How to Make Your Own Savory Seed and Nut Spreads

Savory seed and nut-based spreads are a delicious way to add a dollop of flavor and nutrition to your meals. But, what do you need and how do you make these creamy spreads? Well, we here at One Green Planet have just the tips, tools, tricks, and recipes for you to begin your spreadmaking!

1. Invest in a Food Processor

Not to beat a dead horse so to speak, but a food processor is a key appliance to have in your kitchen. Buy a cheap one or buy an expensive one or borrow one from your mom, I don’t care, but get your hands on one so you can ground up those seeds and nuts! That’s the only way you’ll get a decent consistency in your spread.

2. Get a Hefty Supply of Seeds and/or Nuts

Whether you’re making a nut or seed spread, you’re going to need both or one of the two, so pick some up at the store. If you have a membership to a wholesale warehouse store, check out their isles for seeds and nuts, making sure that they are high quality organic or fresh and chemical/additive free. Getting your seeds/nuts at a normal store works too―check the bulk section for better prices!

3. Pretend you’re on the Silk Road and Stock Up on Spices!

Many of the recipes below require garlic, turmeric, miso, nutritional yeast, paprika, and the good old salt and pepper which are all a part of the veritable collection of spices in this beautiful world. Thanks to the Silk Road and to modern transportation we have these spices at our disposal here in the U.S., so use them and stock up while you’re at the grocery store getting your seeds and nuts.

Let’s deconstruct a relatively simple pesto recipe using these three tips:

INGREDIENTS:

Cashew Cream

• 1 cup cashews
• 3/4 cup water

Pesto

• 2 cups fresh basil, packed
• 1/3 cup hemp seeds
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• zest of 1 lemon
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup cashew cream

Those look like decent ingredients, but you can spice it up by adding pine nuts instead of hemp seeds, a fistful of parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, and maybe even half a jalapeno for some spice and good measure.

The pine nuts add more protein to the mix and a unique nuttiness that’s absent in humble hemp seeds; plus, they’re more traditional than hemp seeds. The parsley adds a lovely green hue to the pesto while delivering a wonderful herbaceous flavor that marries all the flavors together into a beautiful union of happy flavors. The sun-dried tomatoes add a depth of flavor to the conglomeration. And, lastly, the jalapeno kicks things up a notch with its bold spiciness.

Our new recipe, therefore, will look something like this:

INGREDIENTS:

Cashew Cream

• 1 cup cashews
• 3/4 cup water

Pesto

• 2 cups fresh basil, packed
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ jalapeno (add seeds if you want pesto spicy)
• ¼ cup of sun-dried tomatoes
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• zest of 1 lemon
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup cashew cream

Now, that’s more like it! Let’s get onto the preparation. Fair warning, though: make sure that you still have some texture to your pesto and that you don’t pulse the life out of it. Remember, pesto does not equal hummus. Anyways, to prepare this superb mix of ingredients, first get out your food processor (or, if you’re lucky enough, your VitaMix) as stated in step one of this tip sheet, and blend the heck out of those cashews and water.

This is not the pesto part, so don’t stress about blending it into a silky-smooth consistency. Next, remove the cream from the food processor, and set it aside. Add in the basil, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and pine nuts, and pulse them until coarsely blended. Add in the jalapeno and sun-dried tomatoes. Pulse again. Then, drizzle in olive oil while processing or pulsing the mixture until smooth. This preparation of pulsing and pulsing some more each time you add in a new bunch of ingredients helps to create an even distribution of spices and flavors and even texture, so always try and pulse! After pulsing, add in the cashew cream that you’ve set aside. Use this pesto for raw zucchini pasta, brown rice pasta, or whatever you feel like adding it to.

Not all nut or seed spreads are like pesto, but the rule of thumb here is to be creative and add in more spices than is stated in the recipe. Generally, spreads utilize a food processor which is why we have step one, and generally spreads utilize nuts, so you need them! Spices are crucial to nut and seed spreads too, so get your hands on some! Occasionally you’ll get an oddball flavor by adding in too much spice, but don’t limit yourself to the inside of the box—think outside of it!

Here are some of our favorite savory seed and nut spreads for you to try:

• Muhammara Spread
• Mint Coconut Cashew Cream Cheese Spread
• Zinger Garlic Spread
• 12 Plant-Based Macadamia Butter, Spread, and Cheese Recipes
• Roasted Italian Brussels with Arugula Pistachio Pesto [Vegan]
• Basil Cashew Pesto [Vegan]
• Paprika Cheese [Vegan]
• Ode to Pimento Spread Sandwich [Vegan, Gluten-Free]
• Spicy Roasted Chickpea Spread Sandwich [Vegan, Gluten-Free]
• Pimento Cheese Spread
• Macadamia Cheese Spread
• Raw Sunflower Seed Pesto
• Chipotle Cashew Cream
• Tahini

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

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For those of you interested in eating more plant-based we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks or browse through vegan recipes on One Green Planet. And, while you are at it, we encourage you to  learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.