Teff Seed Crackers: gluten-free

Sue Maree P -

A delicious, light and crunchy Teff seed crackers. These seed crackers are gluten-free, vegan and made with nutritious teff flour. Teff seed crackers are a thin-style cracker for snacking on by itself or with spreads, dips or cheese. Mix and match this recipe to add whatever seeds or flour you have in the house. You could also add in flax seeds, chai seeds or pumpkin seeds. This is my favourite combination. If you don't have teff, try this recipe with gluten-free oat flour, sorghum or buckwheat flour.

Easy to make and better than store-bought crackers. A perfect entertaining and festive season snack to bake and share with friends and family.  

Sesame seeds are a great source of protein and fibre. These tiny seeds are full of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

Sunflower seeds are also jam-packed with nutrients. These seeds contain zinc, iron, folate, magnesium, potassium, essential fats, and Vitamins A, B and E. They act as an anti-inflammatory and can help with blood sugar levels, and cholesterol and enable you to have a healthy heart.

Teff flour is naturally gluten-free, high in fibre and has many nutritional benefits. I have listed them below. It has a slightly nutty earthy taste and will look darker like chocolate when baked.

What is Teff?

Teff is a super tiny grain and is hailed for being the world's smallest grain. It's about the size of a poppy seed. Teff is a love grass  Eragrotis Teff that is grown for its seeds cooked whole or used as flour. Originally, it grew in East Africa thousands of years ago but is now grown in other parts of the world.

Fun Facts About Teff

  • Teff is naturally gluten-free, with a slightly earthy nutty taste.
  • Teff is high in protein, iron, fibre, vitamin B6, amino acids, zinc and magnesium.
  • Teff is easy to digest, high in protein and has more calcium than other grains.
  • Teff is very beneficial for the immune system as well as healthy bones and tissues.
  • Teff is also low fodmap and low gi (good for diabetics).

Makes = 20 pieces (depending on size)
Takes = 20 minutes
Bakes = 30 minutes
Store =  7-10 days in a sealed container

Ingredients

  • Teff flour (white or dark) – 150g (1 cup)
  • Tapioca flour, cornflour or potato flour – 4 tbs
  • Sesame seeds – 70g (1/2 cup)
  • Sunflower seeds – 20g (3 tbsp) or add more if you like
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tbs
  • Salt – 1-2 ts
  • Olive oil – 2 tbs
  • Boiling water – 170g - 200g (3/4 to 1 cup)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 170˚C fan and prepare two large baking trays.
  2. Mix all dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. Add boiling water to a jug and add in oil. Pour over dry ingredients and mix to combine. Rest for about 10-15 minutes. If the mixture looks too wet add an extra tablespoon or two of teff flour. If it looks too dry then add 1-2 tablespoons of boiling water. Then divide into 2-3 (depending on your baking tray), it is much easier to work with when divided. I have found that moisture levels change depending on the brand of flour and the temperature of my kitchen.
  3. Place one dough ball onto parchment paper and place another sheet on top. Using a rolling pin, roll until you have the dough as thin as possible. Remove the top layer of paper. Slide the cracker dough onto the baking tray. Sprinkle with flaked salt and bake for 30-40 minutes until crunchy. Rest on the baking tray until cool. Break into pieces. You could make uniform slices after baking for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to make cuts into the crackers before fully baked. My preferred method is to bake then crack this way they bake flatter and less curving.

Sue Maree P Baking Tips

  • Teff could be swapped for buckwheat flour (not tested but I'm sure it will work)
  • Feel free to mix and match your seed combination and spices.
  • Tapioca flour could be swapped out for cornflour or potato flour also I did make it with 100% teff flour but preferred adding the other flour to lighten the taste and texture.