Fermented Sunflower Butter Oatmeal Balls
Made these with healthy, simple ingredients for a yummy, healthy snack your kids will love!
Equipment
- Food Processor This is nice to have if you're using rolled oats instead of quick oats
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy sunflower butter drizzly consistency
- 3 tbsp virgin coconut oil may substitute butter
- 3 tbsp honey may substitute maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups sprouted quick oats you can also use rolled oats and grind them up in a food processor or blender.
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed or additional oats
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Fermented Sunflower Seed Butter
- Pour sunflower seeds into a glass jar. Add a few tablespoons of homemade kefir, yogurt, or whey.
- Fill the jar with enough filtered water to cover the seed and kefir/yogurt/whey mixture. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the kefir/yogurt/whey is mixed in.
- Cover with a coffee filter or dish towel and let the seeds sit at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight. *You can skip the next two steps if you are just making sunflower seed butter. I like to dry the seeds because we enjoy snacking on them as well as making butter out of them.
- Drain the seeds and spread out evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Dry the seeds in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 12 hours. I check on them every few hours and stir so they dry evenly.
- Add the seeds to a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. This may take 5-10 minutes, so be patient! You can add some avocado oil or coconut oil to help speed up the process. I also add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of honey.
- Scoop butter out of the food processor and add it to a glass jar or container that has an air-tight lid.
- Store in the refrigerator for several months, or freeze for long-term storage.
Sunflower Butter Oatmeal Balls
- (skip if using quick oats): If you prefer to make the oatmeal balls with a chunkier texture, skip to the next step. This optional step helps to achieve a smoother texture in the oatmeal balls. Add the oats to a food processor or blender. Pulse 10-15 times or until some of the oats are broken into very small pieces and others remain relatively intact.
- In a medium bowl, combine oats, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, and a pinch of salt.
- Add the sunflower butter (or seed/nut butter of choice), coconut oil, honey, and vanilla extract and stir with a wooden spoon or with clean hands.
- Mix in the chocolate chips.
- Roll dough into 23-25 small round bites. If the dough doesn't come together add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until it starts sticking together. You may or may not need to add water. It will depend on the consistency of the seed/nut butter used.
- Store in an airtight container