Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers | Best Gluten Free Cracker Recipe

Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers are one of my favorite ways to use up extra discard in the fridge. You can really make infinite flavor combinations with these and get really creative, or just use what you have on hand. Pictured are rosemary Parmesan seed crackers.

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You'll need gluten free sourdough discard to make this gluten free cracker recipe, preferably from a brown rice or sorghum flour starter.

If you don't have a gluten-free sourdough starter yet, you'll first need to make one and can find out how with my guide: How to Make a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter.

Looking for more Gluten Free Sourdough Recipes?

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What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is the inactive portion of starter removed before each feeding. Instead of throwing it away, it’s stored in a jar in the fridge. At this point, the wild yeast and bacteria have already consumed their food (the flour and water), making the discard inactive.

Because it no longer has leavening power, sourdough discard is perfect for recipes that don’t rely on yeast to rise—think brownies, cookies, banana bread and other quick breads, crackers, and more.

Can I use 2 Week Old Gluten Free Sourdough Discard?

Yes, it’s totally up to you! The older the discard, the more sour the flavor will be.

For sweet recipes like pancakes, it’s usually best to use newer discard, while older discard works well for savory recipes like crackers. That said, I’ve used two-week-old discard in pancakes without noticing a difference. It really depends on your starter, its flour blend, hydration, and how frequently it’s fed.

A tip for keeping discard from becoming too sour: pour off any hooch that collects on top instead of stirring it back in.

What are the Benefits of Eating Gluten Free Sourdough?

Sourdough is well known for its digestive benefits. While it does contain gut-friendly bacteria like lactobacillus, these probiotics are killed during baking, so they don’t provide probiotic absorption. That said, sourdough is still a fermented food. During fermentation, the wild yeast and bacteria help predigest the starches in the flour, which can make baked goods easier to digest and may help keep blood sugar levels more stable. For these reasons, sourdough is often considered gentler on the gut.

For those living with Celiac disease (like myself), we often rely heavily on rice-based products. Sourdough offers an opportunity to incorporate a wider variety of gluten-free grains, such as sorghum, millet, or buckwheat, adding both diversity and nutritional value to a gluten-free diet.

Ingredients for Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers:

• Gluten free sourdough discard, preferably from a brown rice, sorghum, or millet flour starter
• High quality gluten free all purpose flour blend containing xanthan gum. I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 (the blue bag). You can also experiment with using almond flour and corn flour for this recipe. Keep in mind that depending on the flours you use, the crackers may become stale faster.
• Unsalted butter. If using salted, omit the additional salt in the recipe but still sprinkle coarse salt on top of the crackers.
• One to two seeds of choice. I used what I had on hand (black chia seeds and sesame seeds) but you can also use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, or others. The different seeds add a variety of textures: chia gives a crisp crunch, while sunflower seeds add a chewy bite.
• One to two dried herbs of choice. I used dried rosemary in the pictured crackers.
• Mix-in's of choice. This could be anything like craisins, finely chopped sun dried tomatoes, or varying cheeses. I used Parmesan cheese in the pictured crackers.
• Milk. For dairy-free: Use a neutral plant-based milk, such as almond milk.
• Salt
• Olive oil for brushing over the crackers +(optional) coarse salt

Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers Flavor Combinations

There really are endless combinations you could make with these crackers. Try mixing up each of the three categories.

Seeds

• pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• chia seeds
• sesame seeds
• hemp seeds
• poppy seeds
• flaxseed

Herbs

• thyme
• rosemary
• basil
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• minced dehydrated onion
• minced dehydrated garlic
• oregano
• black pepper
• white pepper
• tarragon
• paprika, mainly for color

Mix-in's (optional - if not using, you can increase the amount of seeds)

• everything bagel seasoning (this kind of takes the place of both seeds and herbs all in one)
• Parmesan cheese
• cheddar cheese/white cheddar cheese
• finely-chopped sun dried tomatoes
• craisins
• pumpkin - I have not personally tested this to determine final outcome of the texture. You would likely need to reduce the milk in the recipe.

Some drier mix-in's can make the dough harder to come together (Parmesan, etc.) so you may need to add a few tbsp. of milk to form it into a ball.

You can also experiment with using fancy infused olive oils to brush on top of the crackers.

Classic Combinations:

• Garlic & herb (any small seeds, garlic powder or minced dehydrated garlic, basil, rosemary, oregano, white pepper)
• Everything bagel (simply just everything bagel seasoning + additional seeds of choice)
• Sun dried tomato & basil (any small seeds, finely-chopped sun dried tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic powder)
• Mediterranean herb (sunflower seeds, any small seeds, basil, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder)
• Farmhouse cheddar (cheddar cheese or white cheddar, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika)
• Pumpkin seeds and craisins (no herbs)

How to Make Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers:

• In a large mixing bowl, add the gluten free flour, seeds of choice, herbs of choice, and salt. Stir until well combined.

• Add in the sourdough discard, melted butter, and milk. Stir until it forms a dough.
• Using the palms of your hands, shape into a ball. You may need to add an additional 1-3 tablespoon more milk depending on what mix-in's you added. If you doubled the recipe, be sure to form into two balls.

• Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Cover with a second sheet of parchment (like a sandwich) to prevent sticking. Roll the dough out to about ⅛ inch thick or thinner—the thinner the crackers, the crispier they’ll be and the longer they’ll stay fresh. Thicker crackers are fine but tend to go stale within 1–2 days.

• Once the dough is rolled out evenly, carefully peel off the top layer of parchment paper. If the edges are uneven, gently shape the dough with your hands. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the crackers into even squares, leaving them in place—do not move them after cutting.

• Carefully lift the bottom parchment with the crackers onto a large baking sheet. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle generously with coarse salt.

• Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the crackers are golden brown and crispy. Uneven browning is fine. The edges may brown more than the center, but they’ll all taste delicious.

• Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. For best results, serve immediately and eat within 1-2 days.

Equipment

To make Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers, you will need:

• A French rolling pin. I prefer to use a French rolling pin when working with gluten free dough. This is because they have a tapered end and no handle, which means there's nothing the dough can get stuck onto it or impressed by.
• A pizza cutter or sharp knife
• A large baking sheet or two half sheets. It's also extremely helpful if you have parchment paper.
• Don't want to make a starter from scratch? This Sourdough Starter Culture packet gives you a head start with a dehydrated gluten-free sourdough starter culture and directions to follow to maintain it for years to come. I love this website because there's also cheesemaking, yogurt, kombucha, and fermented vegetable kits. (Use the code WONDERS15X on Cultures For Health's website to get 15% off! The GF starter is also available for purchase on Amazon here.

The crackers pictured above are from my first batch. I kept them more rustic, not worrying about cutting perfect rectangles, and honestly, I like how they turned out even better. So here's your go ahead to not care about cutting the most perfect rectangles or squares in the world.

How to Store Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers

These crackers are best enjoyed fresh, ideally within 1–2 days while still crispy.

Once fully cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

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