How to create homemade cashew butter using only one item (no oil), an oven, a food processor, and around 15 minutes (approx). This creamy cashew spread can be made with raw, sprouted, or roasted cashews. It’s also gluten-free, oil-free, sugar-free, Paleo, Whole30, and Whole30-compliant. I started making my nut and seed kinds of butter, and I’ve never looked back. It’s not only less expensive (especially when buying cashews in bulk for raw vegan cheesecakes, cashew cheese, and cashew cream), but it also eliminates the need for added oils, sugars, sodium, and other chemicals. This simple homemade cashew butter recipe just only one ingredient (no added oil, sodium, or sugar) to make a beautifully creamy, smooth cashew butter.
How to Make Cashew Butter?
Cashews: Unsurprisingly, cashews are required for this homemade cashew butter. For this recipe, I recommend using raw, unsalted cashews. While pre-roasted cashews can be used, you’ll probably need to add more oil to the recipe to process correctly.
As a result, it’s best to start with raw! A food processor or high-powered blender: While you could try this procedure with a mid-powered machine, I wouldn’t recommend it because the process will be painfully slow, and the engine may overheat.
That’s everything! (At least for the foundation recipe). If you want to make flavored cashew butter, stay reading for my favorite ingredients!
Salt: a pinch of salt will help improve the nuts’ flavor while also acting as a natural preservative.
Sweetener: You can sweeten your homemade cashew butter in various ways.
Granulated sugars (like coconut sugar, jaggery, etc. ), dates (or date paste), sweeteners (such monk fruit or erythritol), or even liquid sweeteners (like honey or maple syrup with caution as they can cause the butter to seize- read the recipe notes for more details) can all be used.
If you need to add oil for any reason (for example, if you’re making raw cashew butter and it won’t blend), I recommend using a neutral oil like light olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil (my preferred option).
The standard roasted, sprouted, and raw cashew butter recipes, all of which need only a few simple steps, are detailed below. To make soaked cashew butter (also known as sprouted cashew butter, though cashews do not physically
sprout like almonds, you’ll need to add a couple of extra steps to producing homemade cashew butter: soaking and dehydrating. Here’s how to do it (allow 12 hours for these extra steps).
Ingredients
- 15 oz cashews raw, 3 cups
Instructions
- To make soaked cashew butter (also known as sprouted cashew butter, even though cashews do not physically “sprout” like almonds), you’ll need to add two more phases: soaking and dehydration. Here’s how to do it (allow 12 hours for these extra steps). First, soak the cashews.
- In a large mixing basin, combine the cashews and cover them with cold or room temperature water. Soak for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. (If I do a full day soak, I do it at room temperature and refill the water after 12 hours.) Drain the nuts, rinse them again, and dry them with a clean tea towel. Pat the nuts dry.
- The cashews can be dried in three ways: in a dehydrator (ideal for making raw cashew butter), oven, or air drying (though this can take days depending on the climate/temperature).
- Spread the cashews in a single layer on the dehydrator tray(s). Then dehydrate for 14-18 hours at 104°F/40°C, or until totally dry.
- To simulate a dehydrator, bake at the lowest temperature possible (usually 122oF/50oC) until completely dry. Alternatively, you can heat them at a higher temperature with the door propped open slightly (to allow steam to escape).
- To continue with the cashew butter recipe, the nuts must be dry. Skip the next step if you want to produce raw cashew butter.
- Continue roasting the cashews now. Cashew Butter (Regular) First, toast the cashews. Spread the raw cashews out on a big baking tray and roast for 10-15 minutes at 330°F/165°C, until golden and aromatic.
- Allow 10 minutes for the tray to cool after removing it from the oven. Make a smooth batter with the cashews. Blend the cashews until smooth in your food processor or blender. The cashews will go through various stages during this procedure.
- They’ll be pounded into a nice supper first. As the oils begin to release, they will thicken. It will then form a ball, a thick paste, and smooth, creamy cashew butter.
- While blending, scrape down the sides of the jar every 2-3 minutes to give your machine a break (to avoid it overheating and make sure all the nuts are evenly processed).
- The time it takes to mix the cashew butter to your desired smoothness depends on the machine you’re using, the cashews you’re using (roasted or raw), and the smoothness you want. Making this silky smooth roasted cashew butter takes typically 12-15 minutes (machine breaks included).
- Using raw cashews, you might not need any additional oil if your machine is mighty. If the cashews aren’t going past the powder/ball stage after several minutes, add 1-2 teaspoons of oil.
