This quick and healthy homemade Cashew Butter recipe uses only two ingredients. With a few simple steps and a few minutes, you can create your own roasted nut butter right in your kitchen.
Homemade cashew butter is a great healthy snack to have prepared. When homemade, cashew butter is not only simple to make, less expensive but not full of refined sugar and unknown flavors. It’s easy to customize and make your own!
I love love love nut butters. Peanut butter, cashew butter, pumpkin seed butter, I’m a huge fan of them all. I add nut butter to smoothies, I coat in chocolate for nut butter cups, I eat off the spoon (shh!). Cashew butter is a fave and I love making it myself!
The best part about homemade cashew butter is it’s a great substitute for dairy in making many dishes. Use it in place of milk or cream for savory dishes like sauces and soups, or add to your favorite smoothies. I use this cashew nut butter recipe for homemade cashew cups!
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Highlights of this Recipe
This recipe is:
- Easy
- Refined sugar free
- Whole30 compliant
- High protein
Video How To
Ingredients
Cashews - You will need raw organic cashews. Substitute for pre-roasted cashews to skip the roasting step - however, note to check the oil used to roast. Make sure to buy raw unsalted cashews, as it’s better to control your own level of salt.
Oil (optional) - Adding oil speeds up the process in this cashew butter recipe.
Equipment Needed
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You’ll need a food processor (affiliate link) for this cashew nut butter. A mini food processor is great for small batch nut butter and can also make the process quicker!
If you don’t have a food processor, a high-powered blender (affiliate link) can work as well. You will need to remove the lid and scrape the sides a lot more often.
Instructions
There’s only two steps in this easy nut butter recipe: roast the cashews and add to the food processor until smooth and creamy!
Spread the raw cashew nuts onto a baking sheet evenly.
Roast the cashew nuts for ten minutes at 350ºF, or until golden. This is done without any oil (no coconut oil or olive oil in this recipe!). This is also a completely optional step, but does add a nice flavor to the cashews.
After toasting the cashew seeds, let them cool for a few minutes before transferring to a food processor.
Using a Food Processor
Process for 12-20 minutes, depending on your food processor.
During the process, you may have to remove the lid, push down the cashew butter towards the blades. Then place the lid back on the food processor (affiliate link) and go again until a creamy cashew butter results.
Below you will find how the raw cashew butter changes over time. You will notice it really changes in texture from dry and crumbly to releasing the cashew nut oil towards the end of the time of it being done.
Expert Tips
Use Unsalted Cashews
To make sure the cashew butter is not too salty, make sure to start with raw unsalted cashews. I recommend purchasing them unsalted because it allows you to decide how much salt you’d like to add. It is also healthier if you use less salt and control it on your own. If you want to make a flavored cashew butter, it also allows you the freedom to do so!
Process Until Oil Forms
When the food processing begins, you’ll notice the cashew nuts remain clumpy and dry. As time goes on, the oils are released and the butter begins to form. Continue to process until the nuts get smooth, it may feel like it’s taking forever but it eventually happens!
Allow the Food Processor (affiliate link) Time to Cool
The food processor (affiliate link) may get really hot or start to smell like a busy kitchen appliance. That’s ok! Simply give it a break - I stepped aside for 30-seconds or so - and then start again. This prevents your processor from overheating or breaking.
Let the Roasted Cashews Cool
Let the cashews cool before removing from the pan and into the food processor (affiliate link).
Store Homemade Nut Butters Properly
Homemade nut butters don't last as long your traditional store bought kind. This is because some store-bought nut butters are often processed and may contain preservatives and stabilizers to extend shelf life.
To extend the shelf life of homemade nut butter, you can take certain precautions:
- Use fresh, high-quality nuts.
- Keep equipment and containers clean and sanitized.
- Store the nut butter in airtight containers to minimize exposure to air and moisture.
- Refrigerate or freeze homemade nut butter to slow down spoilage.
- Consume it within a reasonable time frame, typically within a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on storage conditions and the absence of preservatives.
