Sunny Chocolate Coconut Butter -- a nut-free, whole-foods Nutella alternative

I had so much fun working on Super Seeds , that I'm finishing up writing another book. I'll tell you all about it later, but for now, I wanted to share a little something that can not wait until next spring for you to try it. 

 I have said it before, but I'll say it again ... often when you have to adapt a conventional food to meet your special diet needs you come away with something better. Something delicious. Something with higher-quality ingredients. Something craveable. Something you can feel good about eating right off the spoon. 

This Sunny Chocolate Coconut Butter doesn't just stand in for sugar-loaded chocolate nut butters, like Nutella, it takes their place! It's crammed full of goodness: sunflower seeds, coconut, cocoa and agave. There's not a speck of palm oil, sugar or dairy here. Just good stuff.

I've been having a bit of a crush on Coconut Butter lately. It's delicious spread on toast or baked into goodies, but it wasn't enough. I needed to take it one step further. 

Sunny Chocolate Coconut Butter (vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, sugar-free, allergen-free)
Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients: 
2 cups shelled sunflower seeds*
3 cups of unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-5 tablespoons coconut Oil
1 teaspoon chocolate extract (optional)

Preparation:

1. *If you are using raw sunflower seeds, lightly toast them in a 200-degree (f) oven for 2-3 minutes, just to warm them up and release their aroma. Watch them, because you don't want them to burn. If you are using roasted sunflower seeds, you can skip this step.
2. Break down coconut flakes into smooth coconut butter in your food processor . This can take 10-15 minutes. Scraped down the sides a few times as it processes. See this post if you need more information. 
3. Add remaining ingredients, using just 3 tablespoons of the coconut oil , process until smooth. If you need it to be thinner and smoother add a little more coconut oil.
4. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. 
5. To use, let hardened butter soften for a few minutes at room temperature before spreading.

If you have Super Seeds and you're enjoying it, would you please help me get it to more people by leaving a review on Amazon? Thanks so much if you can!  

This post was shared with Allergy Free Wednesday.

Happy Cooking!

Kim 

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.