I have a cappuccino addiction. So when I first gave up dairy, I set out to find an alternative milk to make my morning cappuccino. I bought every version of dairy-free packaged milk I could find and did a taste test. I didn't like any of them. And they all had gums, thickeners and other processed food ingredients that I avoid.
My second taste test included homemade almond milk, packaged almond milk (for reference) and homemade cashew milk. While the homemade almond milk tasted better than the packaged, the homemade cashew milk was the hands down winner. The flavor was mild, creamy and slightly sweet. And making it with a Vitamix didn't require straining it through a nut milk bag, so it was much easier than making almond milk. Homemade cashew milk is my go-to dairy alternative.
Homemade Cashew Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked at least 4 hours or overnight
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon organic vanilla powder
- 1 tablespoon local raw honey ,maple syrup or stevia, optional
- pinch pink Himalayan salt optional
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the soaked cashews.
- Add cashews, 4 cups filtered water, vanilla extract or vanilla powder, sweetener of choice, and salt to high-speed blender.
- Blend on high for 2 minutes - set a timer.
- Transfer to pitcher and refrigerate until well chilled.
- Stir or shake well before serving.
Notes
Davina
Thanks for the recipe. How long will this keep for?
Lisa
You’re welcome – it’s one of my favorites! The cashew milk will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Eve
Hi, im not from USA so I wonder when you say Vanilla, do you mean vanilla extract or something else? Thank you!
Lisa
It’s vanilla extract. I’ll update this in the recipe. Thank you for the comment!
Jeanette
Is the cashew milk grainy when not strained? It doesn’t appear like it in your photo.
Lisa
No, it’s not grainy. Between soaking the cashews overnight and blending on high for 2 minutes in the Vitamix, it turns out very smooth.
Jenny Gallup-King
Wish I’d read this before paying $AUD10 for a nut bag! Although, i am very happy with the almond milk which is lovely and creamy with no honey (bloats me!) and tastes great in filtered coffee. I then used the remaining almond pulp in my fruit loaf, which is now fruit and nut loaf because there were a few unground pieces of nut – yum
Gail
Lisa, this recipe is AWESOME. I posted this recipe on my blog and gave you full credit for the angel you are to share this. I too love my morning cup of joe and glad to have a creamer alternative and so much more. I am a huge fan! Thank you!
Lisa
Gail, I’m so glad this worked for you. This is my favorite “milk” recipe – it was a lifesaver when I gave up dairy!
Ginger Gaubert
Lisa, I was wondering if a heavy duty blender would work just as well as a Vitamix to make the cashew milk? I don’t own a Vitamix and really don’t have extra money to buy one. Also, do you have the nutritional information on it?
Lisa
Ginger, I have tried making cashew milk with a regular blender and it doesn’t get as smooth as it does with a Vitamix or Blendtec. Try blending it twice, and if it’s still not smooth enough you may need to strain it through a nut milk bag. I don’t track nutritional info, but you can use MyFitnessPal (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/) or SparkRecipes (http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp) for this.
Elizabeth
I just made this cashew milk. I was very skeptical. Let me assure you. It’s amazing. I’m so glad I found your recipe. I would never have imagined it could be so easy and taste this good. Thank you so much.
Sue
I really enjoy homemade cashew milk too! It’s so easy! I’m using it in my coffee right now. I’m always trying to figure out new ways to use it. 🙂
Here’s a suggestion that works for me. (I think I might have read it somewhere.) After rinsing the cashews that were soaked over night, you can FIRST blend in 1 cup of the new water for 2 minutes. It gets the nuts blended to smooth consistency easier. Then I add the rest of the water you want to add. There are never any pieces of nut left when I do it this way.
Since some people said they couldn’t afford the Vitamix, I thought I’d mention that Nutribullet (Magic Bullet) 600 Watt works great for this using the largest 32 oz “cup”.
Lisa Wells
Great tip for using a regular blender, Sue!