DIY Sunflower Seed Butter {oil-free, easy, keto option}

DIY sunflower seed butter is a delicious and nutritious alternative to peanut butter. Learn how to make it with no added oil, little money and minimal effort! A keto option is available.

Sunflower Seed Butter Instead of Peanut Butter

This post is for my sister, Rebecca. Love you, sis.

Rebecca is allergic to peanuts. When we were growing up, she had to fight to convince people that her allergy was “real.” On many occasions (school, friends’ houses, parties), otherwise well-meaning adults would serve her something with “just a little bit of peanuts or peanut butter.” It couldn’t hurt, right? Wrong. It hurt, a lot. I think the repeat experiences contributed to her strength and outspokenness in adulthood.

Flash forward a few decades and (hallelujah!) understanding and acceptance of food allergies has skyrocketed. Along with it, a multitude of allergy-friendly products are making allergy-friendly eating safe, easy, and delicious. But, oy vey, the prices! Until allergy-friendly staples drop closer to “regular” food options, it’s good to have plenty of simple, homemade alternatives.

One of my favorites (and my sister’s, too) is Sunflower Seed Butter, the perfect (and possibly, superior!) alternative to peanut butter. It is eat-off-of-the-spoon scrumptious. Best of all, it can be made with ease for a fraction of the cost of ready-made varieties.

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.

• raw sunflower seed kernels (hulled sunflower seeds)–or use roasted!
• coconut sugar (see the notes in the recipe card for keto and other options)
• salt

How to Make Sunflower Seed Butter

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

Making sunflower seed butter requires two steps:

1. Roasting the sunflower seeds.
2. Grinding the sunflower seeds.

The first step takes about 20 minutes of unattended time. The second step takes less time (10 to 15 minutes) but more patience (due to stopping and scraping the mixture as you go). Nevertheless, it is still a simple process (no nut or seed grinding experience required!).

Step One: Roast the Sunflower Seeds

If you are using roasted sunflower seed kernels, skip this step.

Spread 3 cups of raw, hulled sunflower seeds on a large rimmed baking sheet. Push the seeds away from the edges of the sheet pan (1/2 inch or so will do). The seeds can over-brown if they are touching the hot edges.

Roast for 10 minutes at 350F. Open the oven and stir the seeds (for more even browning). Continue roasting for another 8 minutes until golden brown and fragrant.

Watch closely during the final minutes; the seeds can go from brown to black quickly in the final minutes if you are not paying attention (it has happened to me more than once when I was distracted).

Immediately transfer the seeds to the container of a food processor or high-speed blender. You want to get them off of the hot pan so they do not continue browning. Cool completely.

Step Two: Grind the Seeds

Once the seeds have cooled completely, commence grinding!

First, process the seeds until they resemble a coarse flour. Stop and scrape the container, then process again until the flour begins to clump together. Stop and scrape (again :)) and process until the mixture turns into a thick, rough seed butter. It will ball up against the blade. Stop and scrape down the sides again.

Step 3: Keep Processing!

You are almost there! Remember, this is the patience portion I alluded to earlier. Continue to process, stopping and scraping the bowl every once in awhile, until the mixture transforms from a stiff, dry-looking blob to a smooth, drippy seed butter. The continued processing allows the oils to further break down, resulting in a creamy, dreamy spread. 

This last phase will take about 4 or 5 minutes. It is soooo worth the wait!

Once the seed butter is smooth, add the coconut sugar and salt (as desired). I have options for using other sweeteners. You can leave out the sugar, too.

One batch will make 2 cups of sunflower seed butter.

How Should I Store DIY Sunflower Seed Butter?

Transfer the sunflower seed butter to jars or other airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months (ha! It never lasts that long at my house :)).

Keto Option

The sunflower seed butter is 100% keto if you (1) leave out the sugar or (2) use a keto-friendly (liquid or granular) sweetener in its place.

Try it in a Cookie Recipe

Ready to use the sunflower seed butter in a recipe? Try it in my Vegan Sunflower Seed Chocolate Chip Cookies! They are flourless and oil-free, too!

Happy blending!

Related Posts:

• 1-ingredient Pepita Butter {vegan, keto}
• DIY Almond Butter {1 ingredient, so easy}
• DIY Sunflower Seed Flour (nut-free, keto)
• DIY Coconut Butter {vegan, keto, paleo, 2 ingredients}
• Vegan Keto Sunflower Seed Bread {nut-free, grain-free, oil-free}