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You are here: Home / Nut Butters/Spreads / How To Make Cashew Butter (Creamy & Smooth, Not Stiff!)

How To Make Cashew Butter (Creamy & Smooth, Not Stiff!)

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Learn How to Make Homemade Cashew Butter with just 1 ingredient, cashews! It’s easy, creamy, smooth, not stiff, but delicious and oil-free and takes just a few minutes to make! Use it in baking cookies or in savory sauces or soups. It gives the best flavor and creamy texture.

creamy smooth raw cashew butter in red bowl

*This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy here.

I love making my own nut butters for recipes, especially Homemade Roasted Almond Butter and Roasted Pecan Butter.

Homemade cashew butter is a favorite to use in my recipes because it mimics dairy beautifully. Instead of butter or oil in soup recipes, like this Lazy Day Vegan Tomato Bisque, I use cashew butter. It is better than any dairy version, I assure you. Instead of butter or cheese in this 20 Minute Vegan Alfredo, I use the cashew butter. Just check out how much readers love that recipe. It is so popular, that it is also in my Cookbook! I love using it in place of oils since it is a whole food fat. It is healthier and less fat per tablespoon, when compared to oil. Additionally, it contains all the nutrients, as opposed to oil, which is 100% liquid fat.

If you are interested in learning about oil-free, I wrote a detailed post on How to Cook and Bake Without Oil.

White plate of vegan alfredo with fettucini

HOW TO MAKE CASHEW BUTTER Step by Step Photos

white bowl of raw cashews

First, you will need 2 cups raw, unsalted cashews and a food processor. Nut butters do not work as well to get super creamy and smooth in a blender, not even a Vitamix. This is especially true with cashew butter, as the oil content is very low. Cashew are much drier than other nuts.

processed cashew butter in food processor

Add the cashews to a food processor and process for about 2 minutes. It will look like this. Pasty and bit of cashews still.

NOTE: I have an 11 cup food processor and this is how mine looks after two minutes. If you have a smaller processor (like a 7 cup) or a less powerful one, you will likely have balls forming and have to break up the clumps many, many times in the beginning before it reaches this stage. It will take several more minutes, but just keep going until it gets to the paste stage.

blended up cashew butter in food processor

Scrape down the sides and process another 3 minutes or more. Then it should be looking smoother like this.

Scrape down the sides again and process another 3 minutes.

spoonful of cashew butter above food processor

Scrape and process another 3 minutes. It will then get to this stage where it’s smooth, but still stiff. It won’t drip off of a spoon, but rather, stay stuck like this. Like a paste, basically. You are not done yet.

cashew butter dripping off spoon

Finally, process another 3-5 minutes until the cashew butter is soft and flowy, almost like a frosting. It should drip off of a spoon like this. This is the final stage. Before using in my dessert recipes, make sure it has cooled off to room temperature, as it will be quite warm.

Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 2 weeks or in the fridge for up to 2 months.

VEGAN DESSERTS THAT USE CASHEW BUTTER

Cashew butter has a naturally sweet flavor with vanilla undertones. It makes it the perfect nut butter to use in many desserts where a strong nut flavor, like peanuts or almonds, are not desired.

Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese

cream cheese in white bowl with knife and bagels alongside

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese

Spreading Vegan Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese on bagel

Vegan Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies

iced oatmeal cookies spread out on cooling rack

Vegan Gluten-free Sugar Cookies

stack of vegan gluten-free sugar cookies

Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

hand grabbing cashew butter chocolate chip cookie off white plate

Vegan Vanilla Cake Waffles

stack of vegan vanilla waffles with syrup pouring above

Vanilla Pecan Dream Bars

stack of vanilla pecan bars with cashew frosting

5 Minute Toffee Mug Cake

small slice of toffee cake and fork on plate

Grain-free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Grain-free chocolate chip cookie broken with melted chocolate

Cake Frosting for this Funfetti Cake!

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!

creamy smooth raw cashew butter in red bowl

How To Make Cashew Butter

Brandi Doming
Learn How to Make Homemade Cashew Butter with just 1 ingredient, cashews! It’s easy, creamy, delicious and oil-free and takes just a few minutes to make! Use it in baking cookies or in savory sauces or soups. It gives the best flavor and creamy texture.
5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Course Sides
Cuisine American
Servings 1 heaping cup

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (280g) raw, unsalted cashews (do NOT soak them!)
  • I use this food processor.

