Oats aren’t just for breakfast – they can also make for a delicious and energy-boosting snack. This particular cracker recipe is from Ellen Tout’s The Complete Book of Vegan Compleating, which is all about zero-waste eating.
We’re obsessed with oats these days. Whether its oat pancakes, overnight oats, baked oats or oat muffins, those trusty little grains show up on just about every breakfast table in the country – and with good reason.
Oats are so popular in the health world because they’re chock-full of gut-loving fibre – specifically, beta-glucan. This soluble fibre has been associated with reducing cholesterol, reducing insulin response and increasing the number of ‘good’ bacteria in the gut.
Beta-glucan can also help support a healthy cholesterol level, if you eat it in the right quantities. Emma Barraclough, nutritionist and sports scientist from supplement and fitness brand Blue Fuel, previously told Stylist that you need to consume around 3g of beta-glucan a day: “A standard porridge sachet (roughly 35g) contains around 1g of beta-glucan, so you should try to have two servings of oats or barley in the day to get this benefit.”
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To get two servings of oats a day, why not try making your own oat milk and then using the leftover pulp to make some crackers? More and more of us are opting for oat milk as a more sustainable alternative to dairy – the homemade stuff can be just as delicious as the shop-bought cartons (although make sure you’re supplementing your vitamin intake if you’re not drinking fortified plant milks).
The oat pulp that results from making milk is the fibre-packed part of the grain, and it’s super for making a cruncy, savoury pick-me-up. Pair with a creamy spread, hummus or nut butter for a satisfying snack.
How to make home-made oat milk
Ingredients
80g rolled oats
1l water
Pinch of salt/1 tsp agave syrup (optional)
Method
Put the oats into a blender, alongside the water.
Blend for one minute to create the milk.
Pour through a nut milk bag, muslin or very fine mesh strainer over a jug to strain the milk out and collect the oat pulp.
Squeeze the pulp so that all of the milk.
Add the salt or sweetener if you want, before decanting the milk into a glass bottle.
Store in the fridge for up to five days. Shake before using.
Oat pulp crackers
Ingredients
4 tbsp oat pulp
70g rolled oats (if you have more pulp from the milk, feel free to supplement the rolled oats with that)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp seeds (pumpkin, poppy, chia and sunflower work well)
2 tbsp plant butter
125ml warm water
Method
In a bowl, mix together your oat pulp, rolled oats, the salt and seeds of your choice.
Add the plant butter and pour in the warm water.
Mix well and spread onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
Spread the mix as thinly as possible, using a spoon or your hands to squash it out into one large cracker.
Bake in the oven at 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing into cracker squares.
Store in an airtight container and eat within a few days.
Image and recipe courtesy of Ellen Tout, The Complete Book of Vegan Compleating (available on Amazon).
For more plant-based, healthy recipes, check out the Strong Women Training Club.
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