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    Home » Drinks

    How To Make Cashew Milk The Easy Way

    November 14, 2020 Updated: November 25, 2020 by Lisa Wells / 14 Comments

    How to make cashew milk the easy way

    How to make cashew milk the easy way—without having to strain it or use a nut milk bag! This is the fastest, easiest, and best-tasting way to make nut milk.

    Homemade cashew nut milk

    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. Homemade cashew milk is my go-to dairy alternative.

    This post includes some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure statement here.

    Here's what you'll need

    The basic ingredients for cashew milk are just cashews—I use these organic raw cashews—and filtered water. From there, you can add a little bit of vanilla or sweetener of choice to taste. These days, I usually add ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons of local raw honey. For a lower carb flavored version, you can use vanilla stevia. Or if you're doing a Whole30, skip the flavoring and sweetener for a plain unsweetened version.

    The best thing about making cashew milk is making it with a Vitamix doesn't require straining it through a nut milk bag, so it's much easier and faster than making almond milk.

    The key is to soak the cashews overnight so they are very soft when you blend them. Then blend on high for 2 full minutes in the Vitamix. This makes the cashew milk smooth and creamy.

    Pour it into a glass pitcher with a lid and refrigerate until chilled. Because there are no gums or stabilizers in this homemade nut milk, you'll need to whisk it or shake it before using it. (I like this wide-mouth pitcher with a lid that makes it easy to whisk before pouring.)

    Homemade cashew milk and almond butter chocolate chip cookies

    You can use this milk to make your favorite coffee drinks. It will froth up perfectly for a latte or cappuccino with a milk frother. Use it in recipes or on paleo granola, or just enjoy it by the glass. Homemade cashew milk is perfect with your favorite cookies - like these quick and easy almond butter chocolate chip cookies.

    More recipes with cashew milk

    • How to Make Iced Latte
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    Homemade cashew milk

    Homemade Cashew Milk

    Homemade cashew milk tastes so much better than store-bought. Here's the easy way to make it.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Save Email
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Total Time: 10 mins
    Servings: 5 servings
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Keto, Low Carb, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30
    Author: Lisa Wells

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup raw cashews soaked at least 4 hours or overnight
    • 4 cups filtered water
    • ½ teaspoon organic vanilla extract or ¼ 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 sweetener of choice, and salt to a high-speed blender. 
    • Blend on high for 2 minutes - set a timer.
    • Transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until well chilled.
    • Stir or shake well before serving.

    Notes

    If not using a high-power blender, strain cashew milk through a nut milk bag after blending.
    For Whole30 omit sweetener and vanilla extract.
    For keto use stevia or low carb sweetener.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 157kcal Carbohydrates: 11g Protein: 5g Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 2g Sodium: 13mg Potassium: 170mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 5g Calcium: 15mg Iron: 2mg
    Keyword: Cashew milk, Vitamix
    Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating above and share your photo on social. I love seeing what you've made!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Davina

      March 18, 2013 at 4:29 pm

      Thanks for the recipe. How long will this keep for?

      Reply
      • Lisa

        March 18, 2013 at 5:46 pm

        You're welcome - it's one of my favorites! The cashew milk will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

        Reply
    2. Eve

      March 27, 2013 at 3:47 am

      Hi, im not from USA so I wonder when you say Vanilla, do you mean vanilla extract or something else? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        March 27, 2013 at 9:50 am

        It's vanilla extract. I'll update this in the recipe. Thank you for the comment!

        Reply
    3. Jeanette

      August 19, 2013 at 11:28 am

      Is the cashew milk grainy when not strained? It doesn't appear like it in your photo.

      Reply
      • Lisa

        August 19, 2013 at 10:25 pm

        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.

        Reply
    4. Jenny Gallup-King

      August 25, 2013 at 7:09 pm

      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

      Reply
    5. Gail

      January 25, 2014 at 10:34 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        January 25, 2014 at 6:32 pm

        Gail, I'm so glad this worked for you. This is my favorite "milk" recipe - it was a lifesaver when I gave up dairy!

        Reply
    6. Ginger Gaubert

      April 01, 2014 at 5:05 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Lisa

        April 02, 2014 at 5:12 pm

        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. Nutritional information has been added to the recipe above.

        Reply
    7. Elizabeth

      October 31, 2019 at 8:10 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    8. Sue

      January 16, 2020 at 10:45 am

      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".

      Reply
      • Lisa

        January 16, 2020 at 11:59 am

        Great tip for using a regular blender, Sue!

        Reply

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