Coconut butter is one of my favorite foods, you can crumble it on top of oatmeal, toss it in muffins or use it as icing in desserts! This nut and seed free butter is made from the pulp of the coconut and ground into a smooth paste. 7 percent protein and 14 percent fiber and healthy fats is what makes coconut butter so satisfying. While coconut butter might seem like an impossibility with its low carb and sugar content, I assure you it is not!
Now, on to these delicious crackers! Graham crackers are one of my favorite types of crackers, I enjoy paring them with peanut butter, cookie dough dip and of course coconut butter! I decided to use spelt in these crackers because I have been trying to cut back on oats, they sometimes mess with my stomach. Spelt happens to be a little powerhouse of its own. Spelt is an excellent source of manganese, protein, fiber and zinc. This ancient grain has also been found to prevent gallstones as well as slow the progression of atherosclerosis, the accumulation of plague within the blood vessels. You can see why spelt has been used since Biblical times. Native to Iran and southeastern Europe, spelt was one of the first grains used to make bread, usually in the form of a cracker. As stated in Ezekiel 4:9...
"Take also unto thee Wheat, and Barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and Spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it..." Ezekiel 4:9
Vegan S'mores on Homemade Graham Crackers
Ingredients:
For the Graham Crackers:
1 cup spelt flour *see below for a GF version
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1 -2 tbs coconut sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tbs smooth almond butter (or peanut butter)
2 tbs maple syrup
2 tbs blackstrap molasses or sorghum
4 tbs almond milk
2 tbs apple sauce or melted coconut oil
1/2 tbs ground flax mixed with 1 tbs water (for your flax "egg")
For the Filling:
coconut butter
1 good quality vegan dark chocolate bar
Instructions:
Pre heat the oven to 350F degrees and mix your flax "egg", set it aside to gel up.
For the crackers, combine all your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Next, slightly warm your almond butter if it is hard then add it to a small mixing bowl along with the rest of your wet ingredients. Now add the wet mixture to the dry and continue to stir and combine. Add more almond milk if needed for moisture but the mixture should be a little dry.
Next, take about 1/2 of the dough and roll it out to 1/8 in thick on a large workspace dusted with spelt flour. Trim the rough edges and cut your crackers into the desired size and shapes. Place the crackers on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper, sprinkle with corse sugar (optional) and poke some holes in them using a fork. Bake in the oven for about 15 - 18 minutes, rotating your pan about halfway through cooking time (only if your oven is not very consistent).
To assemble, take two crackers of about the same size and place one square chocolate piece on top of one and about 1/2 tbs coconut butter on the other. Leave the crackers face side up and turn the oven to broil. Heat the smores for about 2-5 minutes (be sure to watch them carefully). Once the chocolate and coconut butter has melted, sandwich the crackers together and (messily eat them or) place them in the fridge for about 5 minutes to cool (they are less messy this way). You can store the smores in the fridge and eat them cold or let them warm to room temperature when you are ready to eat the rest. Enjoy!
*Other Filling Additions:
sliced fresh figs
apple butter
peanut butter
* If you have a gluten intolerance or are simply on a GF diet, I have also had success with subbing in 1 cup GF oat flour for the spelt.