How to Make Cashew Milk
314 Comments
Updated Sep 19, 2023
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Cashew milk is my favorite dairy-free nut milk. Not only is it super creamy, it’s easy to make at home. And bonus, you don’t have to strain it like almond milk. Just soak your cashews overnight, drain, then blend with water. Voila, homemade cashew milk!
CASHEW MILK
Up until a few years ago I drank dairy milk like it was going out of style. So much so, that my family historically referred to me as “the cow” because I was always drinking milk (which, I should clarify was said all in good family jesting and not in a derogatory way). I’m not joking when I say I drank a lot of milk…as in a gallon or so a week.
Fast forward 4 years, 4 autoimmune diagnoses, a health coaching certification and a healthy living blog and I’m happy to report that I’m far more educated on nutrition and what I put into my body.
Now to be clear, I’m not anti high-quality dairy (you guys know I like my goat cheese and homemade yogurt). And I sure try hard not to demonize foods.
But the simple fact is that 65% of the worlds population has a problem digesting lactose. And for others, particularly those with digestive autoimmune conditions, dairy can flare and exacerbate symptoms.
So what’s a dairy-free peep to do? Well, you could turn to coconut milk, oat milk, almond milk, hemp milk, banana milk or my favorite of the nut milks – cashew milk!
YOU DON’T HAVE TO STRAIN CASHEW MILK
Almond milk is the perennial favorite of nut milks, but I find cashew milk to be much creamier and more mild in flavor. I also love that you don’t have to strain it, like you do almond milk. There’s no pulp left when blended on high with a powerful blender.
HOW TO MAKE CASHEW MILK
You’ll see in the video below how quickly the cashew milk comes together. So really there’s no need to pay a premium and buy it at the store. The hardest part is just remembering to soak the cashews the night before. Here’s how you make it:
- Soak 1 cup of cashews overnight, then drain and rinse
- Add the cashews and 4 cups of water (plus any sweeteners) to a high-powered blender
- Blend on high for a minute
- Pour into a storage container and refrigerate
Drink the cashew milk straight up or use it in a recipe as you would any dairy milk.
HOW LONG DOES IT LAST?
Homemade cashew milk lasts 3-4 days in the fridge. Though I think it’s best consumed within the first 2-3 days. You can halve this recipe if you don’t think you’ll use it all up.
You can also make a full batch and pour any extra into a silicone ice cube tray and freeze for future use. I show how to do this with herbs on my Kitchen Gadgets video. Then, it’s as easy as popping a cube into your next mango smoothie or thawing for a cup of coffee. Brilliant, eh?
More Recipes Using This Cashew Milk
How to Make Cashew Milk
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups water
Optional
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup , (or honey)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- After the cashews have soaked overnight, drain and rinse them.
- Place the cashews into a high-powered blender and add the remaining ingredients. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes or until the milk is smooth and creamy.
- Place the cashew milk in a storage container and refrigerate.
Lisa’s Tips
- This is my favorite storage container for homemade cashew milk.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted October 2016, but updated to include new information.
This is our go to recipe for nut milk. We use a Ninja blender to make ours and have to strain it through cheesecloth but not an issue at all. Otherwise it’s too grainy.
You definitely need to strain this otherwise the texture is grainy, but overall super yummy!
Just made this and love it!! After blending, it did see to have a grainy texture still? Do I need to blend longer, or is there something I need to change to make it more smooth? I followed the recipe!
Hi Alyssa – it sounds like you might need to blend just a little bit longer for a smoother texture. Enjoy!
Easy to make, tastes good, and, best of all, no straining needed!
Yes! That’s why I love it as well. :)
I make cashew milk regularly using this recipe…it’s so easy and delicious. I love it so much I’ve shared it with friends and family. And, they love it, too!
Glad this cashew milk has now become a regular in your household. Also, thanks for sharing with your friends and family, Ann!
Hi, Lisa. This is the second time making this recipe. First time I used organic vanilla bean powder and second time organic vanilla non alcoholic extract. Both equally as good; however, the powder did leave a little grit. Another great recipe added to my routine. Again thank you so much.
Thanks for sharing your feedback on those two vanilla options, Karen. I’m glad you’re enjoying this homemade cashew milk!
Absolutely YUMMY and super easy to make. When I was Vegan I made cashew cheese sauce and it was devine. Also another great use for Cashews. Cashews offer more Alfredo trype vegan cheese, super delicious thank you
Hi. I made my first batch of this. I have a Ninja Professional blender and blended it for about 1 minute using both low and high speeds. My first taste was quite grainy with the texture of the nuts. After chilling it in the fridge for several hours, the nut pulp seemed to settle and the resulting (thinner) milk on top is delicious! The recipe yielded about 5 1/2 cups, but a little over 1 cup of the pulp had settled to the bottom. I’ve seen another recipe for this with the same ratios, but they recommend blending the 1 cup of cashews with only 2 cups of water to begin with, and then blending with the remaining 2 cups of water. I will try that next and maybe blending for a longer amount of time. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Amazing! I thought making your own plant based milk would be fiddly, but this takes just a few minutes. I didn’t have any vanilla essence but it tastes just fine without. It works out cheaper than buying it at the store, and saves using the hard to recycle packaging. Following your advice I have slightly heated the milk before adding to tea or coffee – no curdling or seperation and it tastes great. The mild taste and creamy texture is also great in cereals or porridge – look forward to using it in smoothies. Thank you!
Hi Evan – Thanks so much for your feedback and good to know that it didn’t curdle too much when lightly heated!
