Smoky Chili Lime Sunflower Seeds

By Published On: 9 May 2017Last Updated: 16 September 2021

These chili lime sunflower seeds are smoky and tangy with just the right amount of heat. Use them as a topping or just for snacking.

What's in this post

I’ve been sharing more of the simple meals that I make at home on Instagram lately. Recently, I’ve noticed a trend in highly styled and edited food photos in my newsfeed. Fruits and vegetables cut into impossibly cute flowers, brilliantly colored foods achieved through the wonder of algae and super-fruit powders are sitting just so on a rustic wooden table that’s blurred to perfection. Every photo is pure vegan food nirvana.

I’m not snarky, either. These photos are art. They’re spectacular- gorgeous. I have nothing but love for vegan food artists; they’re brilliant.

But these images could play into the whole stereotype that veganism is expensive, couldn’t they? Spirulina powder can turn a smoothie bowl a beautiful shade of blue, but it’s not cheap. A six-ounce bag of spirulina can cost $13 to $22. The same goes for other healthy foods like raw nuts, berries, and exotic fruits, and even things as seemingly simple like canned coconut milk.

For people on a low or fixed income, or within a food desert, these types of foods aren’t available. And if they are, these foods can be beyond their budget.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot.

Vegan on a Budget

As someone who runs an animal sanctuary, I’m always on a tight budget. I’m not saying I don’t splurge every now and again, but most of my money goes to the animals. My dedication to their livelihood means my meals are full of staple vegan foods that are incredibly budget-friendly. I am regularly trying to find new ways to turn average foods into delicious meals.

I love to scroll through a newsfeed that is a bounty of gorgeous, perfectly-styled food, tapping that little heart to let people know I dig it. But I also like to see meals made with ingredients that are widely available and budget-friendly.

I want to make veganism easy and accessible for everyone, whether you live somewhere that has an all-vegan grocery store or whether you live in a small town like mine, without one entirely vegan anything.

I’m sure I’m not alone.

Cheap Solutions

Take this recipe for smoky chili lime sunflower seeds, for example.

I’m using sunflower seeds because they’re healthy, can be found in nearly any store—even gas stations carry them—and they’re incredibly cheap. If you can buy them in bulk, it’s even less expensive.

Speaking of buying things in bulk, buy all of your spices in bulk. It’s inexpensive, you’ll only buy what you need so they’ll stay fresh longer, and the extra savings means you’ll be able to purchase a wider variety of spices to keep your food flavorful and exciting.

Smoky Chili Lime Sunflower Seeds

These sunflower seeds are smoky and tangy with just the right amount of heat. Use them as a topping for salads, baked potatoes, pizzas, inside a trail mix, or grab a handful or so just for snacking. I’ve been sneaking a scoop or two of these ever since I made them. Use them however you want. The tasty possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Smoky Chili Lime Sunflower Seeds Recipe - Your Daily Vegan

Smoky Chili-Lime Sunflower Seeds

Yield: 16 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 16 minutes

Crunchy, smoky chili-lime spiced sunflower seeds that are perfect for snacking or as a tasty topping to salads and more.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of raw sunflower seeds
  • Juice from one lime
  • 1/8 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Place all of the sunflower seeds into a large bowl with the water and one half of the lime juice.
  4. Stir until all of the seeds are wet.
  5. Set bowl aside for a few minutes to let the seeds soak up the liquid.
  6. Add spices and mix until all of the seeds have been coated.
  7. Spread seeds onto a single layer on the lined baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 3 minutes, then stir in the remaining lime juice.
  9. Bake for another 3 minutes or until the seeds are crispy, stirring often.

Notes

The amount of juice can vary greatly from lime to lime. I enjoy tart foods, so I used all of the juice from one lime. If you would prefer less tart seeds, reduce the amount of lemon juice by 1/4 cup or to taste. These seeds will keep stored in an airtight container for up to a week.


Are you a vegan on a budget like me? Would you like to see more vegan food made with every day, easy-to-find, cheap ingredients? Did you make a batch of these sunflower seeds? Let’s talk about it.

4 Comments

  1. Ariel song February 3, 2020 at 5:40 am - Reply

    These sound so good! I feel like they would also be amazing to blend into a seed butter, and/or made into a salad dressing. I love seeing creative healthy recipes, thanks for the beautiful post! Xoxo

  2. […] like kale chips, dehydrated vegetable or vegetable crisps, spiced nuts or seeds (like these smoky chili-spiced sunflower seeds), or even puffed whole grains like quinoa, amaranth, or […]

  3. […] like kale chips, dehydrated vegetable or vegetable crisps, spiced nuts or seeds (like these smoky chili-spiced sunflower seeds), or even puffed whole grains like quinoa, amaranth, or […]

  4. […] Smoky Chili-Lime Sunflower Seeds from Your Daily Vegan can add flavor flair to your warm […]

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HELLO! I'm KD Angle-Traegner.

Writer, activist, and founder of Four Urban Paws Sanctuary. I’m on a mission to help people live a vegan life. Read more about KD…

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