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Give your breakfast routine a luxurious upgrade with this homemade Cashew Butter Recipe. This creamy nut butter is easy to make at home; all you need is a food processor and a little time.
A spoonful of raw cashew butter makes a smart snack, even if it’s all by itself right out of the jar. And because cashews are one of the most delicious things out there, cashew butter is a cut above the rest.
If you’ve never tried making it, prepare yourself for taking a leap of faith. You will look into the bowl of the food processor more than once and wonder if you’ve screwed it all up. You haven’t, and you won’t. It just takes time. Then all of a sudden, as if by magic, the nuts transform into a spread with a creamy, smooth texture, so much tastier than store-bought.
You don’t need any crazy ingredients to make your own cashew butter or any other homemade nut butters. In fact, simple ingredients give the best flavor here. But you do need a high powered blender (VitaMix, Blendtec, etc) or a medium-to-large-sized food processor to get the best results (blending the butter to your desired consistency).
Use cashew butter on sandwiches with jam, bagels, toast crackers, smoothies, with veggies or apple slices, anywhere you would use peanut butter. You can also substitute it for peanut butter in many sweets and treats. It’s naturally vegan, gluten-free, and peanut-free.
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Cashews: To roast cashews, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add raw cashews in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10-15 minutes. But don’t walk away! Stir occasionally to prevent scorching and keep an eye on your cashews since oven temperatures may vary.
- Oil (optional): A neutral oil, such as grapeseed oil or olive oil helps raw cashews blend smoothly. Coconut oil and avocado oil will also work.
- Salt (optional): A pinch of good sea salt boosts the flavor.
- Sweetener (optional): A little sweetener to taste can be nice. Try brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or stevia. For a sweeter taste without any sugar, try vanilla extract or a dash of cinnamon.
Step-by-step instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, or in the bottom of a high-powdered blender, add cashews.
- Pulse the cashews until they are finely chopped. Process or blend on a low speed for 1 minute continuously, then stop the machine and scrape down the sides. The cashew butter will be dry and gritty.
- Process or blend on a low speed a second time for 1 minute continuously, then stop the machine and scrape down the sides. The cashew butter will start to form a clumpy paste.
- Process or blend on a low speed a third time for 1 minute continuously, then stop the machine and scrape down the sides. The cashew butter will be thick and grainy at this point. If the blender or food processor is having a hard time blending or if the motor is overheating, add a little oil – just enough to facilitate blending, otherwise, the cashew butter could end up oily.
- Process or blend on a medium speed fourth time for 1 to 2 minutes longer. The cashew butter should be creamy and smooth at this point. It will also be warm and fragrant and delicious. If desired, add a pinch of salt and sweeten.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: 4 cups of nuts makes about 16 ounces of cashew butter. 1 serving = 1 ounce or 2 tablespoons.
- Storage: Store cashew butter in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the fridge for up to 6 months. Chilled cashew butter is harder to stir and spread.
- Use at least 4 cups of nuts: This recipe doesn’t work as well with smaller amounts of cashews.
- Raw or roasted: Roasting enhances the flavor and aroma of the cashews. Any nut is always better roasted. And, freshly-roasted cashews with warm oils will blend just a little faster, too.
- Patience: Because all machines differ, it may take longer to get the desired results at your house. Don’t give up!
- Caramel: You can go natural and use dates and a tiny bit of vanilla extract to make cashew butter taste like caramel. After grinding the cashews into a fine powder in step 2, add a couple of soft pitted Medjool dates. Proceed with the recipe as written, adding a little oil, if needed. Once it is completely blended, add a little vanilla extract and a good pinch of salt and blend again. Keep in the refrigerator for up to several weeks.
- Chocolate: Add ¼ cup melted dark chocolate during the final stage of blending, or add 2-4 tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder plus a little sweetener to taste.
- Coconut: Add ½ to ¾ cup toasted shredded coconut (preferably unsweetened) to the blender or food processor during the first step. The natural oil from the coconut will be released and you may not need to add any extra oils. Or, after the butter is finished, gently fold in wide-flaked coconut for a crunchy butter. If you like coconut, you will LOVE this.
- Almond Butter: You can make homemade Almond Butter the same way you make cashew butter: just blend it in a food processor or blender.
- Cashew cream: Learn How to Make Cashew Cream, an easy vegan sauce made with just 3 ingredients (cashews, water, and salt). It’s delicious in both vegan entrees and side dishes alike, anywhere you might use a regular cream sauce. Or, transform it into your new favorite morning coffee creamer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cashew butter is a tree nut butter that can be used anywhere peanut butter is used such as in homemade candy, on sandwiches or toast, and with fruits and veggies. It’s also delicious in smoothies and protein bowls.
Store cashew butter in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the fridge for up to 6 months. Chilled cashew butter is harder to stir and spread.
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Cashew Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cashews (see note 1)
- 2-4 tablespoons unflavored oil if necessary, for easier blending (see note 2)
- pinch of salt optional but recommended (see note 3)
- Sweetener optional (see note 4)
Instructions
- In the bottom of a high-powdered blender or food processor, add cashews. Pulse the cashews until they are finely chopped.
- Process or blend on a low speed for 1 minute continuously, then stop the machine and scrape down the sides. The cashew butter will be dry and gritty.
- Process or blend on a low speed a second time for 1 minute continuously, then stop the machine and scrape down the sides. The cashew butter will start to form a clumpy paste.
- Process or blend on a low speed a third time for 1 minute continuously, then stop the machine and scrape down the sides. The cashew butter will be thick and grainy at this point. If the blender or food processor is having a hard time blending or if the motor is overheating, add a little oil – just enough to facilitate blending, otherwise, the cashew butter could end up oily.
- Process or blend on a medium speed fourth time for 1 to 2 minutes longer. The cashew butter should be creamy and smooth at this point. It will also be warm and fragrant and delicious. If desired, add a pinch of salt and sweeten.
Notes
- Cashews: To roast cashews, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add raw cashews in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10-15 minutes. But don’t walk away! Stir occasionally to prevent scorching and keep an eye on your cashews since oven temperatures may vary.
- Oil (optional): A neutral oil, such as grapeseed oil or olive oil helps raw cashews blend smoothly.
- Salt (optional): A pinch of good sea salt boosts the flavor.
- Sweetener (optional): A little sweetener to taste can be nice. Try brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or stevia.
- Yield: 4 cups of nuts makes about 16 ounces of cashew butter. 1 serving = 1 ounce or 2 tablespoons.
- Storage: Store cashew butter at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. Chilled cashew butter is harder to stir and spread.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Hello! I am looking to give some of my cashew butter as gifts to friends and family- right now I have a stock of mason jars I plan on putting the cashew butter in. How can I safely seal the jar so the butter will last longer? Also, once I give it to them, will it be safe once they take it out of the fridge, to leave it out to soften??
Thank you!!!
Hi Kate, the cashew butter will be okay to eat if it is left out to soften, but needs to be stored long-term in the refrigerator, up to 6 months. Since this doesn’t have additives or preservatives, the nuts could go rancid. Hope this helps! – Meggan