How Cooking Works

Easy Cashew Milk

Recipe and technique

Easy Cashew Milk

A small-batch cashew milk with adjustable richness, no stabilizers and no special milk-making machine.

Cashews blend into a naturally creamy drink because their softened solids break down finely. Unlike some nut milks, a high-powered blender can make cashew milk smooth enough that straining is optional.

Basic cashew milk

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
  • 3 to 4 cups cold water, plus more for soaking
  • Pinch of salt
  • Optional: vanilla, cinnamon or a pitted date

Method

  1. Cover the cashews with water and soak for 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
  2. Drain and rinse. Do not use the soaking water.
  3. Blend with 3 cups fresh water for a rich milk or 4 cups for a lighter one.
  4. Add salt and optional flavoring, then blend until completely smooth.
  5. Strain through a fine bag only if your blender leaves grit.
  6. Transfer immediately to a clean covered container and refrigerate.

Adjust the texture

Start with less water because it is easy to thin the milk after blending. A 1:3 cashew-to-water ratio is rich enough for coffee, sauces and cereal. A 1:4 ratio drinks more like a conventional milk beverage.

Why homemade separates

Commercial plant milks often use homogenization and stabilizers. Homemade cashew milk does not, so settling is normal. Shake the container before pouring. Separation alone is not spoilage.

Storage and safety

This is a fresh, unpasteurized food. Keep it at 40°F (4°C) or below, use a clean container and make small batches. As a conservative household rule, use it within three to four days. Discard it sooner if it develops an off smell, flavor, gas, mold or a swollen container. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than two hours.

Useful variations

For savory cooking, omit sweeteners and vanilla. For a coffee creamer, begin with only 2 cups of water. For chocolate milk, blend in cocoa and sweetener to taste. Cashews are tree nuts, so this drink is not appropriate for anyone with a cashew allergy.

Liebe and Lecker personal blender with blending cups and cleaning brush

Recommended blender

Liebe&Lecker 1200-Peak-Watt Personal Blender

A compact nut and smoothie blender that fits the small-batch approach in this cashew milk recipe. Its included blending cups can also make it convenient for smoothies and other individual portions.

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Storage reference: FoodSafety.gov cold-storage guidance.