Homemade nut butter is seriously easy to make and so satisfying to watch it come together (and enjoy!) This cashew nut butter recipe is super creamy, rich and tasty. There are four delicious versions included, because it’s always a good thing to have options!
Hi friends!
I’m bringing you something that I’m seriously in love with.
Nut butter.
Not just any nut butter.
Cashew butter.
And not one, but four, awesome versions.
I’ve been enjoying this stuff so much, spreading it on toast, over ice cream and eating straight up with a spoon right from the jar. It’s that good.
And with the holiday season well underway, this nut butter would make for an awesome homemade food gift!
Ingredients for Cashew Butter
Essentially, there’s cashews and salt.
That’s it.
However, if you want to really amp up your nut butter, you can add in other goodies (like I did here).
How To Make This Cashew Butter Recipe
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics to make smooth cashew butter:
- Roast the cashews on a sheet pan and then allow to cool.
- After you’ve roasted and cooled your cashews, pop them in your food processor.
- Start processing the cashews. Tip: You’ll want to stop occasionally to scrape the sides of the processor with a spatula.
- As you process, the cashews go from crumbly to bigger clumps.
- The more you process, the clumps get even bigger.
- Then the cashew butter slowly starts to form into a ball.
- After some more processing, it starts to get creamy (but still a little dense).
- The more it’s processed, it gets creamier.
- All of a sudden, like magic, it gets super duper creamy! That’s when you can add salt and blend in.
Of course, time could vary (depending on your processor), but should take just 10 minutes of processing.
Tip: If making white chocolate and cranberry cashew butter or crunchy cashew butter, you stir in those ingredients, not process them. You want the texture.
This is the smooth cashew butter:
This is the chai cashew butter:
Here is the white chocolate and cranberry cashew butter:
And last, but not least, this is the crunchy cashew butter:
Tips for Making Cashew Butter
- When roasting the cashews, watch them! Nuts can burn super fast and ovens can vary.
- Salt was added to all four varieties here, but you could totally omit the salt if you want to have a salt-free nut butter.
- If presenting any of these cashew nut butters as a food gift to someone special, store in a nice jar and tie with a pretty ribbon or tag.
- If gifting the crunchy or white chocolate and cranberry version, you can sprinkle some chopped roasted cashews (or white chocolate and cranberries over top) for a pretty presentation.
- For the chai cashew nut butter, use store-bought chai spice mix (to taste) instead of the individual spices listed, if you prefer.
More Yummy Homemade Spreads
- If you make any (or all) of these homemade cashew butter recipes, be sure to leave a comment below!
Cashew Butter Recipe (Four Versions)
Homemade nut butter is seriously easy to make and so satisfying to watch it come together (and enjoy!) This cashew nut butter recipe is super creamy, rich and tasty. There are four delicious versions included, because it's always a good thing to have options!
Ingredients
Smooth Cashew Butter
- 3 cups unsalted cashews
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Chai Cashew Butter
- 3 cups unsalted cashews
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 1.25 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
White Chocolate and Cranberry Cashew Butter
- 3 cups unsalted cashews
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips, roughly chopped (plus more if you want some stirred in)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
Crunchy Cashew Butter
- 3 ⅓ cups unsalted cashews, divided
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Instructions
Smooth Cashew Butter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cashews on a sheet pan and spread out. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, watching to ensure they don't burn and rotating the pan about halfway. Remove and let cool.
- Place cashews in a large food processor and process, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the processor with a spatula. When processing the cashews, first they'll have a sandy/crumbly consistency with small crumbles, then the crumbles will get larger, then it will form into a larger ball, and eventually it will be smooth and creamy. The whole process takes approximately 8 to 10 minutes.Note: Use a food processor with a large capacity, like a 12 to 14-cup capacity.
- When you've reached a creamy consistency, stop and add salt and process again.
- Portion into a storage jar, cover, refrigerate and enjoy within 2 weeks. Yields about 1.5 cups.Note: Like most nut butter, this will firm up slightly in the fridge. If you like, you can leave out for 5 to 10 minutes to soften.
Chai Cashew Butter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cashews on a sheet pan and spread out. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, watching to ensure they don't burn and rotating the pan about halfway. Remove and let cool.
- Place cashews in a large food processor and process, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the processor with a spatula. When processing the cashews, first they'll have a sandy/crumbly consistency with small crumbles, then the crumbles will get larger, then it will form into a larger ball, and eventually it will be smooth and creamy. The whole process takes approximately 8 to 10 minutes.Note: Use a food processor with a large capacity, like a 12 to 14-cup capacity.
- When you've reached a creamy consistency, stop and add salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla extract and process again.
- Portion into a storage jar, cover, refrigerate and enjoy within 2 weeks. Yields about 1.5 cups.Note: Like most nut butter, this will firm up slightly in the fridge. If you like, you can leave out for 5 to 10 minutes to soften.
White Chocolate and Cranberry Cashew Butter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cashews on a sheet pan and spread out. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, watching to ensure they don't burn and rotating the pan about halfway. Remove and let cool.
- Place cashews in a large food processor and process, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the processor with a spatula. When processing the cashews, first they'll have a sandy/crumbly consistency with small crumbles, then the crumbles will get larger, then it will form into a larger ball, and eventually it will be smooth and creamy. The whole process takes approximately 8 to 10 minutes.Note: Use a food processor with a large capacity, like a 12 to 14-cup capacity.
- When you've reached a creamy consistency, stop and add salt and process again.
- Stir in white chocolate chips and dried cranberries (I like to stir in with a spoon rather than use the processor). The chips should melt (and slightly sweeten the cashew butter) with residual heat. If you want actual chocolate chips in the butter (without melting), allow the cashew butter to cool slightly and stir some in.
- Portion into a storage jar, cover, refrigerate and enjoy within 2 weeks. Yields about 1.5 cups.Note: Like most nut butter, this will firm up slightly in the fridge. If you like, you can leave out for 5 to 10 minutes to soften.
Crunchy Cashew Butter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cashews on a sheet pan and spread out. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, watching to ensure they don't burn and rotating the pan about halfway. Remove and let cool.
- Place 3 cups of cashews in a large food processor (reserve the ⅓ cup) and process, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the processor with a spatula. When processing the cashews, first they'll have a sandy/crumbly consistency with small crumbles, then the crumbles will get larger, then it will form into a larger ball, and eventually it will be smooth and creamy. The whole process takes approximately 8 to 10 minutes.Note: Use a food processor with a large capacity, like a 12 to 14-cup capacity.
- When you've reached a creamy consistency, stop and add salt and process again.
- Chop reserved ⅓ cup of cashews. Stir into the butter (I like to stir in with a spoon so that they retain their texture).
- Portion into a storage jar, cover, refrigerate and enjoy within 2 weeks. Yields about 1.5 cups.Note: Like most nut butter, this will firm up slightly in the fridge. If you like, you can leave out for 5 to 10 minutes to soften.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
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Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Valentina says
I love making homemade nut butters and chestnuts are so delicious. Can’t believe I hadn’t made this before. I love all of the different versions you present. So cleaver, Dawn. And would make for such a great edible gift during the holidays. 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Same here! Thank you Valentina 🙂
Melanie @ Bon Appét'Eat says
I have never had cashew butter! I discovered peanut butter when I arrived in Canada and I gained 5kg (10 pounds) from eating it on 2 bagels every morning! How naive am I? ahah I love cashews, I’ll try it with moderation 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
LOL! Thanks Melanie!