Luxurious homemade cashew butter, creamy and very simple to make! I like to spread cashew butter on the toast, mix into oatmeal and sprinkle with dates.
Watch the video
Related: We love this homemade peanut butter.
How to make cashew butter
We love making our own nut butter as you can see in this almond butter recipe as well as our peanut butter recipes. You have all the control – the amount of salt or additions like vanilla or cinnamon is up to you. You can make it extra creamy or if you prefer, it can be crunchy.
To make cashew butter, start with raw cashews. You can buy whole cashew nuts or sometimes, you can find broken cashew pieces sold at a discounted price. The next step is to grill them. It adds an extra 10 to 15 minutes, but trust me, it’s worth it! Yes, you can buy roasted cashews, but we don’t find the taste good compared to fresh roasted nuts. Also, roasted nuts are often sold with salt and we prefer to add salt to taste when making nut butters.
I roast cashews in the oven at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes and I like to check on them halfway through to shake them so they brown evenly. Once the cashews are roasted, they can be turned into homemade cashew butter.
A food processor is best, although, you may find that your blender works in its place. Simply add the cashews to your food processor and turn it on. The nuts will go through several stages, here are some pictures showing them. You can see we start with whole cashews. After a minute, the cashews look like powder. After another minute, the nuts begin to release some oil, causing the mixture to thicken.
To help them move a little further, we’ll add a little oil (it can be a neutral oil, like avocado oil or use coconut oil for a light coconut flavor). In the final picture you can see that we have creamy cashew butter! At this stage you can add any additional flavors such as salt, vanilla extract, spices (I like cinnamon) and if you want it sweetened, some honey or maple syrup.
Common questions
How long will homemade cashew butter last? Most homemade nut butters (including this cashew butter) will last 3 to 4 weeks. I like to store mine in mason jars. It will last longer when stored in the refrigerator.
How much cashew butter does this recipe make? We have a 12 cup food processor, which is perfect for this recipe. Three cups of nuts makes about 16 ounces of nut butter, which is about the same size as a standard jar of store-bought nut butter.
Can it be made in a blender? Yes, but you will need to use a high powered blender (which most do). More expensive models with a tamper (like a Vitamix) will actually make the process go much faster.
The nuts do not turn into cashew butter! What am I doing wrong? My first tip for making nut butter is to be patient. Nuts go through a few weird stages before they turn into a spreadable, creamy substance (see our photos above. Depending on the variety and brand of nuts you use, you may find the process goes faster or slower.
If you’ve been patient and still aren’t happy with the texture, consider adding a teaspoon or two of neutral oil to help the nuts move along. Grapeseed oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or vegetable oil are all good options.
Can cashew butter be used to make cashew cream? Here is our simple two-ingredient cashew cream recipe. It’s vegan and a perfect versatile dairy-free alternative with the texture of milk (I use it to make this vegan queso).
Light cashew butter
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Luxurious homemade cashew butter, creamy and very simple to make! I like to spread cashew butter on the toast, mix into oatmeal and sprinkle with dates. We use a 12-cup food processor (10 cups should be enough), but a large high-powered blender should also work.
Makes 16 ounces (about 2 cups)
Watch us prepare the recipe
you will need
3 cups (16 ounces) unsalted raw cashews
1 tablespoon of oil Like avocado oil, grape seed oil or use coconut oil for a light coconut flavor
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, and more to taste
1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Honey or maple syrup, optional
directions
- Nut toast
1Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the cashews to a round or square cake pan (or rimmed baking paper).
2Toast walnuts for 3 minutes, shaking the pan, then roast for another 3 to 5 minutes or until the walnuts are lightly browned and smell nutty (careful, they can burn quickly). Let cool until you can handle them.
- Make cashew butter
1If you are making crunchy cashew butter, add 1/3 cup of the roasted cashews to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 times, or until the nuts are chopped into very small pieces. Transfer the chopped nuts to a bowl and save for later.
2Add the roasted cashews to the bowl of a food processor. Process for one minute and then scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
3Add the oil, then process for another 2 to 3 minutes until the cashew butter is shiny and smooth. Depending on the brand/variety of nuts you use, this may take a little longer. As they are processed, the cashews will go from whole nuts, to a fine powder, to a chunky mess, and finally to a creamy smooth substance. Stopping and scraping or breaking up any large lumps will help speed up the process.
4When the cashew butter is smooth and creamy, add the salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Process for 10 to 20 seconds and then taste. If you feel it needs it, add more salt, cinnamon or vanilla. To sweeten it, add a teaspoon or more of honey or maple syrup and process for another 5 to 10 seconds so that it is well incorporated.
5For a crunchy cashew butter, stir in the reserved chopped cashews.
6Store in an airtight container, such as a mason jar, for several weeks. It will last longer when kept in the refrigerator.
Adam and Joan’s tips
nutrition per serving
portion size
About 2 tbsp
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calories
155
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total fat
12.7 grams
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Saturated fat
3.1 grams
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Cholesterol
0 mg
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sodium
40.4 mg
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carbohydrate
8.4 grams
/
Dietary fiber
0.8 grams
/
Total sugars
1.3 grams
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protein
3.9 grams
