Easy Vegan Gourmet Crackers
Crunchy, crisp, and better than anything you can get from the store: Easy Vegan Gourmet Crackers! They are delicious and a cinch to make. These crackers are more economical than a package of bougie $7 crackers.
Plus, they look so pretty on a charcuterie board.
Charcuterie Boards
Trays of cured meats have been around for a very long time. Charcuterie is a French word that refers to cooked and cured meats such as dry-cured sausages, salamis, and ham. In medieval times, the shops that sold cured meats, also called charcuterie, could sell only pork products.
Today, charcuterie is still a term for meat that has been air-dried, cured, salted, or smoked. We’ve all picked up a salami and cheese tray, kind of a very basic charcuterie board, at the grocery store on our way to a party. These boards now include not only cured meats but also various cheeses, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and crackers.
Something good to come out of the pandemic lockdown was the rise in charcuterie board popularity. Peeps, including myself, longed for something positive, something beautiful, and something delicious. Assembling and eating a charcuterie board was the answer.
I like that they are so versatile. Planning a party? A big charcuterie board is splashy, eye-catching, and has something for everyone. Enjoying a night in by eating alone and watching the final season of The Crown? A mini charcuterie board and a cocktail add to the self-care experience.
You certainly can purchase crackers for your board, but you will pay a pretty penny. Artisanal flatbreads and gourmet crackers have risen in price because of the popularity of charcuterie boards. Thankfully, you can make your own that are just as delicious, if not more so, and considerably cheaper.
And they keep for a month!
Another fun crunchy thing to include on a charcuterie board? These.
Lessons Learned
- Allow the loaf to completely cool before wrapping it in plastic wrap and freezing. I made the mistake of wrapping it while the loaf was still warm and had to re-wrap it because of the trapped moisture.
- It is essential to freeze the loaf, so don’t skip this step! It doesn’t have to be completely frozen all the way through but about halfway is good. This helps when slicing the loaf into thin slices.
- You can play around with the dried fruit and nut mixture. Sub in what you prefer, just keep the amounts roughly the same as listed in the recipe.
Hat Tips
Many thanks to Recipe Tin Eats for the homemade gourmet crackers recipe.
Easy Vegan Gourmet Crackers
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chill Time: 3 hours or overnight
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes plus chilling
- Yield: 40 crackers 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond, coconut, or oat milk
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup raw pepitas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Move the rack to the center position. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment.
- Combine the milk, lemon juice, and brown sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, tip in the flour, whole wheat flour, soda, oats, thyme, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Whisk to combine the dry ingredients. Add the cranberries and pepitas, then toss to coat them in the flour mixture.
- Add the milk mixture to the dry mixture and stir until combined with no dry patches remaining.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-ish minutes or until a toothpick test in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Peel off the parchment and continue to cool the loaf on a wire rack. Once completely cool, wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and freeze.
- If making the crackers the same day, remove the loaf from the freezer after 2 or 3 hours. The outer edges will be slightly frozen, but the middle may not be. Freeze the loaf up to 3 months in advance if making the crackers another time,
- Preheat the oven to 250F/120C. Move the racks to the two central slots in the oven. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice the loaf very thinly using a serrated knife. You want the slices as thin as possible, around ⅛” thick. Place the slices on the prepared baking sheets side by side.
- Bake both sheets for 55 to 60 minutes, switching positions halfway through the bake time. Remove the sheet pans from the oven and allow the crackers to cool in the pans. They will continue to crisp up as they cool. Keep in an airtight bag or container at room temp for up to one month.
- If the crackers need re-crisping, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet in the oven at 350F/180C for 5 to 10 minutes or toast in a toaster oven.
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