Low Carb Crackers

[Sherrie]

Just going to tidy up the previous thread by quoting all the recipes here to keep them together, as it was a merger of a couple of different threads on the same subject which I find looks a tad confusing: Low carb Crackers Ideas Anyone?

Feel free to add more ideas to this thread

Almond Crackers

Almond Thins

Bran and Flax Crackers

Buttery sesame crackers

Cheese crackers

Cheese Crisps (3 recipes)

Cinnamon Thins (scroll down)

Crackers (various)

Parmesan crisps

Parmesan and Cumin Crisps

Pepperoni Chips

Savoury Grain Free Crackers

Sesame almond crackers

Sesame seed crackers

Zesty cheddar wafers


Boursin cheese spread

Nancy's french onion dip

[Sherrie]

Found this recipe on Carb-lite wondered if anyone had tried it.
Sounded simple for parties with dips.

Pepperoni Chips

125g thinly sliced pepperoni

Lay slices on baking paper in a shallow microwave tray. Heat for a minute or two. They come out really crisp and are great to use with dips, low carb, of course.

[Sherrie]

I found this in an old magazine today. I haven't tried it yet but intend to.

Parmesan and Cumin Crisps

250g coarsely grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp ground cumin
extra-virgin olive oil.

combine the cheese and cumin in a bowl and mix well. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper and brush the paper lightly with the oil.
Spread about half cup of cheese mixture into a 10cm circle on the baking paper, then continue making circles until all the mixture is used, leaving a 5c, space between each disc. Bake in a 200c (180cfan forced) oven for 10 mins, or until golden. Remove baking sheets from oven and slide baking paper onto a rack to allow parmesan crisps to cool. Gently remove the crisps from the baking paper and store in an airtight container.

[Sherrie]

I made plain Parmesan crisps in the microwave the other day. Just sprinled little mounds of shredded parmesan on Baking Paper & Nuked it for about 1 minute 20 seconds, they were great! They really smoke up in the microwave though, I kept opening the door to let the smoke out & the house reeked of cheese afterwards, but worth it! In fact I'm going to go make a couple now!

[Sherrie]

I mix one part stoney creek golden flaxseed meal with one part unprocessed bran (eg. 2 cups of each) and then add enough water to make a paste, and a little salt. Take a large biscuit tray and grease, then press the mixture firmly and thinly over it, right to the corners and edges. Use knife to score into cracker sized pieces. Bake in slow oven for about 45mins or until dried out. Remove from oven and break where scored. Allow to cool. Can be frozen and briefly micro'd before use. High in protein, omega oils and fibre. I like this one because it has nutritional value and no lo-carb fillers that are hard to digest. I just wish someone would produce it commercially so that I didn't have to make it myself. You can also add some WPI if you want to increase the protein content. Yummy and crispy with a nice nutty flavour. You can warm these in the oven too.

[Sherrie]

Alternatives to crackers?

[Sherrie]

ALMOND THINS


3 ounces almond flour, 3/4 cup
2 teaspoons granular Splenda
1 egg white
3/8 teaspoon salt *
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl. Everything should be moist and the dough should hold together somewhat. Put the dough on a well-greased sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, about 15x18". It's helpful to crumble the dough mixture and spread the crumbs in a roughly rectangular shape on the foil. Cover the dough with a piece of wax paper that's been sprayed with non-stick spray. Roll out the dough to about 1/8" thick or slightly thinner. Try to get the dough to an even thickness. You can also carefully peel up the wax paper and reshape the dough to get it as close to rectangular as possible, about 9x9" square. Replace the wax paper and continue rolling until nice and even. Peel off the wax paper and use a pizza or ravioli cutter to score the dough into approximately 1-inch squares. I cut 8 strips one direction and 6 strips the other way after running the cutter down all four sides to even out the rectangle.

Lift the foil and set it on the oven rack and bake them at 325º for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Check after 10 minutes and if crackers at outer edge are getting pretty brown, remove those and continue baking the rest until golden. I used a thin metal spatula to very gently pry the crackers from the foil. Break them apart on the score lines and let cool. They will keep for weeks in an airtight container in your pantry.

Makes about 48 crackers
Can be frozen

Per batch: 515 Calories; 43g Fat; 22g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 10g Dietary Fiber; 9g Net Carbs
Per 8 crackers: 86 Calories; 7g Fat; 4g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs

UPDATE: I found that they work better when rolled out on parchment paper rather than heavy foil. They don't stick to it like they tend to do with foil. I placed the parchment paper with the dough on a large baking sheet. They also seemed to bake more evenly this way.

