I’m gonna be straight up honest with you right now. I don’t like making my own nut butter. I just don’t. I like buying it from the Farmer’s Market or Trader Joes. Yes, I do have a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter – don’t judge me.
Maybe it’s because I already make so many other things: yogurt, kefir, sourdough bread, or even butter. I just make so many things, I feel okay with taking an out on nut butter. I can’t make it all – and yes, I realize it’s cheaper…however, it’s not cheaper if it makes me lose my mind, is it? 😉
But, there are some of you out there who really enjoy making your own nut butters – that’s cool. I’m glad…because I can buy it from y’all at the Farmer’s Market – praise the Lord.
So, for all of you nuts out there who like butter, here is my version of Sunflower Seed Butter (which we LOVE) mixed with pumpkin seeds. It turned out really well. And I have no problem eating it directly out of the jar with a spoon.
I was sent one pound of sunflower seeds and one pound of pumpkin seeds from More Than Alive (I am not an affiliate with More Than Alive – take THAT, FTC)…and I wanted to make a recipe with them. I really, REALLY love pumpkin seeds. My preferred eating option is to eat them in Grain Free Granola …but I decided to leave my comfort zone and make some nut butter.
My seeds were raw, so I decided to roast them first. Roasting really brings out the flavor and makes nuts taste better. I usually burn nuts in the oven – hence my Crock Pot Candied Nuts recipe. So when I roast these, I set my timer…which I should do every time because I love that blessed little contraption.
Because these are small, they roast really quickly – I only roasted for a total of 5 minutes.
Here’s the thing with nut butter – mine never turns out like everyone else’s. Most people say they need NO oil or very little oil. I usually end up adding a ton to get it the way I want it…creamy enough to spread. And I never add the same amount with each additional batch. It’s different every time.
When you first start blending these, they’ll turn into a powder. It’ll look like flour almost. This is the point at which you start adding oil. How much oil? Well, I’d love to tell you…but since I am NOT the norm (nut butters hate me), I’ll just tell you this. Guess. Guess how much you’ll need.
It’ll depend on what day it is, what you’re wearing, what Annie ate for breakfast, how hard the wind is blowing, and if your toilet needs a good scrub. Guess.
I have to add between 2-6 tablespoons of coconut oil to get this right. Yep…that’s a lot, I know. But at least it’s a healthy oil, right? Right. Eat up, buttercup.
Blend a good long while until it’s nice and creamy. And then store in the fridge. You CAN leave it at room temperature, but it keeps longer in the cool…and it’s nice and more solid than if left at room temp – thanks to that lovely hardening coconut oil action. Love that stuff.
You can make this plain or make it cinnamon like I did. I add cinnamon to everything – and vanilla. It’s my thang. Nut butter is not my thang, though…not at all.
And yes, this is very yummy. I will enjoy every single bite and will likely lick the jar…but I will mostly likely just stock up on sunflower butter at Trader Joes – because I hate making nut butter. Have I mentioned that? That’s how I roll.
Pumpkin Sunflower Nut Butter
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 2-6 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- *salt, sweetener, cinnamon if desired (I use ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and stevia to taste for this size batch)
- Toast seeds on a baking pan at 350 for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. I am not responsible for burned nuts.
- Cool completely.
- Add seeds to food processor and turn on. It will turn into a powdery mixture. Add salt, cinnamon, and sweetener if desired.
- While food processor is running, slowly drizzle in melted coconut oil. Only add 1 tablespoon at a time and keep blending…wait in between adding new tablespoons until you get the right consistency…you’ll blend a while and need to stop the processor and scrape down a few times.
Yield: about 1 ½ cups nut butter
You just need to keep the food processor running past the point where it makes a powder. Eventually the powder will heat up and the natural oil will start to come out. This can take a while, like 15-20 minutes and you shouldn’t have to add oil!
Thanks, Julie! 🙂
Thanks!
Yum this sounds tasty!
And thank you for hosting. 🙂
Mmm!!! I bet this is so good! Thanks for sharing at Sweet & Savory Saturdays #24!
~Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later!
http://www.dessertnowdinnerlater.com
I hope you enjoy it! Remember that the coconut oil will vary. 🙂
What a great alternative to other nut butters! I think I’ll try this out since I’m not eating peanuts right now and my (soon-to-be) hubby is allergic to almonds. Thanks for sharing! Visiting from Serenity Saturday.
Jennifer
Live Well. Love Well. Be Well.
This looks awesome, what a great idea! I have made sunflower butter, and you do just have to eyeball the amounts until it is the consistency desired. I just wish pumpkin seeds weren’t so expensive!
Well I’m glad to know I’m not the only one with that problem! 🙂
Don’t feel bad; I usually use significantly more oil when I make sunflower seed butter. I’m going to try my hand at almond butter one of these days, we’ll see how it goes!
Well that makes me feel a lot better. Thanks, Anne!
How I loved your tale of nut butter woes! 🙂 I’ve never made my own before, but after seeing how much my local health food store wanted for a small jar of almond butter, $16.00! I think I’ll at least attempt it.
WHOA! $16?!!?!
Yea, that’s what I said! lol
That would go on my list of favorite snacks for the week of finals at the university!
YEAH!
I have a Blendtec…and I still don’t like making nut butters. LOL
No…I don’t. Who told you?
😉 Some “nutty” lady.
You can’t believe everything you see on the internet. 😉
Or… you could use the Wonder Junior Deluxe grain mill and then you don’t need to add oil. 😀 http://youtu.be/mDEblzxX3kI
It was completely powder…so, I think at least a little bit of oil would have to be added, no matter. 🙂
When you grind it finely like in certain mills, it actually brings the natural oils right out. It’s like when I put almonds in a food processor, it makes almond flour (powder). But in that mill on a certain setting it brings out the oils and makes butter.
Interesting.
I didn’t know it’s so “easy” to make nut butter. I have to work full-time and don’t have much time/energy to home-make like you are able. I look at the jars at Kroger and can’t justify the cost, nor do we have a Trader Joe’s.
I appreciate how you have committed to structuring your family life around Biblical values, rather than conforming to the world.
Sometimes I don’t feel like I have time or energy either. LOL This marks two weeks where my 10 month old refuses to nap. Ack!!!
This looks yummy! Thank you!
Welcome!
Do you LIKE to make nut butters? LOL. Thanks for doing the giveaway! 🙂
I don’t make nut butters either but it’s not because I don’t want too. I’m wanting until I can save up enough money for a Vitamix. I am swagging away and plan to ebay some stuff so I can get one. I’m almost done. With a Vitamix making nut butters will be a breeze.