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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Sauces and Garnish Recipes

    Creamy Sunflower Seed Dressing

    Updated Jan 29, 2023 by Lori · THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS.

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    This sunflower seed dressing is rich and savory and made with lemon, garlic, and miso. You'll love it on everything from salads and raw veggies to potatoes and grains. It's a great dressing for meal prep and pairs well with so many dishes!

    Only 6 ingredients (plus water and salt) and about 10 minutes to make a batch. Sunflower dressing is vegan and made without oil, refined sugar or gluten.

    glass jar full of creamy sunflower seed salad dressing.

    This creamy sunflower seed salad dressing is full of classic, savory dressing flavors like lemon and garlic, and it's a great sauce for meal prep because it pairs well with so many foods.

    Use it as a dip for raw vegetables, spread for sandwiches, mayo replacement in chickpea salad, and even a topping for baked potatoes.

    I actually created this dressing especially for this Creamy Vegan Kale Salad recipe, so be sure to check that out!

    Experiment with adding your favorite flavors like smoky chipotle, roasted garlic, curry, or fresh cilantro. The base flavors of lemon and garlic taste great with so many ingredients!

    Another thing we love about homemade salad dressings like this is that you can tweak the acidity and salt to your heart's content and really make it your own. I hope you love this sunflower dressing as much as we do!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How to Make Sunflower Dressing
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Variations
    • Equipment Needed
    • Don't have a high-speed blender?
    • Storage
    • More oil-free and nut-free dressings:
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredient Notes

    labeled photo of the ingredients needed for this salad dressing recipe.
    • sunflower seeds - look for hulled raw sunflower seeds, often found in the bulk section of the grocery store. These are more mild than roasted sunflower seeds, and don't give the dressing a strong "sunbutter" flavor.
    • lemon juice - adds a fresh, brightness to the dressing while still remaining mild in acidity.
    • miso - healthy, fermented miso is a great way to add savoriness and salt to the dressing. If you don't have miso, increase salt to taste. Not familiar with miso? See this post: What is miso?
    • fresh garlic - I haven't tested the recipe yet with garlic powder as a substitute, but that's always an option.
    • maple syrup - or agave nectar.
    • crushed red pepper - optional, but we really love the subtle warmth it adds.

    See recipe card below for quantities and full recipe.

    How to Make Sunflower Dressing

    Preparing this pantry-friendly, dairy-free salad dressing is simple and only takes a few minutes.

    a 2-photo collage showing ingredients before and after blending.
    1. Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
    2. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more miso, salt, lemon, or red pepper as desired.

    Serving Suggestions

    Use this creamy sunflower seed dressing as:

    • a dip for raw veggies, potato wedges, and wraps
    • a dressing for kale salad
    • a spread for sandwiches and burgers
    • a sour cream substitute for baked potatoes
    • a mayo replacement in chickpea salads
    • and a sauce for bean and grain bowls
    creamy sunflower seed dressing dripping from a spoon into a glass jar.

    Variations

    • Mild - omit the red pepper flakes.
    • Spicy - increase the red pepper flakes to taste, or add a small squeeze of sriracha or other spicy chile sauce.
    • Herb - add a large handful of cilantro or a combination of parsley and dill or cilantro. Delicious!

    Need more sauce ideas? Try our Tahini Salad Dressing 5 Ways.

    Equipment Needed

    A high-speed blender works best for creating ultra smooth sauces and dressings, but if you're working with a standard blender there's always a way....

    Don't have a high-speed blender?

    Soaking the sunflower seeds in hot water first helps with blending. To do it:

    Place raw sunflower seeds in a bowl. Bring some water to boiling, and pour over the seeds, just enough to cover. Let soak 30 minutes to 1 hour, drain and rinse under cold water, and proceed with the recipe.

    Another option is to blend only the seeds and water first, then strain through a nut milk bag to remove any unblended bits. Return the sunflower cream back to the blender and combine with the remaining ingredients.

