I am a big fan of sunflower seeds as I love snacking on them. Of course, I eat the roasted ones with shells intact. Actually, it is the only thing I snack on occasionally when watching television.
I have actually experimented with ground sunflower seed more than a year ago and came out with a video on Vegan Keto Sunflower & Coconut Bread (see video here – ). Somehow, I had forgotten to experiment with a non-vegan version until recently when my friend, Edward Yip brought it up. He was asking me whether he could use my Keto Black & White Sesame Bun recipe but swap with ground sunflower seeds. It was a brilliant idea and we tweaked the recipe a bit to come out with this Keto Sunflower Seed Buns which are so light, soft, fluffy and crispy when toasted. And they are super easy to make within a short time. So thanks to Edward that I got to make this video to share with all of you.
Sunflower seed is a great alternative for low carb baking as it is not only cheap but quite low in net carbs too. It has a slightly nutty and neutral flavor hence, it should be well accepted. It makes a great replacement for other low carb flour such as almond flour with a 1:1 ratio.
Sunflower seeds are versatile seeds that are technically a fruit. These tiny sunflower seeds are loaded with many nutrients. Sunflower seeds especially have a huge amount of vitamin E and selenium. These vitamins are worked as the antioxidants that can protect our body cells against free radicals damage. Also, these play a role in various chronic diseases. In addition, these sunflower seeds are an excellent source of beneficial plant compounds such as phenolic acid and flavonoids. These can also function as the antioxidants. When the sunflower seeds are sprouted, their compound of the plant increased.
During my early experimentation with ground sunflower seeds, I was surprised to discover that the bread turned green. It turns out that they contain chlorophyll, also known as chlorogenic acid which reacts with the baking soda in a recipe when heated and once the product cools, it turns green but still edible. Hence, it’s best not to use baking soda with ground sunflower seed unless you do not mind the color change.
I have also developed a loaf version of this bread and I will be making a video of it soon.
The recipe can be viewed and printed at this link;
NUTRITION INFO
[ Total Servings = 5 ]
Per serving ;
Total Carb = 10.6 g
Dietary Fiber = 8 g
Net Carb = 2.6 g
Calories = 163
Total Fat = 11.1 g
Protein = 6.6 g
INGREDIENTS (FOR BEST RESULTS, WEIGH THE INGREDIENTS)
DRY INGREDIENTS
Ground Sunflower Seed = 150 g / 1 1/4 cup (Use raw sunflower seeds and do not roast them. Refer to the video on how to grind the sunflower seeds.)
Baking Powder = 8 g / 2 tsp (If using double acting, reduce amount by half)
Salt = 1/2 tsp
Psyllium Husk (Ground until half its original volume and weigh after grinding) = 27 g / 3 tbsp
(Note: If using pre ground psyllium powder, start with 1 tsp and add a little gradually until you get the right consistency of the dough. Please see this video about psyllium husk and powder for better understanding and success –
WET INGREDIENTS
Egg Whites = 3 large (107 g) (Note: The protein from egg whites helps to boost the rise while the fats from egg yolks hinders the rise. Hence, it is highly recommended to use egg whites)
Apple Cider Vinegar = 10 ml / 2 tsp
Hot or boiling water = 150 ml / 2/3 cup
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven at 350F or 180C.
2. In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients until well combined.
3. Add all the wet ingredients and mix until a dough is formed.
4. Wet your hands for easier handling as the dough is quite sticky.
5. Divide the dough into equal portions. In the video, I divided the dough around 85 to 90 g each. Hence, it yielded 5 buns.
6. Shape the dough into balls and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
7. Top with any seeds, nuts or herbs of your choice (optional).
8 Bake at the lowest rack for about 20 to 30 mins or until golden brown. The buns are done when they feel light to the touch and sound hollow when you tap on their sides.
9. The best part about buns is that you could eat them while still warm and it’s heavenly with a spread of butter or homemade keto strawberry jam (see video on Keto Strawberry Jam – ). They also make great sandwiches or burger buns. And they are so crispy when toasted.
10. These buns can be stored at room temperature for a few days if you have a cool and dry climate otherwise, its best to refrigerate them earlier. They can be refrigerated up to 1 week and frozen for months.