This cashew milk recipe is as simple as it gets. Made with just two ingredients and ready in under an hour, it blends up smooth and creamy with zero preservatives or fillers. Whether you are using it in coffee, smoothies, cooking or baking, this easy cashew milk is incredibly versatile and tastes fresher than anything you can buy at a store!
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One of my favorite things about this homemade cashew milk is how versatile it is. I use it as the creamy base in soups like my leek and corn chowder, blend it into ultra-smooth cashew ice cream, and use it instead of coconut cream in my red curry baked potstickers. It also works beautifully in savory dishes like chicken pesto pasta and in comfort food classics like my homemade chicken pot pie.
Why You'll Love This Homemade Cashew Milk
- This unsweetened cashew milk recipe is made with only two ingredients!
- There is no straining or cheesecloth required! All you have to do is soak the cashews, throw them in a blender with some water, and that's it!
- Cashew milk is super easy to make in a pinch.
- It is a wonderful replacement for milk or cream and works in almost any recipe!
- This cashew milk recipe is an easy way to make preservative-free plant milk!
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Ingredients For Cashew Milk Recipe
- Raw Cashews - Be sure to use plain, unsalted, raw cashews.
- Water - You'll need both hot and cold water for this recipe.
A full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the recipe card below.
Cashew Milk Flavor Variations
- Chocolate Cashew Milk - Add 2-3 dates and 4 Tablespoons of dutch processed cocoa powder.
- How to Sweeten Cashew Milk - You can add any sweetener, like maple syrup, honey, dates or sugar, to the milk as it is blending. Add the sweetener slowly and taste as you go to reach your desired sweetness.
- Vanilla Cashew Milk - Add 2-3 dates and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
- Spices - Add cinnamon, nutmeg, flaky salt or pumpkin pie spice to the cashew milk recipe! If adding spices, I recommend adding a sweetener as well to prevent the spices from tasting bitter.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review
"So good, so simple, economical and delicious."
- Kellie
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How To Make Cashew Milk
Making cashew milk is super easy. No need for nut milk straining bags or anything fancy. All you need is some water, plain cashews, and a blender!
Step 1
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Once the water has reached a rolling boil, remove it from the heat and add the cashews. Let the cashews soak for 30-45 minutes.
After the cashews have soaked, strain the cashews and rinse them under cold water.
Add the rinsed cashews into the jar of a blender and add the filtered water.
Step 2
Put the lid on tightly and blend on the highest speed for 2-3 minutes until the liquid in the blender resembles creamy white milk.
If you are adding any of the other optional ingredients, add them now, and blend for an additional minute.
Step 3
Transfer the blended cashew milk to a storage container and store it in the refrigerator.
Expert Cashew Milk Tips
- How to make cashew milk creamy - Simply reduce the amount of water that you blend it with. This will produce a thick, creamy cashew milk. Start with 1 ¼ cups of water and add water gradually until your desired thickness is reached.
- A high-powered blender works best. Higher power blenders like Vitamix blenders (not sponsored) are able to handle breaking down full cashew nuts.
Storage Tips
Store homemade cashew milk in a glass container that has a tight-fitting lid. Keep it in the refrigerator and use it within 5-6 days to maintain optimal freshness.
If the cashew milk separates, give it a quick shake or stir before using it.
Homemade cashew milk can be frozen for up to 3 months in a ziplock bag or freezer-safe container. If separation occurs after it thaws, give it a shake or re-blend it to re-emulsify the milk before using.
Frequently Asked Questions
This cashew milk recipe can be used as a substitute for milk or cream in almost any recipe! I have used it as a cream replacement in recipes like my creamy butternut squash soup or homemade chicken and dumplings. You can reduce the water slightly to make it thicker for recipes that you need a heavy cream substitute.
It can not be used as a replacement for heavy cream in recipes like homemade whipped cream that depend on the thickening structure of real cream.
No! Cashew milk is one of the only nut milks that you do not have to strain. Cashews are soft, especially after soaking them in hot water. Using a high powered blender breaks them down into a creamy consistency with virtually no pulp!
Cashew milk has a rich and creamy consistency that is slightly thicker than regular milk. Compared to almond milk, cashew milk is much thicker and creamier, whereas almond milk can often taste watered down and thin. Try it in my chocolate peanut butter banana smoothies to taste how delicious the texture is!
Cashew milk has a thick and creamy consistency, making it ideal for coffee! Pair it with some vanilla coffee syrup, and you'll be making cafe-style coffee drinks in your own kitchen!
The two most common mistakes resulting in gritty cashew milk are not soaking the cashews for long enough or using a lower power blender. Make sure the cashews are soaking for at least 30 minutes in hot water and that you are using a high power blender.
Yes! This cashew milk recipe can be substituted for whole milk in almost any baking recipe, like in my haystack cookies!
Use Cashew Milk In these Recipes
Looking recipes to use cashew milk in? Try these:
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Cashew Milk Recipe
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Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 3 cups Water for soaking the cashews
- 1 cup Raw Cashews plain and unsalted
- 2 ¼ cups Water filtered
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Once it is boiling, remove it from the heat and add the cashews. Let the cashews soak in the hot water for 30-45 minutes.
- Once the cashews have soaked, drain all of the soaking water and rinse the cashews under cold water. Add the cashews and filtered water to a blender and blend on high for 2-3 minutes, until all of the cashews are blended in and a creamy texture is reached.
- If you are adding any sweetener or flavors (see below), add them to the blender now and blend for an additional minute to incorporate.
- Pour the cashew milk into an airtight container or jar and store it in the refrigerator. Use within 5-6 days for optimal freshness.
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Notes
- Cashews - Be sure to use plain, unsalted raw cashews to make this cashew milk.
- Chocolate Cashew Milk - Make chocolate cashew milk by adding 2-3 dates and 4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder.
- Vanilla Cashew Milk - Add 2-3 dates and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
- Sweeteners - Use maple syrup, honey, sugar, or dates to sweeten cashew milk.
- Spices - Optional spice add-ins include cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice or flaky sea salt. If you are adding spices, I recommend also adding a sweetener so the milk doesn't taste bitter.
- To make cashew milk creamier, reduce the amount of water that you blend it with. Start with 1 ¼ cups of filtered water in the blender, gradually adding more until your desired consistency is reached.
- A high-powered blender works best to make this cashew milk. Blenders like Vitamix, BlendTec, Ninja or NutriBullet.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
Cashew Nut Producer says
Hi Jessica and Eddie such a nice couple you are. I followed you on Instagram and other social sites. I use to practice your dishes sometimes the best part is you share the recipes with us thanks.
Jessica says
Thank you, enjoy the recipes!
Chris says
Hi can you make this with evaporated coconut
Milk as well? Would I sub the filtered water or just
add the coconut milk in addition?
Jessica says
Hi there! I imagine that you could, yes! I would recommend trying it with half water/half evaporated coconut milk. I would be interested to hear how it goes!
Kellie says
So good, so simple economical and delicious.
Jessica says
We've been making this cashew milk recipe for years. It is so handy to be able to quickly whip up a batch of cream or milk when we don't have anything else on hand!