Sunflower butter.
God’s gift to those who cannot have nuts (moment of silence for this delicious treat the incredible hand is modeling).
Although I can have nuts, I have a tendency to overdo it on almond butter (raise hands if you go through 1 jar a week).
Recently, I’ve been enjoying cashew butter and sunflower butter. However, I’ve noticed that many of the sunflower butter brands include added sugar and it ends up being too sweet for my taste. So I wanted to make my own version that I felt better about enjoying every day.
This 6-ingredient, 20-minute sunflower butter gets a serious nutritional boost from hemp seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds! They not only add essential amino acids, protein, fiber, healthy fats, and more, but also a nutty crunch to this creamy spread.
Speaking of spread, what do you spread this butter on? I’m so glad you asked
Banana Bread
Coconut Yogurt Waffles
Gluten-Free Waffles
Vegan Whole-Grain Pancakes
Vegan French Toast
Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Steel-Cut Oats
Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins (in place of PB)
Overnight Oats (in place of PB)
You get the idea. If you try this recipe, let us know what you think! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag the recipe #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Super Seedy Sunflower Butter
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw sunflower seeds (if roasted, skip the roasting step!)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (more or less to taste)
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1 Tbsp shelled hemp seeds
- 1 Tbsp roasted unsalted pumpkin seeds
- 1-2 tsp coconut sugar or stevia to sweeten (optional)
Instructions
- If your sunflower seeds are roasted (select unsalted if possible), skip this step. Otherwise, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and spread sunflower seeds on a baking sheet.
- Roast for 10-15 minutes, stirring/turning the pan occasionally, until fragrant and light golden brown.
- Add roasted sunflower seeds to a food processor (or high speed blender) and blend until a butter forms, scraping down sides as needed. It should take about 5-7 minutes. Resist the urge to add any additional oil (and especially not water, as it will cause the butter to seize up).
- Add salt, chia seeds, flax seed, hemp seed, and pumpkin seeds and mix/pulse to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt, or a bit of sweetener of choice if desired (avoid using liquid sweeteners, as they can cause the butter to seize up and lose its form).
- This spread is perfect for toast, baked goods, waffles, pancakes and more! Store at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, or in the refrigerator up to 1 month!
Wanda says
Wonderful taste and texture!
I wasn’t able to print and am wondering if there’s a barrier placed at your end?
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Wanda! Thank you for the lovely review! We’re having trouble replicating the printing issue. Are you referring to the print button located in the recipe area? What internet browser are you using?
Hi Wanda, we wanted to see if you’re still having issues with printing? We did some troubleshooting on our end and believe the issue should be resolved.
Cori says
To the people who say it doesn’t blend and turns to powder: Mine took close to 30 minutes to properly turn into a seed butter, using a relatively new food processor (not top of the line or anything). I scraped it down every few minutes.
Made with half pumpkin and half sunflower with flax/hemp/chia, no sugar, then added the salt at the very end. Delicious, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Cori! xoxo
Genie says
Can most of your recipes that call for coconut sugar be substituted with date sugar?
Hi Genie, we haven’t experimented much with date sugar, but we think that probably would be the best sub!
frances says
very innovative blending of seeds
I am happy to have found you
thanks for being an out of the square person
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Frances! xoxo
Jenny says
Loved this, as did my 1 yo!! I only had 1.5 cups sunflower seeds so I halved the recipe, which produced the right amount for our household. Very tasty and easy to put together even with baby in tow.
Yay! Thanks for the great review, Jenny!
Briana says
I made this with only the sunflowers seeds and found the instructions to be very helpful. Happy baking everyone!
We’re so glad it was helpful, Briana! Thank you for sharing! xo
shelly says
I made this in the Ninja 1500 watt processor, it took up about half of the canister… after I added some avocado oil and intermittent rest for the processor, perhaps additional 15 minutes, I finally got creamy nutbutter!!
It tastes amazing!!! I sweetened it with organic agave… just a tiny bit.
