A twist on the cracker game
By Carolyn Neff
When I attended the San Mateo Nourished Festival as an official blogger last November, I was pleased to find Cult Crackers, which popped out of the crowded field of gluten-free products with enticing taste, versatility and exceptional nutrition. I met the co-founders and quickly learned that they care about avoiding cross-contact as much as I do.
Fortunately for me, the Cult HQ just happens to be blocks from my apartment, so I requested a tour of their dedicated gluten-free kitchen to learn more about their high-quality crackers, which also happen to be safe for people with celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders.
The Cult Crackers kitchen is quite special. Not only is it located in the Berkeley Kitchens complex among other delicious gluten-free start-ups and designer chefs, but the kitchen space has always been 100% free from gluten. This leaves plenty of room to bake, experiment and taste test.
It’s here where two cracker flavors—Crunchy Cassava and Classic Seed—are hand-baked in the mornings from gluten-free ingredients. Packed with six powerhouse seeds, these all-organic, gluten-free and vegan bites are made from specifically milled cassava and corn flours. The organic seeds are also specially sourced in bulk and stored in the contamination-free space.
Birgitta Durell and Dianna Dar (pictured below, right to left) are the entrepreneurs behind the women-owned business launched in 2017. Inspired by Swedish cracker “cult”-ure of traditional knäckebröd, they named their company Cult Crackers. Durell, a native Swede, and Dar, a professionally trained cook, have spent the past few years building their brand and perfecting their recipe.
While neither Durell nor Dar follow a gluten-free diet, their mission with Cult Crackers has been creating a healthy, great-tasting product that can be enjoyed regardless of whether you can or cannot eat gluten.
And they are tasty. Instagram reveals an explosion of culinary creativity by Cult Crackers and their fans, including many varieties of mouth-watering charcuterie plates. Sweet and savory toppings include preserves and crème fraîche; pear, spinach and honey; hummus and olive tapenade; avocado and roasted shiitake mushrooms; and even s’mores. Customers are also crumbling the crackers into soup and atop a bowl of yogurt and fruit like granola.
The growing business is dedicated to nutrition and sustainability. The company has several certifications to its name, including non-GMO, USDA Organic and California Certified Organic Farmers, plus membership in the How2Recycle labeling program.
Sustainable packaging is also an important part of Cult Crackers’ mission. Their first container was compostable, and they recently transitioned into a recyclable pouch. Listening to customer feedback, they continue to research and experiment with alternative packaging.
Durell and Dar also regularly test new cracker flavors, finding inspiration from alternative and sustainable flours. Recently they’ve been test-baking with okara flour, which is harvested from the pulp of soybeans and a staple in traditional Asian cuisines. The company’s newest product, a buckwheat red-lentil cracker, will be released later this year.
Cult Crackers can be found across 100+ stores in bold red and blue pouches. In the Bay Area, you can find their crackers at dozens of markets, including the Berkeley Bowl, Mollie Stone’s, Rainbow Foods, Diablo Foods and Good Earth Natural Foods. Cult Crackers will also be at the upcoming Santa Rosa California Artisan Cheese Festival.
Use discount code gfsnacks until April 30 for 25% off all online orders directly at cultcrackers.com.
