It's so much easier than you think to make organic Sunflower Seed Butter. Not only is this recipe allergy-friendly, but I love that I can control the sugar and salt content. It's also incredibly delicious, with an out-of-this-world fresh taste.
This batch will make approximately 1 x 16 oz jar of organic sunflower seed butter. Using the ingredients here, the ingredient cost is approximately $12 per jar.
To recap:
- Nut-free
- Control sodium and sugar levels
- Fresh taste for the whole family
- Good source of protein, vitamin E, zinc, magnesium and manganese
- Takes 20-30 minutes including cooling time
Equipment:
- baking tray and oven
- food processor or blender
- spice grinder (optional)
- jar(s) and lid(s) for packing the finished butter
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (3 cups) sunflower seeds, unsalted and raw
- 2 oz (1/4 cup) finely powdered sweetener*, optional. I love maple sugar in this recipe. Read the important note below about liquid sweeteners.
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt, optional
- 1/2 oz (1 Tablespoon) sunflower oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Spread sunflower seeds out on baking tray and roast for 10 minutes, turning the pan after 5 minutes to ensure even roasting.
- Cool the seeds for 10 minutes.^
- Process the seeds in a food processor or blender until they're creamy. This can take up to 6 minutes. Be patient and they will get creamy. Don't stop when they're still grainy. See photo below. It will generate some heat, don't be alarmed.
- Grind maple sugar in a spice grinder. This step is optional, but recommended.
- Add sugar, salt, and oil to the processed seeds and process a few seconds until mixed.
- Fill in clean, dry containers, label and store.
Makes 1 3/4 cups of sunflower seed butter. Refrigerate to extend shelf life. Will last several months in the fridge.
Photo: sunflower seeds are finished processing and ready for sugar, salt and oil.
*Notes on sweeteners:
I tried unsweetened sunflower seed butter, but I preferred a butter with a bit of sweetness to it. Adding a wet sweetener like maple syrup or honey will bind the sunflower butter into clumps and ruin it. Using a dry sweetener is the way to go -- I used maple sugar but it added grittiness to the butter. By powdering it in my spice grinder (or purchasing powdered maple sugar), I eliminated the gritty texture and also reduced the amount of sweetener to achieve the same sweetness. I have not tested this recipe with cane sugar, stevia, sucanat, etc., but would always recommend using the powdered version of these, or powdering it yourself.
^Notes on raw seeds:
Raw sunflower seeds will make a strange-tasting, gray colored butter. I do not recommend using raw seeds.