These delicious rustic sesame oat crackers are a family favourite in our home. I make them almost daily. They’re that easy.

We snack on them, eat them with dips, spreads, nut butters and jams and use them in place of bread to accompany soups and salads. They’re simple, vegan and gluten-free when made with certified gluten free oats (or buckwheat flakes). Best of all, they’re husband and kid friendly.

My husband loves to nibble on dry baked goods, like crackers and bread sticks, and if I don’t keep something like this on hand he ends up going crazy at the supermarket and bringing home all sorts of things with less than desireable ingredients. He’s attracted by the packaging and the claims and doesn’t always stop to read the ingredients when he’s in a rush and feeling particulary hangry.

So, I created these crackers as the solution. I know exactly what’s in them and how much and I feel good about my family eating them everyday. I can also throw them together in a matter of minutes with a few simple ingredients, they rest on the counter top for 10 minutes then they go in the oven to bake while I do other things like work, clean, work on another recipe, make dinner, play with Amal etc… You get the point.

If you don’t have much time on your hands, you can still enjoy these crackers. Make 2 or 3 batches at once, and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week (if they last that long).

So, what’s in these Rustic Sesame Oat Crackers?

Oat Flour

Oat flour is just the product of ground oats. You can buy it pre ground at the supermarket or grind it yourself in a food processor or blender using whole rolled oats. The storebought variety tends to be a bit finer and more suitable for baking. For these crackers, it doesn’t make much difference. Chose the option that works best for you. If you’re strictly gluten free, be sure to use certified gluten free oats, or flour. For a more earthy flavour, you can use buckwheat flour or ground buckwheat groats/flakes, they’re always gluten free.

Quick Cooking Oats

Quick cooking oats are similar to whole or rolled oats except that they are rolled and pressed slightly thinner which makes them cook more quickly and gives them less texture. Don’t mistake these for the pouches of instant oats that contain sugar and other additives. Look for plain quick oats and if you can’t find them, you can substitute them with whole rolled oats. From a nutritional standpoint, it doesn’t make a difference and they have the same nutritional value as they are both made from whole oat groats, but the rolled oats will have more bite. Be sure to use the same amount in weight and not volume, as a volume of rolled oats will weigh a bit more than the same volume of quick cooking oats. As noted above, chose certified gluten free oats or use use buckwheat flakes to keep these crackers strictly gluten free.

Sesame Seeds

I use white sesame seeds here, but sometimes I use black sesame seeds which gives the crackers a beautiful speckeled look. If you find yourselves out of sesame seeds, or just want to change things up, feel free to use sunflower seeds. They work equally well in the batter, as they're not too big and are a delicious flavour variant. I haven’t tried this recipe with any other seeds, but I suspect it would also work well with pumpkin and flax seeds. If you try it, do leave a comment below the post as it may be helpful to other readers.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The oil is essential to giving the crackers a nice crispy texture. You could go all water if you’re avoiding oil, but you won’t get that snap. My preference here is Extra Virgin Olive Oil but you could also use avocado oil, which is neutral in flavour. It’s a bit darker though and will change the colour of the finished crackers. I wouldn’t recommend coconut oil in this case because it becomes solid at room temperature and will affect the texture of the crackers.

Whatever you do, do not use grapeseed or canola oil (or any other vegetable or seed oil for that matter) as they are rich in pro-inflammatory Omega 6 fatty acids, the same ones contained in many packaged goods made with sunflower oil.

Rustic Sesame Oat Crackers

Author Nissrine Boufawaz @ HolisticNiss.com

Time 50 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Servings n/a
Diet vegan, gluten free option
Category Snacks

Ingredients:

1 Cup (120 g) Oat Flour**
1/3 Cup (40 g) Quick Cooking Oats**
1/3 Cup (50 g) Sesame Seeds**
3/4 Tsp Fine Sea Salt
1/2 Cup (120 ml) Filtered Water
3 Tbsp (45 ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil**

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 °C
Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add water and oil to the bowl and mix until you have a sticky ball of dough
Let it rest on the counter top for 10 minutes to allow the oats to absorb the liquid fully. If you try handling it too soon, it will be too sticky. Lightly grease your hands with olive oil, pick up the dough and form into a ball, it will still be a bit sticky but it should be manageable. Place the ball of dough onto a parchment paper line baking tray and press down on it to flatten it into a disk.
Place another piece of parchment paper on top and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a large cracker, about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick.
Remove top piece of parchment paper and place in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven, carefully flip the entire cracker over directly onto the baking tray and remove the parchment paper.
Return to oven and continue baking until slightly golden around the edges, about 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking up into large pieces.
Store at room temperature for up 1 week in an airtight container.

** be sure to use certified gluten free oats if necessary and read the post above the recipe card if you have any questions about these ingredients and possible substitutions.