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Learn how easy it is to make homemade cashew butter with this super simple 2-ingredient recipe.
A few reasons I love homemade nut butter is:
- it’s SO easy to make (seriously, you’ll wonder why you haven’t made it sooner)
- it tastes incredible
- you can flavor it however you want to (hello, variety!)
- it’s way more cost-effective
- it helps reduce unnecessary plastic waste
- great for peanut allergies (it tastes so similar you really can’t even tell the difference)
Homemade Nut Butter vs. Store-Bought
So, why make homemade cashew butter when you can just buy store-bought? Some store-bought nut butter options use added sugars and low-quality oils.
I’m a huge believer in making things homemade when you can. And this homemade cashew butter is no exception. Especially since it’s incredibly simple and easy to make. It just requires a little patience, but barely any work.
Store-bought cashew butter is also expensive. I’m talking between $12-14 a jar expensive. Oy vey! (For comparison, you can buy a 2-pound bag of organic cashews for around $20, which would be a TON of cashew butter.)
Ingredients Needed for Homemade Cashew Butter
It really is this simple, but trust me… this stuff is amazing!
- Raw cashews. These nuts provide a really creamy texture. When roasted, they have a really nice flavor that’s slightly sweet and tastes similar to peanuts.
- Avocado oil. Adding a little neutral oil like avocado oil helps to add a lot of creaminess to the nut butter.
- Salt. A pinch of salt helps to round out the natural sweetness of the nuts.
Side note: It’s best to use raw cashews and then roast and salt them yourself. Store-bought roasted cashews typically aren’t roasted with the best oils and can be overly salty.
How to Make Homemade Cashew Butter (with pictures)
Just a word of warning: It’s really loud when you first turn the food processor on.
Even though I know this, I have a mini heart attack every time. This is just in the first 10-20 seconds when it’s breaking down the nuts.
Now that you know the scariest part of the process, let’s get to it.
Roasting the Nuts
Add your raw cashews to a large baking sheet and spread them out into a single layer.
Roast them for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. (Check after 10 minutes and if needed, give the pan a little shake before roasting for another minute or two.)
Let cool for about 5 minutes before adding them to your food processor.
Making the Nut Butter
Nuts go through stages before they turn into butter.
- First, the food processor breaks the nuts down into a mealy texture.
- Then, the nuts start to form into a ball.
- Finally, the ball will slowly start to break down again and become butter.
I find that doing this in 3-minute increments works quite well.
Please note that you’ll have to occasionally scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula when it starts to build up there.
Now that the roasted cashews are slightly cooled, turn your machine on and let them ‘process’ for about 3 minutes. (I set my timer to make this process go smoothly. No pun intended.)
what it looks like after 3 minutes ^ (the ball stage)
After the 3 minute mark, open the lid, scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, and then turn it on again to churn for another 3 minutes.
You’ll see the ball slowly start to break down into a butter.
after 6 minutes ^ (it’s starting to become smoother, but is still gritty)
It’s getting there. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, add in the salt and oil and turn it on for another 3 minutes.
it’s ready: after 9 minutes ^
Now, that it’s completely smooth, it’s ready to use.
How to Use Cashew Butter
One thing that’s great about this homemade cashew butter is that it’s incredibly versatile. You can use it as it is, or substitute this any time you’d typically use peanut butter.
It can be used in sweet and savory dishes alike. Use it to make healthy puppy chow bars or my 3 Ingredient Snickers Bites or go the savory route and make a simple ‘peanut’ sauce with it.
It’s also great in smoothies, on toast, added to oatmeal, or in dairy-free banana bread.
Cashew Butter Flavor Combinations
If you want to make the homemade cashew butter a little more exciting, you can easily do this by adding in different flavorings.
Here are some ideas:
- cocoa powder + maple syrup + vanilla extract = chocolate ‘peanut butter’ butter
- vanilla extract + maple syrup = vanilla cake batter butter
- cinnamon + organic cane sugar = churro butter
- cocoa powder + maple syrup + peppermint extract = mint chocolate butter
If adding any of these flavorings, add them in at the same time you add the salt and oil.
What Type of Kitchen Appliance is Best to Make Homemade Nut Butter?
The best appliance for making homemade nut butter is a food processor. You can make nut butter in a blender, but I find it to be much more frustrating of a process (even with a high-powered blender).
Learn about the differences between a food processor vs blender.
How to Store Homemade Cashew Butter
Store cashew butter in a glass jar with a tightly sealed lid in the pantry (away from heat and direct light) for 2 months or in the fridge for even longer (around 5-6 months).
Since it’s so versatile, it goes quick. In fact, mine has never lasted past the 2 month mark!
Helpful Recipe Tips
- For best results, make homemade cashew butter in a food processor. A high-powered blender will work, but a food processor is much easier.
- The length of time it takes for it to form a butter will depend on the power of your machine (so it could take a little longer than 9 minutes).
- You can choose to leave the cashews raw, but roasting the nuts gives the butter a deeper, richer flavor.
- Don’t leave out the pinch of salt (regardless if you’re going to use it for sweet or savory dishes).
Homemade Cashew Butter
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- ½ tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Roasting the Nuts
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and add your raw cashews to a large baking sheet and spread them out into a single layer.
- Roast them for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. (Check after 10 minutes and if needed, give the pan a little shake before roasting for another minute or two.)
- Let cool for about 5 minutes before adding them to your food processor.
Making the Nut Butter
- Now that the roasted cashews are slightly cooled, turn your machine on and let them ‘process’ for about 3 minutes. (I set my timer to make this process go smoothly.)
- After the 3 minute mark, open the lid, scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, and then turn it on again to churn for another 3 minutes.
- It’s getting there. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, add in the salt and oil and turn it on for another 3 minutes.
- It’s ready when it’s completely smooth (after about 9 minutes – see notes).
Notes
- For best results, make homemade cashew butter in a food processor. A high-powered blender will work, but a food processor is much easier.
- The length of time it takes for it to form a butter will depend on the power of your machine (so it could take a little longer than 9 minutes).
- You can choose to leave the cashews raw, but roasting the nuts gives the butter a deeper, richer flavor.
- Don’t leave out the pinch of salt (regardless if you’re going to use it for sweet or savory dishes).
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