By Elizabeth Stark
For the longest time, I thought homemade nut butters were the exclusive domain of only the most ardent DIYers. But as it happens, if you have a food processor, you can totally make your own.
Why go the homemade route? First off, if you or someone in your home has a nut allergy (raises hand), you can avoid that frustrating moment when you’ve finally tracked down the rare jar of sunflower seed butter, only to read in the fine print that, “This product is made in a facility that processes nuts.” (Thanks, guys!) But even without allergy concerns, homemade nut butters offer the chance to adjust sugar and salt levels or to use alternative sweeteners.
I am a sucker for toasted seeds, so I roasted my sunflower seeds to a light golden brown. Then, I scooped the seeds into my food processor, processed for about 10 minutes (including time to scrape down the sides), and voila. Honestly, if I’d known it was this easy, I would have made my own long ago! Interested in giving it a try? Head below for the easy 4-ingredient recipe!
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Homemade Sunflower Seed Butter
Keep in mind that these instructions are based on my 8-cup food processor. Processing time can vary from machine to machine, depending on size and motor power, and can take as long as 20 minutes to process.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: 1 cup
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups raw, hulled sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- scant 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread sunflower seeds on a rimmed baking sheet and slide into the oven. Roast, stirring every 5 minutes, for 10 – 15 minutes. Pull seeds as soon as they begin to take on color (they’ll continue to brown outside of the oven). Set tray aside and allow seeds to cool.
2. Scrape cooled, toasted seeds into the bowl of a food processor and turn on. (You’ll want to have the lid and food pusher in place to avoid flying seeds.) Run processor until mixture goes from having a crumbly texture to that of a thick paste, about 5 – 7 minutes.
3. Turn machine off, scrape down sides, add the coconut oil, and continue to process until mixture is smooth and creamy, 1 – 2 minutes longer.
4. Add the honey and salt, and continue to process until desired creaminess is achieved, 1 minute or longer.
5. Spoon into an airtight container and refrigerate. Sunflower seed butter will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Food , Recipes
