Chocolate pumpkin seed butter
Delicious spread or dip! A healthy alternative to Nutella.
Equipment
- Baking sheet, food processor, measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 2 cups pepitas (10.7 ounces) raw, unsalted
- ¼ cup cocoa powder good quality
- ¼ cup monk fruit can sub stevia
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup sunflower oil can use another neutral oil or coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon molasses optional
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Wash hands thoroughly.
- Heat oven to 350 F. Spread pepitas on parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant.
- Remove pepitas from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. (Carefully remove parchment and seeds from the baking sheet, and put aside to hasten cooling while you ready the food processor.)
- Pour the roasted pepitas into the food processor bowl and process on high for 3 to 5 minutes. Pause and scrape down the bowl, knocking the pepita meal that is developing into the center of bowl. Continue processing in this fashion until the seed meal begins to gather into a ball. This could take up to 10 minutes depending on your machine.
- Remove lid and add the monkfruit sweetener or stevia, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, molasses (if using), and salt. Replace the lid and begin to process on low, adding the oil and vanilla through the feed tube. Increase the speed to the highest setting. The mixture should start to become smooth. If you want a creamier spread, add 2 to 4 more tablespoons of oil until it reaches a consistency that you enjoy.
- Scrape the chocolate pumpkin seed butter into containers for storage. It will taste best if you can wait a day before eating.
- Enjoy on toast and English muffins as a dip for apples and other fruits or add a couple of tablespoons to your favorite smoothie!
Notes
The pumpkin seeds may take longer to process than you think they should. Your food processor could become very warm, depending the size of its bowl and the power of its motor. If your machine gets hot, give it a break for a minute or two and then resume grinding the seeds until they start give up their oils and become clumpy.
I tried this recipe in two different food processors, and I got a faster, creamier result in the larger, more powerful machine.
A Vitamix would probably work well! 👍
In case you are looking for a food processor, here are a couple of options available through Amazon. (I recently had to purchase a new food processor. 🙃😪)
This 12-cup machine from Breville has a powerful motor and a large bowl. It will see you though any processing need.
If your space is tight, I like this handy Cuisinart. It's smaller and not as powerful, but it does a fine job and is quite a bit less expensive!
Courtesy of Breville
Courtesy of Cuisinart
Nutrition
Serving: 1ozCalories: 203kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 8gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 102mgPotassium: 249mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!