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Are you ready to whip up this homemade cashew butter recipe?! Just four ingredients is all you need to blend up this Persian-style cashew butter that’s silky smooth and flavor-packed.
Once you make this Persian-style cashew butter, you may never go back to the boring store-bought stuff!
How to make cashew butter:
Before we dive into the nitty gritty, or should I say nutty gritty, of it all I first want to share this one piece of advice.
Trust the process, I promise a nut butter will be achieved!
When making any kind of nut butter patience should be listed as the first ingredient. From start to finish it really doesn’t take long to make, it just requires quite a bit of processing.
Now, are you ready for the key steps to creating the most luscious and smooth homemade cashew butter?
Step 1:
Roast your raw cashews (Why? Flavor! And it gets their oils loosened up which helps with blending.)
Step 2:
Use your food processor (Why? I find it works better and more efficiently than a blender. But if you have a Vitamix, go right ahead and use that!)
Step 3:
Blend, blend and blend. Then blend some more (Why? When you think you’re done processing, process some more. It always needs a bit more than you think and this ensures a super smooth cashew butter)
How and where to store cashew butter?
Cashew butter is best stored in a glass airtight container in the refrigerator.
How long does cashew butter last?
Homemade cashew butter is best enjoyed within 1 month of making it. However, it will last up to 2 months.
How to use cashew butter:
Where to even start?! There are so many great ways to use cashew butter. Here are some of my favorites:
- Cashew Butter & Jelly Sandwich (a childhood fav turned up a notch!)
- Cashew Butter Cookies (similar to peanut butter cookies or these delish Black Tahini Cookies).
- Use in place of tahini in your favorite hummus recipe.
- Spread onto toasted whole grain bread, drizzle with honey or maple syrup and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over top.
- Blend into your morning smoothie.
- Use in place of cream or milk in a creamy soup, like this Butternut Squash & Apple Bisque.
What can you use in place of cashew butter in recipes?
Cashew butter can be used interchangeably with most nut butters in recipes such as almond and peanut. If you’re concerned about altering the flavor too much, opt for almond butter over peanut butter.
If you’re looking for a nut-free alternative, use sunflower butter, also known as Sunbutter.
Mix it up! Try these different flavor variations!
Chai-Spiced Cashew Butter
Blend in a teaspoon of chai spice.
Warming Cashew Butter
Blend in some cinnamon and nutmeg.
Praline Cashew Butter
Blend a splash of almond extract and butter extract into cashew butter. Increase the maple just a tad.
Chocolate Chip Cookie
Use brown sugar in place of the maple syrup or honey. Add a tiny splash of butter extract and pulse in chocolate shavings or chips.
Nutella-Style Cashew Butter
Melt 2–4 ounces of milk chocolate with a few teaspoons of oil (grapeseed, olive or canola). Blend into cashew butter until smooth.
Make sure to tag me @ZESTFULKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM or comment below if you make this Persian-style cashew butter recipe!
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Persian-Style Cashew Butter + 5 Flavor Variations
Description
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Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews (9 ounces)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch cardamom
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Arrange cashews in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast cashews until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Let cashews cool to room temperature.
- Transfer roasted cashews to a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down sides and breaking up mixture as needed, 8–10 minutes.
- Add maple syrup, vanilla bean paste and salt; continue to process until completely smooth.
- Transfer cashew butter to an airtight glass container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
I went over 10 minutes and it never got smooth. I finally added 1 tsp oil and it still did not help.
Julie, I’m so sorry to hear that. This really surprises me. Did you use raw cashews? Or did you by chance use already-roasted cashews? It’s important to use raw, and roast them yourself. They are softer, more oily, and when you roast them yourself you get the oils warmed up and ready for blending. Pre-roasted cashews tend to be crunchier and less oily, which could have caused this issue.