Sunflower Seed Cheese Spread

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Say goodbye to cheese made from animal milk and say hello to the wonderful world of nut and seed cheeses. This recipe makes a creamy, mild cheese that goes well with so many things. Use your imagination! Try it on crackers, with crudités or inside our REAL Collard Rolls.

1 cup hulled sunflower seeds
2 cups water
1/4 onion
1-2 tablespoons fresh dill plus one sprig for garnish
optional: 1/2 – 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper, salt, pepper

1. Pour the seeds into a jar or bowl and cover with water. Place in refrigerator and let soak for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Rinse and drain seeds.
3. Place seeds in a food processor with onion and dill, garlic or jalapeno is using. Pulse and then process until well blended. Mixture should be somewhat dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Scoop seed mixture into a bowl and chill for 2 hours or more.
5. When ready to serve, glide a knife around the sides. Turn bowl upside down and carefully remove seed cheese onto a plate. Garnish with fresh dill and serve.

  9 comments for “Sunflower Seed Cheese Spread

    • I am not sure why it is watery. Did you drain the seeds after soaking them? It’s a spread, not a hard cheese but it should not be watery. Don’t worry – if it doesn’t firm up enough to make a spread, you can make a delicious salad dressing with it by blending it with some vinegar or lemon juice and herbs and spices, like in this recipe: https://responsibleeatingandliving.com/?p=17045. Even just adding a little vinegar will make a nice, simple dressing.

    • It is easy and many people have sent emails saying they love it. There are many different kinds of conventional cheeses out there made from animal milks, the soft ones like cream cheese, ricotta, farmer cheese, cottage cheese, brie, then the slightly firmer ones, American, Swiss, and many others and then the hard cheeses, Cheddar and so many more. The flavors go from very mild to very strong and stinky, right. So what does cheese taste like? There are many flavors. Our REAL cheeses are made from nuts and seeds. Every nut and seed has it’s own unique flavor. What makes them “cheesy” is the fat content and the salt if you add it. Give the Sunflower Seed Cheese a try and see if you like it. You can add flavors to it making it sweet or savory. It will only last a few days in the refrigerator, 2 or three. But it can be frozen and then defrosted to use immediately.

  1. Hi, Caryn ~ This yummy-sounding recipe inspired me to go buy some sunflower seeds today. We’ll be enjoying this in some gorgeous collard rolls tomorrow. Thank you thank you thank you!

  2. Seed cheese was a staple of the Ann Wigmore eating style, if I remember, and it has endured as a tasty fave for all these years! Thank you, Caryn, for reminding me!

  3. Sunnies get bitter if soaked too long (usually 2-3 hours is what is recommended). Does soaking them in the refrigerator like this prevent that?

    • We often leave our nuts and seeds soaking in water in the refrigerator for a day or two and have never experienced a bitter flavor. The extra time is not intentional, it’s just based on when we have a moment to work with them.

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