* I used 1/2 teaspoon salt originally and thought they were a little too salty, but my husband didn't think so.

These little snacks are very much like real crackers. You'd never know they were made of ground almonds. They are sturdy enough for dipping too. Below is a variation.


CINNAMON THINS

3 ounces almond flour, 3/4 cup
4 teaspoons granular Splenda (try 8 teaspoons)
1 egg white
Pinch salt (try 1/8 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (try 1/2 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
1 teaspoon granular Splenda
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Make the same as for the Almond Thins, but sprinkle the topping over the dough before baking. Spread the topping evening over the dough with your hand.

Makes about 48-64 crackers

Per batch: 532 Calories; 43g Fat; 21g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 11g Dietary Fiber; 12g Net Carbs
Per 8 crackers: 67 Calories; 5g Fat; 3g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs

These need a bit more tweaking. Next time I will try them with the quantities in parenthesis. The carb counts are based on the adjusted quantities.

Almond Thins

[Sherrie]

CHEESE CRISPS (STOVE TOP METHOD)


2 ounces shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium high heat. Sprinkle the cheddar in a thin, circular layer over bottom of the pan. Push any ragged edges in with a spatula. Let this cook for several minutes (be patient, it takes awhile). It will bubble up, look sort of lacy, then the grease will run off. When it's starting to get a bit golden brown, tease up the edges carefully until you can ease the spatula under the whole thing; flip over and cook about 1 more minute. Drain on paper towel; shape or cut into pieces while still hot. Some people shape these into taco shells. I just broke mine into 4 wedges, after it cooled a little. These would be nice to eat with a dip, but keep in mind that they are pretty salty.

Makes 1 serving

Per Serving: 228 Calories; 19g Fat; 14g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs


CHEESE CRISPS (MICROWAVE METHOD)


8 ounce bag shredded cheese, any flavor

Place a square of parchment paper on a microwaveable dinner plate. Place a generous tablespoon of cheese in center of plate and, with your fingers, gently spread into a circle about 3 1/2-4" in diameter and not too thick in the middle. Microwave on HIGH about 30-40 seconds or until a toasty color and they sound crisp when tapped with your fingernail. Lift it off the paper with tongs and set on paper towel to cool. You can use the same piece of parchment over and over for the current crisp-making session.

Makes about 18-20 crisps

Per 6 Crisps: 304 Calories; 25g Fat; 19g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs

My old microwave didn't do a very good job with these, but I decided to try again with my new one. They come out great and are much easier than making them on the stove; much quicker too. I don't usually like to use pre-shredded cheese for anything, but I found that it works better than freshly shredded cheese for these. I think the powdery coating helps keep them from getting too oily and also makes them get crisp faster. I've tried them with sharp cheddar, Monterey jack and Kroger's brand of Nacho & Taco Cheese blend. All are very good. The Monterey jack ones remind me of Ruffles potato chips, but not as salty. The nacho flavored ones have a subtle spicy flavor. If they only had sour cream and onion or barbecue flavered cheese we'd be all set. You might be able to toss a little dry ranch dressing mix with some Monterey jack cheese for the sour cream and onion flavor, but it would make them very salty.

NOTE: I learned something interesting today while making these. After I made a whole 8 ounce bag of cheese worth, I weighed the whole batch on my kitchen scale. Believe it or not, they'd lost nearly half their weight during the cooking process! Eight ounces of cheese, shrunk to 4 1/2 ounces. I'm not sure if that's mostly water that's lost or fat or both.

Here's a picture to show how to arrange the cheese on the parchment paper:


CHEESE CRISP SALAD BOWL


Make an extra large cheese crisp and as soon as you remove it from the microwave, drape it over a small inverted heat-proof bowl. Cover with a paper towel, so you won't burn your hand, and carefully mold it to fit the bowl. Cool, then fill with salad.

