Homemade cashew butter is luxurious, creamy and is very simple to make! I love spreading cashew butter on to toast, stirring into oatmeal and spooning into dates.
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Related: We love this this homemade peanut butter.
How to Make Cashew Butter
We love making our own nut butter as you can see by 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 ultra creamy or if you prefer, it can be crunchy.
To make cashew butter, start with raw cashews. You can buy whole cashews or sometimes, you can find broken cashew pieces that are sold for a discounted price. The next step is to roast them. This 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 flavor as good when compared to fresh roasted nuts. Also, roasted nuts are often sold salted and we prefer to add salt to taste when making nut butters.
I roast cashews in a 350° F oven for 10 to 15 minutes and I like to check in on them halfway through to give them a shake so that they brown evenly. As soon as the cashews are roasted, they can be turned into homemade cashew butter.
A food processor is best, although, you might 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 a few stages, here are some photos showing them. You can see that we start with whole cashews. After a minute, the cashews look like powder. After a minute more, the nuts begin to release some oil, making the mixture clump together.
To help them along a bit more, we add a little oil (this can be a neutral oil, like avocado oil or use coconut oil for a slight coconut flavor). In the final photo, you can see that we have creamy cashew butter! It is at this point that you can add any additional flavors like salt, vanilla extract, spices (I like cinnamon) and if you want it sweetened, some honey or maple syrup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will homemade cashew butter last? Most homemade nut butters (including this cashew butter) will last for 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 equivalent to the standard size of nut butter jars purchased from the store.
Can I make it in a blender? Yes, but you’ll need to use a high powered blender (which most are). More expensive models with a tamper (like Vitamix) will actually make the process go much quicker.
The nuts aren’t turning into cashew butter! What am I doing wrong? My first tip for making nut butter is to be patient. Nuts go through a couple of odd stages before turning into a creamy, spreadable substance (see our photos above. Depending on the variety and brand of nut you are using, you might find the process goes more quickly or slowly.
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 along. Grape seed oil, avocado oil, coconut oil or a vegetable oil are all good options.
Can I use cashew butter to make cashew cream? Here’s our simple two-ingredient cashew cream recipe. It’s vegan and a perfect multipurpose dairy-free alternative with the texture of dairy (I use it to make this vegan queso).
Easy Cashew Butter
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Homemade cashew butter is luxurious, creamy and is very simple to make! I love spreading cashew butter on to toast, stirring into oatmeal and spooning into dates. We use a 12-cup food processor (10-cup should be sufficient), but a large high powered blender should also work.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
3 cups (16 ounces) raw unsalted cashews
1 tablespoon oil like avocado oil, grape seed oil or use 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
Directions
- Toast Nuts
1Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the cashews to a round or square cake pan (or rimmed baking sheet).
2Roast nuts for 3 minutes, shake pan then roast another 3 to 5 minutes or until the nuts 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 reserve for later.
2Add the roasted cashews to the bowl of a food processor. Process 1 minute then scrape sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
3Add 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.
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 additional salt, cinnamon or vanilla. To sweeten it, add a teaspoon or more of honey or maple syrup and process another 5 to 10 seconds so that it is well incorporated.
5For crunchy cashew butter, stir in the reserved chopped cashews.
6Store in a sealed container, like a mason jar, for a few weeks. It will last longer when stored in the fridge.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
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Just used the cashews and avocado oil. Made it as a plain butter because I needed it as an ingredient for a savory dish I was making and didn’t have store bought. It turned out beautifully. All I can say is that you have to be patient and wait for the magic to happen✨ I almost added more oil because I was getting impatient waiting for it to turn into butter. A definite keeper ❤️
Hi Victoria, We are thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe! You are correct, patience is key when making nut butter. It doesn’t seem as though it will turn into a silky butter, but eventually it does!
Hello there. What happens if I skip the 1st step of roasting the cashews? Thanks.
Roasting brings out more flavor from the cashews.
Ohh my this is amazing I love that the peanut butter is warm I used native organic keto blend coconut and avocado oil delicious will definitely make again
Wow. Everything about this is so delicious. I added Vietnamese cinnamon and vanilla, just a little salt…oh and some sunflower seeds while blending. We found it delicious but a little dry so added about 2 tbsp of locally sourced Coconut Oil and a little Jamaican Honey but not much because it really doesn’t need it but this is a truly decadent butter.
I like to cook and this is a good recipe and for sure I will try. Thank you. Kind regards Maria