Our friends Stacy and Matt, also known as the Paleo Parents, came up with an amazing nut-free and inexpensive alternative to almond flour using…wait for it…RAW SUNFLOWER SEEDS. How genius is that?! I had to take their creativity to task and give it a try. I used my cheap-o coffee grinder instead of my heavy-duty Vitamix, (Stacy and Matt used a BlendTec — be sure to enter their give-away to win one), a sifter and the same technique that I use to make my homemade almond flour and voilà, a light and fluffy nut-free flour.
I was so excited about the idea of a nut-free, gluten-free, low-carb alternative to almond flour I hadn't even thought about what I would do with it once I had made it. It didn't take me long though…and the One Minute Muffin recipe popped in my head. It happens to be one of, if not “the”, most popular recipe that lands people to Healthy Living How To.
I modified the recipe a bit using a combination of coconut flour (which is not actually a “nut”) and my freshly ground sunflower seed flour. The result was a spectacular muffin that was made even more spectacular by toasting and slathering in ghee.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Sunflower Seed Flour
- 1 Tbsp. Coconut Flour
- 1/2 tsp. Aluminum-Free Baking Powder
- Pinch Celtic Sea Salt
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp. Ghee
Directions
- Melt ghee in a 4 1/2 inch ramekin in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
- In a small bowl, sift together sunflower seed flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add egg to flour mixture and whisk until all lumps are gone.
- Drizzle in melted ghee and whisk again.
- Spoon batter into ramekin and microwave for one minute.
- Remove from microwave with dish towel and invert on a cooling rack.
- Once cool, split in half, toast and enjoy.
Notes
For those of you who don’t have a microwave or limit microwave use, this can be baked in the oven at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. However, it is important to note it will not rise as much.
Here is picture I dug out to share of The Paleo Parents along with Tom and I from the 2012 Low-Carb Cruise! We did an excursion in Cozumel called the Amazing Race. It was a mini-version of the television show. We rocked it and brought home the first place medal!
After sharing the recipe for the One Minute Muffin on the Healthy Living How To Facebook Page, reader Jen wanted to know if the muffin would hold up for something like an egg sandwich. I said yes, and today I put it to the test. If I wasn't allergic to cheese I would have slapped a big ol' piece of it on my breakfast sandwich. And yes I dipped it in homemade ketchup.
I’m posting this on WB FB since many there are huge fans of your minute muffins 🙂 The question always comes up about alternatives to almond flour.
I really wanted to go on the cruise this year. As a Canadian I was pumped that Dr. Jay Wortman would be there. We are planning a backyard renovation though and fear both just are not in the budget 🙁 Maybe 2014!
Thanks for sharing Trina!
Can I replace the sunflower seed flour with ground pumpkin seeds?
I have not tried it, but you could, and then report back. 😉
As stated above: the sunflower seed flour was made by grinding the sunflower seeds. Correct? Thank you☺
Very true about the sunflower seeds! I’ve began using sunflower seeds and pepitas as substitutes a few months ago and they work so wonderfully! I’ll have to try your breakfast muffin recipe…I love all your recipes so far 🙂
Thank you Alexis!
I am diabetic and need to know how the carbs compare to almond flour. Can you substitute measure for measure?
Thanks
Hi Andrea. You can figure out the carbs of recipes using online calculators like http://www.fitday.com or http://www.myfitnesspal.com . For this particular recipe there are 7 g carbs, 4 g fiber and 3 NET CARBS. As far as the carb count for sunflower seed flour… 1 oz. of sunflower seed flour is 160 calories, 14 g fat, 5 g carbs, 3 g fiber and 7 g protein. Hope that helps.
I notice you use celtic sea salt frequently. I have never seen it locally, but will order some. Do i get the finely ground?
Yes, I love my Celtic sea salt. It is not processed with the minerals intact. I prefer the finely ground.
Wow this recipe sounds fabulous as I’m allergic to nuts! Only problem is that I’m allergic to coconut, too….any idea how I’d substitute? I don’t have much experience with baking.
Hi Elaine, I would use my original one minute muffin recipe and sub the almond flour for sunflower seed flour.
Thank you! I ended up trying both versions, making this one for my friend and the other one for me. We decided this one was better, but they are both delicious and so simple! Thank you so much!!
Any recommendations on where to find gluten-free sunflower seeds? Even at my local Whole Foods, all the sunflower seed packages say they’re processed on the same equipment as wheat. I’m severely allergic, so I don’t want to take any risks with cross-contamination.
You could purchase online. Or ask Whole Foods to source for you?
Trader Joe’s has sunflower seeds that are processed in a sunflower only facility.