Cheese crisp

[Sherrie]

BUTTERY SESAME CRACKERS


3 ounces almond flour, 3/4 cup
2 teaspoons granular Splenda
1 egg white
3/8-1/2 teaspoon salt *
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
3 teaspoons untoasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl. Chill dough about 30 minutes. Drop dough by 1/4 teaspoons onto a parchment-lined 12x17" baking sheet making 24 little piles leaving at least an inch between them. Pick the pieces of dough up one at a time and very gently roll into balls. Cover the dough with plastic wrap (you can use a small piece and move it around as needed) and take a baking powder can, that has about an 1/8" rim around the bottom, and press down firmly over each ball of dough. Be sure to press all the way down to the baking sheet. Peel off the plastic wrap and repeat until all the crackers have been shaped. Prick them with a fork.

Bake at 325º for 17-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze for longer storage.

Makes 24 crackers

* I've decided that 1/4 teaspoon salt is not enough and 1/2 teaspoon is a bit too much for my taste. Next time I'll use 3/8 teaspoon, which should be just about right.

Per Cracker: 32 Calories; 3g Fat; 1g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; .5g Net Carbs

These come out crisp but tender, and may be a little fragile for dipping. I think they would be nice with soup, topped with cheese or something gently spread on them. These turn out nearly double the size of the Sesame Almond Crackers for the same carb count.

I think that any kind of food can with an 1/8" rim will work for pressing the dough, but you may get somewhat of a ring pattern on your crackers. A baking powder can just happens to be smooth on the bottom, unlike a vegetable can, and is also small enough to fit between the crackers on the baking sheet. If you must use a larger can, you may have to bake them on two sheets and leave more space between them.


Buttery sesame crackers

[Sherrie]

HOMEMADE BOURSIN CHEESE SPREAD


4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 small clove garlic, coursely chopped
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon dill
2 teaspoons chives
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

In mini food processor, process cream cheese, butter and garlic until blended. Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined. Put in an airtight container and chill a couple hours to allow flavors to develop. Serve with crackers or raw vegetables.

Makes about 3/4 cup
Can be frozen

Per Tablespoon: 67 Calories; 7g Fat; 1g Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; .5g Net Carbs
Per 2 Tablespoons: 135 Calories; 14g Fat; 2g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs
Per Whole Batch: 810 Calories; 86g Fat; 9g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs

After gasping at the outrageous prices of store-bought Boursin, Alouette and Rondelé cheese spreads, I decided to try making my own. I used a Southern Living Magazine recipe as a guideline, but used my own choice of seasonings. I think it tastes very nice. I haven't tried freezing mine yet, but the Southern Living recipe claims that it can be frozen.

I've heard that you can use this cheese spread in recipes. I hope to try some and will post the recipes when I do. I haven't tried this myself, but my sister told me about a dish she had recently where a grilled bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin filet was place on a grilled portobello mushroom that had some Boursin cheese spread over it. Since those filets are pricy, I may try something like that with a hamburger patty.

Boursin cheese spread


NANCY'S FRENCH ONION DIP

1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon toasted dried onion
1/2 teaspoon toasted onion powder
1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together and chill at least 1 hour. Stir well before serving.

Makes 1 cup or 16 tablespoons

Per Batch: 512 Calories; 48g Fat; 8g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 14g Net Carbs
Per Tablespoon: 32 Calories; 3g Fat; trace Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs

Nancy took my French Onion Dip recipe, tweaked it and made it even better. It's more like the real thing. Thanks, Nancy.

Nancy's french onion dip

[Sherrie]

ZESTY CHEDDAR WAFERS


8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, at room temperature *
3/4 cup almond flour, about 3 ounces
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt or other seasoning
1 pinch or up to 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, optional

Put all ingredients in a food processor with the chopping blade in place. Process a minute or two until the mixture looks like Play-Doh that is just starting to dry out. It will look slightly crumbly, but if you can take a piece and roll it into a smooth ball with your hands, it's ready. Dump dough out onto a large cutting board or work surface. Gather it up with your hands to make a smooth ball of dough that looks like orange Play-Doh. Divide ball evenly in half, then divided each half in half again and so on until you have 16 pieces of dough.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Take each piece of dough and break it into three even little pieces of dough and place on baking sheets 6 across and 4 down. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place back on sheet. Cover the balls with plastic wrap (you can use a small piece and move it around as needed) and take a baking powder can, that has about an 1/8" rim around the bottom, and press down firmly over each ball of dough. Be sure to press all the way down to the baking sheet. Peel off the plastic wrap and repeat until all the wafers have been shaped. If you like, you can prick the wafers with a fork for decoration.

