Gluten-free garlic and sourdough crackers are a delicious and healthy snack. This easy cracker recipe has instructions for a gluten-free sourdough starter recipe, too!
Cracker lover.
When my family first went gluten-free, crackers were a hard thing for me to do without. My mother had done a good job convincing me that chips weren’t a healthy snack option, so I had been a cracker lover ever since striking out on my own-ish at 18 years old. I proudly carried with me her easy whole wheat cracker recipe, and the knowledge that I could enjoy crackers and be “healthy” at the same time. But 10 years later the gluten hit me hard. And my beloved crackers (among other gluten-full favorites) had to go.
Sad story, I know. But don’t worry – I’ve found the perfect replacement.
Sour all the dough.
Now, you might not know it, but beside my love of crackers (and chocolate…) I’m a huge sourdough fan. And not just gluten-free sourdough – sourdough made with freshly ground whole wheat berries too (check out my family’s favorite challah bread)! Since the slow fermenting process of traditional sourdough helps digest the gluten in the wheat flour, even I can eat it without any negative reaction!
Before you freak out on me about celiac and gluten, these sourdough crackers are not one of those recipes. They use a totally and completely gluten-free starter, so there’s no worry for all you who aren’t sure about celiac-safety of traditional sourdough. 😉
PS: my sourdough pancakes and sourdough almond flour waffles are both totally gluten-free, too!
Gluten-Free Sourdough Crackers.
Ever since I started playing around with this recipe last month, these garlic & herb snacks have been a huge hit with my family. Every version, every herb combination, with or without the garlic, my kids and husband have loved them. So much so, that they’ve become a staple in our snack-time regiment. And that’s ok with me, ’cause they’re pretty dern easy, and healthy to boot!
If you don’t have access to a gluten-free sourdough starter, they’re super easy to make. All it takes is a little flour, a little water, a little water kefir (it’s easy to make yourself), and a little time…
In the recipe card I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks!
Garlic & Herb Sourdough Crackers
Free from gluten, eggs, and refined sugar, with dairy-free option.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice flour (I just ground brown rice in my blender)
- 1/2 cup oat flour (also just gluten-free oats in the blender)
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour (or other starch like arrowroot would work, too)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2+ teaspoon oregano
- 1/4+ teaspoon sage
- 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into chunks (use olive oil for dairy-free)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup bubbly sourdough starter (see recipe below)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 and lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.
In large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
Cut in butter until crumbly (or stir in olive oil for dairy-free), then stir in garlic and sourdough starter until evenly lumpy.
Slowly stir in 1/4 c. water until dough starts to form a ball. Add remaining tablespoons of water, if necessary, to get all the dough to stick together.
Knead lightly a couple times to combine all the dough into a ball. Divide in half and place on cookie sheets.
Lay a sheet of plastic wrap (not very crunchy, I know, but it works) over the dough and spread out with your hands until it’s evenly about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with extra salt and prick all over with a fork.
Using a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife, cut the dough into squares, but do not separate.
Bake for 12 minutes, or until browning on the edges. For crispier crackers, bake a 2-4 minutes longer.
Break into pieces and grab a handful before your kids eat them all.
In the recipe card I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks!
Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
Free from gluten, eggs, dairy, and sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 3/4 cup filtered water
- 2 tablespoons water kefir (if you don’t have it that’s ok, the sourdough will just be flatter)
Feeding option #1:
- 1/3 cup brown rice flour
- 1/4 cup filtered water
Feeding option #2:
- 1/3 cup brown rice flour
- 1/4 cup water kefir
Instructions
In 1 qt. glass jar or ceramic bowl, whisk together all ingredients into a smooth paste.
Cover with a coffee filter or clean piece of cloth and secure with a rubber band.
Place on the kitchen counter away from drafts and direct sunlight.
Let ferment for 8 hours, then feed twice a day, making sure your starter gets fed from option #2 at least once a week.
After four days your starter is good to go!
Note
Other gluten-free flours that the starter enjoys are oat and sorghum flours.
This starter is pretty thick. If you like it thinner, just add more water to the feedings.
These look great Raia! I saw these on Full Plate Thursday, and I figured they had to be yours.
😉 Thanks, Debra!
YUMMO!! I am really excited about the sourdough starter recipes and cannot wait to try them!
Thanks so much for linking up with the #SHINEbloghop
I hope you enjoy them, Anne Marie! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Great recipes! I miss sourdough – can’t wait to try this
Thanks so much, Helen! I hope you enjoy them! 🙂
Oh my goodness these look mouthwatering. I love anything sour-dough. I’ve never cooked with some of the flours you listed but I’m game.
