A few weeks ago I was standing in the checkout line at Trader Joes. Completely and utterly bored, I started investigating food labels at the checkout- you know, they always put food there so you might just buy a little extra something before you seal the deal with your payment. So I picked up this little yellow package that looked something like this:
I turned it over in my hand, and saw on the side it said, "Vegan!"
I didn't get my hopes up. Just because it's vegan doesn't mean it doesn't have soy, gluten, or any of my other allergens in it.
But as I scanned the ingredients list, there was no soy. No gluten. It was basically cocoa, sunflower seeds, and sugar.
(The full ingredients are:)
DARK CHOCOLATE†** (COCOA MASS, CANE SUGAR, COCOA BUTTER), SUNFLOWER SEEDS, POWDERED SUGAR (CANE SUGAR†, TAPIOCA STARCH), COCOA BUTTER†, SEA SALT.
So I convinced my mom to buy a pack. They come in a pack of two cups, so once we got out to the car we each snatched a cup and tested it out.
It was love at first bite.
These Sunflower Seed Butter Cups are as close to peanut butter cups you'll ever get. Honestly, I can barely tell the difference. They're that good. And my mom loved them too: non-allergic person approved!
So it was perfect. Score of the day- I was able to eat an almost-peanut butter cup for the first time in 6 and a half years. YES!
But that got me thinking. If someone was able to turn sunflower seeds into the fake peanut-buttery center for these little chocolate beauties, couldn't they... maybe they...
Sunflower Seed Butter?
Almost like...
Peanut butter??
There are two things that, since I found out I had a million allergies, I've never been able to find an alternative for. Two things that I love to death.
Fettuccine Alfredo.
And PB&J's.
I can have the jelly (most jellies), and I have everything-free bread. But I can't have peanut butter. I can't have almond butter. I can't even have cashew butter. If there's such thing as pistachio or walnut butter, can't have those either. The only nut I really can have is coconut (if that's even technically a nut). And I'm pretty sure coconut butter is just... coconut oil.
So the next day my mom and I trucked back to Trader Joes so confirm my suspicions.
Sunflower Seed Butter.
There it was, next to the nut butters. Not one, but two different options for Sunflower Seed Spread:
I got both.
The first one with the blue label is sweetened. It contains sunflower seeds, powdered sugar, and salt- that's it! The green label, unsweetened, is just the seeds and salt- no sugar. Since I couldn't decide, I got both. Upon trying it, I almost cried. I mixed the sweetened and unsweetened together on the sandwich, just so the sugar was a little diluted, and paired it with Trader Joe's new Banana Fruit Spread (it's like banana jelly!)
Definitely a 10/10. I'm so excited to finally have a peanut butter alternative. I've nicknamed it Seednut or Seenut butter!
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-The Everything-Free Girl
My food sensitivities include...
All Dairy
Eggs
Soy
Peanuts, Cashews, Pistachios, Almonds, Brazil nut, Walnut, and Hazel nut
Garlic, Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper (and basically all other hot pepper things)
Goat milk, Buffalo milk (Seriously?)
Flax Seed, Aniseed
Gluten/Wheat
Oat, Barley, Spelt
Strawberries, Apples, Cherries
Radish
Lime