Yay! We’re so glad it turned out! Thank you for the update, Shelly!
shelly says
Making this now…. I blended using a Ninja 1500 watt processor.. its very powerful… however…after 15 minutes all I have is powdery crumbs. I resisted the urge several minutes to add anything to bind it , initiating the creaminess…. then worried my blender might overheat after 5 additional minutes of blending…
I added some Agave…. blended, somehow, the same texture. Rested my blender and begin again… another 5. powdery crumble…
What could have happened??
Sorry to hear that was your experience, Shelly! What size is your food processor? If there isn’t enough volume in it, it will have trouble blending past a powdery crumble.
Woan says
Is it ok to omit one or two of the seeds from this recipe? Should I sub the omitted seed by doubling the other seed?
Hi Woan, yes, that’s fine! We would suggest replacing them with another seed. Hope you love it!
Magda says
I’ve just made this beauty. OMG the flavour is unbelievable. Thank you for sharing.
We’re so glad you enjoy it! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Patricia says
Excellent recipe–brimming with super healthy seeds and fantastic flavor. The key I think is to process it long enough, be patient!! I used my old Cuisinart (I don’t have a high end high speed blender) and made sure to process it long enough for the mixture to develop into a wonderfully creamy and spreadable product. Adding it to the rotation, thank you!!!
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Patricia! xo
Jill says
I found myself with an abundance of sunflower seeds and came here looking for a recipe. I loved this because it’s extra fats & nutrients for my growing toddlers. They loved it & ate a spoonful as I was making it. I plan to use it on toast & in their oatmeal.
Love that! Thanks so much for sharing, Jill! xo
Magda says
Hi, fantastic recipe. Could my 2 year old eat it? Thank you
Hi Magda, we’re not very familiar with nutrition for babies and toddlers, but we don’t know of any reason why they couldn’t! We’d suggest double checking with their pediatrician or an expert in that field.
Hannah says
So good! This was my first time making any kind of nut/seed butter and it was super easy. The add ins are a great idea.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Hannah! Thanks for the lovely review =)
D says
I am so excited to make this today! Not just another plain sunflower spread. I have peanut & tree nut allergies and was like, “Finally a peanut free, nut free spread that has some delicious ingredients that lends to it unique taste and texture!” And so customizable, YUM! Thank you!
Yay! Let us know how it goes!
James says
Came out with breadcrumb consistency. Nothing at all like a butter. Are you sure oil can’t be added to this?
Oil can be added. I’d recommend a light flavored oil such as avocado or sunflower oil. What machine were you using to process? That’s usually the issue. We recommend a food processor or high speed blender.
James says
Cuisinart Food Processor. Should I try a blender now?
A blender might be the better bet, although I love my cuisinart food processor for nut butters!
Briana says
I had the same thought while doing this with the Nutribullet, just keep blending it and it will come out smooth.
shelly says
This is exactly how mine came out…. I did add a bit of avo oil… it still would not bind the crumbles….
Sue Murdock says
Fantastic idea to include the add-ins! I normally make sun butter plain, but these add-ins took it over the top! 5 stars!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Sue!
Amanda says
I added some honey to this as a sweetener and it came out amazing!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Amanda! Thanks for sharing! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Charlene says
I’m a little hesitant to try this…as much as I would like to love sunflower butter, I find that it has a strong and somewhat bitter taste. I don’t want to add sugar, so I’m wondering if the other ingredients in this recipe help to tone down the strong bitter taste of the sunflower seeds? Thanks for any feedback and advice!
Hi Charlene, sunflower butter does have a bit more of a bitter taste compared to other nut butters. We find that roasting the seeds helps tone it down. You could also try adding cinnamon for natural sweetness.
Laura says
Delicious recipe! I didn’t bother making meal out of flaxseeds (just added them whole) or roasting pumpkin seeds (just added them raw) and it still turned out great.
Adri says
I got my first bag of hemp seeds and started looking for recipes, I added more than listed because I didnt have chia or flax seeds. Took a bit longer to creamed but Im glad I waited! Put it on toast with some honey and it’s good!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Adri! Beautiful name, btw!
