Homemade Herb Spelt Crackers are an easy hearty dense cracker made with spelt flour, herbs and olive oil for snacks or a rustic charcuterie platter.
Homemade Crackers
There’s something quietly joyful about pulling a tray of homemade crackers from the oven. Maybe it’s the toasty aroma that fills the kitchen, or the way each little shard, rustic, imperfect, unapologetically unique, feels like a small victory.
These spelt crackers began as one of those kitchen experiments born on a busy afternoon when I wanted something better than the usual store-bought crunch.
Something nutty, wholesome, and special enough to elevate a simple snack into a moment.
What Is Spelt?
Spelt has always fascinated me. It’s an ancient grain with a gentle sweetness and a deeper, nuttier character than standard wheat. When baked into crackers, that flavor comes alive, an earthy warmth that makes them feel more artisanal, more intentional.
This rustic hearty grain first originated in the Middle East and has always made for a beautiful flat pita bread.
Unlike traditional wheat crackers, which can taste a bit neutral or overly manufactured, spelt crackers have personality.
They’re crisp yet tender, hearty but not heavy, and the grain’s natural complexity means they don’t need much fussing: a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt, maybe a scattering of herbs, and you’ve suddenly created something remarkable from the simplest ingredients.is an ancient grain, of the wheat family, but has a stronger husk and earthier, somewhat nuttier flavor.
Homemade vs Store Bought
And the delightful thing about homemade crackers is that they reward you far beyond their effort.
Store-bought crackers might be convenient, but they often come with long ingredient lists, preservatives, and a flavor that falls somewhere between predictably bland and aggressively seasoned.
When you make crackers at home, especially with a grain like spelt, you control everything. The thickness, the seasoning, the texture.
You can roll them whisper-thin for a delicate snap, or keep them slightly thicker for a rustic chew. You can make them plain for pairing with cheeses, boldly seasoned to stand alone, or flecked with seeds for a charcuterie board that earns compliments before guests even take their first bite.
Mediterranean Homemade Crackers Pita and Flatbread.
We, here in America, like to think of crackers as an American food, but in essence it is actually an ancient food, much the same at pita or flatbread.
When pita bread is made from a denser flour, rather than the highly processed white flour, it holds up better when used to scoop up food.
The Middle East, in particular, often serves meals, such as a Lamb Tajine and Persian Walnut Stew, without forks. The same is true of serving a variety of plant spreads, such as hummus or baba ganoush, which are not served with a knife to spread onto flatbread.
Flatbread, pita and crackers (which are in essence a flatbread), are used to scoop food from communal plates and eaten with fingers instead of tableware.
A solid, firm piece of flatbread or cracker makes it easier to eat a meal without it becoming soggy in the food. Spelt crackers are perfect for this type of cuisine.
Herb Spelt Crackers
If truth be known about me, my greatest weakness in food is bread and crackers. For this reason I experiment often with a variety of types of breads and crackers.
Sometimes I like to diverge from the mundane ingredients in my pantry and splurge!
This ancient whole grain flour, rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese, as well as flavor, was just the detour I was looking for.
Nutrient Rich Spelt Crackers And Baked Goods
Since spelt flour is not processed in the way so many of our bleached white wheat flour is, it is still rich in fiber.
It makes for a very rustic loaf of bread and hearty crackers.
Spelt and herbs, used in a dough, adds depth to a hearty breakfast muffin, diverse flavor to a flat bread, and definitely becomes the star of a cracker.
You will never want a plain ole white cracker again!
Why Use Herbs In Homemade Baking Recipes?
While creating this recipe, I wanted a rustic artisan cracker that would complement my cheese tray.
Since I always keep a pot of fresh herbs growing either outside or in a window in winter, I will add rosemary or sage to the cracker dough.
Both herbs bake beautifully in a cracker or bread because they impart their own natural oils to the dough.
Those natural oils are loaded with flavor, and the only thing needed to enhance their flavors is just a sprinkling of salt on top before baking.
Homemade Crackers – From Snacks To Charcuterie
Charcuterie board, after school snacks or cocktail hour treats all deserve to have a hearty cracker that isn’t pasty flour and water with no substance.
Making homemade crackers is so easy, you couldn’t scoot over to the market to buy a box of crackers faster than you could whip up a huge batch at home.
Toss any of your favorite dried or fresh herbs into the recipe for flavors that speak to you, or simply use the suggested herbs I often make my homemade crackers with.
For a video demonstration of making Homemade Crackers, see the recipe card below. However, if you already know how to make crackers, here is the recipe for these crunchy Spelt Crackers.
For a variety of other options and ideas for making Homemade Crackers with a variety of flour or herb suggestions, the options are endless and all delicious.
Homemade Herb and Spelt Breads
While crackers are considered a flatbread, perhaps using only a dash of baking powder, yeast breads require time for the yeast to rise the dough.