Instructions
 

  • Add the raw cashews to a food processor (not a blender!). Cashews are very dry, with a low oil content, so they do not blend up well in a blender, even a Vitamix. You will want to keep going until the cashew butter is soft and flowy, almost like a frosting.
  • Process for 10 minutes or so, stopping every 3 minutes to scrape down the sides. The cashew butter will go through stages of thickness, and you will need to stop and push the cashews down the sides and break up the clumps a few times.
    NOTE: I have an 11 cup food processor. But if you have a smaller processor (like a 7 cup) or a less powerful one, you will likely have large chunks forming and have to break up the clumps many, many more times in the beginning than I did. Be patient and do not add any liquid! It will take several more minutes, but just keep going until it gets to the paste stage.
  • Please refer to the actual post for step-by-step visual photos, it will help. Keep processing until it has a thick, creamy consistency, and then process even further until it is no longer stiff. Even when you think you are done, go more. It should drip off of a spoon. Again, if you have a small food processor, this could take several more minutes than mine did.
  • Before using in my dessert recipes, make sure it has cooled off to room temperature, as it will be quite warm. Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 2 weeks or in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Notes

Nutrition per tablespoon: 100 calories, 8.1g fat, 2.7g protein, 5.7g carbs, .5g fiber, .9g sugar, 3mg sodium
Tried this recipe?Tag @thevegan8 on Instagram and use tag #thevegan8!
Keyword cashew butter, homemade cashew butter, how to make cashew butter

Filed Under: Cookies/Bars, Dessert, Nut Butters/Spreads Tagged With: Cashew butter, Cashews, Cookies, Desserts

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Comments

  1. Debra Moray-Brach

    April 15, 2019 at 12:17 am

    Do you think my Ninja would work? I am going to try to make it with it.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      April 15, 2019 at 1:46 am

      I really have no idea. I don’t own a ninja but as I noted, the Vitamix doesn’t work well because cashews are so dry and the pitcher is narrow and tall, as opposed to a food processor that has a wide bowl. I wouldn’t think a ninja would work to get it to the right consistency as I have here, but I don’t know!

      Reply
  2. Kathy

    April 15, 2019 at 11:13 am

    If you soak cashews overnight (or at least 8 hrs to get rid of the phytic acid that blocks uptake of nutrients), then many more blenders can handle grinding cashews to a butter stage. The higher the Watts, the stronger the blender. For example, a 900 Watt or more blender should work well..

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      April 15, 2019 at 3:19 pm

      Yes, but that is only done if you are using them right away in a sauce. You do not want to soak the cashews for this purpose of making cashew butter. Cashew butter is made from strictly DRY cashews, just like almond butter. Soaking in water will make the cashews spoil MUCh faster and it will turn into a cream and not a cashew butter. The two are very different. It wouldn’t be the same type of result for the purpose to be used in recipes calling for cashew butter.

      Reply
  3. Ela

    April 15, 2019 at 4:39 pm

    5 stars
    Homemade cashew butter is the best! Yours look so smooth and delicious. And I love all the recipes which you made with it! 🙂
    Much love, Ela

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      April 17, 2019 at 7:30 am

      Thank you so much Ela!! xx

      Reply
  4. Diana

    April 20, 2019 at 6:34 am

    5 stars
    It took me longer than you did to get mine to that wonderful consistency where the cashew butter will drip off a spoon, but OH MY, it is worth it! So rich!!! Ended up adding some to my tomato soup recipe – it was so rich and creamy! Thank you for your great directions – this is my first time making cashew butter, but it won’t be my last!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      May 15, 2019 at 12:54 am

      So awesome to hear that Diana!! Good stuff right?!

      Reply
  5. Nick

    May 10, 2019 at 6:09 pm

    I tried this recipe with a KitchenAid 7 cup food processor and didn’t get the right consistency. After the cashews broke down they formed into a ball and just went around and around in the bowl. Still taste great but obviously not what I was going for. Any tips? Could it be that the cashews I’m buying are too dry? Should I add a teaspoon or two of oil? Thanks.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      May 10, 2019 at 6:50 pm

      Hi Nick! Yes, that is correct. As noted in step 2, it will go through several stages of clumps and thickness. You will need to keep breaking it up and KEEP going. You just didn’t process it near long enough and a 7 cup processor is much smaller than the one I use (11 cup) which will mean it will take even longer. Just break up the chunks and keep processing until it starts to turn into a paste, once it gets to the paste, KEEP going until it’s super smooth and drippy almost. It definitely does not need oil, just longer processing 🙂

      Reply
  6. Bev Lowe

    September 9, 2019 at 2:53 pm

    I’ve read other cashew butter recipes which use home roasted cashews. Why do you not roast in your recipe?

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 9, 2019 at 6:25 pm

      I don’t use roasted because the flavor is too strong. I use raw cashew butter for many recipes on my site, (which many are linked within the post), which is a better neutral flavor for baking. Roasted will make the flavor stand out too much in recipes, as well as the color is darker. I don’t use cashew butter specifically on its own, but rather just for using in my recipes.

