This homemade cashew milk is not only made using only two ingredients but is dairy-free, lactose free, vegan and contains no added sugars, unnecessary additives or preservatives. It can also be customised and flavoured. Plus, by using the leftover cashew pulp, this recipe is zero waste!
Nut milks have got to be one of my favourite, simple homemade DIY’s. With just two ingredients this homemade cashew milk can be whipped up in a short amount of time for a super easy and delicious alternative to dairy milk. Plus the cashew pulp is useable for all kinds of exciting recipes, making this DIY zero waste- even better!
Cashew milk is a bit ‘heavier’ than some of its other nut alternatives. However, this also means it feels like a super creamy treat to use! In fact, it’s perfect for dessert recipes, latte’s and for super creamy morning oats ( the same goes for this homemade cashew butter).
Is Cashew Milk Good For You?
As I stated above, cashews are a bit of a ‘heavier’ nut in comparison to almonds etc. Which can lead people to question cashew milk benefits.
Luckily, I’m here to tell you that cashew milk can definitely be good for you. When consuming homemade cashew milk, you’re getting all the nutritional value of cashews – which are plentiful.
Cashews are an excellent source of healthy fats – which aid heart health. They also contain good levels of protein and a variety of vitamins and minerals which are good for your health. While you’ll generally find that homemade cashew milk contains more calories than store-bought types, this is because homemade versions aren’t as ‘watered down’.
In fact, I prefer my dairy-free milk recipes to have more calories if this means I’m also consuming more nutrients as well, with a better, creamier taste.
Homemade cashew milk has a variety of health benefits associated with it. These include improved heart health, eye health, blood sugar level control etc. It even has anti-cancerous properties and is good for overall immune health.
So feel free to go forth and blend those cashews into creamy milk- Just like with anything nut related, consume it in moderation, and you’re good to go.
Plus, I love the fact that when homemaking nut milk, I know that the nut content is higher than store-bought versions. It also doesn’t contain any thickeners or preservatives. That keeps this recipe 100% clean eating, using whole ingredients!
Not to mention that homemade cashew milk ( and other homemade nut milks) can be super easily customised and flavoured without the additional price tag of store-bought flavoured options- win-win!
Optional Homemade Cashew Milk Add-Ins
- Feel free to add some Medjool dates to your homemade cashew milk, as a natural sweetener.
- Alternatively, you could use Maple Syrup/Agave nectar to sweeten your homemade cashew milk.
- Homemade vanilla extract – add vanilla to your homemade cashew milk along with a sweetener for a lovely sweetened version.
- Experiment with adding some of your favourite spices such as cinnamon powder.
- This homemade cashew milk makes for an excellent base for a variety of coffee-based drinks like lattes.
If you follow my Instagram, you likely know that I LOVE making homemade nut milks and other dairy-free milk alternatives. Now it’s finally time for me to add all the recipes I’ve learnt, to my blog! From cashew milk, Oat milk, Rice Milk, Hemp milk etc. Keep your eyes peeled for the recipes!
These nut milks can then be used in SO MANY ways. With your cereal, in Smoothies, For overnight oats and porridge, in chia pudding, Or simply to drink, straight up!
How To Make This Homemade Cashew Milk Recipe
The process of learning how to make cashew milk is super simple and follows the same process as other nut milks;
The first step: Soak your cashews overnight in a bowl of cold water. If you’re in a pinch, then I’d say a minimum of 4 hours in warm water. They’re best left closer to 8-10 hours though!
The Second Step: In the morning drain and rinse the cashews. Then add them to your blender with 4 cups of filtered water and blend, blend, blend. Alternatively, read the NutraMilk method below -Which is photographed below.
Note* The ratio of nuts to milk affects the consistency, with a 1 cup nuts to 4 cups filtered water creating delicious and creamy milk. However, a 1:2 ratio can be used to make it almost like a ‘cream’.
It only needs 2 minutes in a high-speed blender to produce lovely, creamy milk.
The Third Step: Using a nut milk bag, you then just need to strain the liquid into a bowl, making sure to try and squeeze all the extra liquid into the bowl.
You are then left with a bag of cashew pulp that you can use in various ways, to make this recipe zero-waste ( see suggestions below).
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Alternatively, you can use the NutraMilk machine ( For UK Customers: click here and Rest-of-the-world Customers click here then use discount code ALPHAFOODIE50 at checkout for a £50/$50 discount).
