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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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…
Cashew perfection!
| 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.
2 questions. can i use my nutri bullet? how do i roast raw cashes? do i need to add oil or just pop it in the oven? i look forward to making this cashew butter sounds so good.
I’ve never worked with a NutriBullet before, so although I can’t personally say whether that will work, I think it just might. To roast raw cashews, line a baking sheet with foil (for easier clean-up!), evenly spread the nuts across it, and bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until fragrant. Let the cashews cool completely before using them to make the nut butter. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cashew butter Michal! 🙂
good and glad to meet you Amy, am going to try it. please can i snbscribe to your articles? to enable me to read your newsletter often.Vivian from Nigeria
You’re so sweet to want to receive my blog’s emails Vivian! You can do so by signing up here. I’m excited to hear what recipe you try next! 🙂
Why do the cashews need to be roasted? I’ve purchased raw cashew butter and was delicious and did not have to refrigerate. Why do you recommend cooked nuts be refrigerated? I used to have terrible allergies to pretty much anything airborne, earth borne, and cat fur. I live where there is lots of agriculture so there’s a lot of chemical spray in the air, plus it’s dry and dusty with lots of pollen, etc. blowing. However, since becoming a staunch vegan, I have had absolutely NO allergy reactions at all! Something seriously changed eating clean, whole foods, and giving up meat and dairy. My friends are frequently sick with asthma, allergies, colds, etc., but not me. Bottom line is, I’m learning to cook at home, so I am always interested in saving $ as nuts are very expensive.
Thank you,
Susan
I found an answer to raw vs. cooked nuts. http://www.prevention.com/content/which-healthier-raw-nuts-vs-roasted-nuts
Except to thicken, I don’t think it needs to be refrigerated. It can get too hard to use in smoothies or on bread. I did try raw almond butter vs. roasted, and roasted DID have a richer flavor, but both are delicious.
Thanks
That’s exactly why my recipe states that the cashew butter should be refrigerated — just to keep it thick! When made properly and blended for the full amount of time, it’s basically a liquid at room temperature. Refrigerating the cashew butter makes it have a similar texture to jarred peanut butter instead. I also recommend roasted cashews instead of raw because they have a much richer, fuller flavor. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of the cashew butter if you try it Susan!
I am wondering why you say not to use raw cashews? The health benefits of raw nuts far outweigh those of their roasted (how) and salted (with what?)
This is not a criticism – just curious what your reasons for not using raw are.
Roasting brings out the flavor of nuts, so I prefer to use toasted nuts in all of my homemade nut butters because I think they taste better and have more flavor. I’ve never heard that roasted cashews weren’t as healthy as raw ones, so I’d be interested in reading any scientific articles that you may have come across that explain why this may be! (I was a chemist before a baking blogger, so I still love science! 🙂 ) You can easily roast your own raw cashews and add additional salt, if you prefer. I hope you enjoy the cashew butter Ernestine!
I have never tried roasted cashew butter, only raw…and it’s awesome for making a variety of smoothies, ice cream and other yummy goodies; savory dishes etc…it also preserves some of the beneficial nutrients by consuming it raw(although still healthy roasted)…it is so sweet and creamy in its raw form, but I am now curious as to how it would taste roasted…thanks for the recipe, I’m intrigued=).
I really prefer the flavor of roasted cashew butter, and it’s just as sweet and creamy. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of it as well Kiki!
I’m wondering how it will work if I soak the cashews first. Has anyone ever tried that. I might need to soak and then dehydrate them.
What are you trying to achieve by soaking the cashews? It seems a little round about to soak them, then dehydrate them, then make the cashew butter. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try the recipe Diane!
Soaking nuts and seeds and legumes helps to reduce the Phytic acid.
I thought on the Vitamix website regarding making nut butters it essentially says to move from low to high speed and then it’ll take around a minute and NOT to process more than one minute after the blade moves freely. Are you really able to process it on low for 8-10 minutes with no impact to the motor? I have the variable speed Vitamix so I’m curious just how low you’re talking about.
I use a Ninja blender and food processor, so I don’t have much experience with Vitamix machines. I’d recommend going with what your Vitaxmix’s manual says first. If the cashew butter isn’t smooth and creamy after a minute on high, as the website states, then reduce the speed and continue blending on a lower level. The lower levels are easier on the machines’ motors. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this cashew butter!
Okay thanks for the reply. My organic whole cashews should be arriving tomorrow, so I’ll post a review shortly afterwards – I’m looking forward to trying it! 🙂
You’re welcome! I can’t wait to hear back about how it turned out! 🙂
Hey Amy,
Sorry for the delayed response. I’ve tried it several times successfully where I follow the instructions for the vitamix, but then reduce the speed way down and just let it keep on churning. Yum!
No need to apologize Lester! I’m so glad that method is working for you and that you’re enjoying the cashew butter! 🙂
Thank you madam for your nice lesson,
I would like to ask about storage, you mentioned that it should stored in refrigerator for three months, can that time be minimize.
I appreciate your interest in my recipe Rasphord! The cashew butter will stay fresh for at least 3 months if stored in the refrigerator. You don’t have to wait that long to eat it! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try it!
Do the cashews blend very smoothly or are they gritty? I don’t have a food allergy, per say, but i have Crohn’s Disease and eating nuts is a bad Idea.I’ve recently found PBfit which is a dehydrated peanut butter. after 20 years it’s nice to have a pb&j. The extra protein is paramount. I’d like to start making my own so i can add some variety to my bleak diet….thanks
As long as you have a high-powered blender with sharp blades, this cashew butter will be very smooth and creamy! I linked to the exact blender that I used in the recipe, for your comparison. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this cashew butter Bill!