I always have sunflower seeds as I use them in baking as a nut substitute – like in these oatmeal breakfast cookies as a substitute for almond flour, or as a topping for my sunflower seed banana bread. Sunflower seed butter is a great inexpensive alternative to nut butters.
A bag of sunflower seeds costs a fraction of the same amount of nuts and when I make nut butter at home, I usually use about half seeds anyway to offset the cost (update: now in Sweden I often make peanut butter, but still use sunflower seeds when making mixed nut butters like the one in my cookbook).
It’s a fantastic back pocket recipe to have and a whole-foods kitchen staple. If you prefer you can use raw sunflower seeds, but roasting them makes it easier to blend into a smooth butter due to natural oils releasing during cooking, and adds a nice flavour.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Sunflower seeds: this should be raw, unsalted seeds that you roast yourself. Roasted sunflower seeds are usually cooked in oil and will make for a very different butter if used.
- Salt: you can omit the salt if you want a pure-tasting butter with no added flavour. Try mixing in other spices like cinnamon to change things up.
Recipe Notes
The only thing to think about here is that sunflower butter can be a little bitter, especially if you’re not used to it, so tossing a date or two in sweetens things up a bit without having to add sugar. You can also use coconut sugar or another dry sweetener like maple sugar.
Like any nut or seed butter, this does do best with a higher-powered food processor or a high speed blender that works with dry ingredients. With a low power processor you’ll have to stop and let it cool down every few minutes.
How to Store
Storage: keep the sun butter in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Use a sterilised jar for the longest shelf life. I do store this at room temperature, but only if we’re going to use it up within a few days.
Freezing: this can be frozen, in a freezer-safe container, for up to six months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using as normal.
Newsletter
Expert Tips
- Stick to dry sugars: never add liquid sweetener like maple syrup or honey – it will cause the sunflower seed butter to seize and prevent it from turning into the smooth, glossy mixture you’re going for.
- Don’t reduce the recipe: this is ideal for a normal food processor size. If you use less seeds, it won’t mix properly. A little more is fine but I wouldn’t double it.
- Blend a little longer: mix until you think it’s done, then mix for another minute. It should be very smooth when resting and quite oily looking.
More Homemade Staple Recipes
Coconut Butter
Pickled Red Onions
Cashew Cream Cheese
Hazelnut Butter
If you make this Sunflower Seed Butter or any other vegetarian staples on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Roasted Sunflower Seed Butter
Ingredients
- 400 grams sunflower seeds
- 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
- 1 or 2 soft dates or 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F). Place the sunflower seeds onto a large baking sheet and spread into an even layer, then roast for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and cool for another 15 minutes.400 grams sunflower seeds
- Place the roasted seeds into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend for about 10 minutes, stopping if the processor heats up, and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed.
- Once it’s almost finished, add the salt and dates, then blend another minute or so. The butter might come up the sides as it blends but I find that using a larger amount helps to prevent this from becoming too much of a problem. Blend until very smooth and shiny looking, then go a little longer just in case.1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 or 2 soft dates
- Store the finished sunflower seed butter in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for two weeks or longer.
Notes
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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