Bella says
i was just wondering if you don’t have sunflower seeds would sunflower kernels do the same thing?
Hi Bella, if you are referring to sunflower seeds with the shells on, we don’t think that would work as the kernels are too tough and wouldn’t get creamy.
Lindsey says
I made this today and it is a hit for the whole family-even my typically cautious, picky 5 year old said it was delicious! I doubled on flax meal and hempseed as I omitted chia and pumpkin based on what we had in our kitchen. I have a high powered food processor and found it to get to the seed butter consistency in the 5-7 min time frame.
I have a feeling I will be making this at least once a month. Next time I plan on doubling up to make two jars as I anticipate it won’t last long in our house.
Thank you for another great recipe that is easy, delicious and nutritious!!
Whoop! We’re so glad your family enjoys it! Thanks so much for sharing!
rozinasara says
Very yummy! I added some coconut oil and honey because it was taking forever to get to the buttery stage…turned out great!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
KATHLEEN A WALLACE says
I didn’t roast the seeds and it took patience but yum-o!! Having some now with all fruit jelly on whole grain toast.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Kathleen! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Shifra says
I’ve made the fatal mistake of adding water to my sun butter mixture and as you might have predicted it totally siezed (is that a word?) I am currently in mourning but is there ANY way to fix the texture?
hmmmm, I think it’s a loss at this point. But you could try and blend it with some dates and oats and make date balls?
Evan Halperin says
Great, easy recipe. Doing it in the vitatmix definitely heats it up a bit, but still perfect. I ended up just adding a pinch of salt, pinch of sugar and chia seeds.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Evan! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Ed says
Hi love your post. Im a keen gardener and grow my own sunflowers and pumpkins. Do you think this would work with just those two seeds skippjng the chia, flax and hemp?
Totally!
Dana P says
Hey so I gave this a shot and it didn’t turn out amazing, but I think I may have roasted the seeds too long and that dried them out? I did 15 mins flat, but they were pretty golden. The taste is awesome, so I will still be using it and definitely give it another try once I run out, but also wondering if I were to add oil now would it make it worse? It’s pretty dry and grainy but I blended so long I gave up !!!
If you added oil that would potentially make it creamier and runnier. It may have been over-roasted. Were your seeds fresh? Sometimes when they’re older or over-roasted their oil content can be low. I’d recommend adding avocado or sunflower oil when blending to moisten it up!
Christy says
Super simple! But don’t try to half or third the recipe unless you have a small food processor. It made it difficult to get past the grainy stage to the oily stage. But I made it a second time with enough seeds and it worked great! I did tweak a few things, like I didnt have hemp and I didnt add sweetener or salt (forgot but I do recomend). I appreciate the recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Christy! xo
Sarah says
Just added this to my nut butter collection and it is fabulous! I love the rich, earthy flavor, and the extra dose of healthy seeds with the chia, flax and hemp additions! Dana, this is another awesome recipe. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Sarah! Thanks for the lovely review!
Kitchen experiment says
Toasted sunflower seeds and a seed mixture on stovetop, tossed everything in processor, and about seven minutes later, voila, a nutty, toasty, toasty butter. I did not add any sugar or sweetener.
Thanks for sharing!
Francie K says
Great, I make it over and over. I cover the top with dried dill which looks great and tastes great.
Reis says
I just made this today. I usually consume nut butters a lot so I just avoid buying them. I did almond butter a couple of weeks ago it was great but decided to try sunflour seeds this time. I didn’t have hemp seeds so I didn’t use it, not sure how much it’d influence the taste. I followed the recipe but I think I would prefer raw seeds, instead of roasted. The roasted seeds gives it a very strong flavour and I’d like it to be more gentle. It took a while to get it done since the recipe does not add any other oils, which usually speeds up the process. What does it go well with? It is quite strong so I am not sure what is the best way to use it, any suggestions?
Hi Reis, sorry to hear the flavor was too strong for you. You could try raw sunflower seeds or another suggestion for making the flavor more mild would be to mix it with another nut/seed butter such as almond butter. We like to serve it with toast, baked goods, waffles, and pancakes. Hope that helps!