This works!!! I can’t believe how easy it is! One more way to reduce my carboholic son’s grain intake. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Awesome!
i found your recipe for sunflower seeds , i mixed ground seeds and an egg andmilk and made patties out of it they taste wonderful but a few mins later they turned a green color is this natural…
Did you use baking soda or baking powder. Depending on the amount used it may cause a reaction. I use aluminum-free baking powder and have not had my baked goods make with sunflower seed flour turn green.
I wonder if I could use flax to sub for egg in this recipe? I sub it in many baked good but not sure about this recipe? ALSO…why go to all the trouble helping your health and being well and then use a microwave? LOL…just wonderin’.
I have tried the flax-egg for my egg-free readers and it flopped! Awwww microwaves, a modern day convenience that I still use and am perfectly okay with. I don’t use it every day, perhaps not even every week. Why? Because I am not convinced of the dangers, and yes I have looked at the studies. http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-microwave-cooking
i would like to make a loaf of bread with the flour , what ingredients would i use…thank-you
thank you for posting this. I’ve been searching everywhere for tips on what to use to grind my own nut flowers. I did switch to sunflower seeds from almonds (found out I was allergic to almonds ) but I guess it saved me money since they are so much cheaper. but my food processor just wont get them fine ground. not like flour, they have been tiny grounds of nuts. so I will try a similar coffee grinder and hopefully get the results you had.
I purchased organic raw sunflower seeds a few weeks ago, and have sub’d several recipes where it calls for cashew/almond flour and even cashew/almond butter. I haven’t ground mine into a paste (my blender isn’t strong enough), but it seems to work even if it’s not processed all the way to a paste. Great, less expensive way for making some great grain-free bread recipes.
HI Vanessa
I just wanted to thank you so much for this recipe!!! My 10 year old daughter has just been diagnosed with Crohns and we are experimenting with different foods. Turns out almonds irritate her….not to mention our almond 1 min muffins could have been used as doorstops!!
I stumbled upon your recipe and immediately ground some sunflower seeds and tried your recipe with no great hope at all…and it was AMAZING..Not dense and doorstoppery like the almond flour…my gorgeous daughter has just polished off 2!! On one half she had vegemite (we are in Perth Western Australia)….
Sorry to gush but we’ve just recently tried so many foods and recipes that didn’t work and this one is practically the same as normal bread taste 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Of course, you are most welcome!
Are you sure the link is to the right size ramekin? I have the 4 oz ramekin and that seems awfully small….
I just made this in a small soup bowl that had a bottom diameter of about 4 1/2 inches. It spread out more than if it had been in a ramekin but toasted well & was delicious. Since it was in my head from reading your post, I made a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich, so good! I think next time I will omit the coconut flour though & use 1/4 c. sun-flour. And thanks for testing the sun-flour, I always wanted to but never got around to it….
You are correct Marci, the link is wrong. I just double-checked my ramekin size as well. It holds 8 oz. of water and is 4 1/2 inch in diameter. Thanks.
I used roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds to grind since I had huge bag from Costco on hand. I am a big fan of the one minute muffin, and this variation really surpised me because of its terrific texture and flavour. Like the other varieties, I found it quite filling, and I expect that this one with sunflower seeds and coconut flour will also be open to tinkering to give variety of flavours. Thanks so much!
Made this for the first time yesterday. I was thrilled! I did substitute coconut oil for the ghee and it worked like a charm. Even though it was a quick and simple process, I want to try multiplying the recipe and doing it in the oven. Have you ever done that? I have metal English muffin rings that are just about the right size.
Try 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes. They do not rise as much as when made in the microwave.
Thank you so much for a wheat-free, sugar-free, healthy muffin alternative! I have made this recipe several times and even my bread loving kids request this muffin! I am a health food nut myself and this recipe is such a treat when I want some bread but don’t want to waste my carbs on regular bread. I have shared this recipe with my mom, hoping she loves it too! I did find it essential to increase the coconut oil to 1 tbsp (vs 1 tsp of ghee) as I found the muffin to be very dry otherwise. Thanks again! I look forward to making more of your recipes!
I was very happy to find this recipe. As of late, almond flour has been causing inflammation for me. So I needed to switch. This is a good basic recipe. I also have sensitivities to coconut flour so I substituted flax meal for it, The first try was kind of bland. The second was better as I added a little sweetener But on the third try, I added a tsp. of buttermilk powder, a touch of stevia and 1/2 tsp. of vinegar. Viola! it had a nice, almost sourdough flavor. I’ve found my breakfast bread and have you to thank for it! .
Oh! Forgot to mention that I subbed olive oil for the Ghee. This added to the depth of flavor and made it conform more to the sourdough flavor.
Thanks for sharing!