Have you ever heard of chocolate crackers that contain chia seeds, apple and even zucchini? Although this might seem like a strange combination, I promise that these chocolate chia crackers are delicious! By adding zucchini and other vegetables to raw vegan crackers & bread, you lower the fat content of the recipes, which makes them easier to digest. These chocolate chia crackers will help you to avoid that dreaded afternoon slump and satisfy chocolate cravings.
Chocolate Chia Crackers
SERVES: 1 dehydrator tray
EQUIPMENT: food processor, rubber spatula, dehydrator (or regular oven)
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of zucchini, peeled and roughly chopped
½ cup of apple, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup of almond meal
¼ cup of chia seeds, soaked in
½ cup of water
¾ cup of date paste
5 tablespoons of cacao, unsweetened
1 tablespoon of carob powder (optional)
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of coffee extract (optional)
¼ teaspoon of Himalayan Crystal salt or sea salt
DIRECTIONS:
- Soak ¼ cup of chia seeds in ½ cup of water for at least 5 minutes. Set aside. This will turn into a chia gel, which will act as a binder in these chocolate chia crackers. If the chia seeds clump together, stir with a spoon.
- Combine zucchini and apple in the food processor fitted with an S-blade. Mix into a vegetable mash.
- Add almond meal, chia gel, date paste, cacao, carob powder, vanilla extract, coffee extract and salt. Mix well.
- Use a spatula to spread the cracker dough onto a dehydrator tray lined with a Teflex sheet or a fire-resistant tray if you are working with a regular oven.
- Top the mixture with finely chopped nuts, cacao nibs, dried coconut or other toppings of your choice.
- Dehydrate the crackers at 115°F (or the lowest temperature of your oven & hot air circulation) for 12 hours or longer, until the top of the crackers is completely dry and crunchy.
- When the crackers are dry enough, flip them over by placing a second dehydrator tray (without a Teflex sheet) on top of the crackers and turning both around. Now you can easily remove the Teflex sheet that is still covering the moist side of the crackers. This will allow them to dry more quickly and efficiently.
- Dehydrate the crackers for another 10 hours or more until they are completely dry on both sides.
JULIE’S TIPS & TRICKS:
- These Chocolate Chia Crackers will stay fresh for at least 1 month in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark place.
- If you don’t have any carob powder at home, just add 1 extra tablespoon of cacao and 1 extra tablespoon of date paste or more to taste.
- Have you tried these Chocolate Chia Cookies yet? They are completely nut free and low in fat – great to satisfy your chocolate cravings during a detox cleanse!
Now I would love to hear from you! What's your favorite chocolate dessert? I would love to create a healthier raw vegan version for you, so please let me know by leaving a comment down below.
