Have you ever made really good homemade Sunbutter (aka – sunflower seed butter)?
If not, you are in for a treat! As a long-time peanut butter lover (understatement), I have really picky ideas of what sunbutter should taste like. I have made a bunch of variations on this recipe until I finally nailed it with this combo and I think it’s awesome.
The secret ingredient in this How to Make Sunbutter tutorial is Ghee.
Now, I know that kind of sounds like a pain in the butt thing to either have to make something else first or buy something you don’t usually use. I am telling you that the addition of just a couple teaspoons of Ghee turns ordinary sunbutter into a rich, creamy and yes, buttery treat you will be swiping fingerfuls from every time you open the fridge.
BTW-Aren’t these photos stunning? They are the work of the ever-talented Pamela Bolig, who is slowly, steadily and very patiently giving me photography lessons. She did what I always strive to do (but don’t accomplish nearly enough) with my food photos- she made the dish look as good as it tastes.
NOTES:
- If you are Vegan, try substituting extra light olive oil. If you want to use organic virgin coconut oil, please note that I have found that it needs a lot more sweetener.
- Store in a glass container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
- You may need more salt or more sweetener depending on your taste preference but don’t add more Ghee (or oil) until you have fully processed this as the seeds really need time to release their oils.
- This Homemade Sunbutter is Paleo and naturally Gluten-Free.
RECIPES THAT USE SUNBUTTER
Sunflower Seed Butter and Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
How To Make Sunbutter. Paleo Sunbutter
- 1 pound raw sunflower seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ghee
-
Preheat oven to 350F. Divide sunflower seeds up on two baking sheets.
-
Roast for 4 minutes. Rotate trays and toss seeds. Place back in the oven and roast for another 4 minutes.
-
Carefully transfer to a food processor (or high powered blender) and add sea salt.
-
Process for about 1 minute until seeds become powdery.
-
Process 16 to 18 minutes, stopping every 2 minutes to scrape down the sides.
-
Add the ghee and maple syrup at about the halfway point. Here are some photos of what this looks like.
-
This might sound like a lot but it takes a while for the sunflower seeds to release their oil.
-
If you stop too soon, the sunbutter will NOT be creamy.
-
Trust me on this and be patient.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
Jessica says
I found you on Pinterest. I can’t have peanut butter, but am not a fan of almond butter so I was excited to try this recipe. I made it tonight but mine is taking a lot longer than your recipe said. I am going on almost 40 minutes of processing it and it’s just getting to the creamy state but I’ve also had to add about 2 tbsp of ghee and 2 tbsp of maple syrup to help it along. I am using a Bosch food processor which should make this just fine. Am I doing anything wrong, I followed your recipe exactly. Should have I roasted the sunflower seeds longer than 8 minutes?
EverydayMaven says
Hi Jessica,
That sounds really frustrating! I would not recommend roasting the seeds any longer than 8 min as you don’t want them to burn or get bitter. Do you know what cup size your food processor is?
Diana @ Appetite for China says
That looks great! I’ve never tried sunbutter before but now I’m so intrigued. Is the flavor very concentrated?
EverydayMaven says
There is definitely an undertone of sunflower seeds but I don’t find it overwhelming and it’s most like peanut butter in my opinion.
kirsten@FarmFreshFeasts says
Great photos, Pam, and Alyssa thanks for your hard work testing your recipe!
cquek says
thanks a lot, a lot of to learn.
Pam says
Yes it was a difficult subject to photograph because of consistency and color.. but I appreciate a good challenge! And I can say that is it delicious! Great job Alyssa with the recipe!
EverydayMaven says
Thanks Pam – you are the best!!! xoxo
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I’ve never tried Sunbutter but this looks like a perfect alternative to PB!
Hannah says
I can vouch for this sunbutter’s deliciousness! Smooth, creamy and oh so good. Happy to have your recipe now, Alyssa, and I can’t wait to make a batch! 🙂
EverydayMaven says
Thank you so much! I should have sent you home with a container – next time!! 🙂
john@kitchenriffs says
Those are good photos – that’s a difficult subject. I’ve never made sunbutter, but really like the idea – definitely something to try! Thanks for this.
EverydayMaven says
She is really good – I agree about this being a difficult subject. Certainly a challenge!
Ash- foodfashionparty says
Wow, never tried this before. This looks simple to make.
Davida @ The Healthy Maven says
thanks for posting this! I’ve made subutter before but wasn’t a huge fan of how it came out. Looks like you figured out how to make it as good as the store-bought kind (if not better!) 🙂
EverydayMaven says
Nice blog name 😉 I hope you try it again with this technique – it’s awesome!