Fruit and Nut Crackers

A while back I purchased these beautiful crackers from Whole Foods. I was visiting my daughter at the time and we paired them with cheese that night for a pre-dinner treat. The brand is Raincoast, and the crackers are $9.99 for 6 ounces – yes, a bit pricey. They have a few different varieties, but I don’t know how many exactly.

Once home, I paired the leftover crackers with my faux Boursin this past July. The combination of the fruitiness with the goat cheese was just perfect. Really, these crackers aren’t extremely sweet, even with the dried fruits. But there is just enough sweetness that they really add something to a cheese pairing of any kind.

Because Whole Foods is a four-hour round trip for me, I decided to make these little guys myself. How hard could it be?!! This was a first for me – I typically make yeasted breads myself to pair with cheeses, like my bread for cheese.

But these are simply dense little quick breads, that were then sliced, and toasted. I couldn’t wait! Most of the fun was picking out the fruit and nut combination. I decided on sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, flax seeds, dried plums, dried cranberries, and cocoa nibs.

They turned out fabulously. I had to freeze them so I wouldn’t keep eating them! But you know I’ll be pulling them out of the freezer come the holidays…

Fruit and Nut Crackers

1 cup dried fruits – I used half cranberries and half diced plums
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/3 cup flax seeds
1/3 cup cocoa nibs
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups rice milk or dairy milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup rye flour
1 1/2 cups white flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 little pans – mine were approximately 3 1/2″ by 7 1/2″ by 2 1/2″ inside diameter. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the rice milk or your choice of milk. Then add the brown sugar and molasses and whisk well.

Add the rye flour and whisk to combine. Then change to a wooden spoon and add the 1 1/2 cups of white flour. Stir just until combined. Add the bowl of fruits, seeds, and nuts, and stir just until even distributed.

Divide the batter in between the three pans. Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

Let the breads cool completely. Reduce the oven to 300 degrees. Slice the breads as thinly as possible.

Then place them on a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Toast the remaining slices, if you can’t do them all at once in the oven. You should end up with approximately 68 crackers.

Today I served the crackers alongside Cowgirl Creamery’s Red Hawk. It’s a washed rind cows’ milk cheese that’s really soft. It’s not as “pourable” as a French Époisses, but it’s still fabulously soft.

cowgirl

By Published On: December 11th, 201333 Comments on Fruit and Nut Crackers

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

33 Comments

  1. sallybr December 11, 2013 at 9:03 AM - Reply

    Great job! I am in awe that you decided to tackle such a project and just came up with a perfect concoction! Amazing!

    I bought those crackers once, they are wonderful, but very expensive indeed….

    • chef mimi December 11, 2013 at 9:04 AM - Reply

      Way too expensive, especially for an everyday sort of cheese pairing. These came out so well, and they’re very easy!

  2. FromageHomage December 11, 2013 at 9:54 AM - Reply

    Impressive stuff! I had some similar biscuits which worked really well with Stilton.

    • chef mimi December 11, 2013 at 10:40 AM - Reply

      I think these would go with any cheese!!!

  3. Francesca December 11, 2013 at 9:58 AM - Reply

    They look amazing, Mimi. Much better than the Whole Foods type! :-)

    • chef mimi December 11, 2013 at 10:40 AM - Reply

      They’re at least as good as those!

  4. gwynnem December 11, 2013 at 10:00 AM - Reply

    Thank you for this recipe. I love Rainforest crisps, but they are prohibitively expensive.

    • chef mimi December 11, 2013 at 10:39 AM - Reply

      They really are! And these were so easy.

  5. wendy@chezchloe December 11, 2013 at 12:13 PM - Reply

    Oh this is really great. I love those crackers and yes they are pricey. I would love to carry them in my shop so I could get them wholesale but our other specialty food store already has them. I’m going to try them for a party i’m having on Sunday. Thanks!

  6. ladyredspecs December 11, 2013 at 3:15 PM - Reply

    Wow, these look great, way better than a commercial alternative!