Variations of Cashew Butter
While I love the original roasted cashew butter, there’s plenty of flavored cashew butter variations to try!
Crunchy: If you like a crunchy cashew butter, reserve some toasted cashews and mince them to your preferable size and consistency. Then stir them into the finished cashew butter at the very end.
Chocolate: Add some cocoa powder in with the roasted cashews to make a chocolate cashew butter!
Spicy: For a spicy variation, try adding chili powder or cayenne pepper!
Cinnamon: For cinnamon cashew butter, add some ground cinnamon to your cashew butter!
Maple: Try adding maple syrup into the cashew butter for a maple flavor.
Coconutty: Add some coconut flakes to the cashews when roasting (make sure not to burn the coconut!).
Vanilla: Use a dash of vanilla extract at the end of the process to make a vanilla bean cashew butter.
Runny Vs. Thick Nut Butter
When cashew butter cools down a bit, it thickens a little bit more. If you want a thick nut butter, like this one, you don’t need to add any additional oils.
If you prefer a looser, thinner nut butter, you can add an extra tablespoon of neutral oil like olive oil or coconut oil while in the food processor. You can also add a drizzle of maple syrup to make a runnier nut butter.
What to do with Homemade Cashew Butter
I love using cashew butter and there are so many different things to do with it:
- Make homemade Cashew Butter Cups.
- Sprinkle on top of toast or rice cakes. Add cinnamon, or a drizzle of honey and flakey salt for a decadent toast.
- Use in smoothies.
- Make a Spicy Cashew Dressing or Vegan Buffalo Sauce.
- With ice cream.
- On top of apple slices.
- In chia pudding or on oatmeal.
- In stuffed dates for a snack.
- As a substitute for almond butter or peanut butter.
- You can use raw cashew butter as a substitute for raw, soaked cashews. When subbing for the raw cashew butter, use half of the amount needed of whole nuts. So, if the recipe requires 1 cup, use ½ cup of cashew butter.
How to Store
Store homemade cashew butter in the fridge in an airtight container. It will last for up to one month. When ready to use, allow the creamy cashew butter to stand at room temperature for a few minutes and then stir before using. After using, immediately return to the fridge.
You can also freeze nut and seed butters. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and then allow to thaw at room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
This cashew butter lasts up to one month in the refrigerator in an airtight container. (If you don’t finish it before then!)
This recipe makes 1 cup of cashew butter, or 8 servings.
You can make homemade nut butter in any high-power, high-speed blender. You may have to remove the lid and push down the sides more often.
I would avoid using pre-salted cashews in this recipe as it makes controlling the flavor difficult.
You can use raw cashew butter as a substitute for raw, soaked cashews. When subbing for the raw cashew butter, use half of the amount needed of whole nuts. So, if the recipe requires 1 cup, use ½ cup of cashew butter.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Homemade Cashew Butter
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashew nuts
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon salt optional, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Empty raw cashews onto a baking tray.2 cups raw cashew nuts
- Add into the oven for 10 minutes.
- When time is done (cashews will be golden brown and smell toasted), let them cool for a few minutes before transferring to a food processor.
- Process for 12-20 minutes, depending on your food processor. (My mini food processor took 12 minutes only, but a larger food processor may take up to 20 minutes)
- During the process, you may have to remove the lid, push down the cashew butter towards the blades. Then place the lid back on the food processor and repeat.
- If the food processor gets very hot or smells like motors, pause the food processor for a few minutes and then repeat.
- The cashew butter will change over time from dry and crumbly, to releasing the cashew’s oil. This will happen and you will notice the food processor goes smoother. It should take between 8-15 minutes.
- Once the nut butter gains oil and is thinner and spreadable, add the salt to taste (between ¼-½ teaspoon). Process again for 30-seconds, until fully combined.¼ - ½ teaspoon salt
- Transfer into airtight container.
- Homemade cashew butter lasts up to one month in the fridge.
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