A fun way to change things up from traditional nut butter, this Maple Cinnamon Sunflower Seed Butter is allergy-friendly, delicious and easy to make at home!
Hi Friends!
First things first- a little note about the next couple of recipes I have to share with you: they are not earth-shatteringly creative. I’m sure you’ve seen something similar on other blogs and recipe sites. Perhaps you’re even tired of seeing them!
But here’s the deal – I view it as part of my job as a blogger and RD to teach you to have fun in the kitchen. I want to remind you that it can be fun to try new flavor combinations, challenge you to recreate some of your favorite products and encourage you to be creative!
I also think it’s important to practice what you preach, which is exactly how this recipe came about! You guys know I’m a nut butter fanatic. I am a long time peanut butter lover and lately I’ve fallen in love with almond butter as well. The thing is that I almost always eat them plain, with just one or two ingredients (nuts and salt).
You also may know that I love seeds. Pumpkin seeds are my first love, but sunflower seeds are a close second. Seeds are nutrient powerhouses and are so easy to mix into baked goods, sprinkle on oatmeal, yogurt, salads, etc.
I also know that while I’m lucky that Squish has successfully tried several kinds of nut butter with no reaction, nut allergies are on the rise. Many schools have restrictions on bringing peanuts and tree nuts into classrooms and as someone who pretty much lived on pb&j as a kid, I find that a little disheartening.
The good news is that for many (not all), sunflower seed butter can be a great substitute. Since I’ve already successfully made homemade nut butter, I decided now would be a good time to tackle sunflower seed butter. And to make it just a little more exciting, I went beyond plain and added some of my favorite flavorings! Truth is, I like sunflower seeds but I don’t particularly like plain sunflower seed butter. But add a bit of maple syrup and some cinnamon and vanilla and you’ve got something I’m excited about adding to my morning bowl of oatmeal!
So consider this post a kick in the pants, encouraging you to give homemade nut/seed butter a try and to add some flavor to make things a little more exciting!
Here’s how you make it:
Maple Cinnamon Sunflower Seed Butter
A fun way to change things up from traditional nut butter, this Maple Cinnamon Sunflower Seed Butter is allergy-friendly, delicious and easy to make at home!
Ingredients
- 2 cups sunflower seeds (I used roasted unsalted)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender.
- Process for 7-10 minutes or until smooth.
Feel free to adjust the maple, cinnamon and vanilla to fit your flavor preference. Just know that if you add more liquid after you’ve already got it nice and creamy, it will probably seize up for a little while. Just let the processor continue to run and it will smooth back out! On Friday, I’ll be showing you how to use up your delicious summer fruit to make chia jam. Pair this with that and you’ve got the makings of an epic sandwich!
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
Oh yum! I need to start making more nut butters (or any actually lol!) now that I have a good blender. I do love sunflower butter.
I have to say, maple and cinnamon are definitely two of the best flavors out there! And then of course vanilla! 🙂 YUM!
YUMMY! Once we’re back in the US I can’t wait to use my Vitamix more frequently and start making nut butters! This looks delicious though I may use almonds instead of sunflower seeds!
would def be delicious with almonds!
I’ve made sunflower seed butter before but never with anything but cinnamon. The yum factor has been elevated!
oh my gosh MAPLE CINNAMON!??!!? sounds amazing!! i already love sunflower seed butter but this is ridiculous!!
The combo of maple and cinnamon sounds to die for!!! yum!
I totally agree that regular sunflower seed butter doesnt do it for me… maple cinnamon sounds much more exciting! (So glad no nut allergies for Squish- huge relief for a fellow nut butter lover I’m sure!)
yes! such a relief!
I’ve never seen this flavor of sun butter–creative to me! This sounds so, so good. I likeeeee sunflower seed butter, but maple cinnamon flavor sounds way better 😀
I love this flavor combo! My kids and I can’t eat nut butters so I love seeing sunflower seed butter here!
yes! it’s a great alternative!
The combo of maple syrup and cinnamon sounds delicious! I have actually never made my own nut or seed butter, but I want to give it a go one of these days!
I’ve been making my own almond butter at home for a couple years and I always have it on hand bc I am obsessed. I tried making sunflower seed butter and it was the grossest thing ever. I may have to buy my seeds already roasted bc I bought them raw and toasted them and I think something may have been off in the process. Yours looks delicious though so maybe I’ll give that a try!!
yeah i think the roasted is key!
I love seeds, too! We have a local Amish grocery store near us and I just stocked up on some of their homemade butters…including sunflower seed!
I pretty recently made homemade cashew butter with vanilla beans. The verdict – meh. Maybe a little maple syrup would have helped. I was trying so hard to make it taste good without an added sweetener but it just really needed something else. And since the raw nuts and vanilla beans are so costly I really should’ve sucked it up to make the recipe a little more worth while. I’m working on my RD credentials right now, so it’s nice to hear that an actual RD isn’t opposed to a little added sweetness. Definitely will keep in mind for next time.
you know it! a little goes a long way- especially in something like this!
this looks amazing! yum yum can’t wait to try!
Yes! I love my sunflower butter! A staple in my house!
I am seriously obsessed with sunflower seed butter (in my baked sweet potatoes!), so I am loving the sound of the maple addition. I bet this is just perfectly sweet/salty!
I’ve been saying forever I want to try making my own nut butter. Well the word maple might have just made me finally commit to it. This looks yummy.
hope you love! the maple is such a nice addition!
Ohh yum! This sounds delicious!
This looks delicious!
Looks great! Can you give some info on storing? How long (roughly) will it last, and does it need to be refrigerated? Many thanks — can’t wait to try this!
I stored mine in the fridge- it should be fine for a couple of weeks!
yummy! I want a sunflower seed butter and jelly sandwich right now!!
I just recently started making my own sunbutter and love it!! I was hesitant to start because I really don’t care for the store-bought version but homemade it is amazing!! I have been making it plain, but the maple, vanilla and cinnamon sound like such a tasty treat 🙂
yes! so much better homemade!
This is perfect, I was just thinking about trying to make a nut butter today. Great minds think alike! 🙂 I will have to try this sunflower seed variation!
woohoo! hope it was a hit!
I’m diabetic – is there something I could substitute for the maple?
you don’t need the maple syrup. it just makes it a little sweeter. you could increase the vanilla and cinnamon for more flavor
I can only imagine how good this would be smothered on pancakes! I’ll soon be finding out! 😉
I have been making a variety of nut butters for years and was excited to transition over to this fantastic sunflower seed butter. My trusty Vitamix has been a workhorse for over 10 years, but I think this was my first fail….NOT your recipe, but my darn tamper! I was going to town for at least a few minutes trying to push down the seeds and all…these things took forever to blend and my motor was getting hot, so I started swirling the tamper clockwise instead of up & down. All of a sudden the blade caught the tamper and mutilated it at the tip, sending pieces of black plastic swirling through my sunbutter….NOOOO!!
Had to scrap the whole thing, after sampling a little (yum), and will be ordering a new tamper. No more “swirling”…I’ll try again soon (not sure if my food processor is powerful enough).
oh no! hope it works next time!
This sound amazing. Maple syrup takes it to a whole notha level.
Must try.