How to Make Homemade Cashew Butter

How to make homemade cashew butter with just one ingredient (no oil), an oven, a food processor, and 15 minutes (ish!). Use raw, sprouted, or roasted cashews for this creamy cashew spread! Best of all, it’s gluten-free, oil-free, sugar-free, Paleo, Whole30, and more!

This homemade cashew butter recipe was originally posted in December 2019 but has been updated as of October 2021 with some extra notes, tips, uses, and flavor varieties!

I first started making homemade nut and seed butters in 2017 and haven’t looked back since. Not only is it far more frugal (especially when buying cashews in bulk for other goodies like raw vegan cheesecakes, cashew cheese, and cashew cream), but most of the time, there’s no need for all the extra oils, sugars, sodium, etc. When making this simple homemade cashew butter recipe, all it requires is a single ingredient (with no added oil, sodium, or sugar) for a wonderfully creamy, smooth cashew butter!

All you need for this recipe is the cashews (raw and unsalted work best – but did I mention you can make this homemade cashew butter with raw, soaked, or roasted cashews?!), an oven, and a high-speed food processor (a very powerful blender will work in a pinch, but processors are best). Though, for those curious foodies out there, I’ve also included a list of some of my favorite flavored cashew butter recipes AND a list of recommended uses!

As with most nut and seed butter recipes, the actual process of making this homemade cashew butter is amazingly simple. The problem is patience (especially if you’re new to this kind of recipe). The fact is, this process does take a bit of time (though largely hands-off), and depending on your exact machine, you might start wondering if the nuts are ever going to transform from a powder or thick ball to smooth and creamy cashew butter. BUT, if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times- patience is key when making nut butter!

Best of all, since this recipe doesn’t rely on any preservatives. It provides a perfect small batch of around 1 cup. That way, you don’t have to worry about it going off before you get a chance to eat it all. But, even better, this cashew nut butter doubles up wonderfully as an edible Christmas gift!

For even more one-ingredient nut butter recipes – you might also enjoy this almond butter, peanut butter, or pistachio butter. Scroll to the bottom of the page for even more!

What You’ll Need

Cashews: unsurprisingly, for this homemade cashew butter, you’ll need cashews. I recommend using raw, unsalted cashews for this process.

While it’s possible to use pre-roasted cashews, you’re more likely to have to add extra oil to the recipe to get it to process properly. So It’s better to start with raw!

A food processor or high-powered blender: while you could attempt this method with a mid-powered machine, I’d avoid using one that’s very old or low-powered as the process will be painfully slow and could overheat the engine.

And that’s it! (for the base recipe anyway). However, if you want to make flavored cashew butter, then keep reading for my favorite add-ins!

How to Flavor Cashew Butter?

Whenever I make large batches of any nut butter, I avoid adding any additional ingredients, as they will affect the shelf-life. If I want to flavor any, I will make sure only to flavor a small portion of it, so none goes to waste. If you want some flavored cashew butter inspiration:

Basic Optional Add-ins

• Salt: a pinch of salt helps to enhance the flavor of the nuts in a wonderful way and will act as a natural preservative.
• Sweetener: there are several ways to sweeten your homemade cashew butter. You can use granulated sugars (like coconut sugar, jaggery, etc), dates (or date paste), sweeteners (like monk fruit or erythritol), or even liquid sweeteners (like honey or maple syrup – with caution as they can cause the butter to seize- read recipe notes for more information).
• Oil: if you find that you do need to add oil for any reason (i.e. making raw cashew butter and it won’t blend properly) I recommend using a neutral oil like a mild olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil (my preferred option).

Flavored Cashew Butter Options

• Add some homemade Vanilla extract or Vanilla Powder.
• Chocolate cashew butter: I recommend adding 2-4 Tbsp of cocoa powder with the sweetener of your choice (adjusted, to taste) and a pinch of salt. To enhance the flavor of the chocolate, you could also add a tsp of instant coffee powder. If it becomes too thick, you may need a tablespoon of melted coconut oil.
• Simple spice options: like cinnamon, chai spice, or pumpkin spice cashew butter. Combine the spices (to taste- I recommend starting with 2/3-1 tsp) with the sweetener of your choice and optionally vanilla. Maple cinnamon is a lovely combination!
• Espresso Cashew butter: similarly to how I’ve made this Coffee Peanut Butter Spread (Espresso Spread). For a mocha version, add some cocoa powder too.
• Coconut cashew butter: Add shredded coconut for texture and subtle flavor. You could also add a spoonful or two of homemade coconut butter.
• Strawberry cashew butter: you’ll need powdered freeze-dried strawberries (start with ½ cup and increase to taste), vanilla, and a sweetener. You may also need a little oil – as the powdered strawberries will thicken the cashew spread.
• Cookie dough cashew butter: I’ve seen some people use cashew butter to make a ‘cookie dough’ style cashew spread with maple syrup, vanilla powder and chocolate chips/chunks (dark, milk, or white). This isn’t something I’ve tried but certainly sounds interesting!

Make sure to add any flavorings after the butter is creamy and smooth, and aim to use flavored varieties within two weeks as the shelf life will change.

How to Make Cashew Butter

Below you’ll find the methods for the general roasted, sprouted, and raw cashew butter recipes, all of which require just a few simple steps.

For Sprouted Cashew Butter (aka soaked cashews)

To make soaked cashew butter (it’s often referred to as sprouted, though cashews don’t physically “sprout”, as almonds do), you’ll need to start the process of making homemade cashew butter with a couple of additional steps; soaking and dehydrating. Here’s how (make sure to leave 1 ½ day for these extra steps).

