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Around my freshman year of high school, my mom’s allergies really started to flare up. She could barely make it through the day without Kleenex, despite taking medicine round the clock. The blossoming flowers and pollen caused even more issues, creeping their way into her sinuses, so she decided to have allergy testing done. Â
After pricking her with needles corresponding to 144 different common allergens, the doctor presented Mom with her results: not chocolate (thank goodness!!) but lots of other foods and just about every single plant out there.
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Mom started receiving allergy shots a couple of times each week to help decrease her reactivity towards her biggest triggers and modified her diet as well. She eliminated peas (she literally jumped for joy about those—she’s hated them since she was a tiny girl!), raw tomatoes and bell peppers, cantaloupe, walnuts, peanuts, and countless other foods.
But because our family loves peanut butter, especially on toast in the mornings, Mom started to search for alternatives. Although she bought quite a few jars of nutella for her English muffins, she also picked up almond butter from Trader Joe’s, way back before it became popular.
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I tagged along on one of her trips to TJ’s, and as we walked around the aisles tossing produce and snacks into the cart, we stopped at the nut butter shelf to refill Mom’s almond butter stash at home. While she grabbed a jar, I scanned the other options and noticed something I’d never heard of before: cashew butter.
Since cashews are her favorite nut, I nearly mentioned it to Mom… And then saw the price sticker. That much for a tiny jar of nut butter?? Oh my! So I kept my mouth shut and walked to the register with her to check out instead.
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Because I’ve been nut-butter-obsessed lately, eating both my almond butter and peanut butter out of the jars with a spoon (does anyone else do that?), I wanted to add a new variety to my stash: this Easy Blender Cashew Butter! That might have been a bad idea though… After sampling it again and again and maybe even again, this new jar won’t last long at all!
Since this recipe only includes two ingredients—cashews and salt—let’s talk about the equipment you’ll need.
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In other words… The blender. I highly recommend a high-speed blender that can handle staying on and crushing nuts for at least 10 minutes. (My parents’ 30-year-old blender would probably fizzle out after just a few minutes!) Ninja, Vitamix, and Blendtec are the best options. I currently own and love this blender. If you don’t have one of these high-speed blenders, then use a food processor instead. (I have this one.)
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Now add the cashews, turn on the blender, and wait. And wait. And wait. It’ll take about 10 minutes for the blades to turn those nuts into thick, creamy butter, and you may need to occasionally scrape down the sides with a spatula. But all of that patience will pay off!
As soon as the blades stop, the cashew butter will be very warm and slightly liquidly from the heat of the blender’s motor. Transfer it to a jar, and place that in the refrigerator to help it thicken to a peanut-butter-like consistency. It takes a few hours, if not overnight, but when you dip in your knife spoon…
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Cashew perfection!
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Easy Blender Cashew Butter | | Print |
- 2 cups (240g) roasted lightly salted cashews
- ½ tsp salt, or to taste
- Add the cashews to a high-speed blender, and blend on low for 8-10 minutes or until creamy, scraping down the sides with a spatula as necessary. Add the salt, and blend for 20-30 seconds. Transfer to a jar or airtight container, and store in the refrigerator.
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Denise Williams says...
I had my cashews before I found your recipe. I happened to buy raw because I really wanted unsalted. Have you ever roasted them your self and then made the cashew butter with success? I went ahead and roasted them and having trouble with the butter coming together even after 10 minutes. Just crumbly and all the nuts stick to the edge so nothing is being blended. Ended up adding some avocado oil and it’s finally coming together. THANKS!
Amy says...
I’m honored that you tried my recipe, Denise! I’ve actually bought raw unsalted cashews, roasted them myself, and used them in this recipe dozens of times. I’ve never had any issues!
What brand and model of blender or food processor do you have? That’s normally the bigger culprit, rather than the nuts themselves. I have one food processor with fairly sharp blades, but it never makes my homemade nut butters nearly as smooth and creamy as my Ninja blender with incredibly sharp blades. (Its blades are so sharp that I always wear gloves to wash it — otherwise, I’ve ended up slicing open my fingers because the blades are that sharp!)
Denise Williams says...
Thank you for your feedback! I’m guessing it’s probably my blender then. I do have a pro ninja but it is many years old and I’m sure the blades aren’t as sharp as they used to be. Do you know if those can be sharpened or you just order a new set of blades? Thanks again! Will give it another shot. 😀
Amy says...
It’s my pleasure, Denise! I’m happy to help! 🙂 I haven’t tried sharpening blender or food processor blades before, so I’m honestly not sure. I just did a quick search on Amazon and Ninja’s website, and it looks like replacement blender blades cost around $20 to $40, depending on the exact model you need and who you purchase it from. Knowing how clumsy I can be (and therefore how dangerous it might be for me to attempt sharpening the blades myself! 😉 ), that’s probably the route I’d go. But that’s just me!
I’m excited to hear how your next batch of cashew butter turns out!!
Denise says...
Thank you very much for checking that! Will look in to it too and try again. Have been loving my cashew butter!
Amy says...
You’re welcome, Denise! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying your cashew butter too! Of all the nut butters, it’s my favorite… And my favorite nut to eat as well! 😉
Joe Shirley says...
Hi there, my name is Joe and I tried you caches nut butter this morning using my Ninja and it is the best. Never will I ever buy any kind of nut butter in a store again. Can you make mixed nut butter the same way? Enjoy you weekend and Merry Christmas to you and yours. Sincerely, Joe Shirley
Amy says...
I’m so happy you enjoyed this cashew butter, Joe! That’s the best compliment there is, if you think you’ll never buy nut butters from the store again. Thank you for taking the time to let me know and rate the recipe too — it really means a lot!
I haven’t tried making mixed nut butter before, but it’s on my to do list! However, I’ve had great success making peanut butter, almond butter, and plenty of other flavored homemade nut butters the same way… So I have a feeling a mixed nut version would probably work too. I’d love to hear how it turns out, if you end up giving that a try!
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones as well!