Lentil Crackers Recipe (Gluten-Free & Vegan)
This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
These lentil crackers are a great gluten-free recipe that will keep you coming back for more. They're a crunchy, wholesome, and surprisingly delicious snack your whole family is sure to love.
With their rich, nutty taste, homemade lentil crackers are much more satisfying than the featherweight boxed crackers you’ll find on a gluten-free aisle at the store.
They pack a nutritional wallop as well, with lentils supplying iron, buckwheat adding trace elements like manganese, and flax seeds infusing each bite with healthy omega-3s.
Why You’ll Love These Crackers
These crackers are a favorite in our home for the following reasons and I'm sure you'll love them as well. They're
- gluten-free
- vegan
- higher fiber
- sturdy enough for dips
- customizable
- freezer-friendly
Why Make Homemade Crackers?
As with making anything else homemade, there are many reasons to make your own homemade crackers.
Healthy Ingredients: It's hard to find crackers that are as wholesome as these Lentil Crackers. Whole beans (sprouting the beans makes them more nutritious), hearty flours, and other ingredients with no preservatives or additives make these crackers a healthy snack you can feel good about serving and eating.
Control Over Ingredients: Want a completely organic cracker? Use all organic ingredients. Need a totally vegan recipe? You can do it. Avoiding grains? You can do that too.
Save Money: While time of course, is something to consider, ounce for ounce you will save money making your own homemade crackers, especially if you purchase the ingredients in bulk. Store-bought crackers, like most processed foods, are quite expensive when you look at the price per pound of the finished product.
Gram for gram, homemade crackers are a great value, and putting together the dough is not that difficult.
The lentils that form the base of these crackers are not only rich in nutrients, they take less time to prepare than other beans.
You can boil dry lentils straight out of the package or sprout them for a day or two and boost their digestibility further (make sure to de-gas the lentils though!).
I've made these homemade crackers with both un-sprouted and sprouted lentils, with similar tasting results. I like making a large batch of lentils so I can make these crackers and still have enough to make Lentil Butternut Squash Soup.
Optional Sprouting Step
The above photo is of lentils that were soaked for 12 hours in spring water, then drained and allowed to sprout in the jar for 24 hours.
Flavor Variations
Add one or a few of the following to boost and change the flavor of these crackers:
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1–2 teaspoons everything bagel seasoning
Adding some flaky salt on top before baking also tastes great.
Serving Ideas for These Lentil Crackers
These homemade lentil crackers pair well with both savory and sweet toppings.
Try serving them with:
- hummus (try this Pizza Hummus, Olive Hummus or Sesame-Free Hummus)
- guacamole (like this AIP Guacamole)
- spinach dip
- dairy-free cheese spreads like Sunflower Seed Cheese or Almond Feta
- nut butter or seed butter like Pumpkin Seed Butter or Sunflower Seed Butter
- soup
- chili
- tuna salad
- egg salad
- olive tapenade
You can also break them into pieces and use them like croutons on salads or soups.
How to Store Lentil Crackers
- If the crackers soften, re-crisp them in a low oven for a few minutes.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–6 days.
- For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 1–2 weeks.
- Freeze for up to 2 months in a sealed container or freezer bag.
Baking Surface Options
While you can use whatever nonstick baking surface you like, I typically use uncoated parchment paper for these crackers. See this post about silicone safety for more information.
Recipe Notes
- Nut-Free Variation: Substitute ½ cup organic brown or organic white rice flour for almond flour and increase coconut oil to 6 tablespoons. Bake at 325° F (160° C).
- Low-Carb Grain-Free Variation: Substitute ½ cup (packed) almond flour for the buckwheat flour. Instead of 6 tablespoons of ground flaxseed, use 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons organic ground chia seed. Reduce coconut oil to 4 tablespoons. The dough will be soft and will not need any water added. Bake at 300°F (150° C).
- De-Gas Beans: Make sure to use de-gassing methods for the lentils if you're not sprouting them.
- Sweetener Alternatives: You can use a pinch of stevia (see how to use stevia) instead of honey for a lower-carb option.
- Vegan Notes: For strictly vegan crackers, use maple syrup instead of honey or omit the sweetener entirely.
Gluten-Free Lentil Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked whole lentils
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup buckwheat flour (light or dark)
- 6 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup, or alternative)
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
- water (as needed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Puree the cooked lentils in a food processor until smooth.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the lentils, flaxseed, honey, and melted coconut oil.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, buckwheat flour, salt, and baking soda.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until a crumbly dough forms.
- Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough holds together but is not sticky.
- Cover and chill the dough for 10–15 minutes.
- Divide dough into 2 portions.
- Roll each portion between sheets of parchment paper until very thin, about 1/16 inch thick.
- Cut into squares or rounds and transfer to prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, flipping halfway through if desired, until crisp and lightly browned.
- Cool completely on the baking sheet to crisp further before storing.
Notes
- Roll Thin for Crispy Crackers: For the crispiest texture, roll the dough very thin and as evenly as possible.
- Adjust Dough as Needed: If the dough feels too crumbly, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. If it becomes sticky, dust lightly with buckwheat flour.
- Grain-Free Option: Replace the buckwheat flour with almond flour for a grain-free version. The dough will be softer and usually won’t need extra water.
