There’s no shortage of peanut butter recipes on my blog.
I adore anything with peanut butter in it.
And I love making homemade peanut butter. In my first cookbook, Peanut Butter Comfort, there are 27 recipes for homemade peanut butter variations.
But I’ll cheat on my beloved peanut butter for Sunflower Seed Butter. There’s a certain nuttiness, earthiness, and distinct flavor that’s unique and fabulous.
I made a hybrid using both sunflower seeds and peanuts, marrying my two favorite butters into one. It’s creamy, drippy, and velvety smooth. It’s nothing like the texture of most commercially-made peanut butters.
I prefer to bake with those kind of classic peanut butters because they yield the best, fluffiest, and most consistent results in cookies and bars, but for eating straight out of the jar (who needs bread), nothing compares to homemade.
If you’ve never made peanut butter before, this post has step-by-step photos showcasing each stage the peanuts go through before turning into peanut butter. This post is similar using sunflower seeds.
Most notably, make sure you have a full-sized food processor, put the seeds in first, and let them process for 10 to 15 minutes, or until you see the early stages of sunflower seed butter before adding the peanuts.
While the food processor works its magic, go organize your closet, de-clutter your car, or find something outside that needs attention. It’s a loud, somewhat lengthy process and you don’t have to stand around babysitting it. Nothing ‘bad’ can happen by ‘over-processing’ and if anything, the longer the better an ultra-smooth spread.
It’s silky smooth with such rich flavors. Interestingly, the spread tasted better as time passed. It was good coming out of the food processor but a few days later, it was even better. And about a week later the flavors had married and mellowed, and the little bit I had left in the jar was heavenly.
It’s so hard to resist dipping my spoon into the jar, over and over, until it’s gone.
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Sunflower Seed Peanut Butter
Ingredients
- 2 cups sunflower seeds, shelled (I use roasted and lightly salted; use your favorite)
- 2 cups peanuts, shelled (I used roasted and lightly salted here; honey roasted are excellent)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional and to taste
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
Instructions
- To the canister of a full-sized food processor (not a mini, Magic Bullet, etc.), add sunflower seeds and process on high power until broken down, creamy and beginning to smooth out, about 10 to 20 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the canister if necessary; however, I find the less scraping and interruptions, the better. The seeds go through stages: crushed, crushed into a fine powder, a paste, a thicker paste, a big ‘dough ball’, and then the ball breaks down into runnier sunflower seed butter.
- At the point the sunflower seed butter is runny or nearly so, add the peanuts through the feed tube. Process for about 10 minutes, or until the spread is as smooth, buttery, and as creamy as desired. I’ve never experienced harm in ‘over-processing’ and always process about 2 minutes more after I think the spread is done to ensure it’s as silky smooth as possible.
- Optionally, through the feed tube add vanilla, salt, and process until incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Transfer to an airtight container, preferably a glass jar with lid. Spread firms up some as it cools, but stays quite soft and runny; it doesn’t separate. Spread will keep airtight at room temperature for weeks and for months in the fridge (hardens some but softens at room temp). No preservatives are added so use common sense with storage. Recipe as written is vegan and gluten-free.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I love making my own nut/seed butters but have never made one with peanuts and sunflower seeds. This is undoubtedly a winning combo! You are so right about the difference between homemade and “grind your own” in the store. There is still something grainy about the texture so I like to let the processor take it to that warm runny stage. I’m out of peanuts and have about 1/4 cup of SF seeds but I’d be happy to restock the ingredients and give this a test run later in the week!!
Yes, that uber smooth quality, to the warm and runny stage, that’s when you know it’s done! That’s the best! LMK if you try this!
I made this tonight–soooo good!! I think it will be my current nut butter obsession and it’s economical too. Apparently there was a recent recall on a couple of commercial nut butter brands (due to salmonella I think) so that is just one more reason to make my own. Really love this little marriage of 2 of my favorites!
So glad you love this, Paula, and the recall you’re talking about is this https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm410533.htm It actually is a MASSIVE recall effecting everyone from Safeway, TJ’s, Whole Foods, and many more. I just sent it to a friend last night saying we should not have to worry about salmonella in nut butter (it’s not meat or eggs, my god!) but apparently we do and as you said, another reason why making your own is way better!
So glad you love this and that it’ll be your new fave! A marriage of my 2 faves, too! If you’re careful (melt it first and then be super careful so it doesn’t cause your nut butter to sieze) but drizzling in melted white chocolate is amazing. As is a decent splash of bourbon (or whiskey or vanilla). :)
I never even thought to make my own peanut butter but you are inspiring me with all these amazing variations. So unique and beautiful!
I tried making straight sunflower butter a few years ago and, while it was tasty, the gray color was quite unappetizing. Yours looks amazing and I’m inspired to try again.
You know, there is a gray-ish, green-ish weird shade that can happen with some batches of SF Butter. Not always, but it can. Just like sometimes when baking with it, things will turn green (I think if there’s baking soda present, that can do it?) but trust me, I know that color and I think it just varies, batch by batch, based on the seeds used.
This is a really fun idea. Kind of like The Age of Aquarius style nut butter. Back when my parents were suburban hippies they practically ate nothing but sunflower seeds for what seemed like years. GREG
Oh wow, I love the sound of your parents :) That’s so cool they were so hippy-ish! :)
Mmmmmm! So many great dips & spread here Averie! Gotta try this sunflower seed butter recipe :) Pinned!
What a genius idea! ;)
You may have tried this idea one or ten thousand times already :)
What a great twist on peanut butter! I am loving this recipe.
I love the combination of peanuts and sunflower seeds. The texture looks so silky and smooth and definitely not “stick to the roof of your mouth” like nearly all shop-bought peanut and seed butters. Can’t wait to try! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning and it has zero “stick to the roof of your mouth” issues. Totally different texture! Smooth and silky rather than sticky or ‘firm’ and in one big mass like storebought where you can ‘plop’ it out of the jar in rounded dollops.
Wow! I am totally blown away by this peanut butter, Averie! I never knew that you could use sunflower seeds in peanut butter! This looks AMAZING! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning and you’re going to love it!
Out of all of the nut butters I’ve tried, I don’t think I’ve ever tried a sunflower seed recipe! The texture looks phenomenal and I love the mix of adding peanuts! Pinned :)
Thanks for pinning and you’re going to love the texture and taste!
I am a big fan of the middle-eastern confection halva, and I have a feeling this has the same flavors! Yum, thank you for this recipe, I can’t wait to try a big spoonful!
Oh enjoy! LMK how it goes and how it compares to halva!
You are the peanut butter queen! This one looks amazing, as all your nut butter recipes do! :)
Thanks, Colleen!
This would be awesome over vanilla ice cream…its drippy enough to spread over the ice cream without being clumpy
drippy enough to spread over the ice cream without being clumpy = yes, EXACTLY!
Ooo! This version of PB looks fantastic! I love sunflower seeds so I definitely have to try this! Pinned!
Thanks, Anna, and your bread post…so, so good! :)
Oooooh, now I’m intrigued. I’ve only had sunflower seeds a handful of times- but now I want this peanut butter. Pinned!
I have an idea, this PB on top of your banana cake (along with your frosting too)…the more the merrier :) Thanks for pinning!
What an awesome recipe idea! And I am loving this little collection of nut and peanut butters you have going. Yum!
Thanks, Russell! After writing my first cookbook, I got addicted to making my own spreads. Never the same thing twice :)