These little crunchy bites reproduce every pleasure of pizza without an oven: a flax cracker base, a creamy nut spread, a fragrant tomato sauce and a basil-rosemary pesto. A real concentrate of Mediterranean flavours in canapé form. For an indulgent variation, swap the cracker base for marinated mushrooms and the bite becomes even softer.
Mini Pizza Bites on Flax Crackers
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Ingredients
Flax cracker base (or use your own crackers)
- 1/2 cup flaxseed
- 1/2 cup flax flour
- 6 medium tomatoes
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for at least 2 hours
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons dried Italian herb mix
- 3 medium onions
- 1 clove of garlic
Pine nut spread
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup macadamia nuts
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup water
Tomato sauce
- 4 medium tomatoes, deseeded
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for at least 2 hours
- 1 soft date
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Pesto
- 2 cups tightly packed basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Preparation
- Blend all the cracker base ingredients in the food processor until you have an even paste.
- Spread it thinly over two dehydrator trays, right to the edges, then score squares with a knife or a spatula.
- Dehydrate at 40 °C for 3 hours, flip onto a mesh tray, then continue drying for 10 to 18 hours.
- For the spread, blend all the ingredients in the food processor until creamy.
- For the tomato sauce, blend all the ingredients until smooth.
- For the pesto, pulse all the ingredients, keeping a little texture.
- On each cracker, spread a layer of the nut spread, then the tomato sauce, and finish with a touch of pesto.
- Garnish with olives, capers and a pinch of Italian herbs.
Tip
As a variation, replace the crackers with mushrooms marinated for 2 hours in a mix of tamari and olive oil, topped and then warmed for 1 to 2 hours in the dehydrator.
FAQ: your questions about mini pizza bites on flax crackers
What is a good recipe for healthy homemade crackers?
The most reliable framework comes down to two ingredients: ground flaxseed and water. Flax releases a mucilage that binds the dough without flour or egg. From there everything is up to you: fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs, as in this recipe. Spread thinly, score before drying, and dehydrate at a low temperature until the dough snaps.
What is the best way to eat flaxseed?
Ground, in every case: whole, the seeds pass through the digestive tract without giving up much. Grind them at the last moment — a coffee grinder does the job perfectly — because their oils go rancid quickly once the seed is opened. Keep the rest in the fridge, in a sealed jar. In this recipe flax plays both roles: binder and crunchy base.
How do you use nutritional yeast?
You sprinkle it at the end of a preparation, never at the start of cooking: its cheesy flavour evaporates with heat. It lifts a nut spread, a sauce, a plate of pasta, a soup or popcorn. Here, two teaspoons are enough to give the pine nut and macadamia spread its matured, cheese-like taste.
What is the difference between nutritional yeast and brewer's yeast?
Nutritional yeast is inactive yeast dried into flakes, with an umami flavour close to parmesan; it is grown specifically for food use. Brewer's yeast, strictly speaking, is a by-product of brewing, more bitter, and sold either alive or inactive. Neither should be confused with baker's yeast, which is alive and used for rising, or with baking powder, which is not a yeast at all.
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