Pumpkin Seed Crackers
These Pumpkin Seed Crackers are crispy, crunchy and hearty, yet they are surprisingly light. They’re very low in fat and sugar and made with a healthy dose of whole grain. The savory pumpkin seeds on top amp-up the flavor and nutrition.
See, I can do a “healthy” recipe every once in a while. While I love making cakes, pies and cookies, we all know that those are more “every once in a while” treats.
The key to making a crunchy cracker is to roll the dough incredibly thin. I’ve found that the easiest way to do this is to start rolling the dough on a floured surface and then finish on a sheet of parchment paper.
If you’ve got a sourdough starter, you should try these Sourdough Whole Wheat Crackers or wonderfully tangy Copycat Cheezits.
How to make Pumpkin Seed Crackers
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Mix the dough as you would any bread dough and set it aside to rise.
- Allow the dough to riser until it has doubled in volume.
- Roll the dough to 1/4″ thick then transfer it to parchment paper to finish rolling.
- The dough will lightly stick to the parchment, which makes it possible to roll the dough really, really thin. Less than 1/8″ thick is good, closer to a 1/16″ is even better.
- The dough should be less than 1/8″ thick.
- Trim the edges of the dough to form a neat rectangle the same size as the parchment.
- Cut the crackers to your desired size with a pizza cutter. Don’t pull them apart, they’ll separate as they bake.
- Brush with egg whites and sprinkle with seeds.
- Allow the dough to rise while the oven preheats.
- Bake until the crackers are browned around the edges and crisp. If the crackers around the outside bake faster, take the tray out of the oven and remove the crackers that are done. Return the tray to the oven to finish baking the rest of the crackers.
Pastry Chef tips for making light and crisp Pumpkin Seeds Crackers
- The first time I tested this recipe I put the crackers into the oven as soon as they were rolled and cut. The first batch had a nice flavor, but they were quite dense and a little chewy. I wanted my crackers to be a little light and crisp.
- For the second test I let the crackers rise while the oven preheated. Although the dough didn’t look puffy and airy, that 30 minute rise was enough for the yeast to lighten the dough. The crackers puffed just a bit in the oven, creating the light & crisp texture I was after.
- As soon as the crackers come out of the oven brush them with melted butter for a tasty finish.
Storage
I would like to tell you exactly how long these crackers stay fresh. But the truth is that my husband and I (mostly my husband, I swear) ate almost the whole batch in two days. Embarrassing, but true. But that being said, they should keep fresh in a covered container for at least a week.
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Pumpkin Seed Crackers
Ingredients
- 8 oz warm water (1 cup)
- ¾ oz honey (1 tablespoon)
- 2 oz melted butter (divided in half)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoons dry yeast
- 5 oz whole wheat flour (1 cup, see note)
- 7 ½ oz all purpose flour (1 ½ cups)
- 1 egg white (whisked until foamy)
- 1 ½ cups shelled pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- In a mixer bowl combine 8 oz warm water, ¾ oz honey and half the melted butter, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 ¼ teaspoons dry yeast.
- Add 5 oz whole wheat flour and 1 cup (5 oz) of the all purpose flour. Mix to form a thick batter. Beat 3 minutes on medium speed. Remove the paddle attachment. If working by hand stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until it's too thick to stir then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and continue kneading in the remaining flour.
- If working with a mixer, switch to the dough hook. With the mixer running on low speed, add the remaining all purpose flour.
- Knead the dough for 4 minutes until it forms a cohesive dough that clings to hook and clears the sides of the bowl. If working by hand knead for 5-6 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead to form a smooth ball.
- Set the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat the dough. Cover the bowl and set aside to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- Divide dough in 1/2. Roll one piece to a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick, using enough flour to keep it from sticking to the surface. Transfer the dough to a 1/2 sheet parchment paper (16"x 12"),
- Continue rolling until the dough on the parchment until it is <1/8" thick and is the size of the paper (see note).
- Trim the edges to make a neat rectangle. Use a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 2"x2" squares, or to your desired cracker size. You don't need to pull the crackers apart. Use a fork to poke each cracker 2x. Brush the crackers with egg white and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. Pat the seeds to stick them to the dough. Slide the paper onto a baking sheet and allow to rise while the oven preheat. Preheat the oven to 375 °F °F.
- Repeat with the other half of the dough. Bake the crackers until golden brown and crisp, 10-15 minutes.
- As soon as the crackers come out of the oven, brush with melted butter. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Break apart any crackers that are still stuck together.
- Cool completely. Stored in an air tight container, the crackers will keep for a week.
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