Homemade Cashew Butter is easy and a very versatile spread - you can substitute it for peanut butter in almost anything. It's a 5 minute how to make cashew butter recipe that is so delicious and naturally vegan.
Homemade Cashew Butter is more of a how-to than a recipe but I really wanted to share with you how easy it is to make. Being a very versatile spread - you can substitute it for peanut butter in almost any recipe.
So if you are on a paleo (keto) diet you can use cashew instead of peanut butter.
Cashews have a naturally rich and buttery taste which makes them perfect for a homemade spread.
Also, it is a great butter for additions to ice cream, sauces, candy and so much more. Spread on toast and have a great breakfast.
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💭 Interesting cashew facts
- Google a photo of cashew seeds on a cashew apple. It will blow your mind.
- That brings us to the fact that cashews are not technically nuts but seeds.
- They grow on trees that are 30-50 feet tall.
- West Africa and India are the major producers of the seeds/nuts.
- They are high in starch. That is why they work so well in thickening sauces.
- Cashews are nutritious with lots of protein.
- They are green before they are roasted.
🥘 Ingredients
- Cashews - 🙂 - that's it! Cashews will naturally release their own oils.
🔪 Instructions
Here ya go. Exact instructions and then a pictorial.
- This is such a simple process but I think the photos will help you visually.
- Add the cashews to your food processor, or as I used, the Ninja.
- Turn on the Ninja and process for about 10 seconds.
- You will have a coarse meal as in the photo below.
- All of these steps will take longer for a regular food processor but you will get there.
- Whir another 20 seconds and you will see it starting to clump together.
- Scrap down the sides to the center near the blades.
- Whir another 20 seconds and scrape again.
- This time hold it for about a minute. You will see the blades (through the plastic bowl on the outside of the Ninja) catch something once in a while so it is blending.
- If you don't see the blades working, turn off and scrape again.
- This time you will see the cashews blending for sure.
- It is starting to look like cashew butter but is not quite there yet.
- Hold for another 30 seconds to one minute and you will actually see the creamy cashew butter showing oil and creaming around the edges.
💭 How to make cashew butter
A great way to buy cashews, especially in pieces, is in bulk. You can save a few pennies and make affordable nut butters.
Drop the cashews into the food processor.
I have been asked since this recipe has come out which Ninja machine I used. It is the Ninja Master Prep and I use the smallest unit for this recipe.
I've been making cashew butter for over seven years now and they have come out with more models but I still love mine.
You can see the coarsely ground seeds and how it all begins.
More and more oils are being released as the processing goes and you can see in the photo below that it is almost there.
I probably have been going about a minute in the photo above.
Give the machine a rest every 30 seconds and the clumps begin to form. It really is fast work though.
Just keep going until you have a creamy spread.
That is it! You have a beautiful, homemade, natural, healthy, creamy nut butter.
Store in the refrigerator with a tight-fitting lid for up to 2 weeks.
📖 Cashew butter recipes
- Cashew Butter Chocolate Truffles would probably be your favorite if they came in a store-bought mixed truffles mix.
- Thinly spread maple cashew butter on puff pastry and sliced carrots for an amazing Carrot Bundles Appetizer.
- Cashew Pralines are sweet sweet sweet and irresistible.
If you take a photo of your homemade cashew butter I would love to see it. Follow me over on Instagram and tag me on your photo @vegan_in_the_freezer.
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Your opinion means a lot to me and if you'd like to leave a comment and possibly a star rating I'd love to hear your thoughts.
📋 Recipe
Homemade Cashew Butter
Ingredients
- 2 cups cashew pieces
- no other ingredient needed
Instructions
- This is such a simple process but I think the photos will help you visually.
- Add the cashews to your food processor, or as I used, the Ninja.
- Turn on the Ninja and process for about 10 seconds.
- You will have a coarse meal as in the photo below.
- All of these steps will take longer for a regular food processor but you will get there.
- Whir another 20 seconds and you will see it starting to clump together.
- Scrap down the sides to the center near the blades.
- Whir another 20 seconds and scrape again.
- This time hold it for about a minute. You will see the blades (through the plastic bowl on the outside of the Ninja) catch something once in a while so it is blending.
- If you don't see the blades working, turn off and scrape again.
- This time you will see the cashews blending for sure.
- It is starting to look almost done but it is not quite there yet.
- Hold for another 30 seconds to one minute and you will actually see the creamy cashew butter showing oil and creaming around the edges.
Nutrition
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Lesia
Great. Sounds like it would work. Will have to try it next time I prepare my torte. Thanks. : )
Alex
Well, my blender just overheated without finishing the job. Which Ninja do you use? There are several models
Ginny McMeans
You can still use your model - just turn it off every 30 seconds or so to be safe. My model number is QV1004 000.
boblekoker
Is it possible to freeze this? Or will it separate? I prefer making things in bulk and putting it in the freezer 🙂
cheryl
This may be a stupid question but why is it only good for two weeks? The nuts themselves would last a lot longer and you didn't add anything to them.
Ginny McMeans
Yes, it freezes perfectly and up to 4 months.
Ginny McMeans
Not stupid at all Cheryl. I err on the side of caution. I should say several weeks and leave it to the persons discretion. The oils do cause the butter to go rancid more quickly but it still keeps very well.
Robin
No worries, Cheryl! Homemade nut butters last quite a long time. I typically keep mine in the cabinet and they do fine for a couple months (probably longer but we eat them quickly). I've had a cinnamon-cashew butter in the refrigerator since last October and it's now August of the next year. Enjoy!
Tracey
Can't wait to try. Should I use roasted or unroasted cashew
Ginny McMeans
You know Tracey - you could use either. I have done it both ways and I have used raw. All have turned out wonderful. It is so easy too.
Annie
Greetings!
Is there an ingredient that I can add to this recipe, that might offer a flavor which is similar to regular butter?
I adore being vegan, but there are just a couple of omni tastes that I miss, and am always seeking wisdom from others, to see if there's a way to get those lost flavors.
If not, I'll carry on, and hopefully find something close to it.
Thanks for any advice offered :o)
Ginny McMeans
Hi Annie, nothing would make this recipe be like a butter substitute. That would be a completely different recipe with different ingredients. The 'butter' would all start with a cocoa butter base. I will have to put that recipe on here. 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration and I will tag you when I get it on the blog.
Bailey
I can't believe how easy this was to make and it's so much better than store bought. The photos really helped to understand how the process works. Thanks!
Mary Biel
Can I freeze cashew butter?
Thanks,
Mary
Ginny McMeans
Yes! Absolutely Mary!