All Natural, Home Made Toasted Sunflower Seed Butter
Making my own All Natural Nut Butters at home is an activity that I truly enjoy.
Call me weird, but I find it super relaxing. Sometimes, I’ll whip up a batch just because… you know. Some people will grab a good book, others will run themselves a warm bath or go for a nice, long walk. Some will do crossword puzzles, draw, paint or watch the tube for a wee while.
I, will make Nut Butters.
Maybe it’s because to me, this is what is closest to baking, only when making Nut Butters, I get to keep the fruit of my labor for months, whereas when baking, the goods pretty much have to be consumed in a matter of days, which really isn’t ideal when you have no one to share said goods with. Eating an entire cheesecake to one self over the course of a week, or a dozen sweet potato brownies, or a full loaf of banana bread before it goes bad, isn’t the healthiest thing to do!
There’s always the option to freeze them for later, in most cases, but truth is my freezer if getting quite full already with some of my past creations.
So Nut Butters, I make. Lots of ’em, too much of ’em. Some, like this one, using only a single variety of nuts (or seeds), some using a delicious combination of different nuts and seeds and some even including other tasty additions.
My Nut Butters all have one thing in common, though. I absolutely hate the idea of adding oil to them. Most recipes will have you add some kind of oil to your nuts right from the start, which, I have to admit, really helps in kick-starting the process and have your nuts quickly turn into butter.
But, the thing is, I find it changes the final consistency of the Nut Butter. I like mine to be as thick as can be, and the addition of oil tends to make the final product somewhat loose and runny. Sorry, NOT a fan.
All nuts will turn to butter if you give them time, even without the addition of oil. You just need to be patient, that’s all. But you’ll be rewarded with a product that, in my humble opinion, is far superior, if not in taste, at least in texture!
Oh, and about this particular Seed Butter? If you’ve never tried Toasted Sunflower Seed Butter before, by all means, make a batch right now. The flavor is plain out of this world yummy. It’s nutty, smokey, bold and simply delicious. It’s like shoving a handful of salted toasted sunflowers in your mouth, but to the tenth power.
Convinced?
Start with a bunch of beautiful RAW sunflower seeds, organic if you can!
Lay the seeds in a thin, flat and even layer onto a large baking sheet
Bake them in a 350F oven, moving them around frequently, until they get slightly golden and the house is filled with the most delicious and intoxicating nutty aroma, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Be careful not to overdo this. Sunflower seeds are very delicate and will burn very easily, which will make them taste nasty. You want the seeds to keep a fairly light golden coloration.
Let the seeds cool slightly, then transfer them to the bowl of your food processor. Don’t let them get too cold, however. The oils will get released a lot faster and easier if the seeds are still nice and warm.
Start processing the seeds. In total, it should take about 25 to 30 minutes to get from seed to butter. After the initial 2 minutes, this is what you should be looking at. Yeah. I know what you’re thinking. That looks exactly like COARSE SAND.
Nothing really appetizing so far!
Let’s give our seeds a couple more minutes on the spin cycle. Aaaah! Much better: now we have what looks like WET coarse sand.
Pffft. Still not even close to resembling something that I’d want to eat… let’s keep going.
Another couples of minutes later, the seeds will want to clump up and start looking like… CEMENT.
Great! Now you’ll be thinking: this is going nowhere. I’ve just ruined a whole bunch of sunflower seeds. GAH!
Keep going!
Start the motor once again. Now this is probably the point where you’re gonna start wanting to add all sorts of things to this bowl. You’re gonna start thinking that there is no way this is ever going to happen. You’ll be reviewing the content of your cupboards in your mind, wondering what you have in there that you could possibly add to this big mass of cement to help it relax and become nice and smooth for you.
By all means, resist the urge.
Just keep going. Yeah, I know. This looks like sand and rocks. Probably something that belongs in the yard more than it does in the pantry. But trust. The magic WILL happen.
I’m warning you, though. You’re probably gonna have to stop that motor fairly often. The blade will tend to dig and spin right underneath the mass, which isn’t really efficient at breaking it down. So you’re gonna have to help it and manually destroy that lump from time to time so it gets in the blade’s path.
Keep spinning and breaking and spinning and breaking…
See? I told you. The seeds are FINALLY starting to release some of their oil. HA! Now we’re getting somewhere!
Getting somewhere, perhaps, but not out of the woods just yet. At this point, the mass is mostly going to just go round and round and round the bowl. S.L.O.W.L.Y.
So again, every couple of turns (it will take a good minute for this big solid clump of nut butter to make a full revolution around bowl) you’ll want to stop the motor, break that big blob down and get it going again.
For the better part of the next 8 to 10 minutes, this is what you will be staring at. A mass of nut butter that’s very slowly spinning in circles. I say you should enjoy the process, though, for it is very fascinating. As the mass spins around that bowl, the butter releases more and more oil, and becomes more and more relaxed.
You’ll probably become so enthralled with looking at it go that you’ll most likely find yourself holding your breath at some point, waiting for that culminating moment where the ball finally collapses to the bottom of the bowl in the most delicious way.
And eventually… it happens! Oh yeah! The butter completely relaxes and abandons the fight. It surrenders to the power of the blade and accepts to stay nicely in its path, at the bottom of the bowl.
Phew, you can start breathing again! 😉
From this point on, you won’t have to stop the motor as often. Just let it run for a good 5 to 10 minutes, stopping a couple of times just to scrape the sides a little bit. Oh, and don’t be alarmed if you notice that your nut butter is getting very hot. It’s totally normal. With all the friction that’s going on, it does become almost as hot as if you’d actually been cooking it…
If, on the other hand, the motor of your food processor appears to be heating up, that’s not a good thing. You might want to give it a little bit of a rest from time to time if you feel that the task at hand is too much for it to handle.
When your Sunflower Seed Butter is creamy enough for you and has reached the desired consistency, throw in the salt and vanilla extract and then get it going for one final minute, just to make sure that everything is well incorporated.
Transfer your finished Sunflower Seed butter to an airtight glass jar.
Sprinkle a few sunflower seeds on top, just to make it even prettier.
Now try to keep your hands (and fingers and spoons and whatever other “dippable” contraption) off, at least until the next day. I find fresh nut butter always taste better after resting for a few days.
And if you want some right away, you can always lick that bowl clean!
All Natural, Home Made Toasted Sunflower Seed Butter
Ingredients
- 6 cups raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the seeds in a baking or cookie sheet and toast in a a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, moving them around often, until golden and fragrant.
- Be careful to not take the seeds too far. Sunflower seeds are very delicate and will burn fairly easily. You want them to be a very light golden color, no more.
- Let the seeds cool for a few minutes then transfer them to the bowl of your food processor
- Process for a total of 25-30 minutes, stopping every 2 to 3 minutes or so to break down the clumped-up mixture and scrape the sides a bit.
- After about 20 minutes, the seeds should start releasing their oil and the butter will finally relax and become creamy. From this point, you will want to let it run for 5 to 10 minutes until really smooth and creamy.
- Now add the salt and vanilla extract and process for another minute
- Transfer to a glass, air tight jar.
Nutrition
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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94 Comments on “All Natural, Home Made Toasted Sunflower Seed Butter”
You sold me on trying this one when I read the word smokey!
Wait ’til you taste the word smokey in this one, Traci! You’re gonna be hooked for life! 🙂
This looks delicious I’m excited to try it. We have nut allergies in our house so I use a ton of seeds. I have trouble getting my food processor clean after I grind them though. Any tips. Mine currently has a sticky film on it. I’ve soaked it, ran it threw the dishwasher, soaked in vinegar…
Ahah! Get an new food processor, Franki? No seriously, I have no idea. I always throw mine (well, the bowl) in the dishwasher and it comes out perfectly clean… wish I could help but unfortunately, I’m at a loss here. Sorry about that!
Franki, have you tried filling the bowl half way with hot water and a splash of dishwashing liquid and letting it run for a while?
Try my magic everything cleaner, baking soda. A bit on a damp sponge will clean anything from the stovetop to sticky oil residue. So many uses, google it. It even cleans the toilet bowl sprinkle and scrub, and removes rust stains… Good luck.
Try putting 1 cup of hot water and a tbs of dish soap in your processor and run it it fo a couple of minutes
Mmm I love sunflower seed butter! It might just be my favourite. I haven’t had the guts to make my own yet but now I know all the different stages I might be brave enough to give it a go!
Do it! You won’t regret it! 🙂
“Thick”, the magic word when it comes to Nut Butters, no doubt about it.
And yes, Sunflower seed butter is the thang; I can’t wait to make it (although the last time I made PB at home I “zonked” the food processor!) 😉
Ah, but you need to get a good food processor. Seriously, I’ve had mine for probably 12 years now, still works like a charm. And trust me, the poor thing took QUITE the beating in all those years… 😉
I have never had sunflower seed butter OR made my own nut butters. You can judge me, I will allow it.
How-ev-er, I just picked myself one of those fancy Ninja blender/food processor things so now I am blending ALL THE THINGS.
except dinner. Blended chicken = no.
Gotta try this on Sonia, me and nut butters are BFFS. Sometimes a little too much…
Oh, but Taylor, nooooo… blended chicken = Chicken Meatballs!
And when you start making your own nut butters, you’ll never be able to stop! Like me, you’ll want to whip up a new batch every single week-end, just to try out a new nut, or a new flavor combo. Seriously. It’s addictive. Don’t say I haven’t warned you! 🙂
I just made a batch of this mmmmmm!!!! Thank you for this..couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong before, I just had to keep milling!I don’t have a food processor but my bullet worked AWESOME!
Good to hear, Kimberley! Glad you got it to work for you, and in a magic bullet too! I’m actually surprised. Who knew these little guys had it in them? 😉
Hi this looks great! How long does it keep for? Does it have to be stored in the fridge in sterlised jars? Would I be able to make only a small amount do you think?
This will keep for quite a while, HB, probably much longer than you’ll be able to keep it for! And no, you don’t need to use sterilized jars. Some people like to keep their nut butters in the fridge but I like to keep mine in the cupboards. I think it’s a personal decision, really. As for making a small amount, I find it much easier to work with fairly large amounts of nuts, else all they want to do is climb up the sides of the bowl and the blades don’t even get a chance to hit them. Unless you use a very small food processor, which oftentimes lack the necessary power… I have, however, successfully made a small batch of Cashew Butter using this guy, once. I say it’s worth a shot!
Hope this helps! 🙂
Brilliant pics. They help a lot. Thanks.
Thank you, Eric!I appreciate that! 🙂
Your play by play here is perfection. It alleviated my fear that I was doing it wrong and helped me avoid adding oil when I really didn’t want to. It’s like the butter came alive for a while as it fought against that blade!!
HA! Real glad it helped, Kelly! Nut butters are so much better without added oil, I find. So much thicker, and much more satisfying! 🙂
Your “you may also like” links just changed my life! I purchased a lb of unsalted roasted sunflower seed from trader joes the other day and was contemplating making this butter this morning… but distracted as I can be I clicked through to 3 other butters including your creamy coconut butter, in which you ponder how much better a high powered blender could potentially do the coconut job… so I tried it with the coconut, and got just a few tablespoons of solids in the sieve, and took only 5 minutes total from pulling ingredients to lidding the jar. So I cleaned my vitamix, warmed the sunflower seeds in my microwave, poured them in and started my stop-clock – 2 minutes blending and it was smooth and creamy! I let it run a 3rd minute just to be sure, since your write up made it sound patience testing, and let me tell you… AMAZING!!! I can’t wait to eat both of these tomorrow!
GAH! Now you’re making me want a Vitamix so bad! Thanks for your insight, Lea. I greatly appreciate that (although it might have just cost me like $600…) I just NEED to try one of those machines! 😉
So, tell me, how are the butters?
The butters are EXCELLENT! I love that I can make them for a fraction of the cost listed on amazon! (Although all the specialty “flours” and “butters” in paleo cooking are killing what I thought was my budget.) Speaking of budget I got my Vitamix 5200 in February for $375 from Costco, not sure if you have those in Canada, but it might be worth the membership if they do. (They also sell organic butter, 2lbs for $7.69)… Food for thought!
Thanks for the info, Lea. Yes we do have COSTCO in Canada, but sadly, they aren’t equivalent to the ones you have. Organic, sustainable, grass-fed and the likes still aren’t really available at our COSTCO. I can’t wait until they wizen up, but they seem to be just doing the opposite. For instance, my local COSTCO used to carry Wild Planet’s canned salmon and tuna, but recently took them off the shelves. Same for pasture raised chicken. And organic butter is obviously non-existent. Gah. Makes me wish I lived in the States, sometimes.
As for the Vitamix, they do carry it but it goes for something closer to $500, if not more. Unfortunately, this kind of expense is not in my budget for the time being…
Hi Sonia, do seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin need soaking first, as nuts do? Xx
All nuts and seeds greatly benefit from soaking, Aj. I say definitely soak ’em if you can!
Thanks for your reply, Sonia. Sorry, another question – will soaked seeds need to be dehydrated before toasting and blending? xx
Absolutely, definitely, AJ! You gotta make sure that all the water is gone before you turn the nuts into butter. Oil and water don’t mix…
So would the dehydrating and toasting be two separate processes, or can I just soak them, drain them and toss them in the oven to roast?
Not necessarily 2 distinct processes, but you would definitely have to dehydrate the seeds first at a much lower temperature and then crank up the heat to toast them once they’re good and dry.
Why would you soak and then dehydrate the seeds? What would be the benefit? It seems to me you’re putting the water in only to take it out again.
By the way, this recipe is fantastic the way it is, without soaking.
Some people believe that when soaking nuts, you are breaking down the phytic acid that they contain so it can be absorbed properly by your body. Also too, nuts contain enzymes inhibitors, which get neutralized by the soaking process, ensuring better digestion.
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Hi Sonia
This is a long overdue comment. I have made this roasted sunflower butter several times already and I must say, it is simply DELICIOUS and healthy and easy and wonderfully Paleo. Thanks for the recipe. I love the way my place smells when I bake the sunflower seeds. Thanks again for an amazing DIY.
Ah, but the pleasure is all mine, Blu! And thank YOU so much for taking the time to leave this great feedback. It’s greatly appreciated. 😀
my gosh. i’m 20 minutes into this and am already suicidal haha i hope it ends up turning into the beautifully creamy sunbutter in your photos!
ok it worked after 30 min! thank u sweet jesus!! it is perfect.
HAHAHA! That it too funny! I too made a fresh batch of this nut butter today and thought to myself “OMG, this is by far the most brutal of all nut butters. It takes like FOREVER to come together! Man does it ever take its sweet time. But it always work out in the end. It always does. 🙂
it was actually quite hilarious, sonia. i started it in the kitchen and ended up in the basement because my parents were watching a movie and kept saying “how long is that damn stuff gonna take?!?!? we can’t hear the movie!”
and of course, our basement lights are motion sensitive so as i was sitting on the floor, the lights went out 3 times while the food processor was on. ahahaha
Haha! That’s too funny joanna! I hope you gave your parents a great big spoon of the nut butter for their “trouble”! 😉
And damn motion sensitive lights. I have those in my garage. It’s so annoying when you’re working on something or trying to get some meat out of the freezer (surprisingly, that can sometimes take quite a chunk of time) and the darn light goes off on you. :/
Hey, at least now you get to indulge in some deliciously smokey sunflower seed butter! ENJOY! 😀
I just made a tiny amount and am instantly addicted! The whole kitchen smells of it and it’s intoxicating!! I used pumpkin, sesame, sunflower seeds and golden linseeds all dry fried until medium brown first………….. Oh my! It is so good! Spread on a rice cake and eaten from a spoon………. I am going to add a bit of chilli to the next lot or even chipotle…. Thanks!
Oh Lord, that sounds heavenly! I bet the house does smell amazing!
You honestly want me to wait? 🙂
This is amazing! A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. and soooooo easy to make!
And unlike mayo I didn’t fail this recipe on purpose 🙂
Greetings from Vienna, Austria!
PS I know you hear this often but the pics that follow each step of your recipes not only look great but inspire others to cook!
Awww, thank you so much, Mary! Your kind words are music to my ears.
And now you got me wanting to eat a big spoonful of that sunflower seed butter. Good thing I happen to have some in the cupboards! 🙂
I plan on sending this to a friend as a gift, so reading that it’s even better after resting makes me even more excited than I already was! I just hope I have enough patience!
Also, I’m going to go through the rest of your nut butter recipes ASAP. I’m so glad I found your blog!!
I’m glad you’re glad you found my blog, Alexis. Have fun exploring the nut butter section!
Hope your friend appreciates their present! 🙂
Hi Sonia! Thank you for posting this recipe! I tried doing it today and the consistency is good, but it doesn’t look golden like yours, it looks greenish-gray :(! Has this ever happened to you? Do you have any idea why this could be?
Greenish-gey? Really? And you toasted the sunflower seeds before to process them? I figure raw sunflower seed butter would be kind of greyish, since the seeds are grey in their raw state, but they do turn this beautiful shade of light golden once they have been toasted… maybe try toasting them a teeny little bit longer next time? Does it taste good at least? <-- cuz in the end, that's what truly counts, right? ;)
Yes, I did toast them. I’m going to try to toast them more or maybe buy unsalted roasted seeds! Thanks!
Sonia…can you help?! I made your delicious sunflower seed butter in the past year and thought that I could do it again from memory. Yeah, not so much. My goal was to do a raw batch so I didn’t toast (shouldn’t have been a problem, I’ve made other raw nut butters before) and when it seemed to never come together I drizzled peanut oil till it started. So it got to the very grainy phase and then turned into the big glob and that is where I made my fatal error: I didn’t want to add any more oil and thought some water drizzled would be fine. One shot glass helped, two seemed to help, three didn’t make much more progress but at 4 we had water/oil separation ignition that has not quit. Now I have a hard lump and what looks to be a mixture of peanut and sunflower seed oil. I’m wondering if I tried to dry the lump mass in the oven and start over would it be manageable? I started with 1 1/2# of seeds and hate to waste it! And the longer it sits, the more oil oozes out. Makes me very sad.
Molly
Strange as it may sound, Molly, I would add more water! It should eventually get back together, although your final nut butter will have a fairly runny consistency and will have to be kept in the refrigerator. Also, it won’t keep for quite as long, but you’ll be able to use it in all kinds of recipes…
Hope this helps, and keep me posted!
Thank you, Sonia. I’ve got it sitting in the fridge waiting. Cross fingers for me! I forgot to mention that I had also tried putting some of it in the Vitamix cause if that can’t make something come together… And it didn’t work. Really don’t want to waste it! But then again…I now have a nifty looking sunflower/peanut oil combo to cook with. hahaha
I find the Vitamix is excellent at making über smooth nut butters, but doesn’t handle the really thick ones all that well… I strongly suspect that sunflower seed butter, without the addition of a ton of oil, would probably never turn. However, in your situation, it might be a good idea to use it, since you’ll be adding a fair amount of water to get it to come together again. I’d definitely give that Vitamix a shot!
Please do keep me posted as to whether you managed to serve your precious spread!
I only roasted mine for only 12 minutes and they were a tab bit too done. !0 minutes may have been better. I wonder why mine were done in almost 1/3 of your time? I moved them around about 5 times. Thank you for the recipe!
It’s hard to say without knowing exactly what you did, Will… Did you use the same amount of seeds or did you cut that amount some? Or perhaps you used a really large baking sheet? If your seeds were spread so thin that they were all in contact with the bare metal of the baking sheet, then that would’ve definitely sped up the roasting process. Other than that, I really can’t think of anything… but I guess the important part is you didn’t end up burning them! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe and for providing the photos. If I had been doing this on my own, I would have given up early in the process…thinking that that coarse sand mixture would never become creamy. It is delicious and worth the time to make. Thanks, again!
You are very welcome, Anna! Glad to hear you’re enjoying some delicious, creamy sunflower seed butter and not some kind of coarse sand mixture! 🙂
I tried to make this butter but i am not sure if it will turn out good.
It was creamy and I thought finished, then I added salt, vanilla and rice-syrup (alike agave syrup but without fructose) now it´s totally clumpy again!
Not sure if there is still hope…
should I keep on in my food processor or add butter?
Jane.
Adding sweeteners and even vanilla extract to nut butters can be tricky as this introduces moisture in the form of water and we all know that oil and water do not mix…
Your only hope to salvage your nut butter at this point is to add more water! I know this sounds counterproductive, but trust me, it’s the only way. More fat will only cause it to separate further. So add warm water while the motor is running, about one or two tablespoons at at time, and wait until it’s fully incorporated until you add more. You’ll see, at some point, your nut butter will start to come together again for you and eventually, will become real creamy. The only downfall is that your nut butter will not keep for quite as long and you will have to store it in the refrigerator.
Hope this helps and let me know how it went! 🙂
🙁
It Turned out green-gray and was still clumpy… It’s in the trash now 🙁 it didn’t looked like something one would want to eat… 🙁
Thanks that you tried to help me
Oh no! I’m so terribly sorry to hear, Jane. Wish I could’ve helped you save it. A nut (or seed) is such a terrible thing to waste!
I’m at a loss right now. I discovered two delicious looking baking recipes on Leanne Vogel’s website and they both need sunflower butter. Now here I am sitting in Germany, where no shop in reach sell sunflower butter, you can’t get it online except for ridiculous prices. And I can’t try your way because I don’t have a food processor, only a blender. could I try it with that? If not, what would you suggest to use instead to get as close to the same taste in recipes?
Unfortunately, Barbara, I’m afraid a blender wouldn’t really work all that well, unless perhaps it was a high-speed blender? If you can’t get your hands on the sunflower seed butter, you could probably use toasted almond instead, or a combination of toasted almonds and toasted hazelnuts.
Too bad. No, it’s not even close to high speed 🙁
I actually did find sunflower butter in a shop today. Only they don’t call it butter in German, that’s why I was confused. But I looked at the ingredients and it was just sunflower seeds and salt. So except for the vanilla same as your recipe. I didn’t think it was right at first because peanut BUTTER (the only “nut” butter they sell) has oil in it as well.
So thanks anyway
Hello,
I was hoping for a slightly sweeter sun butter for my son. I pulsed the seeds until they began to release their oil and became wonderfully smooth. Then I added some honey in place of vanilla extract…. it clumped together immediately and when I decided to beat it some more the oil just separated from the clump. It was a mess. Do you have any suggestions on how to make a sweeter version?
Unfortunately, Katie, adding moisture to nut butters will almost always cause them to separate… the only way to save them once that happens is to add warm water, a tablespoon at a time, while the food processor is running until the nut butter comes together again.
As for adding sweetness to your nut butters, it can be done, but if the sweetener is liquid or contains any form of liquid whatsoever, it needs to be added at the very end and you mustn’t overmix. Mixing by hand could even be preferable, in some cases (like when the nut butter is already very thick to start with). It will, however, invariably change the texture of the nut butter and in most cases make it much thicker. The other option is to use dry sugar, like coconut sugar, for instance.
Hope this helps! 🙂
Thank you soooo much for sharing. I love sunflower seed butter, but it is not very common in Germany and is very expensive. I just made it and can’t wait to try it tomorrow for breakfast 🙂 Thank you for the very detailed instructions. I would have given up like ten times, but remembered all your pictures, so I kept going. It is super creamy and I am very excited to try the tasty result! Thank you!
*HIGH FIVE* Glad I could help, Moni! Now just you wait until you taste it… OH!
Sonia, I would like to try a combination of sunflower and sesame seeds and add a bit of raw sugar. How do you recommend I go about this?
I think I’d start by processing the sesame seeds into a paste and then add the sunflower seeds and continue processing until smooth, then I would throw in the sugar and process until just combined.
Hi Sonia, Sunbutter is my new found love thanks for the recipe I will have to start making my own, But quick question, how long does this keep out and or in the fridge?
I tend to store my nut butters in the pantry, unless they contain perishable ingredients, and most will keep for 4 to 6 weeks (if they make it that long). Sunflower butter is on the delicate side and tends to go rancid faster than the average, so I would say no more than 4 weeks in the pantry, up to a couple of months in the refrigerator.
This worked well until I put in the jar. It was actually hot. It started out very smooth and creamy and then hardened up and cannot be spread 🙁 Where did I go wrong?
How long did it take for it to harden like that, Marla? Natural nut butters will “settle” after sitting for a while, i.e. the oils will rise to the top, leaving the bottom somewhat hard and crumbly. To avoid that, all you need to do is give the nut butter a good stir from time to time. 🙂
Hello,
I have a coffee grinder which is also for grounding nuts and seeds. I made seed butter in it already, but I have a question. Can the seeds burn as the grinder is made of steel? The butter forms in it within a few minutes.
Thank you, have a lovely day/evening!
That shouldn’t be a problem at all, Diana. If you say that your coffee grinder was also designed for that purpose, you should be fine. Otherwise, I’d be more concerned about burning the coffee grinder, as most were designed to run for short bursts, not for running continuously for several minutes.
Thank your for your asnwer! I have another concern… Do you think it will go rancid? I read it somewhere that it can go rancid because it gets hot…
Heating the nuts will not make them go rancid faster, at least not that I know of or that I’ve ever experienced. It will go rancid at some point though, if not consumed fast enough. Generally, nut butters have a shelf life of 4 to 6 weeks, if kept unrefrigerated.
Thank you ! I was worried because the taste seemed to change after a while and I didn’t know if this is how it has to be or I just imagine things….haha
Have a lovely day!
I just made this recipe using 2 cups of raw sunflower kernels. I didn’t add any salt or vanilla because I just like to keep things as simple as possible. Of course, I tasted it and it tastes at least as good as the store-bought brand that I have used. The best thing about this is I know what is and what is NOT in the sunflower butter.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and also for the pictures with instructions. They were a big help.
You are very welcome, Margaret! Glad to hear the post was a big help to you and the nut butter a success!
Mine came out grey and sorta yucky tasting, I don’t know what I did wrong? I have a feeling it was the toasting step but it was my first attempt so I have no idea.
Yeah, I get the feeling that your sunflower seeds weren’t toasted enough, as this step really brings out their flavor…
Absolutely amazing my first nut butter ever. And yes be patient and read the whole instructions. Thank you for posting looking forward to more delicious recipes. Going to read your blog more.
You are very welcome, Marita, and thank YOU for the awesome feedback. Nut butters are so much fun to make, you’ll find many more recipes on the blog (was obsessed with them for a while) hopefully you’ll find a few that will inspire you!
I consume a lot of sunflower butter—about 1 jar a week. . To help reduce my carbon footprint, support a local bulk food business, and save dollars, I decided to try making SF butter myself. I searched the web for a simple, no-oil/ no-sugar-added recipe, and gratefully came across yours. Thank you so very much for your helpful tips and detailed steps! I learned alot about the process from you, and was very successful in making my very first batch.
AWESOME!!! So very happy to hear, Kris! And kudos to you for wanting to reduce your carbon footprint and encouraging local businesses! Thank you! 😀
Before i make it, I need to know a few things.
What does heating the seeds do nutritionally wise, like what nutrients does it destroy of increase?
And do you have some hints, tips and recipe’s to use it?
Also, do you store in the fridge?
And how long is shelf life?
I am having a hard time with this recipe. My sunflower seeds are more green looking even after roasting. They are bitter. you’re look different. Are there different type of seeds that work better for this butter?
I’ve never seen different varieties of sunflower seeds, so I really don’t know what to say, Tim… I simply use raw sunflower seeds. I suppose you could use the roasted or even salted variety, and then you would go straight to processing…
It appear there are striped and black sunflower seeds. The black being mostly for oil and the striped for eating. I need to ask if they have the striped for sale in large quantities. What I really want to do is make this nut butter on an industrial scale, though our business is small today, we make peanut butter for the Brazilian market. We’re located in Anapolis, Goias – Brazil. I was hoping this business would help fund our mission work here, but we’re having a hard time getting sales up so they pay for the bills. We’ve been producing All Natural and Regular peanut butter, a new craze here! Thanks for your help — Tim
Right! The small black ones I’ve seen, they’re usually sold in large bags as bird feed! I didn’t even know they hulled those. You definitely want to stick with the striped variety! And good luck with the biz!