It’s not quite fall here with temperatures going back up to the triple digits expected this week. But we still put clam chowder on the menu on one of the cooler days. Chowder or bisque is perfect with homemade Oyster Crackers made Gluten Free!
A long time love for Oyster Crackers
I’ve had a love for these little guys since I was young. We’d go out as a family, and everyone would have clam chowder while I munched on the extra oyster crackers. I didn’t like clams or seafood as a kid.
Fast forward to me when I was very sick and the doctors couldn’t figure out why. Sometimes, these salty crackers were the only thing that sounded good.
Skip forward again to me, after years and years or being sick, finding out I had a severe gluten intolerance. Then, adjusting so many things in my diet. And also, by this time liking, no loving, clam chowder! But eating it out ever was pretty much impossible.
Developing recipes is something I’ve been doing for more than twenty years, more out of a necessity than anything else. Now, I just like to share them with anyone or their families out there who need or want to eat this way.
We love seafood bisques and seafood chowder. Gluten free cullen skink, the traditional seafood chowder of Scotland, fish chowders like bacala stew, to clam chowders.
This new fun gluten free topping
While it’s true, we love to top our chowder with gluten free bacon (plus put some bacon in the chowder), chives, or fresh thyme, topping our chowders will be much more elevated now. With these bite sized Oyster Crackers made Gluten Free, it will nearly feel like we’re eating this in a restaurant!
Whether you are a cracker lover or not, these crackers are so cute to have on the dinner table with the pot of steaming hot soup. Your gluten free eaters won’t believe that they can eat them. They as well, probably will think you spent several hours making them!
Keeping the crackers the same thickness for best cooking
When rolling out the dough for these, it’s best to roll out to about 1/8″ thickness and to keep the dough the same thickness for all the crackers. Keeping the dough the same thickness and spacing the crackers out 3/8-1/2″, will allow for a more even bake for all the crackers.
Near the end of making these, as I was re-rolling out the dough, they got slightly thicker and they needed to be baked for a few minutes more.
Since you do turn the oven down during the last ten minutes of baking, it will make it easier if the crackers are all the same thickness.
Other tips for rolling out
I find that for rolling out crackers, pizza, and pie crust that Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour, which is gluten free, is the gluten free flour I most often prefer. Dusting it lightly over the parchment paper allowed for easy rolling of the dough. It also kept the cut crackers from sticking as I transferred them to the baking sheet.
The cassava flour is a great choice for rolling out these Oyster Crackers made Gluten Free. However, you could also use another gluten free flour. Single flours without xanthan gum work better for rolling dough out, in my experience. You might try gf sorghum or gf brown rice flour, for another choice.
You will want to use as little of the cassava flour or other gluten free flour as possible to keep the dough from getting too heavy.
I did also find that the Trader Joe’s All Purpose Gluten Free Flour made a better, crispier cracker. If you do decide to use another 1 to 1 or gluten free flour, it will have better results if you use the gram measurements of the recipe. Some flours are much heavier or lighter. For this reason, using the gram measurement will give the most accuracy.
Don’t have a cookie cutter this size? You can use any other small round tool. The lemon juicer pictured in the recipe worked well for me! I’ve also been known to use this tool for removing a plug of a cupcake to fill with lemon curd or chocolate ganache. Another option is to cut the crackers into 1/2-3/4″ squares.
With a dairy free option if desired
Make these Oyster Crackers made Gluten Free also dairy free, if desired! Just use a dairy free and gluten free butter substitute for the butter and a dairy free yogurt or gluten free sourdough starter for the Greek yogurt.
The starter will give the same slightly sour taste as the yogurt. A dairy free yogurt will achieve the same required texture for the dough, so either will work. For the dairy free butter substitute, I like to use Earth Balance, which is also vegan, non-dairy, gluten free, and non-GMO. They make both a tub and stick version. I prefer the stick variety for baking.
We are going to be making lots of bisques and chowder now that we can make a batch of these easy homemade crackers. Just in time for fall!
Enjoy!
~Laura
Oyster Crackers made Gluten Free
Equipment
- parchment paper
- 1/2-3/4" round cookie cutter or other cutting tool optional
Ingredients
- ½ cup (55 g) Trader Joe's All Purpose Gluten Free Flour or Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Flour or other gf 1 to 1 flour
- ½ cup (69 g) Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour (known as tapioca starch), gf or other gf tapioca starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder, gf
- ½ tbsp warm water
- ⅛ teaspoon Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast, gf
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon sugar or honey
- 1 tbsp butter, cut up or dairy free (and gf) butter substitute
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt or gf sourdough starter
- 2½-3½ tbsp cold water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the water, yeast and ¼ teaspoon sugar. Set aside until it starts to bloom, about 5-10 minutes.
- Combine the gf flour, tapioca, salt, baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until small crumble remains. Add the ¾ teaspoon of sugar or honey.
- Once the yeast mixture begins to bubble, add to the flour mixture. Add the oil, the yogurt, and the water, starting with 2½ tablespoons. Stir until combined. Then mix with your hands and form into a ball. Add ½ teaspoon of water at a time if the dough is too stiff. It should be soft and pliable but firm enough to hold a shape.
- Cover and set aside for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured (gf cassava or other gf flour) parchment roll out the dough to approximately 1/8" thickness. Cut out using a small cutter or other tool. You can also cut them into squares for ease.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Transfer the cut crackers to a parchment lined stone or other baking sheet. Lay the crackers out so there is space between them. Bake for 13-16 minutes until very light golden colored. Remove the pan from the oven and turn down to 250℉. Return the baking sheet to the oven for 9-10 minutes more, until the crackers are crisp. Cool completely befor moving to an airtight container or ziplock. Makes 1½ cups of crackers.
