Development of gluten-containing and gluten-free crackers based on cereal and legume flours: physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory characteristics

The rising demand for snacks, including gluten-free options, driven by changes in dietary habits, needs a reevaluation of their formulations to create products with enhanced nutritional value. This study focused on developing and characterising, from a nutritional, textural and sensorial perspective, gluten-containing crackers (GCC) and gluten-free crackers (GFC) by incorporating various amounts (0 to 100%) of a legume blend (LB) made from lentil and pea flours. Results showed that increasing the amount of LB improved the nutritional profile of both GFC and GCC, enhancing protein (up to 19%), total amino acids (up to 18 g/100 g) and resistant starch content (up to 1.8%). Additionally, the in vitro starch digestibility (measured using the INFOGEST protocol) decreased by 20% and 35% in GCC and GFC, respectively. The incorporation of LB into the formulations did not significantly affect the textural characteristics of either GFC or GCC. From the sensory perspective, positive attributes such as “good, crumbly, pleasant taste, pleasant aftertaste, and pleasant smell” were associated with 25% and 50% LB substitution in GCC and GFC, respectively. Overall, adding legume flours has proven to be an effective strategy to improve the nutritional value of cereal-based crackers without compromising consumer acceptability, as long as LB substitution remains at or below 50%.