Cashew Milk
This homemade cashew milk recipe is the crème de la crème of plant-based milks. It also means you can make your own homemade creamy vegan milk any day of the week.
I love making my own dairy-free milk. There are plenty of reasons for this, one of which being that just about everything homemade is better. However, I also feel like it’s a big saver of one-time-use plastic containers. Once you get the hang of making your own cashew nut milk, you’ll never run out of milk at home again!
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Using soaked cashews combined with water creates a thick, creamy milk mixture
- Adding dates gives subtle, plant-based sweetness to every sip
- Vanilla enhances the nutty flavor of the cashews, making perfectly flavored nut milk
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Cashews — You can buy raw cashews in health food stores or online. Some grocery stores will carry them, as well.
- Vanilla — We’ll add a bit of vanilla extract for flavor.
- Dates — I recommend Medjool dates, and these can be found at health food stores and many grocery stores. It’s a regular product with my vegan shopping at Costco. You can make unsweetened cashew milk by leaving out the dates in this recipe.
- Water — If your water has flavor, I recommend using filtered water.
- Salt — A pinch of sea salt brings out the best flavors in this nut milk.
How to Make Cashew Milk
- Slow soak cashews for a minimum of four hours or use the fast-soak method below. Drain the soaking liquid.
- Add all the ingredients to the blender jar and pulse until creamy.
- Transfer the milk to a lidded jar (like a mason jar) and store it in the fridge.
Here’s a more detailed step-by-step guide:
Step One: Soak Cashews
Slow soak cashews:
- Place cashews in a glass bowl and cover with water.
- Refrigerate and soak them for a minimum of four hours or up to overnight.
- Drain the soaking liquid.
Fast soak cashews:
- Fast soak cashews by placing them in a saucepan.
- Cover them with water and then place it over medium heat.
- Bring it to a simmer (low boil) and cook for around 10 minutes. The cashews will become plump.
- Remove from heat and allow them to cool.
- Drain the soaking liquid.
Step Two: Add Ingredients to a Blender
Add all the ingredients to a blender jar and pulse until creamy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step Three: Chill
Transfer the milk to a lidded jar (like a mason jar) and store it in the fridge.
To Strain or Not to Strain?
I don’t usually strain my cashew nut milk because the cashews are so soft they blend up nicely. It does mean you need to stir it if it’s been sitting in the fridge.
Storage Tips
Store milk in a glass container, like a mason jar, in the fridge for up to 3 days. This milk will thicken as it sits so it will need to be stirred before using. You can freeze it by pouring it into ice cube trays. Then plop a frozen cube into soups or even hot beverages as you need them. Perfect!
Serving Suggestions
Use this plant-based milk with any of the following:
- Protein Granola
- Peanut Butter Granola
- Blueberry Overnight Oats
- Chocolate Chia Pudding
- Chocolate Cashew Milk — make this tasty beverage by combining this nut milk with some vegan chocolate syrup.
I also highly encourage using this creamy milk to make no-churn vegan ice cream or vegan chocolate ice cream.
Making It Nutritious
This nut milk is nutritious as is, but if you’d like to reduce carbs and calories even more, you can leave the dates out. Here are some key nutritional highlights:
- Around 100 calories per serving
- 3g of protein per serving (add a little vanilla protein powder to add even more protein)
- Cashews are great sources of healthy fats, copper, and magnesium, among other nutritional offerings.
Make your cashew milk keto-friendly by leaving out the dates. If you like a sweet flavor to your nut milk, simply add a bit of zero-calorie sweetener, such as monkfruit.
Frequently-Asked Questions
Is cashew milk vegan?
Cashew nut milk is made from cashews and water, which makes it plant-based and vegan. There can be other ingredients added to homemade and/or store-bought varieties, so be sure to check the label.
Is cashew milk good with cereal?
Because cashew nut milk is so rich and delicious, it’s perfect for serving with your favorite breakfast cereal. It’s also great served over some peanut butter granola, too.
Is cashew milk good in coffee?
Because it’s rich and creamy and has a natural sweet flavor, cashew milk is a great option to add to your hot coffee or hot teas. If you find your plant-based milk is curdling in the coffee, you can heat it before adding it, or let your coffee cool a bit before adding the plant-based milk.
More Vegan Milk Options
That’s it for this very best cashew milk recipe. Enjoy!
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Cashew Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews , soaked 4 hours to overnight
- 4 cups water
- 2 Medjool dates
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt (just a pinch)
Instructions
- Use a blender to pulse all the ingredients until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Once it's smooth, pour the contents of the blender into a mason jar and seal tightly. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be sure to shake it before serving as the ingredients will settle.
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Thanks, Marly, for this cashew milk. I use it all the time and love it!