Cashew Milk Recipe: How to Make It From Scratch

Name: Cashew Milk Recipe: How to Make It From Scratch
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup raw cashews; 4 cups filtered water or coconut water; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; 2-3 pitted Medjool dates, optional; ½ teaspoon vanilla, optional

January 29, 2021 by Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN

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If you’ve been living on planet Earth for the past few years, you’ve probably heard all the buzz about nut milks — almond milk, cashew milk, Brazil nut milk, macadamia nut milk — and for good reason. Nut milks are creamy, delicious and satisfying.

They can be substituted for cow’s milk in many recipes and dishes with great results. Finally, there’s an answer for those who really can’t stomach animal-based milks or just want to add some variety to their milk routine.

This cashew milk recipe is easy and takes hardly any time at all to whip up once you’ve soaked the cashews. Plus, because you’re making it at home, you know exactly what’s going into it and can control the level of sweetness.

You can even get creative by adding natural flavors (more on that below).

Is cashew milk or almond milk better? When assessing cashew milk vs. almond milk, it’s not really about better or worse, but rather which you prefer.

You’ll find cashew milk is creamier and less nutty than almond milk. It’s great in coffee or tea, mixed into a smoothie, or used in baked goods. You could also try a big, cold glass as an accompaniment to my coconut flour brownies.

Key Ingredients

Beyond its taste and versatility, cashew milk nutrition is super healthy. That’s because the cashew milk ingredients in this recipe are all natural.

What are the benefits of cashew milk?

Cashews nutrition includes being rich in unsaturated fatty acids and plant-based protein, plus dietary fiber, minerals and antioxidants. Their healthy fat content has been linked to reducing risk for coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity.

They can even help maintain bone health because they contain lots of vitamin K, which can help prevent fractures and naturally treat osteoporosis. It kind of gives a milk mustache a whole new meaning, doesn’t it?

While the cashews are the headliner, of course, cashew milk benefits health even further thanks to the other ingredients too, including:

Coconut water: If you opt for the coconut water over plain filtered water, you can up the nutrition. Coconut water is a healthy way to replenish electrolytes, and it can help lower blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides.
Medjool dates: These are optional as well, but to add some sweetness without sacrificing health, Medjool dates make a great choice. They can combat constipation, boost energy, protect bones and support heart health thanks to their high levels of minerals and B vitamins.

Ready to try cashew milk? Let’s get started!

How to Make Cashew Milk

First you’ll soak one cup of cashews in water overnight (or at least four hours). Along with softening the nuts, this helps break down antinutrients that prevent your body from absorbing all of the good nutrients.

This recipe makes about five cups of milk, but it can be halved or doubled.

After the cashews have soaked, drain and rinse them until the water runs clear. Add them to your high-powered blender along with four cups of filtered water or coconut water and a bit of sea salt. That’s it!

If you’d like to sweeten the milk, add a couple of pitted Medjool dates.

Want a bit of flavor? Add some vanilla extract.

Experiment with this, and see what tastes best to you.

Blend this mixture until it’s very smooth. Depending on your blender, the milk could be ready to go at this point.

If it contains some sediment, grab some cheesecloth or a nut milk bag and strain the milk. Do that by placing the cloth over a jar and pouring the milk into the cloth.

Some of the milk will filter through. To strain the rest, gather up the cloth/bag and squeeze it from the top down to force the milk through. Now it’s ready to use!

Store your cashew milk in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep for three to five days.

Want to switch things up? Try adding these ingredients to the blender:

cinnamon and nutmeg
cardamom and rosewater
cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne
fresh berries
citrus zests
maca and cocoa
turmeric and ginger
lime zest and basil
rosemary and lemon
mango
ginger and chipotle

Creamy, sweet and versatile — I think you’re going to love cashew milk!