These Swedish crispbread are really easy to make and packed with good-for-you ingredients as well. You'll find variations of these rye seed crackers across Scandinavia as a crunchy snack or part of lunch.
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I remember having bought crispbread when I was a child and to be honest, it wasn't something I was a huge fan of. You may know what I am talking about - the very dry, crunchy crackers that are often passed as diet food. If you didn't have a pretty soft topping, they were hard to eat.
Well, believe me these are so much better. I have had these at various points over the years from Norwegian, Danish and Swedish friends with slight variations. They are crunchy, with a nice mix of flavors from the seeds.
Where do crispbread come from?
These crackers go by many names, depending on where you are, such as knäckebröd in Swedish, knækbrød in Danish and knekkebrød in Norwegian translating as "crisp bread" as well as hårdbröd (Swedish) meaning "hard bread".
They are popular across Scandinavia, and also in Germany and other neighboring countries, but are believed to originate in Sweden some 500 years ago.
Originally they were made simply with rye flour, salt and water and were considered part of a poor person's diet. These days, they are more widely appreciated. They're great to add to a cheeseboard, pack for snacks and more.
While you'll still find plain crackers (particularly commercially), at home people typically add some seeds in to them. This both adds to the flavor and gives a nice texture. Plus, many of the seeds are pretty healthy.
Here I have gone with a pretty typical combination of seeds but one of the great things is they are easy to adapt. You can use other seeds you may have - sunflower seeds are also popular, and you could try poppy seeds as well, for example.
While rye is the traditional flour, some use wheat flour or a blend of rye with wheat or spelt. I would always include some rye, personally, partly as it has a great flavor but also it's a big part of the character of these crackers, to me.
Tips for making these crackers
Traditionally, people made these in a round shape with a hole in them, a bit like the shape of bagels, as you'd store them on a stick by the fire to keep them crisp. These days, however, making them square or rectangular is much more common (and easier).
One of the key things when you make these is to try not to overmix the dough. You want to just combine everything but little more. It helps to mix the dry ingredients first to limit how much you stir once you add the water and oil.
Then, use parchment both over and under the dough to roll it out. This save the dough sticking to your rolling pin. You can also use a silicone baking sheet underneath if you have one. Just make sure whatever you use, it fits in your baking sheet/tray so you know what size you are working to.
If it rolls beyond the underneath mat/paper size at any point, you can just trim the edge and stick the bit of dough onto an area that's shorter. Roll over it gently and it will soon stick.
Score the dough before baking. Some recipes cut right through, but the crackers can curl up at the edge sometimes. Scoring keeps them flat but still able to cut (mostly) to the same shape once cooked.
These Swedish crispbread are an easy and tasty combination of seeds and rye flour. They're great topped with cheese, pates and more, or simply as they are for a snack. So give them a try!
Try these other homemade crackers:
- Oatcakes (Scottish oat crackers)
- Homemade cheese crackers
- Whole wheat olive oil crackers
- Plus get more cracker and bread recipes and snack recipes in the archives.
Swedish crispbread (rye seed crackers, knäckebröd)
Ingredients
- 1 cup rye flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon flaxseeds
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup water or a little more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Measure two pieces of parchment, or get a silicone mat and a similar-sized piece of parchment ready to fit a baking sheet/tray around 10x15in (25x38cm).
- Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and mix them together. Add the oats and seeds (pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds) and mix so evenly distributed.
- Add the oil and water and combine until smooth. Take care not to overmix, you want it just combined. It should feel slightly stiff but still spreadable (add slightly more water if too stiff).
- Turn the mixture out onto the silicone mat or one piece of parchment and press the dough out to flatten a little. Top with the other piece of parchment and then roll out with a rolling pin to be around the same size as the piece of parchment. If it spreads beyond the area, you can trim a bit off and stick it to an area that has not spread as much. Then re-cover and roll over gently to help it join.
- Remove the top layer of parchment and carefully transfer the silicone mat/parchment to the baking sheet/tray. Score the top of the dough to make squares or rectangles of the size you want the crackers to be - I got around 24.
- Place the baking sheet/tray in the oven and bake for around 20 minutes until the top if dry and firm and the edges are just starting to become darker.
- Leave the crackers to cool a minute or two then cut along the score lines to break into crackers.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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KC Courtnier says
I absolutely LOVE these. I didn't have sesame seeds on hand so I substituted sunflower seeds which were great.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed them, and indeed you can definitely be flexible with some of the seeds in there.
Sarah says
Hello! So excited to make these. Have you also experimented with a gluten free option? I’d like to try both. Love rye but at times I need GF in the house.
