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Roasting Sunflower Seeds: Simple Instructions and Delicious Variations

You can roast sunflower seeds in the pan or in the oven for a delicious and healthy snack. We will show you what options there are and what you should pay attention to when preparing them.

Roast sunflower seeds: The seeds go particularly well with this

Sunflower seeds are known to contain a lot of unsaturated fatty acids. They are also rich in vitamins and provide valuable fiber. This makes them a healthy snack that you can eat raw or roasted. If you roast the sunflower seeds beforehand, their nutty taste will develop even better.

The roasted sunflower seeds taste particularly good in salads, as a topping in soups or in muesli in the morning. They are also suitable as an ingredient in bread and biscuits or as a basis for homemade pesto. Roasting the seeds not only develops a stronger aroma, they also have more bite.

Roast sunflower seeds: Fat-free in the pan

The quickest way to roast sunflower seeds is to heat them up in a pan. A coated pan works best for this. This means that the sunflower seeds are less likely to burn during roasting.

Place the pan on the stove and heat it on high.
Add the sunflower seeds to the heated pan and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. The kernels only need a few minutes to finish roasting.
Swirl the sunflower seeds around as you toast them, being careful not to burn them.
The kernels are ready as soon as they are slightly brown in color and smell aromatic.

Roast sunflower seeds with oil

If you don’t have a non-stick pan or want to add spices, you should also use some oil to roast the sunflower seeds.

Put a tablespoon of oil in a pan and heat it on high. Use sunflower oil, for example: it has a high smoke point.
Add the sunflower seeds and toast them over low to medium heat for a few minutes until golden brown.
Swirl the sunflower seeds regularly while toasting or spread them out with a spatula.
Finally, you can season the roasted sunflower seeds with a little salt and spices.

Roasting sunflower seeds: This is how it works in the oven

If you want to roast a larger amount of sunflower seeds, it is best to use the oven. This method works like this:

Preheat the oven to 175° C top/bottom heat. Tip: If you want to save energy, you can also do without preheating. Simply roast the sunflower seeds a little longer.
Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure that the cores are not on top of each other.
Put the tray in the oven and roast the sunflower seeds for a few minutes. Turn them occasionally so they can brown evenly.
Tip: You can store roasted sunflower seeds in an airtight container for a few days, but they lose their aroma very quickly. They taste best freshly roasted.

Roasting sunflower seeds: delicious variations

For a special touch, you can season the roasted kernels with spices and other ingredients. Here you can find some ideas:
Sweet and hot sunflower seeds: When roasting the sunflower seeds, add one or two teaspoons of sugar and add some chili or cayenne pepper at the end. If you only want to add spices, it is best to heat the kernels in some oil.
Caramelized Sunflower Seeds: For this sweet twist, add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar or honey to the pan and let the seeds caramelize in it. A pinch of salt completes the aroma.
Add other nuts and seeds: If you’re toasting sunflower seeds, you can add other seeds like pumpkin and pine nuts if you like. Different types of nuts are also suitable.

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Sunflower Seeds: Why They are so Healthy

Sunflower seeds are healthy because they contain many important nutrients. However, you should not eat sunflower seeds in large quantities. The reason: the omega-6 fatty acids.

Sunflower seeds: healthy and crunchy

Sunflower seeds are a real superfood that comes from Germany. Long transport routes and CO2 emissions do not usually arise for them – good for the CO2 footprint. In the supermarket, however, there are often sunflower seeds from abroad. Therefore, take a close look at the package when you buy the cores. They are very healthy because they contain many minerals, vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids and proteins.

Nutritional values of sunflower seeds per 100g:

Calories: 557 kcal/ 2,334 KJ
Carbohydrates: 11.4 g
of which sugar: 2.9 g
Fiber: 6 g
Fat: 47g
Protein: 19 g
Sunflower seeds are also rich in:

Magnesium (336mg)
Vitamin E (38.8 mg)
Vitamin B1 (1.9mg)
B3 (11.2mg)
B6 (1.3mg). Just 60 grams cover the daily requirement of vitamin B1.
Iron, copper and zinc are also abundant in the cores.

Sunflower seeds: Rich in unsaturated fatty acids

About half of the sunflower seeds consist of fats. However, these are quite healthy fats:

90 percent of the fats contained are unsaturated fatty acids. As a result, the body does not produce harmful LDL cholesterol, which doctors blame for various diseases.
Unsaturated fat can help you lose weight, a 2015 study confirms. Sunflower seeds also have a favorable nutrient ratio: since they contain only a few carbohydrates, the body draws its energy mainly from the proteins and fats it contains.
Tip: So that the sunflower seeds do not go rancid after a while, you should store them in a dark place and seal them airtight. A screw-top jar, for example, is ideal.

Omega-6 fats in sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are rich in omega-6 solids. These are unsaturated fatty acids that are found in many plant and animal products. They’re not inherently unhealthy, but you need to consume them in the right ratio to omega-3 fatty acids. According to one study, a good ratio is between 2:1 and 5:1. However, omega-3 fatty acids are only found in a few foods – for example in fish and flaxseed or flaxseed oil. Omega 6, on the other hand, is contained in many foods – especially in meat or many vegetable oils.

The sunflower seeds increase the amount of omega-6 fatty acids and you should eat foods with omega-3 fatty acids to compensate. You can do this, for example, by mixing flaxseeds in addition to sunflower seeds in your muesli, or by sprinkling linseed oil over the finished muesli. However, it is best if you eat sunflower seeds in small amounts. This way you benefit from the healthy nutrients without consuming too many omega-6 fatty acids.

Use sunflower seeds: 3 ideas

You can use sunflower seeds in many ways, they taste delicious not only in muesli. Here are three ideas on how to incorporate sunflower seeds into your meals:

Homemade Bread: You can mix the sunflower seeds into the batter or sprinkle them over the bread before it goes into the oven.
Salad: Seeds always go well in a green salad. In addition to sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds are suitable as a crunchy and healthy topping.
Bread topping: Sunflower seeds are a good base for homemade vegan spreads. For example, try these spread recipes.

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