    Storage

    Store dressing tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

    Sunflower seed dressing is freezer-friendly. If separation occurs whisk or blend to return to its normal creamy consistency.

    More oil-free and nut-free dressings:

    • Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
    • Oil-Free Italian Salad Dressing
    • Vegan Ranch Dressing (No Cashews or Mayo!)
    • Creamy Harissa Dressing

    📖 Recipe

    creamy salad dressing dripping from a spoon.

    Creamy Sunflower Seed Dressing

    Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen
    Creamy sunflower seed dressing is delicious on everything from salads and grain bowls to veggie trays and tacos! With lemon, garlic, sea salt, and miso, it's a savory and versatile sauce to have on hand.
    Yield: makes a little more than 2 cups; Serving size: approx. ¼ cup
    Servings: 8 servings
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share by Text
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Total Time: 10 mins

    Equipment

    • high-speed blender

    Ingredients 

    • ¾ cup raw sunflower seeds
    • 1 ¼ cups water
    • ⅓ cup lemon juice
    • 2 large cloves garlic
    • 4 teaspoons white or chickpea miso
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • rounded ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional - adds subtle heat but isn't very spicy.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
    • Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more miso, salt, lemon, or red pepper to taste. Add another tablespoon or two of water for a thinner consistency.
    • Pour into a lidded jar or container, and refrigerate until ready to use.

    Notes

    Don't have a high-speed blender? Soaking the seeds first can help.
    Place raw sunflower seeds in a bowl. Bring some water to boiling, and pour over the seeds, just enough to cover. Let soak 30 minutes to 1 hour, drain and rinse under cold water, and proceed with the recipe.
    Storage
    Store dressing tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If separation occurs stir the dressing to return it to its normal creamy consistency.
    Sunflower seed dressing is also freezer-friendly. 

    Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

    Serving: 4tablespoonsCalories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 225mgFiber: 1g

    Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.

    Tried the recipe?I love hearing from you! Share your feedback below!

    More Vegan Sauces and Garnishes

    • Bagel Croutons
    • Fresh Cranberry Salsa
    • Vegan Cheese For Pizza & Melting
    • Apple Cranberry Compote
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      Recipe Rating




    1. kristina

      November 07, 2022 at 12:57 pm

      Just made this and can confirm its deliciousness! My first impression was that it was a bit too liquidy but after a few minutes it actually thickened up perfectly! Thank you for this light and tasty new recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Lori

        November 08, 2022 at 11:12 am

        You're so welcome, Kristina. I'm glad you like it!

        Reply
    2. JoAnne

      January 15, 2022 at 3:24 pm

      This looks so yummy.

      Can I sub roasted for raw sunflower seeds? I only have roasted sunflower seeds at the moment and can’t get out to shop for a while.

      Reply
      • Lori

        January 15, 2022 at 4:04 pm

        Hi JoAnne,
        I haven't tried it with roasted seeds. You certainly *can* do it, but the flavor will be very different. Have you ever had Sunbutter? It will taste more like that, with the strong roasted sunflower seed flavor. It could be interesting, though!

        Reply
    3. Barbara

      January 11, 2022 at 12:24 pm

      I tried this and it is one of the best salad dressing recipes I have had! Truly creamy and tasty and perfect pairing with kale. It will be one of my staples moving forward and I plan to feature it on my site Nourish to Flourish. Many thanks for providing it. Much appreciated.

      Reply
    4. SANJANA SACHDEVA

      January 04, 2022 at 3:44 pm

      Absolutely love this as my salad dressing or a dip. I had all the ingredients so it was a no brainer. Got tired of using olive oil and balsamic for my salad everyday...thank you!

      Reply

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    Lori Rasmussen, Owner/Creator

    Hi, I'm Lori. Welcome to My Quiet Kitchen where I share easy vegan recipes with a healthier twist. Many are special diet-friendly or easily adapted. I also have a passion for veganizing classic desserts, and sometimes even those get a healthy-ish makeover.

    Learn more about me →

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