Red Lentil Crackers Without Store-Bought Flour – The Wertheimer Cracker

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Crackers are a great way to bring food along when you won't have access to a kitchen or a fridge.

Think school, hiking trips, or work.

This time, I thought it would be fun to swap the usual flour for red lentils.

And since I couldn't find lentil flour at the supermarket, I thought, "Why not just grind the lentils myself?"

I wasn't sure my basic studio blender—the one I bought at the supermarket for 100 shekels (Israeli currency)—could actually turn lentils into flour.

I'm happy to report that it did!

To be fair, red lentils are pretty delicate and grind up quickly.

Don't try this with dried green peas or chickpeas. Those call for a more powerful blender.

By the way, I named these crackers after Maya Wertheimer (an Israeli actress and redhead). They're orange and fun, just like her!

About These Red Lentil Crackers

I used red lentils that I ground in my basic blender.

You can absolutely use store-bought lentil flour, or try other flours such as chickpea, soy, teff, or buckwheat.

For a nutritional boost—and a little extra fun—I added a mix of seeds and nuts: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, and more.

Not a fan of an ingredient? Swap it out, add something else, go a little wild. Give these crackers your own personal touch.

To bring out the lentils' gorgeous color, I added a little smoked paprika and curry powder.

Don't like one of the spices? Swap it!

Nutrition

• Per cracker, from a batch of 20; cracker weight: 34 g (1.2 oz)
  33 calories
  3 g protein
  3 g carbohydrates
  1 g fat

Want another cracker recipe? 

Protein-Packed Red Lentil Crackers Without Store-Bought Flour (Wertheimer Crackers)

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Yield 20 crackers

Calories 22 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoon whole flaxseeds
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• Optional: 1 teaspoon za'atar
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1.5 cups water

Instructions

1. Rinse the lentils thoroughly to remove any dust, then spread them on a towel to dry for about 24 hours, until completely dry.
2. Make sure there's no water or moisture left on the lentils, or they won't grind into flour.
3. Yes, you can use the same amount of lentil flour instead. But grinding your own is more fun.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
5. Place the lentils in a food processor and grind thoroughly into a coarse lentil flour.
6. It doesn't need to be perfectly fine. A few larger pieces of lentil are fine.
7. Transfer to a deep mixing bowl.
8. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix with a fork.
9. Gradually add the water while stirring.
10. Mix until you have an evenly combined, sticky batter.
11. Set aside for 15 minutes to thicken.
12. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a spatula to spread the mixture into an even, thin layer.
13. The thinner you spread it, the faster it will bake, so keep an eye on it to prevent burning.
14. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the crackers are dry and very crisp.
15. After 40 minutes, check whether the entire sheet of crackers is dry.
16. The outer edges may be ready while the center is still moist.
17. If so, cut off and remove the finished edges, then return the baking sheet to the oven for a few more minutes.
18. Cut into squares and dig in.
19. Store in an airtight container for about a month.

Recipe Video

A Quick Note

Store in an airtight container for about a month.