Have Snacks, Will Travel

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by Hannah (BitterSweet)
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Armed to the teeth with various sweets and savories, the majority of our carry on luggage is typically composed of snacks.  Considering this impressive stockpile, you’d think it was in preparation for a trip to a desert island or third world country.  Rest assured, most won’t even be touched when all is said and done, but to ensure a happy trip, it’s critical for me to over-prepare and over-pack when it comes to the food.  As soon as that plane lands 7 or 8 hours later, the biggest hurdle will be  out of the way and an abundance of vegan options will again be available, but until then, there’s no telling what kind of inedible slop might be served.  Sure, it may not be a big deal for some people to omit meals and go without, but trust me, you do not want to see me hungry; I do not take it well, to put it lightly.  And for the sake of the people sitting next to me, I’ve learned to take matters into my own hands.

Through trial and error, I’ve found that simple snacks tend to work best in these situations; something easy to eat, not too messy, and not temperature specific. That means granola bars, rice cakes, trail mix, and crackers. Crackers are a dime a dozen really, and there are some seriously tasty options in even the most underwhelming markets these days, so why go through the trouble of making your own? Because they’re fast and simple to whip up, and endlessly customizable. Tell me, where else are you going to find smoky vegan “cheese” crackers, with just a hint of spice?

The tiny extra effort is absolutely worth it, whether you’re preparing for a long flight or just a day at home. Plus, as an added bonus, making these gave me the opportunity to play around with the latest vegan cheese product, and clean out the fridge a bit at the same time.

And if you’re not packing up and taking off somewhere, these babies are the perfect base for homemade Ritz Bitz-like cracker sandwiches (but better!) Just use a tiny dollop of leftover “cheese” spread between two crackers, and eat immediately. Unlike the originals, these are nowhere near as shelf stable- Which I happen to think is a good thing, quite frankly.

Yield: Yield Varies Depending on Cookie Cutter, but Approximately 70 – 80 Crackers if Using a 1 1/2-Inch Round Fluted Cookie Cutter

Smoky, Spicy Cheese Crackers

Smoky, Spicy Cheese Crackers

Crunchy, smoky vegan cheese crackers, with just a hint of spice.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 Ounces Vegan Cheddar-Style Spread*
  • 1 Tablespoon Whole Flax Seeds, Ground
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
  • 1 Cup White Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
  • 1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
  • 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt (or 3/4 Teaspoon Table Salt)
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Sweet Paprika
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Turmeric
  • Pinch Cayenne
  • Pinch Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  2. Place the “cheese” spread, ground flax seeds, olive oil, and liquid smoke in your stand mixer or food processor, and mix briefly to combine.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the remaining dry ingredients, until the mixture is homogeneous and the spices are well distributed. Add this whole mixture into the mix of wet ingredients, and start your mixer on a low speed if using; pulse your food processor to combine. Allow the machine to run until the mixture comes together into a smooth, cohesive dough. It may take some time, so be patient, and do not add extra liquid to the dough.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out very thin, to about 1/8th of an inch. Use any cookie cutter you desire. I like smaller crackers to nibble on, so I used a 1 1/2-inch round fluted cookie cutter. Transfer cut crackers to your prepared baking sheets, and re-roll scraps, cutting more crackers, until the dough is used up. Bake each sheet individually for 10 – 15 minutes, until very so slightly puffy and dry to the touch. They won’t really brown, so don’t panic if they don’t become golden around the edges. Let cool completely on the sheets, and store in air-tight containers at room temperature.

Notes

*In a pinch, plain vegan cream cheese could be used instead.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 202Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 325mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 7g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.

© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: American / Category: Starters and Snacks

49 thoughts on “Have Snacks, Will Travel”

  1. Having more snacks is always better than not having enough, I totally agree! Your cracker snacks look like a very tasty treat. It scares me when the expiration date says it will go bad, like 10years later. Scream!!! I’ve seen that “I Can’t Say It’s Cheese” spread at our local healthfood store, but have been hesitant to try. So did you like it?

  3. I NEED to bring food when I travel. I can’t stand airport food and like you, I should NOT be reckoned with when I’m hungry! These look so tasty…even omnis cant get stuff this good!

  6. These look delicious!! AND perfect for traveling..I’m with you the majority of what I carry on board is edible snacks for us – what they serve can’t always even be called food!

  7. Hannah
    those crackers look delicious….and I would love to try that we cant call it cheese…..that does crack me up! I’m up for trying anything, I can’t guarantee it will ever replace my cheddar, but I certainly would rule it out as a snack!
    thanks for sharing!
    Dennis

  8. Great idea- I’m usually the one who packs the “goodies” on our trips, and I totally agree that more is better! And, always bring a variety of sweet and savory, so you won’t get bored!