You can then add any other ingredients for flavored cashew butter or move it straight to an airtight jar after reaching the appropriate consistency.
How to Store
Store the cashews in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks, using clean utensils each time. It could last up to four months, but I always finish the jar in less than six weeks, so I can’t promise it.
When the cashew butter is cold, separating (solids and the bottom with oils on top) is usual. Before using it, could you give it a good stir? Transfer the cashew butter to a freezer-safe container and store for 3-4 months.
Are Raw Cashews Used to Make Cashew Butter?
Start with raw cashews to make cashew butter. You can get whole cashews or broken cashew bits sold at a discount. Roasting them is the next stage. This adds 10 to 15 minutes to the process, but it’s well worth it! Raw or roasted cashews are available for consumption. All cashews appropriate for consumption have been roasted once to eliminate both the cashew shell and the shell’s toxic oils.
To change or enhance the flavour of roasted cashews, they are roasted a second time. Both raw and roasted, Nuts are nutritious and beneficial to your health. Calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fibre are similar in both kinds. On the other hand, Roasting nuts can ruin their good fat, lower their vitamin value, and cause the development of acrylamide, a hazardous chemical.
Is Cashew Butter a Better Alternative to Peanut Butter?
Cashew butter has less protein than peanut butter (5.6 grams per serving) but is higher in other minerals like iron, copper, and phosphorus. Cashew butter is slightly higher in calories and fat than peanut butter but lower in protein and higher in carbohydrates. Peanut butter contains less iron and magnesium than cashew butter, and Cashew butter also contains a higher percentage of monounsaturated fat. Because it’s such a flexible spread, you can use it in practically any recipe for peanut butter.
If you’re following a paleo (keto) diet, cashew butter can be substituted for peanut butter. Cashews have a naturally buttery and creamy flavour that makes them ideal for a homemade spread. Almond, cashew, walnut, hazelnut, and pecan butter, for example, are excellent peanut butter replacements. They’re all heart-healthy fats, fibre, and antioxidants with similar nutritional profiles.
Should I Keep Homemade Cashew Butter Refrigerated?
Because homemade nut butter lacks the preservatives found in most store-bought nut butter, it might spoil more quickly. The goal is to keep your homemade nut butter away from light, heat, and air as much as possible, preferably refrigerated or even frozen. If you plan to use homemade cashew butter within a week, there’s no need to keep it refrigerated. However, it’s best to keep it in the fridge with an airtight lid to keep it fresh for months.”
There’s a chance the oil will rot if stored at room temperature for more than three or four weeks,” he added, adding that rancid oil tastes terrible but doesn’t offer any significant health problems. Fill jars with chilled cashew butter and lids. Cashew butter can be stored in the pantry for up to two months. Alternatively, please keep it in the fridge for up to 6 months.
Is Cashew Butter Considered Keto?
Cashew butter’s high-fat content and low sugar profile wonderfully with the keto diet lifestyle. Cashew butter is a common component in keto-friendly baked products like muffins and cookies. Like any other nut or seed butter, Cashew butter is keto-friendly and suited for a ketogenic diet. Cashew butter has more fat than other nut butter (such as almond or peanut butter), but it also has the fewest carbohydrates. It is high in fibre and has a moderate quantity of protein.
Calcium, iron, B vitamins, zinc, and Vitamin E are abundant in keto almond butter. Almonds are the ideal nut butter for keto since they are high in vitamins and have only 5 grams of carbohydrates per serving. If consumed in moderation and conjunction with other keto-friendly foods, plain peanut butter is acceptable on the keto diet. Because they offer fewer net carbohydrates per serving, almond, macadamia nut, and hazelnut kinds of butter are ideal choices.
Conclusion
Patience is required: this technique could take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes (or more!) depending on your food processor/blender. Just remember to take pauses to avoid overheating your equipment. Begin by pulsing 1/4-1/3 cup cashews many times until a crumb consistency is obtained, then set aside. You may then fold them into the cashew butter. Whenever possible, I recommend using a food processor unless you have a powerful blender. First, try the cashews: it may sound unusual, but cashews vary greatly depending on the brand.
So, before you mix it all, make sure you like the nut flavour. If you use raw cashews, you’ll probably need to add some oil to the recipe. Still, I’d wait at least ten minutes and practice patience. If the crumbly/balled-up step takes longer than expected, add 1-2 teaspoons coconut oil and continue. To avoid spoiling, add any flavourings after the butter has attained a creamy, smooth consistency. Flavoured varieties should be used within two weeks of purchase.
