When I grew up, we primarily had 1 kind of cracker, Saltines – the kind that came in a big red box with four sleeves of crackers inside.   

I’d have them with all kinds of high histamine foods – cheese, peanut butter, lunchmeat. Of course, all of those foods are things I don’t eat now that I take good care of my health. 

Now, you can go into the store and see shelves full of various kinds of crackers. You can get everything from gluten-free crackers to gourmet, flavored crackers.  

There are a lot of different cracker options now, but if you have food sensitivities, you might still have a hard time finding a cracker you can eat.   

Even some of the better organic brands contain soy, which is higher histamine. And some contain nuts as a wheat substitute. That’s fine if your only concern in gluten sensitivity. But some nuts can fall into both the oxalate and lectin category. 

So, what do you do when you want to have something healthy, low histamine, and crunchy on hand?

Or what if you want to add some gourmet flare to your party snacks?

Check out this Low Histamine Cassava Herb Cracker Recipe.  

Just like my flaxseed crackers, this recipe is so versatile. 

You can use any combination of your favorite herbs. I’ve listed my favorite combo here. You can even use the everything bagel seasoning we used in our bread recipe.  

Garlic scape ghee will give the crackers a stronger herb flavor. Olive oil, like Kasandrinos will give it a milder flavor.  

As you can see, you have so many options to create the flavor you like. 

And it freezes well, so you can always have some at the ready.  

A little bit about the ingredients, next… 

About the Ingredients in Low Histamine Cassava Herb Crackers – What to Know when you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance

Otto’s Cassava Flour   

I use Otto’s Cassava Flour in a lot of recipes. It’s been a great ingredient that’s allowed me to re-create some of the foods I love and missed.  

For those with Histamine Intolerance, Otto’s tends to be more well-tolerated than some other brands. This is because all other cassava flours are fermented. 

But, Otto’s is very different. They use a very clean method that isn’t highly processed, and they don’t use fermentation. Otto’s is also lectin-free. 

But the question I get asked about the most is in regards to the oxalate levels.  

Cassava flour can be high oxalate. It depends on the brand.   

When Otto’s was tested, it registered as 17mg soluble oxalates per 1/4 cup. And yes, that is considered a high oxalate level. It’s still lower than some other brands, though.  

AND…  

With oxalates, the amount you eat also matters.  

So, let’s break this down using the guide above which showed Otto’s was high oxalate at ¼ cup.  

If a recipe comes out to 1/4 cup of flour per serving, that recipe would be considered high oxalate.   

If it came out to 1/8 cup or less per serving, that could be considered medium.  

This recipe comes out to medium. Again, that’s per serving. If you ate this whole recipe in one day, that would be considered a high oxalate level. 

And remember…everyone is unique.   

You may have oxalate sensitivity, but you may be able to handle some oxalates, sometimes.  

Just like with histamine issues…you might be able to eat one strawberry, but a strawberry pineapple smoothie made with soy milk might result in a flareup.  

And, just like with histamine issues, if your oxalate issues are severe, even just a little may be too much. 

So, if you have severe oxalate issues, even Otto’s might be too much. And, if you aren’t tolerating many foods in general, you’ll want to wait to try cassava flour recipes. 

Histamine Lowering and Mast Cell Supporting Herbs

I mentioned earlier that you can play with different herbs to get the flavor combo that you like most. I like oregano, parsley, thyme, and rosemary. It reminds me of the flavors you find in a lot of Italian dishes.   

But you can shake it up with all kinds of histamine lowering and mast cell supporting herbs. This way you always have something fun and new to look forward too. 

Not only are these herbs delicious, but they may have health benefits, too.  

These herbs have histamine-lowering nutrients, so I like to emphasize them when I can. 

And over the past decade, research has reported on other health properties of herbs and spices. Rosemary and oregano, for example, are excellent sources of antioxidants. 

You can add these herbs to snacks like Popping Sorghum too!

Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against free radicals. Free radicals contribute to cell damage.  

You can be exposed to free radicals in a number of ways. Your body makes free radicals naturally when it digests food. You can also be exposed to free radicals from air pollution or cigarette smoke. 

In animal and cell studies, antioxidant molecules have been shown to counteract the process that causes free radicals to trigger cell damage. 

This tasty snack is packed with quality ingredients that may help support you in your low-histamine diet.   

Let’s get cooking! 

Low Histamine Cassava Herb Crackers (also low lectin, medium oxalate, low FODMAP) Recipe

Ingredients: 

• ¾ cup Otto’s cassava flour 
• ¼ cup organic flaxseed meal 
• ¼ cup grass-fed garlic scape ghee or Kasandrinos olive oil 
• ¼ cup filtered water 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder (not soda) 
• 1 tablespoon each fresh herbs, finely chopped: oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary 
• 1/4 teaspoon Redmond Real Salt

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Mix the cassava flour, flax meal, baking powder, and chopped herbs together
3. If using ghee, melt the ghee. 
4. Stir ghee or olive oil and water into flour mixture. Combine until mixture forms a ball of dough. (You may need a little more or a little less water.) 
5. Roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper with a rolling pin or a tall glass to about ¼” thick. The thinner they are, the crispier the crackers. The thicker they are, the chewier the crackers.
6. Use a knife and score the crackers into squares – you can make them as large or as small as you like. 
7. Keep the dough on the parchment paper and transfer to a baking sheet. 
8. Bake the dough for 15-20 mins or until they start turning golden brown. Don’t let them burn. 
9. Transfer parchment paper to a cooling rack to let the crackers cool. They will crisp more as they cool. 
10. These freeze really well and can be warmed in a toaster oven on low. You can also easily double or triple the recipe to make multiple batches. 

Ideas for Low Histamine Cassava Herb Crackers Food Pairings– for those with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance

If you are missing the classic cheese and cracker snack, I really like topping these crackers with a little ghee for that creamy-crunchy combo. I know it sounds a little weird, but it’s really good! 

This is hands down my favorite ghee ever (it tastes the most like butter): 

Or you might like the Low Histamine Roasted Garlic “Hummus” Recipe (also Low Lectin, Low Oxalate) to use as a dip. 

Or simply just enjoy with a good bowl of soup like the Warming Chicken Ginger Soup (Low Histamine, Low Oxalate, Low Lectin, Low FODMAP). 

Let us know in the comments your tasty Low Histamine Cassava Cracker variations or what you paired them with! 

Interested in even more histamine lowering herbs and supplements? The MC360^TM Top 8 Mast Cell Stabilizing Supplements Master Class covers our favorites!

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References

Recipe inspiration from https://www.nowheylady.com/home/2018/5/21/grain-free-cassava-crackers. 

Avola, R., Granata, G., Geraci, C., Napoli, E., Graziano, A., & Cardile, V. (2020). Oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) essential oil provides anti-inflammatory activity and facilitates wound healing in a human keratinocytes cell model. Food and chemical toxicology: an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, 144, 111586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2020.111586   

Jiang T. A. (2019). Health Benefits of Culinary Herbs and Spices. Journal of AOAC International, 102(2), 395–411. https://doi.org/10.5740/jaoacint.18-0418  

Peiretti, P. G., Gai, F., Ortoffi, M., Aigotti, R., & Medana, C. (2012). Effects of Rosemary Oil (Rosmarinus officinalis) on the Shelf-Life of Minced Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) during Refrigerated Storage. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 1(1), 28–39. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods1010028 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Antioxidants: In depth. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants-in-depth.