookbook when using oats and rice. This clarifies.
 
Adamalia March 30, 2022
I made this recipe. Initially I was really in doubt but I go on and trust the recipe AND THE VIDEO. While I was putting the cooked rice and the seeds together I tough "it's a mess" than I started to press everything between two layers of parchment paper and magically this stay together and I obtained two tray of amazingly tasty, crumbly crackers and with mouth full I say "I will do them again!".
 
Meryl May 11, 2021
These are delicious but my crackers did not stay as whole as what I saw on the video. I had mostly crumbs and those pieces that stayed in a fairly large shape, were extremely fragile. Any suggestions of what I could do differently to ensure they stick together? Thanks
 
Janice January 19, 2022
I had the same problem. I used psyllium husk powder and was wondering if that was the issue as maybe it doesn't bind as well? I hope we both get an answer!! As you noted the flavor is great. Usually Amy's recipes are spot on .
 
Nancy April 1, 2021
These are absolutely amazing. I added a few tablespoons of poppyseeds because I love poppyseeds.