Sunflower Macadamia Nut Butter

My latest obsession. Sunflower Seeds.

I’ve discovered a delightful alternative to almond butter and it’s taken over my life. Sunflower Seeds make GREAT nut butter! They are a great source of Vitamin E and a decent source of magnesium.

Vitamin E:

• Fat soluble antioxidant
• Prevents free-radicals from oxidizing cholesterol, good for the heart.
• A 1/4 c. of seeds contains 62% of the Recommended Daily Allowance for Vitamin E

Magnesium:

• IT’S AMAZING AND ESSENTIAL
• Bone Health
• Energy
• Balances calcium levels
• Combats against muscle cramps, soreness.

As I walked through my local Trader Joe’s, I spied something awesome on the NEW ITEM shelf… Macadamia Nut Meal!

So as soon as I got home, I created this little nut butter blend. These nuts are pretty oily so it doesn’t take to long to process them into a butter.

Sunflower Macadamia Nut Butter

2 c. sunflower seeds (raw is best for making cookies below)
1 c. macadamia nut pieces or  1 1/2 c. whole macadamias
salt to taste

1. Toss ingredients in a food processor and process until it reaches a buttery consistency. This will take a while, so just let it go. Maybe stop every minute or so to scrape down the sides.

   

After this creation, I decided to go for another! You’ve heard of peanut butter cookies, right?Well, you know where I’m going with this then…

SunButter Cookies

1 cup sunflower macadamia nut butter
1/2 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar (also at Trader Joe’s)
1 large egg
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a food processor, combine butter and sugar.
3. Add egg, soda, salt, and vanilla.
4. Form 1 1/2 Tbsp. of batter into a ball.
5. Place on a baking sheet.
6. Flatten cookies with a fork
7. Bake for 10 mins until golden around the edges.
8. Let Cool. Then Eat.