Spiced Sunflower Seeds

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These spiced sunflower seeds are loaded with savory flavors and have a satisfying crunch. Sprinkle them on top of salads, soups, dips, or pasta. They’re perfect for entertaining or whenever you want to elevate a dish by adding an easy and delicious garnish. Or simply enjoy them on their own for a snack.

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What to serve with these spiced sunflower seeds

Sprinkle some sunflower seeds on top of salads such as this sweet potato and beet salad. It has the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors and the seeds will add a nice crunch to the dish. These sunflower seeds would also be delicious as a garnish for this vegan butternut squash risotto. Or sprinkle some on top of this lemon basil pasta before serving.

Spiced sunflower seeds in a glass bowl.

Ingredients and substitutions

Be sure to use raw, shelled, unsalted sunflower seeds when making this recipe. Or if you must use salted sunflower seeds then you can omit the salt in the recipe.

I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil in this dish but you can substitute any other oil you like.

I spiced these sunflower seeds with garlic powder, dried thyme, and smoked paprika. You can substitute regular paprika if necessary but I love the hit of smoky flavor the smoked paprika adds.

Or if you prefer to serve these sunflower seeds with sweet dishes as opposed to savory, you can omit the garlic powder, thyme, and smoked paprika and substitute 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, and a pinch of nutmeg and/or cloves. Then sprinkle them on top of oatmeal, yogurt, or ice cream.

How to make them

Start by adding the sunflower seeds, olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, and salt to a large pan on the stove set to medium heat.

Sunflower seeds, oil, and spices in a metal pan.

Cook, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes or until the sunflower seeds are toasted and fragrant.

Toasted sunflower seeds in a pan.

Remove from the heat and allow the sunflower seeds to cool to room temperature before serving.

Storage

Store these spiced sunflower seeds in an airtight container in the fridge for up to seven days.

A glass bowl of toasted sunflower seeds in front of a linen napkin.
Spiced sunflower seeds in a glass bowl.
4.67 from 9 votes
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Spiced Sunflower Seeds

These spiced sunflower seeds are a delicious garnish for salads, soups, dips, and pasta. They're easy to make and perfect for entertaining.
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 114.4kcal
Author Jennifer Bell

Equipment

  • Large frying pan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw sunflower seeds (shelled and unsalted)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Add the sunflower seeds, olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, and salt to a large pan on the stove set to medium heat.
  • Cook, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes or until the sunflower seeds are toasted and fragrant.
  • Remove from the heat and allow the sunflower seeds to cool to room temperature before serving.

Notes

  • Store these spiced sunflower seeds in the fridge for up to seven days.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 114.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.6g | Protein: 3.5g | Fat: 10.4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.4g | Sodium: 74.4mg | Potassium: 113.7mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 72.3IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 14.7mg | Iron: 1mg

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