Festive holiday gatherings can be tricky when you have family members and friends with dietary restrictions. In my circle of favorite people, one person is a vegetarian and is also lactose intolerant, several of us don’t eat gluten, another person is allergic to almonds and hazelnuts, a couple people are trying to lose weight, and another is in serious training for a national martial arts championship and is on a weight gain and muscle building plan. It’s hard to come up with foods that please us all! We’ve found that an appetizers and cocktails/mocktails party is sometimes the way to go! It’s easier to create small bites that people can choose from rather than a single sit-down meal that requires different options for everyone. Great appetizers are where these remarkably healthy and delicious seed crackers come in. They check everyone’s boxes and also make a fantastic vehicle for a healthful, festive herbal dip that you can customize to your palate.

The Seed Crackers

I came across a recipe for parmesan cheese-sesame seed crisps years ago and have played with it over time to make it healthier, tastier, and more cracker-like, which is to say better able to hold up to dips and spreads. I love the mix of healthy seeds in these crackers! The chia seeds contain antioxidants, fiber, and Omega-3, as well as minerals like calcium, zinc, magnesium, and iron. The sesame seeds bring copper and manganese, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and nutrients like calcium and Vitamin B1. Poppy seeds have protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Hemp seeds have 20 different amino acids. And guess what? No one hovering in front of your appetizer table needs to know any of that! These seed crackers are just delicious.

Since I mentioned my lactose-intolerant loved one earlier, you might be wondering what a cracker involving cheese is doing on my menu. Happily, this recipe uses hard, aged cheeses that are low in lactose. My guy can eat these with no problem. The key though is to stay away from soft cheeses—so an aged, bacteria-ripened cheddar or gruyere is good, but a soft cheddar like you might use on a grilled cheese sandwich is a no-go. However, if you’re not sure about the level of someone’s lactose intolerance, be sure to check in with them ahead of time.

A Note on Grated Cheeses: These crackers have two different sizes of grated cheese: finely grated and just plain old grated. I use the smallest grate option on my box grater for the finely grated and turn the grater to use the largest grate option for everything else.

Gluten-Free Seed Cracker Recipe

Makes 10-12 crackers.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan, Parmigiano, or Romano
• 3/8 cup (6 Tbsp.) grated parmesan, Parmigiano or Romano
• 1/2 cup grated hard (aged) cheddar, Gruyere, or a mix
• 1 1/2 tsp. organic poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp. organic sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp. organic black sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp. organic chia seeds
• 1 tsp. organic hulled hemp seeds
• 1 Tbsp. organic minced dried garlic
• 1 Tbsp. organic minced dried onion

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
3. Thoroughly stir together all the ingredients.
4. Spoon 2 Tbsp. mounds of the cheese/seed mix onto the baking sheet 2 inches apart. Toss ingredients together again in the bowl between scoops so you spread the seeds evenly between the crackers.
5. Gently gather any stray seeds or cheese in around the mounds and tap down the tops a bit to slightly compress each pile. 
6. Bake for about 7 minutes or until they are lightly browned.
7. Place pan on a cooling rack and let crackers cool completely before lifting or using a spatula to remove from pan.
8. Crackers will store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3+ days.

Pro Tip: These crackers are naturally salty because of the cheese, but if you’d like a higher salt profile, you can add up to 1/4 tsp. salt with the other ingredients.

The “Vegan Sour Cream” Dip

Back in the day, a lot of my vegan friends were making “cashew sour cream” to mimic the delicious creaminess of the traditional dairy product, particularly for burritos, enchiladas, etc. This sour cream substitute is a great base for all kinds of other dishes as well and very nicely takes the place of sour cream in a lot of creamy dips.  The following is my lactose-free take on a traditional herb dip using cashew sour cream in place of dairy products. It’s wonderful on chips, crackers, and veggie sticks. Before you put these out on your appetizer table though, make sure no one in your group is allergic to cashews. 

Cashew Sour Cream Base for Dip Making

Makes about 1 cup.

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw unsalted organic cashews, soaked 4 hours or overnight
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. fresh organic lemon juice, or to taste
• 1 tsp. organic apple cider vinegar, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp. organic nutritional yeast flakes, or to taste
• 1/8 tsp. organic dijon or stoneground mustard (optional)

Directions

1. Drain and rinse soaked cashews until water runs clear.
2. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend, scraping down the sides as necessary, until wonderfully smooth and creamy.
3. Adjust lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and nutritional yeast to your taste.
4. Use immediately or store in a sealed container in refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Cashew Sour Cream Herb Dip

Makes about 1 cup.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cashew sour cream (recipe above)
• 1/2 cup real mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 tsp. organic dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp. ground organic black or rainbow pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp. organic garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. organic onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. organic dried dill weed, optional
• 1/8 tsp. organic paprika powder
• 1 pinch organic smoked paprika powder
• 1 tsp. fresh organic lemon juice

Directions

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Adjust flavors to taste.
3. Refrigerate overnight to give flavors time to blend.
4. This dip is shelf stable in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Looking for more holiday Dish ideas?

Check Our These 6 Herb-Inspired Potluck Recipes

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