Afternoon snack attack? I’ve got you covered {and it’s healthy, too!}. I wanted to put together a savory snack for once, and I think I nailed this one 😉Not only will this satisfy your mid day slump, but it will also bring to you a plethora of nutrients in every bite! I included a whole slew of vegetables, healthy whole food fats {hemp and chia seeds} + probiotics.
Chia seeds are one ultimate superfood. The Kunachia chia + probiotic combination takes it even further, and is a great source of protein, omega-3 fatty acid, antioxidants and fiber, PLUS it will support your digestive health, strengthen your immune system and give you a natural energy boost you might need as an afternoon pick up. When I was reading up on Kunachia‘s website, I learned that chia seeds are nutrient powerhouses that have:
14 times more magnesium than broccoli
14 times more Omega-3 than salmon
5 times more calcium than milk
3 times more antioxidants than blueberries
3 times more iron than spinach
Twice as much fiber as any cereal
Twice as much protein as any other seed
Twice as much potassium as bananas
So really, these crackers are freakin’ awesome for ya. They’re great on their own, but I highly suggest you take them even further and serve them with a dip, such as a salsa, guacamole, or even go all out and try my Dill & Chive Bean Dip Or Spread {Oil-Free, Low-Fat}! Recipe resting for these crackers was, well, an experience to say the least. I called and consulted with one of my good friends Yvonne of My Eclectic Kitchen and asked for advice on cracker baking since she makes a mean flax cracker. Like seriously, her crackers are unreal! Anyways, she told me exactly what method she uses for her crackers, so I mimicked that with my recipe, but since our ingredient list is completely different, it was a FAIL. I was getting rubbery and moist crackers, well I would say flatbreads since they were so thin, and I was about ready to give up.
What Chris and I did to improve it was spread out the batter even thinner than our first few attempts, set the oven to convection, and turn up the cooking time. After two tries with this method and a few tweaks, they were perfect! Only about 5 hours later haha but hey, all of the hard stuff was done for you guys so now all you have to do is follow my instructions below to whip out a bangin’, and easy I should add, Oven-Baked Chia Veggie Cracker. Make sure you tag me on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan or twitter @sweetsimpleveg and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of my recipes, I love to see your photos!
1 cup sun dried tomatoes (soaked in 1 cup water for 2–3 hours and drained)
2 cups baby spinach & kale mix
2 garlic cloves or 2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/3 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 red onion
2 medjool dates, pitted
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Pre-soak your chia seeds and sun-dried tomatoes for at least 3 hours. Drain any excess water from the tomatoes.
Preheat oven to 300F convection*.
Place the chia seeds and hemp seeds in a large bowl.
Blend the remaining ingredients (everything but the chia and hemp seeds) in a high speed blender, and blend until combined and fairly smooth. Then add into the large bowl and mix.
Spread onto a silicon baking mat (or parchment paper*) 1/8″ thick (or as thin as you can get them without holes). Carefully score with a sharp knife into 1 1/2″ squares. Try not dragging the knife down but cutting into them in sections.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is sold and dry, then remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Using a thin edged [metal] spatula, flip the crackers, trying to avoid squishing them.
Bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until crispy.
Notes
Milled chia seeds are just any chia seeds that have been ground to a uniform powder.
I have only tried this recipe on convection, so results may vary with a standard oven.
I used a silicon baking mat with this recipe, and that is what I suggest, but parchment may work. I have not yet tried this, so let me know if you do!
Prep Time:3 hours 10 mins
Cook Time:1 hour
Category:Snack
Cuisine:Vegan
And here is Goji, yet again, making herself comfortable during my shoot. I let her sit there for a while during my lighting adjustment because she loved it way too much. It was when she attempted to lick my precious guac that I had to draw the line 😉 If you want more of Goji, check out my Vegan Miso Eggplant Sushi {Easy, Oil-Free} and her appearance too 😉
I put together a few different recipes on my Instagram when I was sampling out Kunachia products for review, check them out below 🙂 Their product line includes their chia + probiotic pouch, plus chia seed shots and chia + probiotic shots in the perfect serving size for you to add to smoothies, salads, oatmeal, etc!
Oil-free Heart Shaped Falafel w/ a probiotic chia tahini dressing, romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, mixed greens, crushed almonds, mixed sprouts and parsley. I am in love with this dressing, and it’s easy to make.
Dressing recipe: 1/3 cup water, 1/4 cup tahini, juice of 1 small lemon, 1/2 tbsp Kunachiachia + probiotics shot (it comes milled so it blends easily), 1/4 tsp dried garlic, 1/4 tsp dried dill, salt & black pepper to taste. Blend until smooth. It thickens overtime so just add more lemon and water.
Afternoon acai bowl pick me up ?? I woke up feeling a bit under the weather this morning, I had no energy and not much motivation to get things done but once I had this I honestly felt rejuvenated
Recipe: Blend up 2 acai packets, 2 frozen bananas, 1 Kunachiachia shot, 1/4 cup frozen blueberries and top with more chia seeds, frozen blueberries, white mulberries, cacao nibs, and a golden nugget mandarin ❤️
Disclaimer: I was provided with Kunachia products to try and review on my blog, but all of the opinions shared are my own. I would not share a product with you all unless I loved it!
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