Thanks for sharing at Simple Saturdays.
Hugs,
Valerie
Cottage Making Mommy
http://www.lovingmyheartandhome.blogspot.com
Glad to share, Valerie! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
We would just love these Sourdough Crackers! Thank you so much for sharing this awesome post with Full Plate Thursday and hope you are having a fantastic weekend!
Come Back Soon,
Miz Helen
Glad to share, Helen! Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂
Raia,
These look delicious! Pinned for later for sure!!
Ashley
Thanks, Ashley! I hope you enjoy them!
Love the new look of your blog! Your pic is cute too 🙂
Thanks so much! It pays to be married to a web designer. 😉
These look yumtastic! I have tried to make some lower carb sugar free crackers by using flax. The result was not very pretty. 😉 Thanks for linking at The Yuck Stops Here. I do hope to see you again this week!
Thanks, Chrystal! Glad to share. 🙂 I totally understand the cracker issues. My first attempt at this new recipe tasted like I’d used about 1 tablespoon of baking soda (which I hadn’t, of course). Thankfully it there was only improvement from there. 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
My grandmother would love these! Thanks for the recipe!
~ Ashley
Glad to share, Ashley! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Oh my, these sound amazing! I love sourdough.
Thanks so much, Audrey! 🙂
Yum! I’m totally making these. They look so good.
I hope you like them, Linda! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I was gluten- and dairy-free to help with my Crohn’s more than 10 years ago, way before any shop or restaurant except for Whole Foods and The Fresh Market (expensive and out-of-town) had picked up on it. Recipes like this would have been so helpful back then! I have a few friends with Celiac’s, but when they visit, my husband and I just cook food that is naturally gluten-free (with our guests’ input, to be safe). But I’ll share this recipe with them in case they miss crackers too!
Thanks so much for sharing it, Brita! I hope your friends enjoy it. 😉
These crackers are incredible Raia. I really want to pin these, but I must be blind because I can’t find any pin button or feature on this post. Help!
Hey Sandi! So sorry! The pin button usually comes up over the top left of the photo when you hover over it, sorry if it’s not working properly! Here’s the linkto the pin… 🙂 Thanks so much for wanting to share them! 🙂
These look truly tasty. I had them pinned before I even noticed that you linked up at our Simple Meals Friday. Thanks for linking up and for creating such deliciousness!
Thanks so much for stopping by and pinning, Sarah! I hope you like the crackers if you get a chance to try them! 🙂
Those look amazing. I have only tried to make crackers once, but I didn’t have much luck! Thanks for the submission to the HomeAcre hop. Feel free to stop by at http://www.PintSizeFarm.com or another one of the hosts to submit another this week!
Thanks, Heidi! 🙂
Pinning these and definitely going to make some!
Thanks, Chantel! I hope you enjoy them!
Hi I chose your post for my fave for the From The Farm Blog Hop 🙂 I loved it! Thanks for sharing and linking up!
Thanks so much, Karen! I’m always glad to share. 😉
Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂 I can’t wait to see what you share this week! Its LIVE!
Cindy
Thanks, Cindy! 🙂
Hi – the crackers look great but I have always understood that oats are not gluten free. Even the ‘gluten free’ oats
cause me to feel ill and I’m non-celiac gluten sensitive. yes, I will make these without the oats but am confused as to how celiacs or NCGS can eat this.
Hey Jeanne! Great question. 🙂
Oats, in and of themselves, are not a gluten-containing grain. Most of them are not considered gluten-free, though, because of cross contamination during harvesting and processing. Also, one of the proteins in oats is very similar in makeup to gluten, so sometimes highly sensitive people cannot tolerate them. I am very easily affected by oats, but my dad, who is also gluten intolerant, doesn’t get affected at all and can eat as much as he wants. So it’s really just a personal thing. It’s always a good idea to listen to your body and not eat something even if you “shouldn’t” be reacting to it. Everybody’s different!
About the crackers, I often just make them with all brown rice flour, so that I can eat as much as I want. 😉 They come out great either way!
These are delicious! My kids couldn’t believe that homemade (or gluten free for that matter) crackers could taste so good and be so crunchy! Going to try with different herbs for variety, too!
Yay! I’m so glad that you enjoyed them and that they won your kids over, too. 😉 I know that’s half the battle (or all of it, sometimes)!
Quick question, for those of us on a keto diet how do we calculate carb content based on the different types of flowers we might use for this sourdough starter?
Or would net carbs be negligible by the time is added to any cracker or bread recipe?
I have no idea. Sorry! I don’t count carbs. I would probably find an online calculator and plug your ingredients in there.