Not only is it the month that my baby will turn one*, it’s also the time of year when my nut-free recipes are getting a lot more action. Yup, back to school season. After receiving a request from a blog reader recently, I decided to share this sunflower seed butter recipe that’s been raved about by my testers. It’s so creamy and delicious! (I recently heard that some schools are now banning seed butters too, so I realize this recipe won’t work for those schools.)
This blog post is also proof that I’m still alive! Not that you are waiting with bated breath for my next post or anything, but I wanted to apologize for my absence. My manuscript is due at the beginning of October and I’ve been working around the clock finalizing recipes, writing, and editing the introductory chapters and headnotes. I can’t believe I’m SO CLOSE to finishing the first draft. It feels amazing and I’m looking forward to getting back to a (somewhat) normal life again. Thanks for hanging in there with me.
*gentle sobs.
We start by roasting the sunflower seeds. For the love of everything nut/seed buttery, please do not skip this part. Not only does roasting give the seeds a nutty, toasted flavour, but it helps the seeds turn into butter much faster. I speak from experience because I once tried to make sunflower seed butter using raw sunflower seeds and I processed for like 30 hours and nothing happened except dust. It took me years to try it again after that experience!
Sunflower seed glam shots. Just cuz.
Here is a glimpse into the various food processor stages below. It takes me about 7-8 minutes in my processor. Keep in mind your own processing times will vary based on your food processor and its butterizing prowess. I recommend using a heavy-duty food processor (such as this model) to make nut or seed butter as smaller machines can overheat. You can also make nut and seed butter in the Vitamix, but I never do because I find the butter a huge pain to scrape out from the bottom of the Vitamix container. For me, the food processor for nut/seed butter is where it’s at!
I always let it run a couple minutes longer than I think I should just to get it super silky and runny.
Luxurious Sunflower Seed Butter
Yield
1 3/4 cups
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Plain sunflower seed butter can taste quite bitter so I’ve improved its flavour by adding a touch of coconut sugar, cinnamon, and some virgin coconut oil to thin the consistency just a bit. The result is a sunflower seed butter you’ll want to add to everything, and eat by the spoonful. Even though it’s not the ever popular almond or peanut butter, you won’t feel like you’re missing out when you make this nut-free spread.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (about 400g) raw shelled sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, softened
- Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt or other fine sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste (optional)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean, seeded or 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla bean powder (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread on the seeds in an even layer. Roast for 9-12 minutes, until some of the seeds are lightly golden. Cool the seeds for a few minutes before using.
- Meanwhile, add the sugar into a high speed blender and grind until a powder forms. Leave the lid on and set aside so the “dust” can settle.
- Spoon the toasted seeds into a heavy-duty food processor. (I like to spoon the seeds into my measuring cup and transfer them that way. When I have about 1/2 cup of seeds left on the pan I will use the parchment paper to “funnel” the remaining seeds into the processor.)
- Process the seeds for a few minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl every minute. It will look dry and powdery at this stage. (If you have a chute, you can leave it open to allow steam to escape.)
- Add the coconut oil and process for another couple minutes. The butter will clump together into a large ball and it'll start rattling around for a bit. Then, the ball will eventually break down into butter again. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Now, add in the ground sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Process for another few minutes until smooth. Now, slowly stream in the vanilla while processing. Add in the vanilla bean seeds, if using. You can add a touch more oil if you need to thin out the butter (but do not add water or liquid sweetener because it will seize). I like to let the machine run at least another 2 minutes to get the sunflower seed butter super smooth. I process for a total of about 8 minutes, but timing will vary based on your food processor and preference. Some machines may need to run for upwards of 15 minutes to get the seed butter smooth enough.
- Transfer the sunflower seed butter into an air-tight container. Chill in the fridge. Here it'll keep for about 2 months and it will remain “spreadable” even when chilled.
Tip:
Tips: 1) Do not skip toasting the seeds; it’s necessary for the seeds to break down in the processor. 2) The sweetener is added because sunflower seed butter is bitter; feel free to adjust the sweetener to your own taste. 3) If for some reason your seeds aren’t breaking down after the specified times, add a touch more coconut oil, a teaspoon at a time. Some machines just might need to run a bit longer though, so be patient!
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
And now some recipes to use homemade sunflower seed butter…
Quick and Easy No Bake Protein Bars
Super delicious…kids love it…so do all my friends! And I left it a bit more chunky and it still was good!
I thought I had an over abundance of sunflower seeds, but when I looked I found a slew of pumpkin seeds instead . Turns out, this recipe is great for pumpkin seeds too! Lol. It’s really good, and my 17 month old girl loved it too. Thanks for the recipe!
-Ashley
Wow! Love! Love! Love this recipe! I was looking for something high calorie and nutritious to supplement a picky, frail individuals diet. I skipped the cinnamon to make it a little more versatile. This fits the bill and taste incredible, too! Plus, I can swirl this into oatmeal, add it to smoothies, and roll it into tiny ‘cheeze balls’ for salads. Hidden calories galore! Oh, and it’s exciting to serve to new vegans. A new favorite in our home. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!
