Sunflower Seed Butter

Like most kids, little miss loves peanut butter. She'd bring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as her lunch to school every single day if it were up to her.

Unfortunately, little man is allergic to nuts, so peanut butter is out of the question. We've tried a few substitutes, including soy nut butter and one made out of brown peas, but the favorite is sunflower seed butter.

And you know me... I always want to try my hand at making my own homemade version of things, and sunflower seed butter was no exception.

I started by pan-roasting a generous cup of sunflower seeds to bring out their flavor and oils.

Then they went right into the mini food processor attachment of my immersion blender.

And then blend. And blend. And blend. This took a long time.  And then it got stuck at the fine-crumb stage.

I drizzled in some oil, a little bit at a time, and, for good measure, added an overflowing tablespoon of honey to the mix, too.

The result?

Unphotogenic (seriously, that color doesn't play well in pictures...), but delicious! Little man eats it on everything - bread, crackers, tortillas, or even just by the spoonful. I'll be honest - this is one that would probably be easier with a full sized (read: full powered) food processor, but it was well worth making myself and I know I'll be doing it again!


Sunflower Seed Butter
(I didn't follow a recipe, but there are tons out there)

1 cup (generously measured) raw sunflower seeds
2-3 tablespoons oil (whatever kind you'd like - flavorless or olive oil)
1-2 tablespoons honey (to taste, optional)

Gently toast the seeds in a pan over medium heat until they begin to look, well, toasted. You want to keep them moving so that they don't burn. Set them aside to cool a bit.
Transfer toasted and cooled seeds to the bowl of your food processor and start grinding. This will take quite a while, so be patient.
Once the seeds have reached the fine-flour stage, drizzle in oil, about a tablespoon at a time, and keep processing. This is also when you add the honey, if you are using it.
Keep processing, adjusting the oil as necessary, until you reach the desired spreadable consistency.

Enjoy!