Making nut butter at home is so simple and satisfying that once you try, there is no way back. The best thing about making Cashew Butter at home is that you only need cashews, a pinch of salt, and a food processor. I guarantee your homemade cashew butter is cheaper and tastes better than the store-bought one!
What is Cashew Butter?
Cashew Butter is a type of nut butter made with cashew nuts. The process for making your own cashew buttes is exactly the same as the one used to make homemade peanut butter, almond butter, Brazil Nut Butter, or any other type of nut or seed butter.
Cashew butter is a great source of plant-based protein and can be made using raw or roasted cashews. It can have extra ingredients for flavoring such as salt, sugar, cinnamon, cacao, maple syrup, etc.
Our Homemade Cashew Butter is made with baked cashews and a pinch of salt. Simple yet delicious.
Our Homemade Cashew Butter is:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- A spread
- A protein-packed snack
- Easy to make
- No added oils
- No added sugars
- Creamy
- Packed with healthy fats
How to make the easiest Cashew Butter
Ingredients
Cashews. To make our Homemade Cashew Butter we buy raw and unsalted organic cashews. We normally buy them in our regular supermarket but you can find cashews almost everywhere. If you want to skip roasting the cashews at home, you can buy roasted cashews.
Pinch of salt. We like adding a pinch of sea salt to our cashew nut butter as we use unsalted cashews. This is totally optional but we think that it enhances the flavor of the nut butter.
Step-by-Step Method
Making your own nut butter at home is really simple but it requires a little patience. For the cashews to release the natural oils they contain, they need to be blended in a food processor for some minutes. Trust me, all you need to make the creamiest cashew butter is cashews, a food processor, and a little patience.
- Spread the raw cashew nuts on a baking tray.
- Roast the whole cashews for about 8 minutes at 150 C (300F). Leave them to cool for about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the roasted cashews to the food processor with a pinch of salt
- Start blending the cashews. You will first get cashew flour, which is basically really fine grounded cashews. Simply keep blending!
- Next thing, the cashews will start releasing the oil and they will form a kind of dough. Open the food processor, and with a spatula make sure to scrape down the sides of the jug. Keep blending and mixing the cashew butter every 2-3 minutes to avoid the processor from overheating. The blending process from roasted cashews to nut butter could take about 15 minutes, so just be patient. The longer you blend your cashews, the smoother butter you will get.
- Once you have creamy and smooth cashew nut butter, transfer it to a sterilized glass jar and enjoy or store it in the fridge for later.
How Can Cashew Butter be used?
Our natural butter recipe makes for a big mason jar, so if you think it will be too much, simply half the recipe or make two small batches so you could freeze one of them. Buuuuuut, there are so many things you can make with Cashew Butter that we always finish it before it goes bad! Here are some ideas to get inspired:
- Sandwich or toast spread. You can use cashew butter as a spread for your morning toast or snack sandwich. You can add fresh fruit on top such as banana slices, raspberry or blueberry puree, sliced kiwi, sliced mango, sliced strawberries, etc.
I love the combination of nut butter and fruit on toast. It is my daily breakfast. Want to try other amazing Vegan Spreads? Check this out! - Chocolate Cashew spread. I make this every time for my kids and myself. Our son Luca loves it as a sandwich spread to bring to school. Simply mix two tablespoons of cashew butter, a little warm water, and ½ tablespoon of cocoa and stir until you have a lovely chocolate spread.
- Topping for your morning porridge or oatmeal. Add a teaspoon of cashew butter to your morning porridge to add protein and a delicious nutty flavor.
- Smoothies or shakes. I always add nut butter to my smoothies. They add protein, a nutty flavor and give your drink the perfect creamy texture.
- Sauces. When we make Indian curries or pasta sauces we normally add nut butter whether is peanut, almond, or cashew butter. If you are still not doing this, you should definitely try!
- Energy balls, cookies, or granola bars. You can make your own granola bars, cookies, and energy balls using cashew butter.
- Salad dressings. You can make lovely salad dressings using cashew butter. We use it instead of tahini often for our Cauliflower Salad Recipe.
- Ice cream. You can use cashew nut butter to make plant-based ice cream.
How to store Homemade Cashew Butter
Homemade Cashew Butted needs to be stored in the fridge, using a glass jar. Don't worry if the oil separates, simply give it a good stir before you use it. If you keep your cashew butter at room temperature, the oils may go bad a lot earlier than if keeping the natural butter in the fridge.
To ensure that your nut butter stays fresh for about 6-7 weeks, be sure you are using a clean spoon or knife every time you dip into it. Any residual breadcrumbs, fruit, or other ingredients may potentially cause bacteria to grow in your nut butter.
You can as well freeze nut butter. A great idea is to freeze your nut butter using an ice cube tray with a lid.
FAQ and Tips
Do I need to add oil while blending the cashews to make the nut butter?
No. You don't need to add oil to this cashew butter recipe. You can optionally add a little coconut oil if you want to make it smoother in a shorter time, but blending the cashews for long enough will get you the same smooth consistency without added oil.
How much does this recipe make?
Our recipe uses 4 cups of raw cashews that make around 450-500g of smooth cashew butter. You can reduce the number of cashews to your desired amount.
How long does the cashew butter last?
To ensure that your nut butter stays fresh for about 6-7 weeks, use a sterilized glass jar to store it. Be sure you are using a clean spoon or knife every time you dip into it. Any residual breadcrumbs, fruit, or other ingredients may potentially cause bacteria to grow in your nut butter.
What flavorings can I add to this creamy cashew butter?
Vanilla extract, cinnamon, cocoa powder, or maple syrup are great flavoring ingredients to make your cashew butter sweeter.
What food processor do we use?
We use Ninja Food Processor and it works amazingly. We love cooking with it and it's fairly easy to clean.
Can I make other nut and seed butters using this method?
Yes. We have tried making almond, peanut, and mixed nut and seeds butter and it works perfectly. We like adding some sunflower seeds, sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds when making almond butter.
Homemade Cashew Butter
Ingredients
- 5 cups raw and unsalted cashews
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150C (300F)
- Spread the raw cashews on a baking tray
- Roast the cashew for about 8 minutes or until they start to golden and leave them to cool for about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the roasted cashews to the food processor with a pinch of salt.
- Start blending the cashews. You will first get cashew flour, which is basically really fine grounded cashews.
- Keep blending for the cashews to start releasing the oil and form a kind of dough. Open the food processor, and with a spatula make sure to scrape down the sides of the jug. Keep blending and mixing the cashew butter every 2-3 minutes to avoid the processor from overheating.
- The blending process from roasted cashews to nut butter could take about 15 minutes, so just be patient. The longer you blend your cashews, the smoother butter you will get.
- Once you have creamy and smooth cashew butter, transfer it to a sterilized glass jar and enjoy or store it in the fridge for later.
Notes
- The calories count is for about 1 and ½ tablespoon of cashew butter.
Nutrition
If you tried our recipe, please leave a comment or tag us on Instagram @Sixhungryfeet. We are always happy to see your creations!
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