This cashew milk recipe is a tasty alternative to store-bought options. It only takes five ingredients to make, most of which you might already have on hand. It’s the perfect creamy milk for your morning oatmeal, coffee, tea, or a base in various recipes.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclaimer for details.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Smooth: The consistency of this homemade cashew milk is perfectly smooth. Its creamy texture is ideal for use as a creamer in coffees and teas or as a rich recipe base.
- Nutritious: Cashew milk is a nutrient-packed alternative to dairy milk, filled with essential vitamins and minerals.
- Quick & Easy: From start to finish, making your own cashew milk at home is a breeze. It requires minimal ingredients and just a few simple steps, which means you can have fresh, homemade nut milk ready in no time.
Nutrition For Mental Health
One serving of cashews contains 157 calories, 5g of protein, 12g of fat, 9g of carbohydrates, and 1g of fiber. They are an excellent source of antioxidants, copper, magnesium, and manganese. Cashews are also a good source of zinc, phosphorus, iron, selenium, and thiamine.
An animal study found that anacardic acid, found in cashews, has an antidepressant effect [1].
A cohort study found that middle-aged adults in the United Kingdom who consumed >0 to 1 serving of 30 g of nuts daily experienced a lower risk of depression compared to participants who consumed no nuts [2].
Are you trying to eat more white foods? If so, check out this helpful guide for 130 Naturally White Foods. (It’s part of my #eattherainbow blog series.)
Ingredients + Notes
This easy cashew milk recipe uses a cup of cashews and four cups of water. The additional ingredients simply enhance the flavor.
- Cashews: The main ingredient (obviously). Cashew nuts provide a creamy base and a mild, buttery flavor.
- Dates: A natural sweetener, dates add a subtle sweetness without overpowering.
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations
This cashew nut milk recipe is great as is. If you need to make some adjustments, here are my recommendations.
- Sweetener: If you don’t have dates or aren’t a fan, my next choice would be maple syrup or agave. Since these are both liquids, they are perfect for making cashew milk.
- Cinnamon: Add a pinch of ground cinnamon for a warm spice flavor.
- Chocolate: Enjoy homemade chocolate cashew milk by adding 2-4 tablespoons of cacao powder plus 2-4 tablespoons of maple syrup. (Don’t skip the sweetener in this version!)
How To Make Cashew Milk
Enjoy this creamy cashew milk recipe in just minutes.
- Soak cashews in super-hot water for 15 minutes. Alternatively, soak them in room-temperature water for 8 hours or longer.
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend on high. (Depending on your blender, this could take 20-60 seconds or so.)
Would you like to save this?
- Line a medium bowl with cheesecloth and pour cashew milk in.
- Squeeze cashew milk through cheesecloth into a bowl.
- Enjoy your homemade cashew milk as a drink or in your favorite recipe. Pour leftover milk into a glass jar or pitcher with a lid.
Servings Ideas
The creamiest dairy-free nut milk is perfect for using in your coffee, oatmeal, or baked goods. Here are some serving ideas for using your favorite plant milk.
- Creamer: Use cashew milk as a dairy-free creamer in your coffee or tea. Its creamy texture enriches beverages without altering their flavor significantly.
- Chia pudding: Mix cashew milk with chia seeds and let it sit overnight. The milk’s smooth texture is perfect for creating a creamy pudding. My go-to recipes include Matcha Chia Pudding and Pomegranate Chia Pudding.
- Pancakes: You can use this homemade cashew milk in your pancake batter, too! This easy recipe for Vegan Banana Pancakes would be perfect.
- Waffles: It’s also great for making light, airy waffles. Try these Applesauce Waffles Recipe or Vegan Protein Waffles.
Storage Tips
Guess what? This cashew nut milk can be kept in the fridge or freezer.
- Fridge: For best results, store your homemade cashew nut milk in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. (A glass jar or pitcher with a lid will help keep your cashew milk fresher longer.)
- Freezer: It can also be frozen in ice cube trays and then transferred to an airtight freezer-safe container for future use. This way, it can be stored in the freezer for about a month.
FAQ
Cashew milk is creamy and versatile. It is also super easy to make! That being said, homemade cashew milk is high in plant-based fat. So, that is something to keep in mind.
Homemade cashew milk and almond milk actually have a similar macro breakdown. However, cashew milk generally has a creamier texture and is higher in vitamin A. Almond milk, on the other hand, contains much more calcium.
Homemade cashew nut milk typically lasts for about 4-5 days when stored properly in the refrigerator. It should be kept in an airtight container (preferably glass) to maintain freshness. Always shake it well before use, as homemade nut milk can separate when stored.
To thicken cashew milk, use less water during blending. This will result in a richer, creamier texture.
More Plant-Based Milks
If you tried this Cashew Milk Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Cashew Milk
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked and rinsed
- 4 cups water
- 1 Medjool date, pitted
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Soak cashews in boiled water for 15 minutes. Alternatively, soak in room temp water for 8 hours or longer.
- Add all ingredients to blender and blend on high. (Depending on your blender this could take 30-60 seconds or so.)
- Line a medium bowl with cheesecloth.
- Squeeze cashew milk through cheesecloth into a bowl.
- Enjoy your homemade cashew milk as a drink or in your favorite recipe. Pour leftover milk into a glass jar or pitcher with a lid.
Video
Notes
- Fridge: For best results, store your homemade cashew nut milk in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. (A glass jar or pitcher with a lid will help keep your cashew milk fresher longer.)
- Freezer: It can also be frozen in ice cube trays and then transferred to an airtight freezer-safe container for future use. This way, it can be stored in the freezer for about a month.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
We’d love to see! Tag @raepublic on Instagram!
References
[1] Júnior, A. L. G., Tchekalarova, J. D., da Conceição Machado, K., Silva, S. W. C., Paz, M. F. C. J., Nogueira, T. R., de Matos Monteiro Lira, B. S., Zihad, S. M. N. K., Islam, M. T., Ali, E. S., de Sousa Rios, M. A., Carvalho, A. L. M., da Silva Lopes, L., Saha, S. K., Mubarak, M. S., & de Carvalho Melo-Cavalcante, A. A. (2019). Antidepressant-like effect of anacardic acid in mice via the L-arginine-nitric oxide-serotonergic system. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 33(8), 2126–2138. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6407
[2] Bizzozero-Peroni, B., Fernández-Rodríguez, R., Martínez-Vizcaíno, V., Garrido-Miguel, M., Medrano, M., Jiménez-López, E., & Mesas, A. E. (2023). Nut consumption is associated with a lower risk of depression in adults: A prospective analysis with data from the UK Biobank cohort. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 42(9), 1728–1736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2023.07.020
Delicious!
Thanks so much!