Homemade Raw Sunflower Seed Butter

Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Healthy!

yum, yum, yum

Featuring the Nutribullet 

(thank you to my parents-in-law for the wonderful Christmas gift! :D )

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw* sunflower seeds (soaked in water for 2-3 hrs)
• 1/2 filtered cup water (or to the top of the seeds)
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 5 drops liquid stevia (or sweetener of choice, except the WHITE DEATH!)
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Himalayan sea salt
• 3 tsp. pure maple syrup (or if you're paranoid about sugar like me, sugar-free maple syrup)

* You can use Roasted Unsalted Sunflower Seeds to get a nuttier toasted flavor, however raw nuts or seeds are far superior nutritionally as they contain so many more nutrients and enzymes that are killed during the roasting process. A good rule of thumb is that 80% of one's diet should be from raw whole foods.

1. Stir the soaked/drained raw sunflower seeds together in the Nutribullet cup. Pour in the water and other flavoring ingredients you choose. (use the Milling Blade)

2. Blend the seeds up!

The process may be tedious and you have to keep stopping to scrape down the sides - but take heart, the end result is worth it. I found that the seeds close to the blade blended and got suck by the blade instead of circulating, while the seeds up top stayed stuck.  



The Nutribullet needs liquid to circulate the contents from top to bottom, so the liquid can help to fully blend everything, or blend in smaller increments. 
It will start to form into a (firmish) paste.





 3. Add additional liquid or flavoring to your taste.
      Some bloggers say that adding 1-2 tbsp. of oil is required to blend the nuts/seeds to the right creamy consistency, while some people say added oil is not necessary and that the nuts/seeds will blend given enough time and blending.
I REALLY did not want to add extra oil, but it was just not blending more while it was that firm. At Kenny's suggestion, I added Water instead as a liquid alternative. Amazingly, it started blending into this lighter fluffier consistency! :)

 Using the large Nurtibullet cup, I had to blend one half of the seeds at a time. Throughout the blending / stirring process I added the maple syrup, vanilla, stevia, cinnamon, and sea salt to taste. The more water that is added, the more liquid/fluffy it will become.

The depth of sweet and salty comforting flavor is wonderful, and I was very satisfied by how the seeds transformed into a delicious sunflower seed butter! :D

As a former peanut butter addict (in college I Lived off of coffee and peanut butter, no joke), switching to almond butter and other nut or seed butters has been a great healthier alternative. After researching it more and learning from more fitness/nutrition folks, I had to accept the grim conclusion that peanut butter is in fact not as healthy as I thought it was. Peanuts are Legumes, and actually not nuts at all! While they do have protein, they still have a lot of fat and are not digested well providing few nutritional benefits to the body. Also, if you have hypothyroidism, an under-active thyroid, or simply want to support your thyroid function more, peanuts are one of the foods to avoid. 

Health Benefits of Sunflower Seeds: 

• Low Glycemic Index
• Good source of Vitaman E, yielding anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular health benefits
• Good source of Phytosterols which have been shown to lower cholesterol and support the immune system.
• Good source of Magnesium, necessary for bone production, energy, nerve/muscle function, and more. 
• Good source of Selenium, vital for detoxification purposes in the liver, cell repair, and preventing cancer. 
• In addition, sunflower seeds are a good source of manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B6, folate, and niacin.

Sources: 

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=57

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-sunflower-seeds-6529.html

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/6-health-benefits-of-sunflower-seeds.html