Cashew Milk Recipe

Cashew milk is one of the staples at our house. It’s tasty, affordable, and easy to make, so whether you’re going dairy-free or just looking to save money on non-dairy milk (and the waste from all of those aseptic packages), this recipe might just be the ticket for you.

We eat a predominantly vegan diet, so we don’t ever buy cow milk. We did go through a period where we were buying soy or rice milk all the time for cereal or granola (or just to drink), but between the cost of it for a family, and all of the packaging that comes with it, we decided some time ago to stop buying it anymore. And it’s worked out well, since making our own non-dairy milk at home is much less complicated than it might seem.

Cashew Milk Recipe

This recipe is so simple, you’ll kick yourself for not having thought of it yourself (we didn’t think of it either, but my wife’s been making it for us for years now, so I thought it was only fair to share it with you).

1. Soak one cup of raw cashews overnight in just enough water to cover them.
2. In the morning, strain and rinse the cashews.
3. In blender (or even better, a Vitamix), combine the cashews with 4 cups of water and blend thoroughly.
4. If desired, add one Tablespoon of agave nectar and a pinch of sea salt while blending.
5. If using a blender, you may find that straining the cashew milk results in a smoother product.
6. Refrigerate and use the cashew milk as desired.

This recipe is for a texture akin to milk (soymilk or rice milk), but if you want something thicker, such as cream, use only 2 parts water to 1 part cashews. If, after blending and straining, you have a strainer full of cashew goo, you can add that back to the blender with some water to process again (using more water will also produce a lighter texture of milk). And the cashew goo that ultimately ends up in the strainer is perfect for cashew cheese.

We often use this for ‘oat-nola’, as my 2 YO son calls it: Rolled oats, with chopped fruit, agave or honey, nuts or seeds as desired, and covered with cashew milk. We don’t buy granola too often, so this makes an excellent (and cheap) breakfast cereal substitute.

I enjoy cashew milk as cream in my coffee, and if you do iced coffee, then cashew milk will make it seem like a fancy iced latte. This recipe can also be made with almonds or sunflower seeds.

[Note: Raw cashews are not considered truly raw by purists, as there is heat involved in the processing of most cashews. For most of us, it’s not an issue. Just don’t buy roasted cashews to use for this recipe, and I think you’ll be all right. Generally, cashew pieces are cheaper than buying whole cashews, so shop around for the best deal (we buy ours in bulk at our local co-op).]