Hemp and Sunflower Aioli
An aioli that’s flavour-jamming, oil-free, and won’t break the bank? You can have it all, with this silky smooth hemp and sunflower aioli. It’s basically my trade secret for vamping up any meal. Drizzle it over your roast vege salads, spread it on your sammies, or use it as a dip for fresh vege or homemade kumara and potato fries. Any meal is instantly more delectable with this Hemp & Sunflower Aioli by its side.
Yes, she’s…
- Silky, smooth, perfectly creamy
- Made with no oil, meaning lighter in calories but also better for your heart
- And, enriched with protein and omega 3 bursting sunflower and hemps seeds
I used to make my aioli solely with cashews, and while it tastes amazing (anything with blended cashews is instant creamy goodness), cashews are a bit more of a luxury item. So I’m excited for you to try this version, at a quarter of the price, but still just as lush.
Read on for the recipe, watch the 30 second vid, and give it a try this week! I can’t wait to hear what you think.
Watch How To Make Hemp and Sunflower Aioli
What is aioli normally made from?
Classic aioli is normally made from olive oil, that’s been emulsified with mashed garlic to turn it into a creamy white sauce. It differentiates itself from mayonnaise thanks to the garlic element, but also because mayo typically has egg yolks added.
These days, aioli and mayo from the store are pretty much the same thing – other than the garlic component. A quick search of a popular brand name of aioli here in NZ yields this line up:
Canola Oil, White Vinegar, Eggs, Sugar, Mustard, Salt, Crushed Garlic, Stabilisers (412, 415, Soy), Antioxidant (385)
Let’s pop our nutritionist hat on, and have a think about these. Ultra-processed heat-treated canola oil, sugar, and stabilisers we can probably park right here. The rest we’ll take onwards to make our new plant powerhouse aioli extravaganza.
Ingredients for this hemp & sunflower aioli
But hang on Buff, is there anything in this aioli of yours that’s actually aioli? Well, the garlic – yes. The rest of this recipe though is a bit of plant-based wizardry, using other ingredients to achieve a very similar outcome. But the result is so silky, smooth, and moreish, that I know once you make it you’ll be putting the store bought stuff to rest. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Hemp seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Aquafaba / chickpea water (or regular water will do)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Garlic
- Dijon mustard (or wholegrain)
- Salt
Nutritional benefits of this hemp and sunflower aioli
- Packed with omega 3s – thanks to the hemp seeds, one of the top three sources of omega 3 essential fatty acids. Just 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds per day (or one big dollop of this aioli) will give you your daily recommended intake.
- Rich in protein – hemp seeds again come hitting heavy here, with 32g of protein per 100g. Sunflower seeds meanwhile bring in another 21g of protein per 100g – both ahead of your typical chicken breast at 20g.
- No oil – enough said. There’s no essential need for extracted oils in our diet, and due to their calorie and energy density, it’s best to keep them to a minimum. I’ll use them in recipes don’t get me wrong, but if we can make something taste banging without it, let’s skip it.
Tips for making the best hemp and sunflower aioli
- Soak your sunflower seeds overnight – this removes the bitter outer layers making the aioli more creamy and sweet, and it also makes things easier on your processor giving you a silkier result. Soak overnight in water, then drain and rinse well before blending.
- Use aquafaba if you have it – got a can of chickpeas? You got aquafaba, or “bean water”. It’s not an absolute must for this recipe, you can just use regular water instead and it turns out fine. BUT – the chickpea water adds an extra layer of creaminess, and emulsifies up in a blender similar to how oil does. Try it out with both let me know what you think.
- Blend for at least a minute – you don’t want any mini chunks of sunflower of hemp seeds for a genuine aioli feel. So blend for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of your blender, then blend again. If it warms up a bit don’t worry, it’ll cool down again in the fridge.
How to store your aioli
This aioli actually gets significantly thicker overnight in the fridge. If you use it when you first make it, it’s more of a dressing consistency, perfect for drizzling over a roast vege salad or savoury pancake.
The next day, it thickens up to more of a dip consistency, making it great for spreading on sandwiches, or using as a dip for fresh veges or homemade kumara and potato chips. It will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days, and is best stored in a (reused) glass jar with a lid on top.
What to serve your aioli with? Try these:
If you try this Hemp and Sunflower Aioli, let me know! Leave me a rating and comment below, or tag me @begoodorganics on Instagram – I can’t wait to hear what you think.
Hemp & Sunflower Aioli
Ingredients
- ½ c hemp seeds
- ½ c sunflower seeds soaked overnight
- 1 c aquafaba (chickpea water) or water
- ¼ c apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the sunflower seeds. Then blend all ingredients in a blender until super smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides half way through so all the seeds are blended.
- Drizzle on top of roast veggies, salads, wraps, and sandwiches. Or put in the fridge to thicken overnight. Will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
- Gluten free: As is.
- Sugar free: As is.
- Nut free: As is.
- Oil free: As is.
- If you don’t have hemp or sunflower seeds, you can use half or all cashews.
- If you want it extra digestible and creamy, soak your sunflower seeds the night before, then drain and rinse before using.
- The aquafaba makes it extra thick and creamy, but if you don’t have any, water is also fine. I use the aquafaba more as an excuse to use it up – I have jars and jars of the stuff in the freezer leftover from all my chickpeas!
Did You Make This?
Tag @begoodorganics
I can’t wait to see your creations!
