Sunbutter looks and tastes much like peanut butter, but instead of peanuts, it’s made from sunflower seeds. Sunflower butter is 30 percent lower in fat than peanut butter, chock full of vitamin E, and when you make it yourself, it is entirely free of preservatives & added sugars.
Read more about vitamin E
Even better? It’s super healthy. It contains double the fiber, more iron, and 30 percent less saturated fat than typical peanut butter. It doesn't have any hydrogenated oils but does have 27 percent of the adult requirement of vitamin E, per serving. It is also gluten and dairy free. Follow this easy recipe to make it yourself. Give it a try – you’ll love it!
Ingredients
16 oz raw, organic sunflower seeds
2 tbsp ghee (or coconut oil), warmed to liquid
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
Method
1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Spread sesame seeds out on a dry sheet tray and roast for 10-12 minutes (shaking the tray halfway through) or until the edges begin to toast. Then remove from the oven, toss again, and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Once the seeds are cool, pour them into a food processor or high-speed blender and process on high. Note that this process will take approximately 10 minutes before it begins to smooth out. Be patient!
4. Once the seed butter has begun to smooth out and become creamy, slowly drizzle the liquid ghee or coconut oil while the butter is processing. It will almost immediately begin to look smooth and glossy. Then add the sea salt and maple syrup and process for a few seconds longer.
5. Pour it into an airtight glass storage container. This will keep for about two weeks in the fridge without separating.
Consider using sunbutter anywhere you would use peanut butter. Try some of these:
- Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches
- Sunbutter dip with carrots or apples
- Sunbutter cookies
- Sunbutter Pad Thai…and the list goes on!
Louise Picot is a certified holistic nutritionist, writer and regular contributor to Naturally Savvy.
Photo: Lynn Gardner