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven't tried making these gluten free, but if you wanted to try, buckwheat flour is probably your best bet to get a similar flavor (and also color), maybe mixed in with eg rice flour for a slightly lighter texture. But you might have to play around a little to make sure you get the liquid level right as different flours absorb differently. And I don't know if there might be issues with cracking that may mean you want something like guar gum to help it be a little more stuck together.
Jennah says
I was wondering if ap flour would be ok to use if I don't have rye. I basically have everything else.
Caroline's Cooking says
So they could work with AP flour but a couple things - first, flavor-wise, rye has a lot more depth of flour than wheat flour, so they will taste a lot "plainer". Though the seeds will of course still give them a decent amount. The other thing is different flours require different amounts of liquid to get the same texture, so you'll have to do a little bit of trial and error to get the right amount. I'd say start with less liquid then add more as needed.
Kathi says
Hi there, I’m wondering if I could make this without oats (we are dealing with some sensitivities)? Also wondering if you think that nutritional yeast might be good sprinkled on top or within the dough? (Just saw another comment indicating that cheese is Delish sprinkled on top but we are avoiding dairy too)
TIA!
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes, I think you could make this without oats, the only thing is you might want to add something else to help give a little texture that you loose, so maybe some additional flax seeds (possibly some crushed). And while I personally like them with more of the seedy flavor, yes I think you could certainly add some nutritional yeast for a bit of a "cheesy" flavor.
Lou says
Thank you!
Made these today and I'm thrilled with the ease of preparation and the delicious result! Eminently riffable, healthy and great for kids' snacks or a charcuterie board.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed them! And yes, definitely easy to vary and versatile in how you use them.
Cindy Garren says
These are great! Getting ready to make them again.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed (and will again!)
Jane says
Really really loved these! And so did my family, they were gone within the hour of baking them! I actually didn’t have hardly any, so will bake more tomorrow!! I added poppy seeds and hemp seeds and reduced the sesame, and used veg oil instead of olive. Thanks so much for this perfect recipe!!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed them!
Annie Leimert says
What a great recipe this is. I only had ground flax, so I needed to add a little more water so it wouldn't be too crumbly to roll. The first time I made it I didn't have pumpkin seeds, so I used chopped walnuts instead. It was delicious. Keeper. Keeper. Keeper.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed, and indeed it's definitely flexible in the add-ins.
Ginny says
Hello, I'm going to make these tonight!!! They look so delicious! I think Ill try a mixture of spelt and rye flour. Also, I was wondering how many crackers were in a serving.
Thanks
Caroline's Cooking says
Sorry for the delay in responding - so it makes around 24 crackers, and 1 cracker is 1 serving.
Daniel Crompton says
Thank you for one of the best recipes to make one of my favourite foods! A complete substitute for Ryvita as they’re half the price and double as nice. Have and will continue to make many more times but have developed some tweaks:
- Double up the quantities as
- 2 cup Rye flour
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1 Tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Seeds
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2/3 cup water
-Have also added more moisture to make the crisp-bread less crumbly
- Cook time 15 minutes at 180degC fan then 15 minutes at 160degC fan to cook thoroughly all over and avoid the edges burning
Deserves 6/5 stars
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed so much! I've never found them crumbly, but volume measuring can vary in exactly how much you get, and not all flours absorb quite the same, so it's always worth seeing how a dough feels and adjusting if needed. Also just for reference, you can easily adjust the quantities by using the slider in the recipe when you hover over the quantity and they all multiply up or down.
John Bau says
Made these on Tuesday - super-simple to make, and they're excellent! Thanks so much. Will make great holiday gift packs.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you enjoyed, and yes, they'd be great as gifts!
Tobi Hackett says
Absolutely fantastic!
I definitely will be making these again
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Nikki says
I love these, thank you. I’m wondering whether it also possible to make them sweet, have you tried this?
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you have been enjoying! So no, I haven't tried them sweet, but rye pairs pretty well with things like raisins and dates, so maybe switching some or all of the seeds to those and sweetening the dough eg with honey could work?
Kim Collings says
Made these on a whim and didn't have rye flour in the cupboard, so used whole wheat. They came out great. Really want to do them again with rye flour though. YUM!!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm glad you enjoyed! Yes the base idea can work with whole wheat too, and I definitely recommend you trying the rye as it has a great flavor.
Ruthanne says
Hi There,
I just found this recipe and am so excited to make it.
I always love 100% RYE and its hard to find recipes with 100 % Rye.
So I am going for it tonight and I will write back. Thank you for posting this.
