How to Make Sunbutter (Sunflower Seed Butter)

Elevate your sandwich game with sunbutter - no more expensive jars of organic peanut or almond butter. Because it's a seed, it's perfectly safe for those with nut allergies or nut-free environments. Use as a dip for fruit & veggies OR substitute for peanut butter in buddha bowl dressings.

Ingredients: 
raw, unsalted, shelled sunflower seeds
salt
sugar (optional)
neutral oil (olive or grapeseed)

**For 3 cups of sunflower seeds, use 1/4 teaspoon salt & 3/4 teaspoon sugar, about 1 tbsp neutral oil (grapeseed or olive oil)

First, use raw, unsalted, shelled seeds. We will toast them on the stovetop first but do not buy pre-roasted seeds. They won’t release their oils as well. So, lightly toast them in a skillet until they are a tiny bit brown. You can skip this step if you want. 

Then add the seeds to a food processor or a high speed blender if that’s all you have, with a little salt and begin processing. You can add a little sugar in, too. If you’re curious about honey, yes, you can use it, but I’ll tell you when to add it.  

So it starts looking like a fine powder consistency. That’s great. It’s on track. Keep it going, knock down the sides if you need. 

It will eventually begin to release its own oils and will start to look creamy without adding anything. After about 5 minutes, it’ll look moist and crumbly. Keep it going. It’ll get more sheen after 10ish minutes. It will release even more oils. It will start to look like peanut butter. If you want to add a little honey, do it at this point. And keep processing. 

Now you can add extra oil depending on how you want the consistency. Keep the machine running and drizzle a little oil until you reach the consistency you want. I’m using grapeseed oil because of its neutral flavor but you could use olive oil. Now store it in a jar and in a cool, dark place. 

My sunbutter looks a little light, but yours could look darker. There are no stabilizers or preservatives here, other than the oil. That will help keep oxidization from turning it rancid. But other precautions you can take are not double dipping food into the container and keeping it away from light. 

Now use it in lieu of regular nut butters for sandwiches, fruit & veggie dips, and buddha bowl dressings! If you’re new to sunbutter, the flavor is nutty but it’s a seed, so it’s perfectly safe for nut-free environments. 

This recipe came from http://www.PrettyPrudent.com and she has a wonderful photo tutorial on this process. 

If you’re curious about these buddha bowl dressings I keep mentioning, register for a free ebook about buddha bowls here.