Savoury Snack Solutions: Creative Homemade Alternatives to Beat Biscuit Cravings
When the lure of the biscuit tin becomes overwhelming, turning to homemade savoury snacks offers a delicious and satisfying alternative. Food columnists and experts share their go-to recipes for creating crispy, salty treats that stave off sweet cravings while providing untold possibilities for culinary creativity.
Crunchy Creations: From Tortilla Chips to Savoury Granola
Guardian baker Benjamina Ebuehi frequently finds herself in "sweet mode" but counters this with homemade tortilla chips. She chops corn tortillas into triangles, brushes them with olive oil, and seasons them with flaky salt, za'atar, dukkah, garlic granules, or everything bagel seasoning before baking until crisp. These make perfect dippers for hummus, which Georgina Hayden enhances with chilli crisp oil and serves with crudites like celery, carrot, and cucumber.
For a more sophisticated option, Hayden recommends gildas—skewers featuring an olive, a small anchovy, and a pickled green chilli on a cocktail stick. Alternatively, simple anchovy-stuffed olives or antipasti combinations with sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, or marinated onions can create "a treat, but less indulgent" snack that feels special when stored in the fridge.
Cheesy Delights: From Simple Cubes to Baked Treats
Cheese features prominently in many savoury snack strategies. Rukmini Iyer suggests making cheese biscuits by blending cheese, spelt flour, and butter in a food processor to form a dough. After rolling into a log and chilling overnight, thin slices are baked at 180C until golden, resulting in freshly baked snacks suitable for both adults and children. Georgina Hayden adds her twist with cheese pinwheels and straws, spreading puff pastry with Marmite and butter, grating over hard cheeses, twisting into spirals, and baking until crisp.
Nutty Innovations: Spiced Nuts and Savoury Granola
Thomasina Miers advocates for toasted nuts tossed with fennel seeds, chilli flakes, sea salt, chopped rosemary, olive oil, and honey, then roasted until golden. Benjamina Ebuehi takes a similar approach with savoury granola, mixing nuts, oats, honey, sesame seeds, and seasonings like za'atar and garlic powder before baking. This can be eaten by the handful or sprinkled over yoghurt for a wholesome alternative to traditional biscuits.
These homemade savoury snacks demonstrate that with a little creativity, it's easy to resist the biscuit tin while enjoying flavorful, satisfying treats. Whether opting for quick fixes like olives and hummus or more involved recipes like cheese straws and spiced nuts, the possibilities are truly abundant for anyone seeking to balance their snack intake.