  10. When we went on our vacation this summer, I packed 5 days worth of food for my violently allergic child. Yes, we were able to find some food he could eat on the trip, but only rarely.

    Believe me, I understand bringing food along due to dietary restrictions. You managed to make a necessity into a truly lovely treat, though!

  11. Those look so good, but I don’t think we have anythign comparable to that non-cheese spread here in Australia :(

    I completely agree on the necessity of having snacks whilst traveling, though… I can’t begin to tell you how many delays I’ve experienced in airports/trains/buses while traveling around the US and Europe! For me, having some dark chocolate on hand ensures I’ll be able to mentally cope with problems better :)

  13. Such true words… I too pack food whenever I travel. The thought of being stuck on a plane and hungry is almost too much to bear!

    Those crackers look yummy! Sadly I cannot get that ‘cheese’ product here in Australia, but I imagine that you could substitute another ‘cheese’ spread for it… maybe Sheese…

  14. I often face the same dilemma when traveling with my son who is Gluten intolerant. It’s a pain but makes everyone happier in the long run. Those crackers look like the real deal.

  17. I finally found “We Can’t Say It’s Cheese” in stores near me and I love it! Thanks for posting this cracker recipe. It looks great! I travel a lot for work and don’t always have the best options.

  20. Mm these look like the perfect travel snack and it’s good that you don’t skip meals. It’s better for your health anyway :).

  26. I got into making my own crackers last year. I’m still trying to replicate Trader Joe’s Everything crackers. Those are by far my favorite well, maybe tied with Woven Wheats (which may be IMPOSSIBLE to replicate)

    Teddy

  28. I have the same problem when travelling. What to eat?! Snacking is fine but I end up in despiration for something substantial.
    Happy travels.

  29. These look so good! I love the spices in them and am interested to see how the nutritional yeast makes them taste. And of course love that they’re made with whole wheat flour.

  30. hey hannah! I just voted for you on veg news for the best blog, you are my hero! (:

    all my love,
    rikki

  31. Wow these look great! Unfortunately here in Mexico we don’t have “cheese” spread. Maybe it is because I live in Mexico, a third world country, I think your comment on this issue is out of place. Although I know it wasn’t intended to be unrespectful, it indicates you should do more research about those issues. I hope you don’t get this comment the wrong way, but I had to say it. I hope next time you write something regarding this you do more research and have in consideration you have a wonderful blog and therefore people from all over the world read it.

  32. I can only imagine it must be hard to travel foodwise. I find airport food to be pathetic and I’m not vegan so I have more options. I agree with you though that there is no reason not to make your own crackers. They always taste so much better and are so customizable.

    As a side note, I’m not sure if you have/had my blog in your RSS reader, but if so you may need to update the feed. I didn’t realize when I switched over to feedburner that my old subscribers would no longer be updated so just wanted to send out the FYI. I have the link to the new feed at the top of my blog. :-)

  33. Beautiful and so yummy looking, but in my hands, they’ll be gone in no time. No matter how much food I pack for a trip, it’s never enough.:-)

  34. i flew for the first time since becoming vegan this past june. nightmare! and i’m like you…i should not be spoken to, looked at, or even thought about when i’m hungry. it’s ugly. i wish i would have had some of these (or, really at that point, any) crackers in my bag! some evil person told me you couldn’t bring your own food onto the plane, but i found out (after i’d put all my beautiful clif bars in my checked luggage) that was not the case. and then i got stuck in the airport. for 7 hours. both directions…yay for modern air travel. i like making my own crackers though. so easy! and this recipe looks yummy!

  36. Just delurking to leave a comment.

    Firstly – I have been enjoying your blog for a few weeks now and always leave with promises to myself to try this or that. I was quite happy to lurk but wanted to decloak for a second to say that not all third world nations are deficient in food or have starving people. Size and respective economies also determine if a nation will be categorized as such. Come to think of it, third world countries have some of the best food around – but I may be biased : )

    As usual, nice looking recipe! Added to my “must try” list : )

  37. I just took a short plane trip and neglected to bring any snacks, and I can’t tell you how sorry I was as I watched every other passenger on the plane happily eating the snacks provided for them. I’ll certainly remember to stock my carry on next time. Your cheese crackers look great, and considering I just bought a container of hickory smoked cheddar style spread myself, I do see this snack in my very near future!

  43. These look stunning – wish I could hire you to pack my car snacks! I haven’t heard of this cheesey spread before, but will now keep my eyes peeled, so thanks!

  49. Heya! I’m a new reader to your web-site so I thought I’d leave a comment here
    basically to let you know I really like
    what you’re doing. Count on seeing some more responses from me appearing :
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