Carrie says
I’ve made this before and it’s SO good! I’m wondering if it can be frozen? The amount is too much for me to get through in a month.
Thanks so much!
Hi Carrie, we haven’t tried that, but think it could work! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it works!
Carrie says
Thank you, I’ll try it and let you know!
Carrie says
I tried freezing this recipe and it’s delicious. Once thawed, no change at all. I do love this seedy sunflower butter! Only thing I eliminate are the chia seeds. Those buggers get stuck in my teeth, so not attractive — ha, ha! Thank you for all your delicious low ingredient and quick to make recipes. I’m been a fan for years.
Aww, thanks for the lovely review and for letting us know it worked! xo
JG says
Didn’t read the instructions fully and added a little maple syrup as sweetener, and now the butter has seized. ? Is there any way to fix this?
Mindy says
I made SunButter for the first time and turned out good. I put it in the fridge and went back later to use it and it wasn’t creamy. It got more solid. Is there anything I can do to fix it?
Amy says
I’ve just made this as I needed an alternative to peanut butter to add to my overnight oats – it’s fantastic! Delicious with carrot sticks. Thank you!
Glad to hear that, Amy!
Max says
Could I leave out the flaxseed meal? Or is there something I could substitute for it
You could just substitute with more chia and hemp seeds!
Laura says
I love this recipe, it’s wonderful and I thank you so much.
Question: My doctor told me the peanut plants have been contaminated, the pesticides have soaked into the soil and this needs to be know by all, especially parents. Thanks, I will be looking for your reply. Take care…
Hi Laura! While we cannot offer medical advice as we are not medical professionals, we recommend you follow the advice of your doctor and seek their advice.
Andrew says
I just made this in my Vitamix. I let it run till a smooth ‘butter’ formed. It got quite hot. Even while hot it was still too thick for me so I added about a tbsp of macadamia nut oil. This got it to a nice consistency for me which I’m sure will get thicker as it cools. The taste was quite nice and I like the addition of the other seeds. I added a bit of coconut sugar to go give it just a hint of sweetness.
Kara Amundson says
I just found out that under ZERO CIRCUMSTANCES am I ever to eat any nuts, peanuts, or–this is where my heart breaks–TAHINI ever again. I’ve also been denied tofu and eggs and I’m kind of at the end of my rope. Now I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel… I LOVE sunnies AND pumpkin seeds, and can easily see replacing my once-a-week hummus routine with a twice-a-month butter routine!
I just hope my cheapo Osterizer holds up. ?
Dawn Belliveau says
Kara-No tahini, nuts or eggs here anymore either. I found this recipe and substitute sunflower butter for the peanut butter. It’s truly the best hummus I’ve ever had.
Madeline says
Can I use date sugar for a little sweetness?
Hi Madeline! We haven’t tried it but it should work!
Christine Rudge says
I live in France where these sort of products can be difficult to find. So I was very pleased to find this recipe that was very simple to follow. It was a good job that there was a warning not to be tempted to add extra oil as it did seem to take quite a while to go beyond the ‘crumb’ stage. I used my fairly small food processor. Keeping the faith, I found that clumps started to form and it was only 2 or 3 seconds between sessions of scraping it down. After a few time it made a ball and I was tempted to think it was there. Glad I persevered when, after 3 or 4 more goes, it became more of a smooth paste. I forgot to taste for salt before putting it in jars and think I may have liked a little more but this is for my grandchildren so better under salted than over!
Elle says
I just made this and it turned out so nicely! I let the food processor do its thing for quite a while and it turned into a beautiful and glossy spread! Can’t wait to have it on my toast tomorrow <3
Lou Ann says
I tried this but didn’t have much luck. I roasted my sunflower seeds and then put them in the food processor. Required constant attention to keep pushing the mix into the blades. Ater 20 min it finally turned to butter but now it has a burnt taste to it…I’m assuming from how long it was in the processor. For the small amount of sugar in sunbutter, I’ll buy it from now on.
