If you’ve followed us for a while, you already know that we love making homemade nut butter. This easy cashew butter recipe has quickly become my favorite! I love spreading it on toast, stirring it into my morning oatmeal, and spooning it into dates. I love making creamy cashew butter, but I’ve included tips for making it crunchy in the recipe below. For more recipes, see our homemade peanut butter or homemade almond butter.
Key Ingredients
Cashews: I use raw, unsalted cashews and then roast them for the best cashew butter. You can buy whole cashews, or sometimes, you can find broken cashew pieces that are sold at a discounted price. I also use raw cashews to make homemade cashew cream. Oil: I use a tiny bit of oil to help my cashews blend into a super smooth and creamy cashew butter. Avocado oil or coconut oil is perfect. Spices: I use a bit of salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. This simple blend makes our cashew butter taste so much better than anything I’ve had from the store. Sweetener: I love a bit of honey or maple syrup. I don’t add much, just enough to give it a hint of sweetness.
How to Make Cashew Butter
I roast my cashews before making cashew butter. Roasting adds 10 to 15 minutes, but trust me, it’s worth it! I add my roasted cashews to my food processor (I love using a food processor, but a high-powered blender works, too). The cashews will go through a few stages before they turn into butter. Here are some photos showing them: This photo above is after a minute of processing. They’ve turned into a powder. Now, the cashew powder is starting to release some oils. I usually add a teaspoon of extra oil at this point to help it along. You can see it looks like a big clump whirling around the bowl, and honestly, it might feel like it isn’t ever going to turn into creamy cashew butter, but it will (trust me). Now we have creamy cashew butter! You can add any flavor like salt, vanilla extract, spices (I like cinnamon), and some honey or maple syrup if you want it sweetened. Easy! 1 tablespoon oil like avocado oil or coconut oil for a slight coconut flavor 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus 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 2Add the cashews to a round or square cake pan (or rimmed baking sheet). 3Roast the cashews for 3 minutes, shake the pan, and then roast for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the nuts are lightly browned and smell nutty ( watch that they do not burn). Let them cool until you can handle them. 4If 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 tiny pieces. Transfer the chopped nuts to a bowl and reserve for later. 5Add the roasted cashews to a food processor bowl. Process for 1 minute, then scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. 6Add the oil, and then process another 2 to 3 minutes until the cashew butter is shiny and smooth. Depending on the brand/variety of nuts you are using, this may take slightly longer. As you process them, the cashews will go from whole nuts, to a fine powder, to a clumpy mess, and finally to a creamy smooth substance. Stopping and scraping or breaking up any large clumps will help to quicken the process. 7When the cashew butter is smooth and creamy, add salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Process for 10 to 20 seconds and then taste. If you feel it needs more salt, cinnamon, or vanilla, add more. 8To 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. 9For crunchy cashew butter, stir in the reserved chopped cashews.
