Sunflower seed sour cream is a nut-free, plant-based sour cream recipe. It's a lower-cost and more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional vegan sour cream recipes that rely on cashews.
Table of Contents
About Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds used to sit in the dark recesses of my pantry, waiting for a nut-seed blend to top white bean tostadas or to make tofu ricotta. But these nutritious little gems are incredibly versatile, and they deserve a bit more credit and application.
- Environmental – Sunflower seeds do not require as much water as many nuts (including cashews). Because they are ubiquitous, they tend to have lower transportation costs.
- Cost – The ease at which sunflowers and their seeds are grown worldwide results in lower costs. You only need to visit the supermarket or health food store to realize this.
- Allergies – According to the NIH, sunflower seed allergies are quite rare.
- Nutrition – Sunflower seeds are nutritionally power-packed. Looking at the USDA data, they are brimming with vitamin E and are substantive sources of vitamins B and K, as well as iron, magnesium, omega fatty acids, selenium, calcium, and folic acid.
- Flavor – Sunflower seeds are less sweet than cashews, which may (or may) not be desirable. This is something to consider when making vegan Bechamel or other sauces.
Ingredients and Notes
Sunflower seeds – For best results, use raw sunflower seeds. It’s possible to use roasted, although the nutty flavor will be more pronounced. Adjust the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar accordingly.
Lemon juice – You’ll want to have 2-3 lemons on hand or prepared lemon juice. I ended up using 7 tablespoons.
Apple cider vinegar – I used slightly less vinegar, 5 tablespoons. You may end up adjusting, so be sure you have enough on hand to get the flavor you want.
Salt – You need just a pinch of salt to balance the acids.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Recipe Variations
Use sunflower seeds to replace cashews for making vegan mayonnaise, garlic aioli, or spicy sriracha mayo. For best results, grind the sunflower seeds before blending.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Grind dry sunflower seeds.
Step 2: Blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Pro Tips
I tested this recipe a number of times because the sunflower seeds kept getting gritty. That's when I discovered that grinding dry, unsoaked sunflower seeds is far better than soaking (my preferred cashew method).
In terms of flavor, sunflower seeds have a nuttier flavor than cashews, almonds, or even sesame seeds used for making tahini.
If you've made vegan cashew sour cream, note that it takes more lemon juice and apple cider vinegar when using sunflower seeds.
Be prepared to taste test as you go. Add a little more lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Blend. Taste. Repeat.
Serving Suggestions
Sunflower seed sour cream goes anywhere other non-dairy sour creams or 'regular' sour cream goes. Blend it in sauces, or use it for topping savory zucchini chili, cool down roasted cauliflower vindaloo, or try our favorites - lentil walnut taco meat or spicy tempeh tacos.
Frequently Asked Questions
A blender is the best device for making sour cream based on its design. It will compress the ingredients more than a food processor unless you have one with a smaller bowl. It is also possible to use an immersion blender, food processor, or clean coffee grinder.
Store sunflower seed sour cream in an airtight container for up to a week. I don't recommend freezing it because it becomes quite runny after thawing. The extra water diminishes the flavor.
Raw sunflower seeds have a mild, slightly nutty flavor. Roasting the seeds enhances their flavor and firms their texture. Some roasted seeds will also contain added oil and salt.
The best substitute for apple cider vinegar is rice or white wine vinegar. Champaign vinegar or another low-sugar white vinegar can also be used in a pinch.
Recipes Using Vegan Sour Cream
Do you have a question or recipe request or need a cooking tip? Leave a comment below or contact Denise. I’m here to help! If you want more healthy vegan recipes, please subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for the latest updates.
If you make this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It’s much appreciated!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Sunflower Seed Sour Cream
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Ingredients
- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 7 tablespoons lemon juice
- 5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ - ½ cup water
Instructions
- Use a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder to break the sunflower seeds into a fine powder.
- Place the sunflower seeds, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons water into the blender.
- Blend the ingredients. Then taste and start adjusting the amounts of lemon juice, vinegar, and water by a tablespoon each. Continue blending, tasting, and adding ingredients until you have a smooth sour cream with a taste that suits your palate.
- Use this sour cream in the same way you would for any plant-based or non-plant-based sour cream.
- Makes 1 ½ cups. Store in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Notes
- Nutritional information is based on 2 tablespoons of sour cream.
- The time required to blend the sour cream smooth and the texture varies. It depends on the power of your blender.
- Sunflower seeds have a more pronounced nutty flavor compared to cashews. Therefore, it takes more lemon juice and vinegar to adjust the flavors to replicate sour cream. If you use ground sunflower seeds to replace cashews in recipes, be aware that you may need to add more citrus juice, vinegar, and other flavors.
- If you need a substitute for apple cider vinegar, consider rice or white wine vinegar.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Cheryl
hi! can you explain how i should blend my soaked seeds in a 750W food processor such that it doesn't remain gritty? i've tried with my food processor and it turns out gritty like you mentioned above.. i soaked my seeds overnight before grinding.
Denise
Hi Cheryl, I feel your pain about gritty sunflower seeds. What's works best for me is to grind unsoaked (dry) sunflower seeds in a spice or coffee grinder. Really pulverize them. Then, make the sour cream. I usually suggest a blender over a food processor because I find the design is a better fit; however if you are grinding the seeds, you may be able to use a food processor. If you have a food processor, go for that. Let me know if you have any further questions. My best to you 🙂
Hugh
Made this last night and it came out great! Really simple to make and so tasty. I've a whole load of ideas where I can liven up quick lunches and the like with this (4 years now 'sober' as a recovering dairy-addict and always looking for options).
Denise
Woohoo!Thanks so much for your kind comments - we love this sour cream too. Makes great salad dressings too. 🙂