I LOVE using my Nutramilk for all my home-made nut milks, butters, spreads, dips etc. Not only is there no need to pre-soak your nuts, but it also has a very clever fine mesh system which leaves you will almost zero waste and no need to strain. So you can whip up nut milk within a few minutes with no prep needed!
Once you have your homemade cashew milk liquid then transfer this to an air-tight bottle. This milk then lasts 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge!
How to use the leftover cashew pulp
Just like with the pulp leftover from homemade almond milk, cashew pulp leftover from homemade cashew milk is useable in a variety of recipes.
This includes: to top your cereal, added into a smoothie, as a topping for yogurt, in homemade granola. You can also use it for plenty of baking recipes. This includes my tart bases, energy balls, cookies, crackers, muffins, brownies etc.
This post contains affiliate links which means, at no additional cost to yourself, I may earn a commission- to help purchase ingredients for my next recipe- if you purchase an item having clicked a link on this page.
Other Cashew Based Recipes You May Like
I have a bit of a love affair going on with cashews when it comes to my recipes. These creamy nuts are the perfect base to so many dairy-free alternative recipes that it’s hard not to be infatuated with them. From homemade cashew-based Vegan Cherry Layered Cheesecakes to this Simple Homemade Vegan Cashew Cheese or Homemade Vegan Feta Cheese.
In fact, I have a variety of dairy-free cheesecake/ tart recipes and other dairy-free cheese recipes that are cashew-based. Feel free to browse through my blog for more.
If you give this homemade cashew milk recipe a go, then I’d super appreciate a recipe rating. Also, feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations/ creations on Instagram @AlphaFoodie.
If you want to try other dairy-free milks, feel free to browse through the DIY section of my blog or search ‘milk‘ in the search bar for options including almonds, oats, pistachio, etc.
Zero Waste Homemade Cashew Milk
Ingredients
- 1 Cup cashew
- 4 Cups Filtered water
Instructions
- Begin by soaking your cashews overnight in a bowl of water.*
- In the morning, drain the excess water and rince the cashews.
- Add the cashews to your blender ** and blend for about a minutes.
- Add the water and blend till smooth and milky. ***
- Using a nut milk bag, strain the cashew milk into a large bowl, squeezing out as much of the liquid from the remaining cashew pulp.****
- Pour this into an airtight bottle and keep stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Akuma Kanji
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is my favourite of the nut milks I’ve tried so far. It is the closest to dairy milk in consistency, colour and taste. The only thing I have to point out is how fine the pulp gets after blending. It is so fine that most of it passes through the cloth, which left my drink a bit grainy. Next time I will try to filter it with a coffee filter and see how it goes. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to use the pulp (which I was going to use to thicken a sauce) because with these hot days it fermented after I left it on the counter overnight (my bad!).
I really enjoy this drink with chocolate 😀
AlphaFoodie
I’m so glad that you like it! Sorry to hear you were unable to use the pulp. It’s definitely a lot hotter than usual at the moment – but hopefully, you’ll be able to use it again soon. Let me know how it goes with the coffee filter. You can also dry out the pulp in the oven at its’ lowest temperature too.
Chris Rinaldi
Hey there! I’ve been hunting recipes for that leftover cashew pulp.. it doesn’t make very much.. but I hate throwing it away. I could not find anything specific on your page? Can you make suggestions or maybe links? I’d love to not waste it!
Thank you!
AlphaFoodie
Hi – I have a small section on the page with some suggested uses, however, you’re correct – I don’t really link to recipes in particular. I’ll often add the leftover pulp into smoothies, porridge dishes, with yogurt and fruit bowls, etc. However, you can also dry it out by placing it in a thin layer on the countertop or within the oven at its’ lowest temperature. Once dried out the pulp can be used within a variety of baking recipes or for snacks like energy balls and crackers. I have a variety of tart recipes on the blog that use crushed nuts too- so simply swap out some of the almonds, etc. for this. Same with the energy balls – I have a couple of recipes here on the blog, simply swap out some of the nuts mentioned in the recipes for some of the dried cashew pulp 🙂
A few examples include:
https://www.alphafoodie.com/healthy-cacao-almond-protein-balls/
https://www.alphafoodie.com/golden-turmeric-energy-balls-no-bake/
https://www.alphafoodie.com/homemade-healthy-almond-butter-granola-bars/
https://www.alphafoodie.com/no-bake-vegan-earl-grey-blueberry-tart/ ( although there are lots of other tart recipes available too 🙂 )