Chia seeds are one of the last superfoods that have yet to catch on. While this tiny little black seed is absolutely packed with nutrients and fiber, it so far is only used as a quick and easy breakfast in things like chia pudding.
However, with just a few tools and a little bit of work, you can actually transform chia seeds into a spreadable, crunchy, and surprisingly tasty nut butter substitute!
How Can I Use My Homemade Chia Seed Butter?
Chia seed butter can be used in exactly the same way you would use any other kind of nut butter – spread it on bread or eat it with a spoon!
It is also a great way to always have some chia seeds on hand to be able to add them to another recipe! One problem with using chia seeds in any kind of recipe is that they tend to be extremely dry and brittle, and don’t really soften up unless you soak them well in advance.
By turning them into chia seed butter, you can more easily use it as an ingredient, as it will mix into whatever recipe you put it into way more easily!
What Kind Of Special Equipment Do I Need To Make Chia Seed Butter?
The great thing about making chia seed butter at home is how little equipment you actually need to make it!
You only really need a food processor to get it going, and then a vessel to store it in!
The only additional piece of equipment you might need is a pestle and mortar, but that’s only if your food processor isn’t capable of blending up the seeds properly. Most high-powered food processors should be fine, however.
Watch the Video Version of How to Make Chia Seed Butter
Ingredients
1 cup chia seeds
1 tbsp vegetable oil (or any other kind of fat you’d prefer)
1 half tsp salt
1 half tsp sugar
How To Make Homemade Chia Seed Butter
Step 1 – Measure out your chia seeds, and then pour them onto a baking tray in a thin layer.
Step 2 – Roast your chia seeds at 350 Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, or until you start to smell the seeds turn roasty; some of the seeds should develop a slightly dark hue.
Step 3 – From roasted, remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, or until the seeds are only warm to the touch.
Step 4 – Pour your now-roasted chia seeds into a food processor, and add your salt and sugar.
Step 5 – Process your chia seeds until they begin to break down into a powder.
If you find that your chia seeds just will not break down, no matter how hard you try:
Step 6- Pour half of your chia seed mixture into a mortar and pestle, and smash with the pestle until the seeds break down into a powder, and then pour this chia seed powder back into your food processor.
Step 7 – Add your oil and resume processing, continuing until everything begins to come together into a thin paste.
Step 8 – Remove your chia seed butter from the food processor and store it in a container with a tightly-fitting lid in the fridge, or serve straight away!
Troubleshooting Tips
• The biggest hurdle to making this recipe is getting the chia seeds to actually break apart and begin to turn into a paste. Sometimes the blade of a food processor just isn’t fine or fast enough to be able to cut the seeds apart. If this happens to you, you can just follow Step 6 and transfer half of your chia seeds to a mortar and pestle and bash them until the seeds are ground up, and then mix it all back in.
• If you want your chia seed butter to have a bit more of a stronger flavor, you might consider adding seasonings or spices of your own! Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice will turn it into a Christmas-y, apple pie-like flavor, whereas adding some paprika, cayenne, and a touch of cumin will make it taste almost like a Mexican spread! Play around and find what you like!
Nutritional Facts
For the health-conscious out there, here are the nutritional details for 2 tablespoons of chia seed butter
Calories: 106
Total Fat: 6.6 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.7 grams
Trans Fat: 0 grams
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0. grams
Monounsaturated Fat: 0grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 151 milligrams
Total Carbohydrates: 9.3 grams
Dietary Fiber: 7.4 grams
Sugars: 0.3 grams
Protein: 3.6 grams
Potassium: 88 milligrams
FAQs
A lot of people hope that nut butter substitutes like Sunbutter will be healthier for them, and have fewer calories. However, that creamy, rich texture that nut and seed butters all have comes from fat, meaning that any nut butter substitute is always going to be pretty high in both calories and fat.
Chia seed butter is also going to be pretty calorific, but it will be a little bit healthier than many of the more popular spreads like peanut butter, because of the famously dense collection of micronutrients in chia seeds, like manganese, phosphorus, and Niacaine.
After processing your chia seeds, the resulting mixture should be pretty creamy, but a little bit thinner and more spreadable than something like peanut butter.
However, after it sits in the fridge for a little while, you might find that it starts to get looser. If this happens, just give it a really vigorous stir before using it, and it should start to thicken up a bit.
If you store your chia seed butter properly, which means keeping it in a container with a tightly fitting lid in the fridge, then you can expect your chia seed butter to last up to 2 weeks before starting to turn.
Make sure to give it a stir and smell it after about a week, though, as how long it lasts is going to depend on how fresh your chia seeds were to begin with.
How To Make Your Own Chia Seed Butter
Rich, creamy, and slightly crunchy, chia seed butter is a great nut butter alternative that you need to try!
Ingredients
1 cup chia seeds
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 half tsp salt
1 half tsp sugar
Instructions
Step 1 – Measure out your chia seeds, and then pour them onto a baking tray in a thin layer.
Step 2 – Roast your chia seeds at 350 Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, or until you start to smell the seeds turn roasty; some of the seeds should develop a slightly dark hue.
Step 3 – From roasted, remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, or until the seeds are only warm to the touch.
Step 4 – Pour your now-roasted chia seeds into a food processor, and add your salt and sugar.
Step 5 – Process your chia seeds into they begin to break down into a powder.
If you find that your chia seeds just will not break down:
Step 6- Pour half of your chia seed mixture into a mortar and pestle, and smash with the mortar until the seeds break down into a powder, and then pour this chia seed powder back into your food processor.
Step 7 – Add your oil and resume processing, continuing until everything begins to come together into a thin paste.
Step 8 – Remove your chia seed butter from the food processor and store it in a container with a tightly fitting lid in the fridge
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 8
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