Marie says
Just made this recipe. So delicious!!! Don’t want to take nut butters to school since have students with allergies. This is just as good. Didn’t like the store brands due to other additives!! This will be a staple for me!!
Tory says
Quick question :
Is there a substitute for hemp seeds? I am severely allergic to hemp and anything closely related to hemp (pot).
Can I just omit or add more flax?
Cheers,
Tory
Ally says
Oy heaven!!! This is my fourth recipe and I’m all tingly. This so easy to make that i didn’t think it would be so great. but it was!! We just finished eating this on sesame Ezekiel bread, toasted with a slice of ripe red tomato in top. At first my husband wouldn’t try it. I just set it down and said; “I’d be very happy if you’d eat this”
Walked back in the kitchen to make another and he asked for more!! Love the warmth of it right after being processed. So satisfying and energizing!! Dana you are changing our lives!!
Shannon says
I tried this recipe yesterday and have my sun butter in a cute mason jar now. I had some on my toast this morning with honey! Yum. It’s also delicious with apples or spread on crackers.
At first I really did not think the recipe was going to work. Be patient! Keep blending! Eventually it turned into a smooth consistency. I wish I had waited a bit longer past the smooth phase, to really make sure it was a butter as opposed to a paste.
I doubled on hemp and chia, which may have changed the consistency. I personally will not use the pumpkin seeds again; I don’t like the slight greenish/gray colour it made my end product. There might be something to put in to counteract the natural gray colour of the sunflower seeds.
If you plan on eating with honey there’s no need for any more sweetener!
Enjoy!
Shannon
Thanks for sharing!!
Cassie says
So. I too have an almond butter and peanut butter OBSESSION. I can eat so much of both of them like CRAYYYYYYYYY. I definitely need to try sun butter again because I remember how amazing it was the first time!
CrimsonCrow says
I just finished making a full batch of your SUPER SEEDY SUNFLOWER BUTTER only to realize I have *nothing* in the house to put it on! LOL~
I’m so glad you said “resist the urge to add oil” because it was a strong urge for quite awhile. My batch took about 15 minutes to get to the miraculous stage of dramatically turning from meal to GOSH! BUTTER!
Thanks. I ate a spoonful (OK two. Alright, three) plain.
Happy.
Nice! Glad you liked it!
Kevin | Keviniscooking says
Guilty of the almond butter abuse as well. :)
This is a fantastic idea and one I’d gladly invest 20 minutes on, thanks! #SunButter
Kathleen says
Also, is roasted the sunflower seeds totally necessary? can we use raw?
Kathleen says
As an avid love of ALL nut butters, I CANNOT wait to try this… today!!
P.S. – I love, love, love all your photos! I’m going on a trip this summer, and really want to bring a good camera to capture everything :) what camera do you recommend buying?
Mei says
Oooh I am going to try this as a substitute for almond butter in your 5 Ingredient Granola Bar recipe.
Amy says
Thanks for this awesome recipe! I whipped it up last night. It tasted okay when I was tasting it straight from the food processor, but this morning, when I had it on toast, fuh-get about it! It tastes amazing! I added a little sweetener (a little brown rice syrup…even though the recipe recommends against liquid sweetener!).
The consistency is amazing and it spreads on toast like butter! Thanks!!!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Amy!
Sam says
Hi
Can sun flower butter be substituted for almond butter? Also can sunflour be substituted for almond flour?
In most recipes, yes to both!
Aleksandra says
What a great idea!
Johanna says
There are so many nut-free school districts around where I work, I could probably sell this to a million people.
Ha, right!?
Penny says
Hi Dana,
Love the recipes that you share! I’d like to try this recipe but don’t have hemp seeds. Can I omit or substitute with something else?
Thanks!
I would omit!
