Homemade cashew milk is creamy, delicious, and so easy to make. With just three simple ingredients you can make your own nut milk from scratch and use it everything from your morning coffee to your favorite recipes. This is an easy staple recipe and a great alternative to buying expensive plant based milks.
The Best (and easiest!) Homemade Cashew Milk
Making homemade nut milk is something that I put off for a long time because I was so intimidated by the entire process. Whenever I saw someone making almond milk or read a recipe online, I would immediately be put off by all of the straining and multiple steps required. I didn’t want to have to figure out what to do with leftover nut pulp and the idea of squeezing milk through a nut bag was just a bit too much for me.
So, I continued to buy nut milk from the grocery store for the longest time, until I heard about making your own cashew milk. Cashews, while technically not a true nut, are the easiest to “milk”. All you have to do is soak them, remove the excess water, and blend with fresh filtered water until you have a smooth and creamy milk.
This easy recipe for homemade cashew milk is so simple and requires minimal ingredients. The best part? You can easily customize and make this recipe your own with a few simple flavorful additions.
Simple Cashew Milk Ingredients
- Whole, raw cashews – be sure to choose cashews that have not been roasted or salted for the best results. You can likely find cashews in the nut aisle of your local grocery store or if your grocery store has a bulk dry goods section you can find them there as well.
- Filtered water – it is important to use filtered water when blending the cashews as that is what you will be drinking when everything is said and done.
- Sea salt – this helps to bring out the flavor of the cashews and create a more delicious milk.
Why Make Your Own Nut Milk
How to Make Homemade Cashew Milk
Step One: The first step in the process of making cashew milk is to soak your cashews. To do this, add the cashews to a large measuring cup or bowl and cover with filtered water. Cover and place the cashews in the fridge overnight to soak.
Step Two: Next, drain the soaked cashews and add them a high-powered blender. Next add the filtered water and a pinch of salt to the blender as well. This is also the time to add any optional flavor additions to your milk like maple syrup, dates, or cinnamon.
Step Three: Blend the cashews on high for 2-3 minutes until the milk is completely smooth and creamy. There should be no lumps or bits of cashews remaining after the milk has been blended and it will be pretty frothy.
Step Four: After your milk has been blended, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to five days.
How Long Does It Last?
Your cashew milk should last up three to five days in an air-tight container in the fridge.
The Best Thing About Cashew Milk – You Don’t Have to Strain It
You may be surprised to know that you do not have to strain cashew milk after it is blended. Unlike almond milk, that needs to be strained and have the pulped removed, cashews break down completely once blended so there is no need to add the extra step of straining the milk.
If you have a high-powered blender, blending on high for a few minutes should do the trick. However, if you do not have a very high-powered blender, you may find that you still have a few bits remaining even after blending for a while. If that is the case, I recommend pouring the milk through a fine mesh sieve or strainer before bottling.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Cashew Milk
- I prefer to soak my cashews overnight for the best results, but if you are short on time you can soak them for less time. Just know that you may need to blend the cashews a bit longer to ensure that they are completely broken down.
- Be sure you are using raw, whole, and un-roasted cashews for the best results.
- I find cashew milk to be much creamier than almond milk. You can adjust the thickness of the cashew milk by adding more or less water. For a thicker and creamier milk, use less filtered water. For a thinner cashew milk, use more filtered water.
Flavor Variations
Cinnamon – add in a teaspoon or so of ground cinnamon to your cashew milk for a cinnamon flavored milk.
Maple – if you want your milk on the sweeter side, add in a tablespoon or so of maple syrup for a sweetened maple cashew milk.
Honey – if you do not want to use maple syrup to sweeten the milk, you could use honey instead.
Dates – blending one or two soaked dates into the cashew milk is another way to naturally sweeten the milk.
Vanilla – one of my favorite variations is making a vanilla cashew milk. Just add in one or two teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Chocolate – if you are craving a chocolate milk, add in a tablespoon or so of cocoa powder for some chocolatey goodness!
Ways to Use Cashew Milk
Now that you have made your homemade cashew milk, it’s time to use it in all of the things! What I love most about always having a batch of homemade cashew milk in my fridge is all of the ways that I can use it. Here are just a few of my favorite ways to use my homemade cashew milk.
- in my morning iced coffee or iced lattes
- with granola or cereal
- as the liquid in my vanilla chia pudding recipe
- in the batter for my homemade chicken nuggets or air fryer buffalo cauliflower
- as a dairy-free alternative to milk or cream in mashed potatoes or sweet potato casserole
- in soups to make them even more rich and creamy
I hope you give this Homemade Cashew Milk a try! It’s so easy to make and is a great staple to keep in your fridge.
If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on Instagram. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.
Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Casey Colodny / THE MINDFUL HAPA
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How to Make Cashew Milk
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Total Time: 12 hours
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Homemade cashew milk is creamy, delicious, and so easy to make. With just three simple ingredients you can make your own homemade nut milk from scratch and use it everything from your morning coffee to your favorite recipes. This is an easy staple recipe and a great alternative to buying expensive plant based milks.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
- 3 cups filtered water
- Pinch of sea salt
- Optional additions: vanilla extract, cinnamon, or maple syrup
Instructions
- Add the soaked cashews, filtered water, pinch of salt, and any optional additions to your high-powered blender.
- Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until the milk is completely smooth and creamy with no lumps and bits.
- Pour the milk into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to five days.
