I don’t know about you, but sunflowers make me happy. The way they shine so brightly with their big full face and grow tall towards the sky, waving in the wind. It is especially impressive when you get a big group of them together – they are so sweet. While sunflowers may make you smile, what you might not know is that sunflower seed makes an especially delicious and healthy alternative to regular and nut flours. Not only that, but you can quickly and inexpensively whip up some sunflower baking mix at home.
Sunflower seeds are slightly nutty but also have an overall neutral flavor which makes the flour so versatile that you can use it in any recipe that calls for flour. There is also a delicious hint of sweetness to the seed, which means that you don’t have to use quite as much sweetener in your recipe…and that is a good thing.
Sunflower seeds are also a great source of vitamin B and E and also antioxidants like flavonoids and phenolic acids which protect your brain and can help you manage your weight.
Make sunflower seed flour at home
To make your own sunflower seed flour, you just need a food processor and some raw organic sunflower seeds, that’s it! Pour raw sunflower seeds into your food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds. Be careful not to pulse for too long, or you will end up with sunflower seed butter. As soon as you see that most of your seeds have turned into a fine powder, sift and re-process larger pieces again. One cup of sunflower seeds makes about one cup of baking flour.
Note: Make sunflower seed flour on an as-needed basis – it does not store well.
Using sunflower seed flour in baking
One of the great things about sunflower seed flour is that it can be swapped out for regular flour and most other nut flowers on a 1:1 ratio – no fancy math skills needed! The only time you won’t use a 1:1 ratio is when you are swapping sunflower seed flour for coconut flour. For every ¼ cup coconut flour, you will use 1 cup of sunflower seed flour.
What are those green flecks I see in my baked goods?
There is no need to worry when you see some green specks in your baked goods containing sunflower seed flour. Sunflower seeds contain chlorophyll which reacts with baking powder and baking soda, causing “chlorogenic quinone-amino acid greening.” This is completely safe and won’t change the flavor of your baked goods. Still, if you don’t want the green flecks, you can add a little lemon juice to your recipe to counteract the effect.
Sunflower Seed Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
These delicious grain-free cookies taste fantastic with a cup of tea or a glass of coconut milk.
Ingredients
- ½ cup softened butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ⅔ cup coconut crystals
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cage free eggs
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 cups sunflower seed flour
- 1 ¼ cups dark chocolate chips
- ⅔ toasted walnuts
How to make them
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- Cream together butter coconut oil and sugar in a stand mixer.
- Mix in vanilla and eggs until incorporated.
- Add baking soda and salt
- Add in sunflower seed powder one cup at a time, mixing well.
- Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts with a wooden spoon.
- Drop by tablespoon onto a cookie sheet and bake 3 inches apart for 11-13 minutes until golden brown on the edges
Note; These cookies are best enjoyed the same day they are baked – yummy!
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