bakingwithtradition.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising revenues by advertising and linking to recommended products. Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

This homemade cashew butter is rich with vanilla, oozy creamy spreadableness and is better than anything you can buy.

I’ve been making homemade nut butters for about 15 years. I love that I can make nut butters from sesame, almond, cashews, walnuts–even pumpkin seeds (seriously underrated!). With fresher ingredients and no bad-for-you oils and the ability to change up your flavors, you can make your own nut butters that are so much better than anything sitting on a shelf.

Truth is, I’ve never loved loved peanut butter (I know!). Once I discovered that I could make a homemade cashew butter like the one I’m sharing, I was hooked.

Pop this homemade cashew butter in cookies, energy bites, slather it on crispy toast or eat it right out of the jar (no judgment here!). Any way you choose, you’ll love this addictive homemade nut butter!

Affiliate disclosure

Vanilla Cashew Butter

Why you should bother making homemade nut butters

You are in control over the ingredients: most packaged nut butters have things like preservatives, hidden salt and sugar, palm oil or seed oils, which we’re learning increasingly are damaging to your health. You can skip all these weirdo ingredients and just use things you can pronounce.
Customize flavors: You get to choose here too! Change up your flavors with add-ins like vanilla, maple syrup, honey, date paste, cinnamon, cocoa, or coffee. Also, hard to find butters like pumpkin seed are often expensive at the store but a cinch to make at home.
Nutritional Benefits: Fresher is better, and freshly ground homemade nut butters are no exception. Expect your nut butters to be higher in nutrients and better for you since they have no hidden additives.
Cheaper: Homemade versions often cost less in the long run. Outside of peanut butter, most packaged nut butters are very expensive per jar. If you buy your nuts in bulk, you can easily save money.
Avoid allergies: If you have an allergy sufferer in your home, you know how tricky it can be to read labels to make sure a given product is safe. Here, you can be sure that you’re only making nut or seed butters from safe ingredients for your allergy sufferer.

whole cashews, coconut oil and vanilla extract

What you need to make homemade nut butters

Nuts or seeds: Any nut or seed you can eat, you can turn into nut butter. Choose raw and unroasted if possible as roasted nuts tend to have added oils and salt. Nuts to try: cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachio, pecans. Seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame
Flavorings: coffee, vanilla, almond extract, cocoa, cinnamon, liqueurs–shoot, just about anything. Try a little curry paste for a savory nut butter.
Optional sweeteners: I generally prefer unsweetened butters, but honey, maple syrup, date paste are all options if you want a sweet nut butter.
Optional oil: My advice is to make your nut butter without oil the first time you make it from a given nut. Note how it turns out. If it feels stiff, a little added oil can help the consistency considerably. Nuts like cashews and seeds like sesame definitely benefit from the addition of a good-for-you oil like coconut, avocado or olive oil.
Food processor: you will need a food processor to break down the nuts or seeds into a paste. Grinding them by hand is not really possible.

scraping cashew butter in food processor

Vanilla homemade cashew butter recipe

Vanilla Cashew Butter

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Elizabeth Farr
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: A little more than 1 cup

Print Recipe

Description

Your toast will thank you for this fresh roasted addictively creamy spread. Bonus: There's no creepy bad for you oils or rancid nuts that have been sitting in plastic jars for forever.

Ingredients

Scale

8 oz raw cashews
2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla extra paste
pinch of salt

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350.
Spread the cashews on a sheet tray, then pop in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, you should be able to smell the nuts, and they should go from a light cream color to a golden tan.
Place the nuts in a food processor and grind them until they are broken up but not powdered.
Scrape down the sides with a spatula.
Add in the coconut oil, vanilla paste, and salt, then continue to process until the butter turns into a smooth creamy butter. Scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl every minute or so for about 10 minutes.
Transfer the finished butter into a glass jar. You can store the butter in a dark pantry for about a month if it lasts that long!

Notes

Raw vs. roasted cashews: You can absolutely use pre-roasted cashews, though they usually have salt and added seed oils. If you use pre-roasted cashews, omit the salt and the roasting step (#2).
Can I make this oil-free? Absolutely. You can cut out the coconut oil, though it will take a little longer for the cashews to turn into a nice smooth consistency, and the final nut butter will be a little stiffer than if you added the oil.
Choose your vanilla: I've made this with both vanilla extract and paste. I think the extract works a little better here as it thins out the thick cashew butter a little better than the vanilla paste.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 0 hours
Cook Time: 10 minutes