- Nut-Free Option: Use brown rice flour instead of almond flour for a nut-free version.
- Flavor Ideas: Try adding garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, smoked paprika, or everything bagel seasoning.
- Storage: Store cooled crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. If they soften, crisp them again in a low oven for a few minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
These crackers would be great with either sweet or savory partnerings.
Think cheese (or vegan cheese like this sunflower seed cheese or almond feta), sesame-free hummus, homemade nut butter and jam or honey.
What would you eat these homemade crackers with?
This recipe was originally contributed by Julia of Swirls and Spice and has since been extensively updated by Adrienne at Whole New Mom with new photos, expanded notes, and revised content.
I flattened them using by using the (small) 1 Tablespoon baller of dough between two parchment papers in a Tortilla press. It makes a predictable 4 inch cracker of uniform thickness. Because of the oil, the parchment paper on one side peels off easily. Once they are baked, I put them into a food dehydrator on a low setting to finish the drying. That way I could put more crackers in the oven and keep baking. Makes about 30, 4 inch crackers.
Hi there 🙂 I just love this recipe idea. I was wondering do you think a dehydrator would work as well, it seems my oven is on the fritz and the idea of using the toaster oven to make these little lovelies just seems to much to tackle. Any idea of dehydrator success?
Fantastic article by the way, I do love your style.
Kristi Linebaugh
I think it should work just fine – we used to do flatbread / cracker type things in the dehydrator. It’s been awhile. Thanks for the kind words. It was a guest post, however (not my writing–this is Adrienne responding), but I appreciate it just the same.
Hi there, I really like the combination of ingredients in your recipes. Your Buckwheat pancakes are great in texture and flavour. So thankyou! My daughter is highly reactive to rice and almonds. If i make a nut/rice version of these crackers could I just substitute the almond flour for more buckwheat flour and still keep the same amount of wet ingredients. Thank you in advance for your advice.
Hi there – I think it should work but just watch the moisture level and add or subtract more if needed. Thanks for the compliment – we just made the buckwheat pancakes yesterday!
I do beg your pardon! I put my glasses on and found the ground flaxseed in the recipe!
In the no-grain option you mention cutting back from 6 Tbsp ground Flaxseed to 3 Tbsp Flaxseed but no where in the recipe do I see the use of ground Flaxseed. Can you clarify?
Cheers,
The name of this recipe needs to change or Stevia/Maple syrup should replace Honey altogether as the sweetening agent. I know it;s kind of knit-picky but honey is just not vegan.
Hi Grace. I’m glad you mentioned this, but not glad that I can’t find a fabulous article on why honey is vegan that I read years ago. There is another one out there but it’s loaded with foul language so not sharing that :).
Anyhow, it seems that the concern is that many bees aren’t being treated right, correct? I wish I could remember the thinking in that other article. Sad that I can’t. But aren’t bees involved in pollinating so many plants? So to say that honey isn’t vegan would mean that vegans shouldn’t eat any plants that bees pollinated, correct? Perhaps that is the argument that I read, but I don’t recall at this point. Let me know what you think.
Hi Adrienne,
You definitely have an understandable point, but it is my belief that vegans only eat plants, which I’m sure is quite a common consensus among vegans. I do know people who are vegan except for the consumption of honey, but every one of them acknowledges that honey is not vegan. It just simply isn’t. As a 15 year vegan and vegan cafe owner, I feel our opinion on this is very well informed. That being said, however, we do not judge those who choose to make different choices from us.
I appreciate your input and concerns. I so wish I could find that other article. Oh well. I wonder what happened to it? Take care.
This is my third time following the low carb grain free version all the attempts I used sprouted buckwheat groats rather than buckwheat flour used more chia and added sunflower and pumkin seeds and they came out delicious when adding raw garlic and spices, only issue i have had is the legnth of time in oven the batter is amazingly easy to work with however it took very long time to dry at 300 degrees about 40 minuets causing them to burn slightly. Today I took out the hot spices and left them in 265 degree oven for 70 minuets did not burn but are a bit more bitter when eaten on their own. I wonder if I got dehydrator whether I would avoid the bitterness. Thankyou for sharing! Buckwheat is my new love I have been making gluten free grain free with the base of raw fermented buckwheat groats which has the most amazing texture, surprised no one is marketing it as it is far superior to most gluten free breads that rely on grains and or eggs or gums. So wonderful a world of possibilties THANKYOU
So glad you liked them! I have these on my site too: https://wholenewmom.com/recipes/gluten-free-wraps-buckwheat-galettes-buckwheat-pancakes-vegan/ Enjoy! Oh, and this too: https://wholenewmom.com/recipes/gluten-free-granola-buckwheat-cereal-buckwheat-granola/
These are pretty good! Used coconut “flour” (actually just blended up some grated dried coconut until it was like flour texture) instead of the almond/rice flour as I had neither. Delish!
Great to hear!!
Hi
Do I need to cook the lentils at all after sprouting or are they good to go?
Hi there. The recipe says to use cooked lentils. Thanks and hope you enjoy them!
Thanks for this great recipe! I’m planning to try a variation of it this week.
So hope you like it!