Gluten-Free Seed Crackers (Norwegian Crispbread)
Whether you call these Gluten-Free Seed Crackers or Norwegian Crispbread (Knekkebrød), these golden, crispy seed crackers are a dream, both to make and to eat! 5 different varieties of seeds come together with the help of a little water and cornstarch to create one of the best homemade gluten-free crackers you'll ever have the pleasure of eating.
And the good news is that the process for making them couldn't be easier! I'm talking no more than 10 minutes of hands-on time here. Grab ALL THE SEEDS, a bowl and a sheet pan and let's get started.
Scandinavians eat a lot of crispbread, Swedes boasting the highest consumption, closely followed by Norway. It is considered a form of bread, not just a cracker, and serve it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and as a snack in between meals. It is often made with rye flour but can also include wheat, oats or barley and/or a variety of seeds such as flax or sunflower.
Norwegian Crispbread (Knekkebrød) is often made as a hearty seed cracker that is bound together with rye flour. This recipe is quite simply a gluten-free version which substitutes corn starch for the rye flour.
Ingredients
- The stars of the show here are the seeds: Pumpkin (pepitas), sunflower, flax, sesame and chia. We've got them all!
- Cornstarch helps bind the crackers together and keep them light and crispy. In the UK, Europe and Australia, cornstarch is often sold as cornflour. Be sure to use the fine white cornflour, not yellow cornmeal or course corn flour.
- Vegetable oil (or any other neutrally-flavored oil such as Canola) helps them brown and crisp in then oven.
See recipe card for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
Variations and Substitutions
- Garlic and Herb: Add ½ teaspoon garlic powder and a teaspoon of dried rosemary or thyme to the dry mixture.
- Everything Bagel: Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons Everything Bagel seasoning over the top prior to baking in place of the sea salt.
- Arrowroot Starch: You can replace the cornstarch with arrowroot starch if you prefer. It is a 1:1 substitution with other changes needed to the recipe.
Special Equipment Needed
- Parchment paper
- 13x18 Rimmed baking sheet
- Small offset spatula (not essential but helpful)
How To Make Gluten-Free Seed Crackers (Norwegian Crispbread)
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Put all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add the boiling water and oil. Stir until well mixed. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes (it will thicken as it sits).
- Scrape the dough out onto the prepared pan. Spread into a thin layer (this is where the small offset spatula comes in handy) that reaches nearly to the edges of the parchment paper.
- Sprinkle with sea salt and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 90 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Allow the baked cracker to cool on the sheet pan until just warm. Transfer the parchment paper with the cracker on top to a wire cooling rack and let it cool completely.
- To serve, either break into randomly-sized pieces for a rustic look or use a serrated knife to cut into squares.
Expert Tips
Expert Tips- Take your time spreading the dough into a thin, even layer. This may take a few minutes so be patient. If you are having trouble, you can always dampen the spatula with water to help smooth things out.
- Score the crackers half way through the baking time for clean edges on the crackers rather than a more rustic look.
- Rotate the pan occasionally if the crispbread is browning unevenly. Oven temperatures can vary from one corner of the oven to another. Rotating the pan helps everything become evenly golden brown.
FAQs
Yes, they are vegan.
They keep well stored in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for at least a couple of weeks.
Yes! These crackers freeze very well. Simply place in a freezer bag or similar container, seal tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Make sure you are baking them for the full amount of time suggested as they need to dry out completely in the oven. If the center still feels a little soft when the baking time is up, turn off the oven and leave the door cracked open for 10-15 minutes to let the residual heat draw out remaining moisture.
If the crackers softened after storage, simply pop them back into a 300°F oven on a parchment lined baking sheet for 5-7 minutes to re-crisp them.
Cornstarch yields a lighter, shatteringly crisp texture whereas psyllium husk will create a slightly chewier cracker. I much prefer the cornstarch variation but if you want to use psyllium husk, replace the cornstarch with 1 - 1 ½ tablespoons of psyllium husk powder. The psylliium powder will absorb instantly so spread the dough onto the baking sheet immediately rather than waiting 10 minutes.
