How to Make Cashew Butter

Gosh, are you in for a treat! This homemade cashew butter is one of the most delicious things to come out of my kitchen, and it doesn’t require any added oil or cooking. You could be enjoying it in about 10 minutes.

All you need are cashews and a food processor to get started!

Why would you make cashew butter? Good question. In my experience, homemade nut butter tastes way better than store-bought. It’s also more affordable in some cases. But most importantly, you get to control the flavor. This one is so delicious that you may just want to eat it by the spoonful. It’s almost like dessert!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review

“I love how you include step-by-step photos for the process. I would have given up when I got the ball, thinking I did something wrong, but thanks to you I knew to just keep going. This is the best cashew butter!” – Rachel

Ingredients You’ll Need

Similar to making homemade almond butter or peanut butter, all you need is one ingredient to make cashew butter: plain cashews.

I like to use the ones that say “raw” on the label, but roasted ones will work, too. You can also add salt to this recipe, but that’s optional. I don’t recommend adding anything wet to this recipe, like honey, as it can cause the nut butter to seize, ruining the texture.

You’ll need one pound of cashews to get started, which is about 3 cups, if you prefer to measure that way. I don’t recommend starting with anything less than this, unless you have a smaller food processor. (The one in my photos is a 12-cup size.)

Note: Cashews sold in US grocery stores are not truly raw; most are steamed or otherwise processed to remove traces of urushiol, a toxic resin found in their shells. So, when I say I use “raw” cashews for this recipe, I mean the ones sold in the grocery store that aren’t roasted.

How to Make Cashew Butter in a Food Processor

Step 1:

Add the cashews to the bowl of a food processor fitted with an “S” blade, secure the lid, and start processing. After 1 to 2 minutes of processing, you’ll have a powdery texture that will stick to the sides of the bowl.

In fact, it might completely stick to the sides of the bowl, leaving your food processor blade spinning and sounding like it’s not processing anything. That’s when you should stop the machine, remove the lid, and scrape down the sides with a spatula.

Once it’s all scraped, secure the lid and process again. (You might have to scrape it down one more time, but that’s it!)

Step 2:

After 2 more minutes of processing, the sides that build up should start to fall down on their own, until the mixture starts to stick together into one big ball. If you see a ball, that’s a great sign!

There’s no need to do anything at this point. Just keep processing; the ball will break down on its own in about 1 more minute.

Step 3:

You’re not done yet. Let your food processor continue to run until you hear the cashew butter become noticeably louder as it is processed. It will have a “sloshy” sound, indicating a smoother, runnier texture.

It will also start spinning noticeably faster.

This is how you make a runny, drippy cashew butter like the kind you buy at the store, and it’s all done in about 10 minutes of processing, without any added oil. (This could vary based on your machine, but mine is usually making that loud sloshy sound in about 10 minutes.)

Final Tips

Once you’re happy with the consistency of the cashew butter, you can season it, if desired. You can add up to a half teaspoon of salt to make salted nut butter, or add some ground spices, like cinnamon or ginger.

Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to add liquid to this.

Not honey. Not vanilla extract. Not maple syrup. If you do, the texture will immediately seize… meaning, it won’t have that runny, drippy consistency you just worked so hard for. You can add a tablespoon of oil if you want a runnier consistency, but nothing else.

I like to keep mine plain, so I can use it however I want. (Drizzled on sliced bananas is one of my favorite treats, or eaten straight off the spoon, is what happens most in my house.)

How to Make Cashew Butter (No Oil or Roasting!)

5 from 3 votes

I never thought I'd be the kind of person who makes homemade cashew butter, so I have to warn you… Once you taste it, it's hard to go back to store-bought. All you need is cashews, a food processor, and about 10 minutes. (Most of which is hands-off.) My method is the fastest, because you don't have to turn on your oven and roast the cashews first. But I'll share some tips if you'd like to get an extra-roasty flavor, too.

prep10 mins cook0 mins total10 mins

Servings:16

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 16 ounces cashews (about 3 cups)

Instructions

• In a 12-cup food processor fitted with an "S" blade, add in the cashews and start processing. They will break down into a flour-like, powdery consistency and will start piling up against the sides of the food processor bowl within 2 minutes.
• Stop and scrape down the sides, then start processing again. It will take roughly 5 minutes total for the mixture to form a ball. This is a good sign.
• Continue processing. The cashew butter will start to look thick and grainy when the ball breaks down, and it will continue getting smoother the longer you process it. After roughly 10 minutes total of processing, you should begin to hear a loud "sloshy" sound as the cashew butter becomes runnier in texture. The food processor will also sound like it's spinning MUCH faster. This is when you know it's done.
• Transfer the cashew butter to a clean glass jar with a lid, and store it in the fridge. It should last for at least a month in the fridge, as long as you keep it free from added moisture.

Notes

Nutrition information is for approximately 1 ounce, or 2 tablespoons, of cashew butter. This is automatically calculated, so it’s just an estimate and not a guarantee. 

Roasted Cashew Option: If you prefer roasted cashew butter, preheat the oven to 350ºF and spread the cashews out in a single layer. Once the oven is hot, place them in the oven to roast for 8 to 10 minutes, just until they smell fragrant. Keep an eye on the end of the cooking time so they don’t burn. Let them cool until you can comfortably handle the nuts. (You don’t want the hot nuts to melt your food processor bowl.) Then proceed with the recipe as directed. 

Salt Option: You can add up to a 1/2 teaspoon of salt if you’d like a salted nut butter. 

Liquid Note: Don’t be tempted to add any liquid to this recipe, like honey or maple syrup. That will cause the texture to seize, and your nut butter will no longer have a drippy, runny consistency. 

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 2mg

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Snack

Cuisine: vegan

Keyword: cashew butter

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If you try this method for making your own cashew butter at home, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how it works out for you. And if you make any modifications or try adding flavors, I’d love to hear about it, too. We can all benefit from your experience!