Hey Glory, Oh I’m so happy this was a hit! Thanks for sharing. :)
YES YES YES YES!!!! Never buying store bought EVER AGAIN!!
As a mom of a new JK, I needed this recipe in my life. It’s so delicious and SO EASY to make. THANK YOU ANGELA!!!! you came through for me again! #winning
Aww that’s great to hear!! Thank you :)
I’m wondering if using roasted salted sunflower seeds would affect the flavor/texture too much… I want to make this, but don’t have any raw sunflower seeds!
Hey Kristen, I actually roast the raw seeds for this recipe, so I can’t see why pre-roasted seeds wouldn’t work!
Hello,
I have a coffee grinder that grinds seeds and nuts also. The butter forms in it within a few minutes, even without toasting the seeds first. Do you think the seeds could burn as the container is made out of steel?
Thank you!
Wow… I just made this (without the cinnamon) and it is even much more delicious than I imagined it would be. I was looking at purchasing a small jar of sunflower butter this week at the grocery store (nearly $10) but I thought I’d give this recipe a try instead. Not only was this option much less expensive, but more importantly to me, it has 10 times the flavour!!! I will never go back to store bought again!
Thanks Angela for my newest home-made addiction… I can always count on your recipes to surprise and delight my tastebuds!
Aww thank you so much, Joanna! I agree that this homemade stuff is waaaaaay better than store-bought. A really nice (and like you said cost effective) option. So glad you love it!
I didn’t have coconut sugar, so I used cane sugar. It’s good, but I didn’t use the full 1/4 c and it still seems too sweet. I would halve the sugar, increase the cinnamon, and increase the salt. But my kid will probably love it! Ha.
Hey Lindsay, So glad you tried this recipe…and I agree with you that cane sugar is sweeter than coconut. good call on increasing the cinnamon ;)
This is a simple and inexpensive way to make a great seed butter, a helpful nut-free alternative in recipes and school lunches! I found it important to pay close attention to Angela’s directions as it does not look at first like what you would expect, but the directions walk you through what to do and helpfully outline what to expect. It does keep in the fridge for a long time and is helpful to have on hand for recipes.
Hey Allison, I’m so glad you found the directions helpful when making this recipe! Thanks so much for your review :)
Looks Yummy Delicious..
Thanks for the lovely simple recipe Angela.. I am gonna try using olive oil rather than coconut oil and see how its gonna taste :D
Perfect recipe and instructions — thank you! Just made my 2nd batch today. So so good!
Hey Suzanne, So glad it was a hit! Thanks for your feedback :)
How many tbsp does this make??
It makes 1 3/4 cups which I believe is 28 tablespoons. Hope this helps!
Just made this sunbutter and it is so delicious! Sweet and delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi, do you think this could work in a vegan cinnamon roll recipe? Thanks.
Hi there, I think you’d be able to drizzle it over top baked cinnamon rolls (or even mix it with maple syrup first)…but I’m personally a fan of the classic icing sugar drizzle. ;)
I would love to try this but I cannot have any nuts including coconut water or coconut milk. Is there an alternative you have used?
I’m so awkward you have many recipes but all to often coconut in one form or another is used. Thanks
Hi Karen, that’s tricky for sure! As a swap for coconut oil you may want to try grapeseed oil as it has quite a neutral flavour. I would add a bit at a time.
Great recipe – thank you. The link to the food processor you recommended is broken. Could you tell me which you used?
Hi Angela,
My daughter has severe a peanut, tree nut, soy, egg, and coconut allergy. We love sunbutter and I’m so excited to try making it at home. Can you suggest a replacement for the coconut sugar and coconut oil? Thank you!
To Allison, I would suggest just using honey and a good olive oil.
Hi! I’m curious which food processor you use (please). The link provided isn’t working for me and I’m in the market, so I wanted to hear what you recommend. Thanks!
Hey Lisa, I have a 14-cup Cuisinart food processor – this one here: https://www.amazon.ca/Cuisinart-DFP-14BCNYC-cuisine-tasses-Argent%C3%A9/dp/B07649SXQ8/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=14-cup+Cuisinart+food+processor&qid=1596291410&sr=8-5
I like that this one is quite simple in design. Hope this helps!
I’m curious… If I have the Deluxe Cooking Blender from Pampered Chef, which heats up, do I still need to toast the seeds prior to grinding them?
This recipe is amazing 🤩🤩
I have been converted to sunbutter
Normally it is bitter but this was PERFECT!!
Thank you for the recipe
I like this but I had a problem with the texture it was slightly gritty. I am not sure if the coconut sugar was the reason or the sunflower seeds. I have a vitamix food processor and it makes my almond and cashew butter very smooth. I ended up putting it in the vitamix and then it was perfect. I am not sure if I had used icing sugar if that would have solved the gritty problem. In any case it was delicious but the two stage process made it more work