What to Serve with Seed Crackers
The options are endless! Sliced cheese and/or cured meats, herring (embrace your inner Norwegian!), hummus, goat cheese, tapenade, hard-boiled eggs, jam.....let your imagination go wild. Here are some of my favorite toppings:
- Mashed avocado, olive oil, salt, pepper flakes and a squeeze of lemon
- Creamy Egg Salad with Dill and Capers
- Tarragon Chicken Salad
- Roasted Beet Hummus
- Creamy Split Pea Hummus
- Goat cheese and Nordic Summer Herb Sauce
- Cream cheese and Apple Compote, Blueberry Cardamom Compote or Roasted Pear Compote with Cardamom, Vanilla and Ginger
- Almond butter and sliced apples
They are also quite nice alongside cozy soups and stews.
Related Recipes
Ready to try your hand at a few other Scandinavian crispbread or flatbread recipes? Give these a try:
If you tried this Seed Crackers (Norwegian Crispbread) recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Gluten-Free Seed Crackers (Norwegian Crispbread)
Ingredients
- â…“ cup sesame seeds
- ½ cup flaxseeds
- ½ cup raw pepitas pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- â…“ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ tablespoons canola oil
- ¾ cup boiling water
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275° F. Line a 13x18 rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Stir the seeds, cornstarch and salt together in a large bowl. Add the oil and boiling water. Stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- Spread the batter into a thin layer on top of the parchment paper (a small offset spatula really helps this along). Sprinkle the top with sea salt.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for about 90 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, rotating the sheet pan as necessary to encourage even browning. Once it is cool enough to handle, move the parchment paper with the cracker on top to a wire rack to cool completely. To serve, break the crispbread into pieces for a rustic look or cut into squares using a serrated knife.
Video
Notes
- Take your time spreading the dough into a thin, even layer. This may take a few minutes so be patient. If you are having trouble, you can always dampen the spatula with water to help smooth things out.
- Rotate the pan occasionally if the crispbread is browning unevenly. Oven temperatures can vary from one corner of the oven to another. Rotating the pan helps everything become evenly golden brown.
- Score the crackers half way through the baking time for clean edges on the crackers rather than a more rustic look.
- To Store: Place in a air tight container and store at room temperature for up to two weeks. Freeze for longer storage.
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your question! I've never had that happen before. I think your theory about it getting too dry is probably a good one. You could also check the expiration date on your cornstarch to make sure that it is still good. If it isn't activating properly, that could be an issue as well. Hope this helps. Please keep me posted!
Kristi
Hi! I love this recipe, have made it a few times. Most of the time it turns out perfectly, but the last two times I have made it the crackers don't hold together and it becomes more like granola. Do you know what is happening? I will say that sometimes I go off to do something else so that it is sitting for more than ten minutes before I put it in the oven. Could it be that it's getting too dry ?
Hi Kristi, I think you have a type-o in your recipe. The recipe says Cook Time 2 hours and 30 minutes. Is it supposed to be 90 minutes, which is only 1 hour and 30 minutes?
Hi Barbara,
Good catch! I made that change in the recipe. Thanks for letting me know!
Kristi
I actually cook it for the 2 1/2 hrs, but I also add in 1/2 cup of hemp hearts (lovely, slightly sweet flavor) and a 1/2 cup of flax meal, which requires the addition of more water, so that will cause the additional time.
My husband wont eat any other crackers now.
HI KRISTI,
Just wondering if there is a reason why your recipe uses cornstarch (which is a high carb) when most other seed cracker recipes do not? Can you omit the cornstarch or replace it with arrowroot powder? Thx
Hi Pauline,
No reason other than that a lot of the Scandinavian recipes I looked at for this recipe included cornstarch. I think you could use arrowroot powder! I've never tried it so I'm not sure about the ratios but I think the effect would be the same.
Kristi
ive only used arrowroot because I can't have corn and have turned out perfect each time!!! love this recipe. I've also added different seasonings to give them a little extra punch once and awhile (italian or garlic etc)
Love these crackers! I have made them twice now, the second time bringing them into work for a morning tea and now I have to share the recipe with everyone 🙂
I did make some changes based on things I had though:
- Instead of flaxseeds, I used flaxseed meal
- Instead of canola oil, I used olive oil (not just because I had it on hand but also because I love the different flavour)
- Instead of cornstarch, I used arrowroot powder
- After 30mins in the oven, I took the trays out and gently cut the crackers into squares. When the full cooking time was finished, they very easily just broke into perfect little squares with very little crumbs. Another option to this would be to maybe cook for 45mins, use cookie cutters to cut some shapes and bake with some separation between them.
