Cheesy Chickpea Crackers - Deliciously Addictive
8-ingredients and 8-easy steps are all it takes to create these gluten-free, crisp, cheesy crackers that are sure to satisfy any savory snack craving.
Servings: 8
Calories: 163kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Chickpea flour (aka Besan or Garbanzo bean flour)
- ½ tsp Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp extra light olive oil
- 4 tbsp water (+ / - 1-2 tbsp as needed)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese finely shredded off the block
Instructions
- In a large bowl or food processor add your chickpea flour along with your salt, pepper, garlic powder and baking powder and mix/blend until full combined.
- Add in half of your water and oil and mix until your chickpea flour absorbs all of it, being sure to break down larger clumps before adding in the rest of your oil and water and work it in until your mix develops a crumb texture.
- Sprinkle in your finely shredded cheese and work it into your chickpea mixture until fully incorporated. (A food processor does a great job for this part).
- Placed your processed crumb-textured mixture onto a clean work surface and work the mixture by squeezing it together until a dough forms. Your dough should be soft and workable but not sticky or tacky. If it is excessively crumbly or is having trouble forming together, add more water a tbsp at a time.
- Shape your dough into a ball or disc and wrap in parchment or plastic and chill for 15 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- Roll your dough out in one of two ways: 1. Rolling Pin Method: Place your dough onto a piece of parchment paper and roll it out into a rectangle that is about 1/16" thick using a rolling pin. Cut your dough into 24 pieces and either peel off your cracker pieces and place them onto a lightly oiled baking tray or slide the entire sheet of parchment onto a baking tray. Note: If your dough starts to crumble or sticks and tears off chunks onto your rolling pin then it is too dry. Add ½ tbsp more water at a time to the dough until the texture is smooth and workable. 2. Press Method: Divide your dough into 8 and roll each piece into a ball. Place your dough ball between two pieces of parchment paper and using either a tortilla press or even a flat, heavy plate or skillet, press your dough into a 1/16" thick round. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut your flattened dough into six. Place each piece onto a lightly oiled baking tray. Repeat for remaining 7 balls of dough until you have a total of 48 cracker pieces. Your dough's texture is ideal when it can be peeled away from the parchment without crumbling or breaking or sticking to the paper or your hands. It should be soft and pliable but not tacky.
- Bake your crackers in your preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until they begin to brown around the edges. If they look too pale you can continue to bake them for 2-3 minutes more but do keep an eye on them to ensure that they don't burn.
- Optional: Add a sprinkle or crack of coarse or flaked salt over the tops of your crackers as they come out the oven (or even before you bake them if you prefer).Let your crackers cool completely on the tray and enjoy!
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
Video
Notes
- Avoid using pre-shredded packaged cheese as it contains cellulose which will affect the dryness and texture of your crackers.
- The consistency of the dough should be soft but not wet or tacky. Your dough should not stick to either your work surface, parchment or hands and should be able to be easily peeled away and handled. Do note that things such as the temperature of your dough, kitchen, the humidity, etc will affect your dough so you may need to add more or less liquid to attain the right texture. However this dough is extremely forgiving to being adjusted. You'll know the texture is right when your dough can be rolled or pressed and the surface is smooth and soft but you can still pick up the pieces without them crumbling or falling apart.
- Using a pizza cutter is the easiest way to cut your thinly rolled dough.
- The thinner your dough, the crispier and crunchier it will be. If it is too thick your crackers will have a softer almost dense/chewy texture (think stale cracker texture) to it. If you go too thin your cracker runs the risk of burning and structurally won't be strong enough to dip or scoop.
- Do note that your crackers will puff up slightly so they will be thicker than what they were rolled out to be.
- Let your crackers cool completely after baking to determine their final hardness. If your crackers don't have the crisp texture and a great snap to them you can place them back onto the tray and bake them for a few more minutes.