Bake at 300º about 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned, checking frequently after 20 minutes. If it seems like they've been in the oven long enough, yet are not very browned, they should at least feel crisp and hard when you tap them with your fingernail. If there is any give in the center, they are not done yet unless they are browned (see my comments below). Carefully remove from baking sheet and cool completely on a rack. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Makes 48 wafers

* Pre-shredded cheese will not work in this recipe. Also, make sure that your cheese is not cold at all before making the dough.

Per 4 Wafers: 117 Calories; 10g Fat; 6g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs
Per 8 Wafers: 235 Calories; 20g Fat; 13g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1.5g Dietary Fiber; 1.5g Net Carbs

These started out as an experiment in adapting a cheese straw recipe to make it low carb. The original recipe called for flour and butter, so I substituted Carbalose flour and almond flour for the all-purpose flour. They were good, but spread too much to call them Cheese Straws. They were also quite greasy from the butter, cheese and almond flour. I decided to try leaving out the butter as well as the Carbalose flour and use all almond flour. I thought the taste of the Carbalose was a little too strong and I wanted to simplify the recipe as much as possible.

Although these are still a little greasy, they are wonderful little crackers about the size of vanilla wafers but much thinner. They are light and flaky. They seem delicate, but they're sturdy enough to dip or to spread peanut butter between two of them. What's great is that you can use any kind of seasonings that you like. I made one batch with 1/2 teaspoon of my Spicy Seasoning Salt and 1/8 teaspoon regular salt. You can taste the dough after you've started to process it and see if you need to add more seasoning or salt, which is nice.

One interesting thing that I noticed is that these bake faster on a silicone liner than on parchment paper, so take that into consideration when you set your timer. The ones I baked on the parchment paper lined pan didn't seem to get very brown so I made sure that they were done by making sure they felt hard and crisp before I removed them from the oven. If yours have a nice color, they should be done. Don't over bake them just to get the centers crisp. If yours are getting very brown on the edges before the centers are firm, you may need to turn down your oven a bit.

zesty cheddar wafers

[Sherrie]

SESAME ALMOND CRACKERS


3 ounces almond flour, 3/4 cup
2 teaspoons granular Splenda
1 egg white
3/8-1/2 teaspoon salt *
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
2-3 teaspoons untoasted sesame seeds

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl. Everything should be moist and the dough should hold together. Divide the dough into 4 pieces then divide each in 2 pieces and each of those into 3 very small pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place on a parchment-lined 12x17" baking sheet. Cover the balls with plastic wrap (you can use a small piece and move it around as needed) and take a baking powder can, that has about an 1/8" rim around the bottom, and press down firmly over each ball of dough. Be sure to press all the way down to the baking sheet. Peel off the plastic wrap and repeat until all the crackers have been shaped. Prick them with a fork. You may have to gently hold the crackers down with one hand while pricking so that the dough stays put.

Bake at 325º for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. You want them nice and brown, but don't let them get too dark or they'll taste burnt. It's ok for the centers to be a bit lighter than the outer edges, but they should not be pale. Cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze for longer storage.

Makes 24 crackers
Can be frozen

* I've decided that 1/4 teaspoon salt is not enough and 1/2 teaspoon is a bit too much for my taste. Next time I'll use 3/8 teaspoon, which should be just about right.

Per Cracker: 23 Calories; 2g Fat; 1g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; .5g Net Carbs

Sesame almond crackers

[Sherrie]

Some crackers here too: http://www.scdrecipe.com/recipes/r_014_00082.php

[Sherrie]

Hey look at these, look like low carb crackers to me!

Savoury Grain Free Crackers

[zedgirl]

Hey look at these, look like low carb crackers to me!

Savoury Grain Free Crackers

I’ve made these twice in the last couple of days and they’ve turned out brilliantly. The second batch I used some beaten egg in the mix but I’m not sure how much of a difference it made to the end result….I need to do a side-by-side comparison. The flavour reminds me of Twisties - needless to say they didn’t last very long. Lucky I only made mini batches for testing. I also twice-baked them to get them crisp and it worked a treat. The first baking was for 15 minutes, then I broke them up (I scored the uncooked dough into little squares) and let them cool while waiting for the oven temperature to drop. Then I baked them a further 45 minutes at 90C to make them crispy. I’ll have to bake a bigger batch to see how they keep but I have no trouble keeping my other homemade crackers crisp in my vacuvin storage jars. BTW I subbed the minced garlic with a mixture of garlic powder and onion powder. Here's a picture: