Homemade low carb sunbutter is easy to make and free of all the junk found in many store-bought nut and seed butters.
But why would one take the time to make their own homemade sunflower seed butter when it available in almost any grocery store?
- it’s cost effective
- easy to make
- allergen friendly
- you control what goes in it
- this recipe is low carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free & soy-free
- one can add honey, maple syrup, spices, or cocoa powder to change it up
Sunbutter or homemade sunflower seed butter is a great alternative for those who either have a tree nut allergy or have given-up legumes due to dietary concerns. I love sunbutter and when my kids were in preschool and early elementary school I made their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with sunbutter. I was always afraid that peanut butter from my kids hands would find its way onto playground equipment and make someone sick, so Sunbutter kept me guilt free. I know, I’m nuts (no pun intended), but those are the kinds of things that keep me up at night.
A 1 pound jar of Sunbutter costs almost 7 dollars and a 1 pound bag of sunflower seeds from Trader Joe’s is around two dollars. To me, taking a few minutes to make my own homemade sunflower seed butter in the blender is much more cost effective. It may not be as creamy and smooth as what I can buy in the store, but the savings are totally worth it. And, the taste is pretty darn close to the original.
This homemade sunflower seed butter is great slathered on Psyllium Flax Bread and Sukrin Sunflower Pumpkin Seed Bread
Homemade Sunflower Seed Butter is 1 net carb per tablespoon
Low Carb Homemade Sunflower Seed Butter
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (220 g)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup Sukrin Icing Sugar (or Swerve Confectioners) (30 g)
- 1/8 teaspoon stevia glycerite
- 1/4 cup olive oil (59 ml)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Spread the sunflower seeds on to a sheet pan and toast them until they begin to color golden brown. Remove the sunflower seeds from the oven and let them cool just a bit off of the pan or they may burn. Pour them into a blender and add the salt.
- With the blender on low and using short bursts, begin to grind the sunflower seeds. They will turn into a powdery meal and begin to fluff up. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and turn the blender on. Carefully push the sunflower seed meal from the outer edge of the blender towards the middle. Add more oil as it begins to turn into "butter".
- Add the rest of the oil and gradually turn the blender up to medium or high and let it grind until it smooths out a bit. It will still be grainy looking. Add the sweeteners and blend.
- Turn the blender off and taste the sunflower seed butter. It should be a little salty and sweet. Adjust to your liking.
- Place into a clean container and into the refrigerator to store.
Notes
Nutrition
Do you use salted or unsalted sunflower seed?
Hi Heather, you can use either salted or unsalted depending on your needs. I think I used lightly salted because that is what I had. -Kim
I was skeptical at first that this would taste any better than the store bought – but now I am a convert. Excellent!
Great! We like it, too. -Kim
Can you use coconut oil instead of olive oil?
Of course, or almond oil, Cameron. Thanks for the question. -Kim
Does it need the sweetener? I never buy nut butters with sweetener, but do the sunflower seeds need it more as they have less natural sugar than nuts?
Hi, Claire. No, you don’t have to use the sweetener. The Sunbutter from the store is sweetened and I wanted to make it similar in flavor so that my kids would enjoy it. :) Enjoy your weekend. -Kim