Spelt flour can be a heavy flour for a yeast dough, and so my favorite secret to making the dough rise fast, is to use potato water instead of just plain water.
Adding the herbs to the potato water, to allow their essence to be released before adding the spelt flour, brings out the most in the herbs you choose to use.
When making a quick bread, using spelt bread, baking powder is the leavening agent, and they rise and cook beautifully.
More Homemade Spelt Recipes To Love
- Ginger Molasses Spelt Quick Bread – an easy, quick muffin type bread with the flavors of Autumn.
- Spelt Potato Sandwich Bread – a perfect bread to hold up to many sandwich fillings.
- Spelt and Kefir Yeast Bread – the use of kefir in this bread rises it quickly and enhances its nutrients.
- Turkish Simit Bread – a beautifully sesame coated bread, often a street food in Turkey, made with both white flour and spelt flour.
Ingredients Needed
- Spelt flour – The star of these crackers, spelt flour brings an earthy sweetness and a subtly nutty depth that sets these apart from anything made with standard wheat. Because spelt is an ancient grain, its flavor feels more alive, more grain-forward, giving your crackers a naturally rich character without needing much embellishment. It also creates a tender, crisp texture that feels rustic yet refined, perfect for both snacking and elegant cheese boards.
- Oil – Olive, Coconut, or Avocado, a splash of oil gives the crackers their delicate flake and beautiful golden edges, and choosing the oil lets you shape the personality of the batch. Olive oil adds a savory Mediterranean warmth, coconut oil brings a soft richness with a hint of sweetness, and avocado oil creates an ultra-clean, buttery finish. Each oil lends its own quiet signature, making the crackers uniquely yours every time you bake them.
- Salt – Just a pinch is enough to brighten the grain’s natural flavor and enhance the aroma of the herbs. Salt is the quiet backbone of these crackers, simple, essential, and transformative. Whether you use a fine sea salt in the dough or sprinkle flaky salt on top, it wakes up every other ingredient.
- Dried or Fresh Herbs – Rosemary, Oregano, or Thyme – These herbs add a lovely herbal lift, turning humble crackers into something perfumed and memorable. Rosemary offers a piney, fragrant bite; oregano adds a savory, almost woodsy warmth; and thyme brings a delicate floral earthiness. You can choose just one or create your own blend depending on your mood or what’s on your charcuterie board that day.
- Water, brings the dough together, allowing the flour and oil to form a supple, rollable texture. It doesn’t add flavor, but it determines the cracker’s character, use just enough for a smooth dough that rolls thin and bakes crisp. It’s the quiet ingredient that lets everything else shine.
Equipment Needed
- Mixing Bowl with Hand Mixer or Food Processor – Whether you prefer the hands-on satisfaction of a mixing bowl and hand mixer or the quick convenience of a food processor, this is where the magic begins. A simple blend of flour, herbs, salt, oil, and water comes together in moments, forming a dough that’s surprisingly easy to work with. Both methods deliver smooth, consistent results, choose whichever suits your mood or the pace of your day.
- Measuring Cup and Measuring Spoons – These humble tools ensure your cracker dough comes together just right. A little too much water or too little oil can change the texture, so accurate measuring gives you the perfect crispness every time. They’re small, routine items, but they make all the difference in homemade baking.
- Cookie Sheet – A sturdy cookie sheet provides even heat and steady support as the crackers bake. Because these crackers are rolled thin, the flat, wide surface helps them crisp evenly, giving you that satisfying snap with every bite.
- Parchment Paper – Your best friend for an easy baking experience. Parchment paper keeps the dough from sticking, helps the crackers slide effortlessly onto the baking sheet, and makes cleanup delightfully simple. It also allows the crackers to bake evenly without excess browning.Mixing bowl with hand mixer or food processor
- Pastry Wheel Cutter – This little tool adds that charming, rustic edge to your crackers. With one quick glide, you can create tidy rectangles, long slender shards, or bite-sized pieces, whatever suits your board or your snacking plans. It’s a small detail that makes homemade crackers feel wonderfully crafted.
- Oven – The final step in transforming a humble dough into beautifully crisp crackers. A hot oven coaxes out the nuttiness of the spelt, crisps the edges to a delicate gold, and fills the kitchen with that irresistible “homemade” aroma. It’s the moment everything comes together.
Homemade Herb Spelt Crackers
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- baking sheet with parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups Spelt flour – 1 1/2 cups
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- pinch Coarse salt for topping
- 1/4 cup Water or as needed
- 1 tbsp Dried herbs rosemary or thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425
- Mix all the ingredients together with a hand mixer or food processor, until it come together into a ball.
- If dry, add water, if wet, add flour.
- Roll out to about 1/4 inch. Cut in shapes to your desire with a pizza cutter. Brush lightly with oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake on parchment paper lined cookie sheet for about 15-minutes, or until golden.
Video
Notes
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.