Caroline's Cooking says
Rye can be that bit tricky to work with, which is why there are less recipes with just rye, but I agree it has a lovely flavor. Hope you enjoy these!
connie says
mine wouldnt release at ALL from the parchment paper. I tried freezing it, nope. I tried wetting the back of the parchment, nope. I ended up pulverizing it in my food processer and feeding it to the chickens. Is there some other way to make this??? The edges that didnt stick were delicious. But Im talking about an 1/8 inch of edge that didnt stick.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm sorry to hear that, not a problem I have had - I assume you removed the top layer of parchment and that it then stuck on the bottom? One option is if you have a silicone baking mat then use this as a bottom layer as you shouldn't have an issue with peeling that off. You could also use wax paper on the bottom, which again should release more easily. The only other option would be to completely cut the pieces before baking and place them on a lined baking sheet individually - you may end up with the crackers curling a little doing this, and you might have to watch on bake time as they may bake quicker, but they should be less likely to stick this way.
Ness says
Just got done making these, so unbelievably delicious, especially right out of the oven with a spat of butter on top! Instead of pumpkin seeds I used almond slices, and i added a pinch of fresh ground fennel and caraway seed to compliment the rye. This one is for sure going in the recipe box!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed, and they are indeed great to make little tweaks here and there (and agree those spices pair well).
Sally C says
Totally agree with all the positive comments so far made. I also love the fact the recipe is so adaptable to what seeds/nuts/oils you have in your store cupboard. Thank you.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed, and I agree, always helpful to be easy to adapt, too.
Sher Lawrence says
I tried this recipe yesterday - so easy and so delicious!!! I made it with toasted sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseed, and a bit of caraway seed.
I have tried commercially made crispbread, but have found it so dusty dry that I don't want to eat it no matter how good the flavor might be. The small amount of olive oil in this recipe makes a big difference! I've been eating it without anything on it and it's marvellous!
I can hardly wait to get some good cheese to try with it.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed them! And yes I do agree the oil helps.
Daniel Crompton says
Lovely idea of the caraway seed, Will try this with my own crispbread!
Personally I like to add a but more water than the original recipe says which makes them less crumbly!
Queta says
This is an excellent recipe! Absolutely delicious, quick, and easy. I didn't have flax seed so I used caraway and dill seed. Baked them for 30 minutes. Amazing! Perfect on the first attempt. I will make them again and again. Thank you so much.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear they worked well for you and you enjoyed!
Vickie says
This is the third time I have made these crackers. Not only are they delicious, they work well with a low sugar diet. The only problem I have with them is that they are gone before I know it!
Caroline's Cooking says
That's great, so glad to hear you have been enjoying them!
Suzanne Allard says
Greetings Caroline, hope you and your family are well and staying safe! Thank you for this blog! I want to try this crisp bread recipe but would like to exclude the seeds and the oats to start with. Would that interfere and prompt me to have to adjust the amounts of the other ingredients? If so, would you please guide me?
Thank you in advance for letting me know 🙂
Peaceful regards,
Suzanne
Caroline's Cooking says
You could, but yes you will need to adjust the other ingredients. Not sure if by excluding the seeds and oats you mean essentially making them as just rye crackers? If so, the main thing is you will probably need a bit more rye flour and/or less liquid as the oats would otherwise absorb some, though it's hard to say quite how much as I haven't made them that way. I'd say try the rest without what you are plan to exclude then see how the texture is and add a little more rye (or other flour) to get the right texture.
Suzanne Allard says
Hi again, thanks for taking the time to reply! Yes I mean just rye crispbread. I'm a big fan of the Ryvita Dark Rye Crispbread and having a hard time finding it where I live right now, so I decided to try my hand at it.
What I'll do is make it with the oats, this way I won't need to adjust the water amount. And I'm thinking of using hemp seeds too! I'll let you know how it pans out. Thanks again and take care 🙂
Suzanne Allard says
Just pulled a batch out of the oven and they came out perfect and so delicious!
Thanks for this recipe and your guidance!! 😀
Caroline's Cooking says
That's great to hear!
Wendy Jones says
These have been a wild success in our house, i can now stop buying store bought crackers...thanks
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear!
Niall henderson says
These are really nice - little bit of Parmesan or maybe some gruyere across the top on the next batch I think.
They are very tasty though - thank you.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed. I could certainly see a little cheese working on them (even if not traditional), though also great as they are too, of course.
Miki says
These are great! I have made them with rye flour, plain flour and half of each and they are all good. Also added sunflower seeds. Make a double batch because they go quickly!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed them, and yes sunflower seeds definitely good in there as well.
kim says
This recipe was fabulous! It was super easy and so tasty. My whole family enjoyed and I'll definitely be making again!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you enjoyed!
Rohtak says
Delicious & Crisp! So easy to make. Thanks for sharing
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed!