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This recipe is simple to make in a high-speed blender or a food processor and it’s the perfect nut-free Nutella substitute. Whether you have nut allergies or your school requires nut-free lunches, this recipe is one that won’t last long.
Nut-Free Chocolate Spread
Let’s get to today’s sunflower chocolate spread. This recipe is sure to be an instant hit with your kids. Just a few simple ingredients but it makes a delicious, spreadable treat!
Similar to the chocolate spread we all know and love, but made instead with sunflower seeds instead of hazelnuts and no refined sugar. It can be used in many ways, but is especially good spread on a slice of toasted whole wheat bread and topped with fresh fruit.
Thanks to the sunflower seeds this chocolate spread has protein, vitamin E, selenium, and magnesium and don’t get me started on the health benefits of unsweetened cocoa powder!
While we’re talking about going nut-free, you have to check out this video and blog post I did, comparing the top 5 peanut butter substitutes.
See which one is the best, and which ones don’t spread quite as easy, plus tips on where to buy them if you don’t want to make your own. Those can be so hard to find!
Ingredients
This Nut-Free Nutella Recipe is made with sunflower seeds and everyday staples. You’ll find the amounts are in the printable recipe card, but first, check what you’ll need:
- Raw sunflower seeds: toast them in a pan for a few minutes.
- Vanilla extract: super delicious when you combine it with cocoa!
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: it must have some chocolate!
- Maple syrup or honey: the sweetness this nut-free butter needs.
- Salt: to enhance the flavors.
- Coconut oil: makes the spread smoother.
- Milk: any dairy or non-dairy milk.
How to Make Chocolate Sunflower Butter
You will need a food processor to cream the sunflower seeds into a buttery texture. If you don’t have one, this recipe alone will be the excuse you’ll need to buy yourself one!
- Process the sunflower seeds
After a few minutes of processing the sunflower seeds they will turn into a thick creamy sunflower butter. - Add the remaining ingredients
Once the sunflower seeds are processed add the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, maple syrup or honey, salt, coconut oil, and nut-free milk. - Blend until smooth
Blend the mixture until it reaches a smooth and creamy texture. - Time to eat!
Now we are ready to use this sunflower Nutella with our favorite foods! Spread it over toast, in a sandwich, with fresh fruit or on this incredible grilled nutella sandwich. Transfer the extra from the food processor bowl into an airtight container or jar.
How to Use Nut-Free Nutella
You can use this sunflower seed Nutella in so many ways and all of them are delicious! From an irresistible strawberry Nutella sandwich to my homemade S’mores poptarts, it’s hard to decide! Well, you don’t have to!
My kids also love spreading this nut-free Nutella over toast, making apple sandwiches, and often asking me to use it to fill my homemade uncrustables.
Nut-Free Nutella
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw sunflower seeds, toasted
- 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup or honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ cup milk, dairy or non-dairy
Instructions
Toast the seeds:
- In a medium non-stick pan, over medium-high heat, toast sunflower seeds, while stirring frequently to avoid burning. Remove from heat and allow sunflower seeds to cool to room temperature before the next step.
Make the spread:
- In the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender, process toasted sunflower seeds, stopping intermittently to scrape down the sides of the bowl, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the seeds have turned into a thick, creamy butter.
- Add in remaining ingredients and blend for an additional 4-5 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides from time to time, until smooth and creamy.
Store:
- Store in an airtight container up to two weeks in the fridge.
sarah says
Tastes quite nutty, delicious!
kim says
Hi, Ive made this twice and each time it seems to seperate and there is an oily substance at the bottom.. is this normal..? should I tip the oil out or try and mix it in? not sure why it keeps happening.
Thanks
MOMables-Laura says
Hi Kim, it’s normal and I would try mixing the oil in just like you would with all-natural almond or peanut butter.
Lin says
Hi. I just came across this recipe and just wondering if I could use raw cacao powder (due to its low fat content) to make the Sunflower Nutella spread?
MOMables-Laura says
Hi Lin, raw cacao powder should work just fine.
Lin says
Thank you for your reply. Will try this soon!
Chetan Mehta says
Will definitely try this out!!
I have replaced Nutella with Date Butter Cocoa. Date Butters are not only vegan but also loaded with health benefits – Cocoa date butter helps me as I know I am fueling my body instead of filling it. Everything Happy’s Date Butter Cocoa is a savior. Check out https://everythinghappy.in/product/date-butter-cocoa/ for more and you’ll get my point.
Haneen Khanfar says
Hey
Can I use pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds?
Thank you
MOMables-Laura says
Yes! Pumpkin seeds can be swapped for sunflower seeds.
Tina says
I made the Sunflower Nutella and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Rebretta says
Big thumbs up from our house! I’ve never had sun butter but this tastes and smells like chocolate fudge brownies. It’s like eating the brownie batter right out of the bowl (safely!). Love it. It’s going with my daughter to dip for lunch fruit and pretzels.
Steph says
The final product was very good. However, when I followed the recipe, it tasted exactly like sunbutter. Although it looked chocolatey, I had to add a LOT more cocoa powder (well over a cup) to get it to taste anything like chocolate. I added more milk to thin it out (bc of the extra cocoa), but next time I think I would use coconut milk instead. I also added more maple syrup, which really surprised me, because I nearly always use far less sweetener than a recipe calls for. It is delicious, though, and the prefect consistency. I am pretty excited about our “suntella”, as is my 4-year old!
MOMables says
I’m glad you got it to work out for you! I think coconut milk would make it so deliciously creamy.