    • chef mimi December 11, 2013 at 4:48 PM - Reply

      They turned out really well. Thanks!

  7. apuginthekitchen December 11, 2013 at 6:20 PM - Reply

    Very impressive, in awe. Those crackers look fantastic, a dead ringer for the pricey whole foods crackers. I can just taste them with cheese.

    • chef mimi December 12, 2013 at 6:46 AM - Reply

      They really are a dead ringer – in texture and in taste. I haven’t figured what I spent to make them, but I know they were way way cheaper!

  8. Johnny Hepburn December 11, 2013 at 6:35 PM - Reply

    Have been meaning to make something like this, and biscotti, for months now. Can’t seem to get back into baking right now. Although, a date crunch made recently has been greedily devoured – not even a photo taken! Anyway, as I have organic rye flour in the cupboard I’m putting this on my to bake list for the weekend. You really are inspiring!

  9. Maria Bywater December 11, 2013 at 7:05 PM - Reply

    Wow, Mimi – These look beautiful and delicious. I bet they’d make a great base for a duck-based canape. Thanks for sharing this.

    • chef mimi December 11, 2013 at 7:38 PM - Reply

      Thanks! I’ve served the store bought ones with pate, so you’re probably right!

  10. Three Well Beings December 11, 2013 at 10:53 PM - Reply

    I’ve had these Raincoast Crips from Whole Foods! They are wonderful, and very expensive. So I’m thrilled to pieces with this recipe, Mimi. I can’t wait to make them. I love them paired with any soft cheese. Or even by themselves. :-)

    • chef mimi December 12, 2013 at 6:47 AM - Reply

      To buy one package of the Raincoast crackers isn’t bad, but if you wanted four or five sleeves for a party it would be so expensive – I’d rather spend my money on good cheese and smoked salmon…

  11. hotlyspiced December 12, 2013 at 12:33 AM - Reply

    These look very good, Mimi. How yummy. I’m super-impressed that you made your own crackers! And the fruit in them and the nuts are just perfect to enjoy with a room temperature cheese xx

    • chef mimi December 12, 2013 at 6:45 AM - Reply

      These did turn out well. And they’re so easy to make.

  12. Joanne Bruno December 12, 2013 at 6:37 AM - Reply

    These look great! I love the idea of smothering them with cheese. Yum.

    • chef mimi December 12, 2013 at 6:42 AM - Reply

      Especially if you’re a cheese aholic!!!

  13. Debra Eliotseats December 15, 2013 at 8:16 AM - Reply

    As I started reading this post, I thought you were just singing the praises of the WF crackers. I am so glad you tried to recreate them! (Man, I am pinning everything from your posts today!)

  14. Alicia December 15, 2013 at 3:01 PM - Reply

    I love those crackers, so I’m very excited for this recipe! Yum!

    • chef mimi December 15, 2013 at 4:45 PM - Reply

      Thanks! They turned out really good!

  15. Eva Taylor July 27, 2020 at 2:32 PM - Reply

    Thanks for the heads up on facebook, I’m definitely going to give these a go! Love Raincoast crackers but they are simply ridiculously expensive!

    • chef mimi July 27, 2020 at 2:55 PM - Reply

      Oh, for sure they are! And they’re so simple to make. Trust me, I’m no baker, but it was so easy.

  16. Eva Taylor October 26, 2020 at 2:48 PM - Reply

    I made a version of these crackers yesterday and they turned out exceptionally well. I used pepitas, sesame seeds and cranberries, as well as spelt flour instead of rye. I also used an electric slicer which made the slices nice and thin. Will definitely be making the recipe again, but I’ll add some herbs next time.

  17. Kiran May 2, 2023 at 4:33 AM - Reply

    Hi your crackers look sooo delicious!!! Can you suggest me a replacement for egg please
    Thanks

    • Chef Mimi May 2, 2023 at 7:28 AM - Reply

      Thank you! No, I really wouldn’t know what to use instead. So sorry!

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