- I want to experiment using some different herbs or maybe some dehydrated/ground jalepeno's for some extra kick!
Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Thanks so much for your comment, Mel! Love your substitutions and suggestions!
Kristi
That's a good idea Mel, to take out before it's real hardening. I wonder if we could do without sprinkling salt as I am on low salt diet. Sounds an excellent recipe.
I just made this for the first time last night. I used Arrowroot powder instead of the cornstarch and I'm so happy with the outcome. They are delicious and super crispy. I did used about 1.5 times the amount of arrowroot as was called for the cornstarch, because I read somewhere that it takes a little more arrowroot powder.
New favorite cracker. Will have it with some egg salad today! Enjoy 🙂
Is chia seeds a must or can you leave them out? I have everything but not chia seeds.
I haven't tried it without the chia, but I think they do gel up and help hold everything together.
Kristi
I made without chia seeds and I think they are necessary - the batter never got 'thick' as suggested, the chia must do all the work on that...if i did without chia again I would reduce the amount of water by at least 1/2 or just treat the chia as a mandatory ingredient. I also add hemp hearts (sub for 1/2 sunflower seeds) and I also sprinkled Trader Joe's Dukka on top which gives it a nice nutty/fennel flavour which I love.
Hi Lisa,
You are right! The chia seeds are the glue that hold these together. Definitely try them again with the chia!
Kristi
Been buying these at Fabrique Bakery in NYC for a long time, these are almost exactly like theirs and now I can create at home. Delicious and simple and such a healthy snack, thank you!!!
Hi Lynette,
Thanks for your comment! I'm so glad you are enjoying them!
Kristi
Sometimes my crackers come out tasting fishy. Can anyone explain why?
Hi,
It's the oil from the flaxseed oxidizing that causes the fishiness. Making sure your flaxseeds are super fresh and storing them in the freezer will help. I keep the oven temperature low in this recipe on purpose as high temps can cause the oxidation as well. I hope this helps!
Kristi
Thanks for the recipe. Will try to make tonight but need to know something. Which would you recommend to replace seed oil, butter, coconut or avocado oil?
I would probably go with avocado oil.
These crackers are wonderful and so addictive. I baked mine on a pizza stone for the first 2/3 of the baking time rotating half way, then baked the tray on the middle rack for the last 30 minutes. The crackers came out perfect. Thank you for such a terrific recipe.
I made this recipe exactly as it was described, and it turned out perfect. Delicious. I did notice browning after 1hour of oven time and I took out after 1h10. Next time will let cook slightly longer. So healthy and so yummy
So good! In order to roll the batter out, I topped it with another piece of parchment paper and used a rolling pin on top of that to get a nice even layer. Worked great. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Hi KC,
Thanks for your feedback! So glad you enjoyed the crackers!
Kristi
Hi Paula,
So glad you enjoyed the crackers! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Kristi
Absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe exactly. My new favorite cracker. Now my neighbor asked for the recipe as well. Easy to make and full of flavor.
Hi Kristi, could I use any oil to make these or is there something special about canola oil? Thanks, Katie
ps - I made your sourdough rye bread last week - delicious!
Hi Katie,
Thanks for your question! Nothing special about canola oil. You can use any oil you want in this recipe. I hope you enjoy them! Let me know how they turn out!
Kristi
Easy and spectacular. Spreadcevenly and thin, rotate pan every 30 min. I tripled recipe and addrd Everything Bagel seasoning and they turned out fantastic.
Hi Betty! Thanks for your comment! Everything Bagel seasoning sounds divine.
Kristi
Great. I will try making these soon.
Tom
Thanks so much for your recipe! I was in Norway this summer and I have been craving the knakkebrød. Nearly as close as I remember. I prefer more flaxseed, so I adjusted accordingly, but otherwise turned out fabulous. Especially good for gluten free folks too!
So glad you enjoyed them, Erika! Thanks for the comment!
Kristi
Crispy and delicious!