Step 1: Soak the cashews

Add the cashews to a large bowl and cover with cold/room temperature water. Leave to soak for at least 4 hours, up to 24. (at room temperature and replace the water after 12 hours if doing a full day soak).

Then, drain the nuts, rinse once more, and use a clean tea towel to pat them as dry as possible.

Step 2: Dry the nuts

There are three ways to dry the cashews; in a dehydrator (best if you want to make raw cashew butter), oven, or air-drying (though they can take days to dry depending on the climate/temperature).

Dehydrator: Spread the cashews across the dehydrator tray/s in a single layer. Then, dehydrate at 104ºF/40ºC for 14-18 hours, or until completely dry.

Oven: To mimic a dehydrator, use the lowest temperature available (often 122ºF/50ºC) until dry. Alternatively, you can heat them at a higher heat, with the door just slightly propped open (to allow steam to escape).

The nuts need to be dry to continue with the cashew butter recipe. If you want to make raw cashew butter skip the following step. For regular (my preferred option) homemade cashew butter, now carry on to roast the cashews.

For Regular Cashew Butter

Step 1: Roast the cashews

Spread the raw cashews across a large baking tray. Then, roast in a pre-heated oven at 330ºF/165ºC for 10-15 minutes, until golden in color and fragrant.

Then, remove the tray from the oven and allow the nuts to cool for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Blend the cashews into a smooth butter

Pour the cashews into your food processor/blender and blend until smooth. During this process, the cashews will go through several stages. First, they’ll be ground into a fine meal. Then they will start to thicken up as the oils release. Next, it will form a ball, a thick paste, and finally, a smooth, creamy cashew butter.

While blending, give your machine a break every 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the jug (to avoid it overheating, and make sure all the nuts are evenly processed).

The time it takes to blend the cashew butter recipe to your desired “smoothness” will depend on the machine you’re using, the cashews (whether roasted or raw), and your desired smoothness. For this super-smooth roasted cashew nut butter, the process usually takes between 12-15 minutes (machine breaks included).

If you’re using raw cashews: If your particular machine is very high-powered, you may still not require any additional oil. However, if the recipe won’t go past the powder/ball stage for several minutes, I recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons of oil.

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Once you’ve reached the desired consistency, you can then add in any extra ingredients for flavored cashew butter. Alternatively, transfer it straight to an airtight jar.

How to Store

Store: you can store the cashew in the refrigerator for between 6-8 weeks, using clean utensils in the jar each time. It may last up to four months, but I always finish the jar within 6 weeks, so I can’t guarantee it.

Note that it’s normal for the cashew butter to separate when chilled (solids and the bottom with oils on top). Just give it a good stir before using.

Freeze: alternatively, transfer the cashew nut butter to a freezer-safe container and freeze for between 3-4 months.

How To Use Cashew Butter?

I wasn’t kidding when I said above that I think cashew butter is a kitchen staple. If you haven’t baked with it before or used it in recipes, you might be surprised to know just how often you can utilize it. Here are various cashew butter uses to help inspire you!

• Spread over bread – like regular toast, bagels, simit, etc. or even cake – like banana bread.
• Similar to above – it makes for a great peanut butter replacement in a PB&J alongside homemade raspberry, strawberry, or blackberry jam!
• Use in place of tahini within hummus recipes.
• Spoon into your oatmeal or overnight oats.
• Mix into smoothies and smoothie bowls.
• Use to make vegan ice-cream.
• Delicious fat balls/energy balls.
• Use to stuff dates.
• Add to sauces – dressings, drizzles, and dipping sauces.
• Protein bars and granola bars.
• For a fun take on these homemade Vegan peanut butter cups.
• To make delicious creamy vegan fudge.
• I even used it once, mixed with some maple syrup, to make delicious “Rice Krispie treat” style snacks.

Homemade cashew butter is also fantastic for homemade baked goods, including cookies, baked into brownies, more luxurious cakes, baked vegan cheesecakes, and more.

Top Tip: Did you know that you can combine ONE tablespoon of cashew butter with ONE cup water and blend it to create 30-second cashew milk?!

Honestly, I could write an entire blog post on cashew butter uses! However, if you have more uses for it, please let me know in the comments.

FAQs

Top Tips and Recipe Notes

• Patience is key: Depending on your particular food processor/blender, this process can take as little as 5 minutes, up to 30 (or more!). Just remember to give your machine breaks so it doesn’t overheat.
• For crunchy cashew butter: Add ¼-1/3 cup of cashews to the processor to begin with and pulse several times until a crumb consistency then set aside. You can then fold them into the cashew butter recipe at the end.
• Use a food processor when possible: I’ve found they work best unless you have a very powerful blender.
• Taste the cashews first: I know this sounds odd, but cashew flavor can vary quite a bit. So make sure you like the flavor of the nut before blending.
• If you use raw cashews: You’re more likely to need to add some oil to the recipe. I’d still practice patience and give it at-least 10 minutes. However, if it won’t move past the crumbly/balled up phase for several minutes, add in 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil and continue.

Other Nut and Seed Butter Recipes

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• Simple Homemade Walnut Butter Recipe
• Super Omega Seed Butter (5-Seed Butter)
• How To Make Granola Butter (Oatmeal Butter)
• Homemade Sunflower Seed Butter (Oil-Free)
• Simple Homemade Pistachio Butter
• DIY Homemade Vegan Nutella Recipe
• How to make Homemade Hazelnut Butter
• How to make Homemade Brazil Nut Butter
• Coffee Peanut Butter Spread (Espresso Spread)

As always, if you give this homemade cashew butter recipe a try, let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments below. Also, feel free to tag me in your recreations @AlphaFoodie.