      Reply
  7. terry

    October 15, 2019 at 5:34 pm

    Don’t you have to sok the cashews first?

    Reply
  8. terry

    October 15, 2019 at 5:36 pm

    I meant soak the cashews. The comment text is so small and so pale gray on an ipad, I can’t see what i’m writing!

    Reply
    • terry

      October 15, 2019 at 5:40 pm

      oops, just found it. No soaking!

      Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      October 15, 2019 at 5:49 pm

      Oh wow, that’s odd, it’s very dark black on my screens! Yes, correct, never soak for making nut butters, you don’t want to add water or it’ll make them spoil fast!

      Reply
  9. Marilea

    November 10, 2019 at 5:14 pm

    5 stars
    The cashew butter is amazing! If I may ask what food processor do you have for making your cashew butter? Can you mention the brand? Seems like making the cashew butter can be labor intensive on the motor. Obviously a good food processor won’t have an issue. Any suggestions? Thanks! I want to make the right investment. 😬

    Reply
  10. Bev Selby

    November 26, 2019 at 2:10 am

    5 stars
    Have you heard of the Nutramilk? I have one and I love it! Makes Cashew butter in a snap, Excellent nut milks too! I can’t wait to try the chocolate pie recipe! I love everything you make!

    Reply
  11. Lora

    November 26, 2019 at 5:36 am

    25 minutes later and finally got the right consistency. Time to upgrade to a higher power food processor. Tomorrow, it’s vegan chocolate cream pie making time.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      November 26, 2019 at 6:24 am

      Oh wow, that’s a long time, but glad you got it! Yes, my old food processor used to take twice as long as my new one! It is really fast now!

      Reply
  12. Tammy Hill

    August 8, 2020 at 3:30 pm

    Hello. I’m new to vegan living. I follow so many people just to get a clue and see some who use oils, olive and avocado, but others like yourself who don’t. Is it just a preference? I have a husband doing a 30 day try vegan challenge and three kids, who are in the fence, I am having trouble making enough yummy food for all of us for meal with different preferences. Any guidance would be appreciated. I and hubby love mushrooms kids not so much, cheeses are hard, since I’m new I am using some processed. Where do you get bulk raw cashews? Thank you for your time.

    Reply
  13. DianeB

    August 29, 2020 at 11:31 pm

    Would this work to make garlic butter?

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      August 30, 2020 at 12:49 am

      Hi, I’m not sure what you mean? This isn’t like traditional butter since it’s just puréed cashews. It’s like almond butter but just with cashews.

      Reply
  14. Cynthia

    November 26, 2020 at 7:51 am

    I really want to try this oh how I’ve missed chocolate cream pie and truffles. I’m allergic to cashews. Do you think raw macadamia nuts would work? I’m fortunate to live in an area where I can get them from my natural food co-op.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      November 26, 2020 at 9:15 am

      Macadamia nut butter is definitely a thing! I’ve just never made it personally myself. So I can’t compare it to cashew butter. They are much harder than cashews, so I’m guessing it would take longer to make it, but definitely should work. They are less creamy and sweet though.

      Reply
      • Linda Murphy

        December 13, 2020 at 9:34 pm

        What a wonderful website. I just found you and I love the information.
        I want to ask about cashew butter. It took 40 min to get to the paste stage with my Cuisinart. I stopped because it was getting too warm. I purchased it less than 2 years ago at Costco. Could you recommend some processor brands that are more powerful? Thank you.

        Reply
        • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

          December 13, 2020 at 10:38 pm

          Thank you Linda! 40 minutes? Wow, that is a long time! Mine is usually done in 10. What size is your food processor? If it’s too small, that can be a component of it taking a long time. You can see the food processor I use and love here in my SHOP page.

          Reply
  15. Rene

    March 2, 2021 at 5:37 am

    I love nut Butters of all kinds but cashew is my favourite. I need to make it again.

    Reply
  16. Carol

    March 2, 2021 at 7:29 pm

    5 stars
    I love this easy recipe. I used my $20 Black and Decker food processor, and it took about 15 minutes. Easy peasy. Thank you, Brandi!
    AGAIN!!!

    Reply

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I'm Brandi, creator of this vegan blog and cookbook author of The Vegan 8 Cookbook. The majority of my recipes focus on 8 ingredients or less, not counting salt, pepper or water. I'm an expert on oil-free cooking and baking! We went vegan to help control my husband's debilitating gout. Our lives and health improved dramatically. While my husband still has some challenges, his health is much better than when we were eating animal products! I create delicious vegan comfort food in a healthier way. read more →

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