Marilyn says
What food processor do you use? I think mine must be bigger and not as powerful, coz when I have tried making nut butters in the past, it comes out all chunky and clumpy. Thanks so much! :)
Danique says
hey. I tried making the butter but no matter how much i blended it, it never became a butter. It has a sand like texture and color. It’s yummy but not a butter. I’m trying to resist the urge to add a liquid lol
Lyndsay says
I made this today and ran into the same problem. I noticed the seeds were very hot since I poured them in straight from the oven so I let them rest. Then I would blend them for a minute and then go do something else for a minute. Finally it formed a giant ball that spun around in the processor. It was still very chalky though. I continued to process it for another few minutes and magically it thinned out and became a nut/seed butter. I think it would help to have pictures of the Seeds throughout the process. There may be a post in the past that has this. I have a brand new pretty powerful food processor so that may have something to do with your bad luck as well. Once I added the additional nuts I sort of wished I blended mine even more!!
Someone said it tasted better the second day so I’ll have to wait and see! Yippee.
Hi ladies! this is just part of the process. You have to let it keep blending. It might be that your food processor/blender isn’t high speed /quality enough. Hope that helps!
Drea says
Old post I know…if you are self roasting I would put them in hot and blend. It can be a process to scrape down the sides occasionally but the heat helps the process in my experience. I do this for every nut butter I make.
Vivienne says
Gah! Cannot wait to make this! I, too, find some Sunflower Butter brands to be too sweet and this is just right up my alley and to also incorporate, chia, flax , hemp, and pumpkin….nom, nom, nom.
Thank you, Dana!
Marita says
Never tried this, but just the name did it for me. Mid winter where I am and anything with sun in it sounds good! Thanks for all the great recipes and all the lovely photo’s. I love to save my recipes to Evernote for ease of reference, and your site makes it just so easy to do it. So a big thanks for that, too.
Joules says
I’ve never tried sunflower seed butter, but it looks really good!
Stephanie says
Looks delicious! Perfect for use in lunches for my toddler since the preschool is nut-free. Are the pumpkin seeds crucial, or could they be omitted/replaced? I only ask because I think I have all of the ingredients except the pumpkin seeds!
Stephanie says
Just made this last night (w/out pumpkin seeds) and wanted to leave a rating. So delicious! Love the extra seeds in there :). Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
I love the addition of little flecks of chia, flax, and hemp, that would be a delicious textural addition to any nut/seed butter! I just want to grab those slices of toast right now for a snack :) And anyone who can keep a jar of almond butter for longer than a week has earned my full respect, especially if it’s sweetened!
Mandy says
My favorite sunflower seed butter just got recalled, which means that this was clearly meant to be. I can’t wait to try it! I can easily eat a jar in a week, but how long will this last in the fridge if I manage to control myself?
Laura says
It’s so weird how you publish recipes according to what’s in my pantry! Just last night, I made your vegan parmesan cheese with sunflower seeds (which turned out GREAT, by the way). And now here’s something for me to do with the rest of the seeds! Thank you!
Also, almond butter? Yeah, TOO addictive!
Sarah | Well and Full says
I’m also a huge almond butter fan (I put it on everything!), but I love myself some good sunbutter. It looks awesome, Dana! I love the photos too, gorgeous as always :)
Janel | Peach and the Cobbler says
I recently went nut-free and have become OBSESSED with sunbutter! LOVE the additions of chia/flax/hemp/pumpkin seeds in this version – can’t wait to try!
Emily @ Robust Recipes says
Sounds delicious. Great idea to add the pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and flax seeds :)
Hannah R. says
I can’t wait to try this! I was nut-free until I was 19 (yay for outgrowing allergies!), so sunflower seed butter will always hold a special place in my heart. This looks SO yummy!
Tom ~ RYG says
I didn’t know you could outgrow allergies! I hope that’s my case. Anyhow, I’ve been told to try this by my sister….hmmmm. I’m going with your recipe over hers though, don’t tell…okay?
Dawn says
Some times people grow out of allergies but not always. My son had an allergy to eggs, peanuts and wheat. He is no longer allergic to eggs but still allergic to wheat and peanut, however the severity of the allergies have reduced. I am 50 and had a wheat allergy all my life.
I am going to try this cool recipe. Thanks