Although it would be nice to think that we all made homemade crackers in our kitchens, the truth is that most people are going to buy ready-made most of the time, so here’s a list of good brands that are free from both animal ingredients and palm oil (to protect orangutans and other endangered creatures). You can recycle most plastic packaging at supermarket bag bins.
Avoid crackers for children and people at risk of choking. Don’t give crackers to pets, garden birds or wildfowl (onion/salt/garlic and choking risks). If making homemade crackers, keep fresh dough away fom pets.
Greenpeace says the phrase ‘sustainable palm oil’ is as useful as a chocolate teapot, it’s just a term from a self-policed organisation that has no guarantee of anything whatsoever. Palm oil is used simply because it’s a cheap imported saturated fat alternative to local rapeseed oil (which would support our local farmers). Also listed below are a few recipes to make your own crackers (surprisingly easy).
ZENB makes grocery items (pasta, noodles etc) from iron-rich yellow peas (high in protein, and use less water to grow than other crops. Pea protein also help stop the 3 million tons of soy protein being imported from South America (although a lot of soy is imported as animal feed). Yellow peas are more like chickpeas than regular frozen green peas. The range includes:
- Black pepper & Himalayan salt
- Rosemary & chia seed
- Onion poppy seed
Look in stores for Amisa crackers. All are organic and gluten-free and in several flavours.
Peter’s Yard rosemary sea salt sourdough crackers are made with a 45-year-old sourdough starter, fermented for 16 hours. Crafted in small batches, these are made with cold-pressed rapeseed oil from Suffolk, and nice with soup or vegan cheese. Inspired by a Swedish recipe.
Cradoc’s Savoury Crackers are made in the Brecon Beacons (Wales). The flour is from a local co-op and spices from a community store to support the Gurkha community. Owned by a local baker-lady and Chief Cracker Muncher! The range (bar a couple of cheese versions) is all vegan-friendly and includes:
- Oats or Sea Salt
- Beetroot & garlic
- Chilli ginger & garlic
- Spinach & celery seed
- Pear & Earl Grey
- Lemongrass Coconut Chilli
- Peppercorn, Fennel & red onion
Snacks & More is actually a palm-oil-free biscuit company, but it also offers a nice nigella seed & sea salt cracker, in easy-to-recycle packaging. Made with sunflower oil, these are sweetened with apple juice concentrate.
Positive Bakes (Leicestershire) is a company that makes vegan afternoon tea cakes in compostable packaging for home delivery, and also offers vegan crackers (choose from rosemary & sea salt or smoked paprika.
3 simple vegan cracker recipes
2-ingredient crackers (The Gunny Snack) is an easy-to-veganise recipe, you just use self-raising flour and vegan Greek yoghurt, then add optional Italian seasoning, sea salt, red pepper flakes or vegan Parmesan.
Sourdough discard crackers (Veggiekins) make use of the starter from making bread, adding chickpea flour, cheesy-tasting nutritional yeast (rich in B12) and your favourite seasonings (garlic powder, oregano, poppy seeds, flaky sea salt or herbs like rosemary, thyme or basil).
Easy gluten-free crackers (The Loopy Whisk) just need gluten-free flour and xantham gum, along with salt, coconut oil and smoked paprika.