This is the easiest nut milk ever and it tastes great! I like mine a tad more viscous so I reduce the water by a little. I also found blending for a full 2 minutes in my Vitamix gives the best result.
So happy you love it!
Best dairy-free nut free milk I’ve ever had! Everyone in the family loves it. We use it for everything!
It’s my personal favorite nut milk as well. Hope you enjoy it, Dena!
I regularly make cashew milk and it is my favourite of all nut milks. Just so you know, cashews don’t need overnight soaking as they are softer than other nuts. 2 hours of soaking is enough and they blend perfectly.
Great to hear I can use cashews just like almonds to make milk, but no nut bag required. Wondering how long the shelf life is of the cashew milk?
Thanks for the video
Hi Elizabeth – This will last between 3 to 4 days in the fridge!
Lisa, in your nutritional info, is that for one cup? Wasn’t sure the serving size. Thank you!
Hi Deborah – I’d say each serving is a little over 1/2 a cup.
Thanks Lisa. Fortunately cashew is in great abundance in my country, and l can’t wait to try cashew milk.
Hi Joe – Hope you love this cashew milk!
Cool.
Do you have recipe for high quality bread.
I don’t have a recipe for homemade bread yet!
Do you soak nuts at room temperature or in the refrigerator?
I also sterilize my jar before pouring my milk into it. Otherwise it goes bad before 5 days
I usually soak mine at room temperature overnight.
I made this for the first time today and LOVE it! What I love the most is it doesn’t have to be strained through cheese cloth. What a nice alternative to cows milk! I also discovered how delicious the cashews were after soaking! I’m going to start soaking them and other nuts as, I’m sure, they are more easily digested!! Thank you so much for sharing this great find!!
So glad you love this homemade cashew milk, Mary!
This is so good and easy to make! Now I don’t have to spend a fortune on nut milks without gums and sugars.
Homemade cashew milk is the way to go!
I made both cashew milk and cashew cream! Love them both! I sweetened them with pure maple syrup and flavoured with Madagascar vanilla. For the cream I added some coconut cream. We are well on our way to becoming more self sufficient and health conscience. My kids even like helping to the degree that I was kicked out of the kitchen so my daughter could take over! haha
Glad you enjoyed both of those recipes and how wonderful that your kids are helping in the kitchen!
I ABSOLUTELY ADORE the recipe for cashew milk!!!
It’s so easy to make. I love using it in my smoothies.
Glad you’re loving this cashew milk, Peyton!
I did this because I was out of almond milk and getting a good almond milk on the grocery store it’s getting really expensive. I have never try cashew milk before and when I did I love it!! My coffee was really delicious better than with almond milk!!! Thank you!!
I’m so glad you found a new nut milk you love that you can make right at home!
I love this recipe so much! My daughter who hates milk tried this and thought that it was delicious. Obviously same with me! Thank you!
I’m so glad you found a delicious alternative for your daughter, and you!
Hi Lisa! I love how simple and easy this recipe is. I’m counting calories right now and just so I’m clear, one serving is 1/2 a cup, which would be 85 calories? Thanks!
Correct!
Ok, so in my eagerness to try this recipe, I soaked the cashews overnight, then dumped everything in the blender and made the milk. I just looked at the recipe again and noticed I should have discarded that water and rinsed them. Can I still use it or should I start over? I just made a half batch to see if it would work in my blender.
It’s best to discard that water and start over, unfortunately.
Ok thank you! I have recently come across your website and YouTube videos and am enjoying several of your recipes and tips. :)
I make this just about every week since I can’t find nut milks where I live. I have a nut milk bag that I strain the cashew milk through since my blender isn’t high powered and it works great for me! I blend it up for about 5 minutes (again, not a high-powered blender) and it creates such a delicious cashew milk for me. I love it!
Glad this cashew milk has become a staple!
Great! I love cashew milk, but the one you buy form the supermarket might not be the best quality one. Homemade is great!
Homemade is always best. :)
I’ve made my first batch of cashew milk last night! I was amazed how well it worked even with my little blender! No more overpriced, store-bought cashew milk for me! The commercially available stuff often only contains 5% nuts – the rest is just water and additives!
Yay, good for you!
How many oz of cashew milk does it make?
A little over 4 cups.
I used dates instead of maple syrup or honey and it came out amazing! I will never have to buy store bought dairy-free milk again. Thanks for always creating great recipes Lisa!
Glad this cashew milk was a win Jenelle!
Why do you need to rinse the cashews before blending?
Soaking the cashews will help remove anti-nutrients and enzyme inhibitors like phytic acid.
I have seen a few videos on people making milk from nut butters. Would love to see you do this!! I really love how reliable your recipes are.
I’ll definitely have to give that a try in the future!
Excellent it was !!
Pls is it roasted cashew nuts,?
How can I get raw cashew nuts?
I recommend raw cashews, not roasted. You can find raw cashews in the market or online.
Hey Lisa!
Great recipe and congrats on your cookbook! 😊 Can’t wait to get it! Quick q- how many dates would you recommend for this recipe as a sweetener (I don’t like it too sweet)! I was thinking of soaking the dates overnight in a separate container next to the cashews so they blend easily. Thanks in advance!
I would say about 2 to 3 dates is a good starting point :)
Dear Ms. Bryan,
The photo of the cashew milk that you have on your cashew milk recipe article appears very cow’s milk white. Other online cashew milk recipes depict the beverage as a more natural off-white/ecru which is the true color.
The color can vary, depending on the cashews. But over time it will turn into an off-white color.
What happens if you have your cashew milk in the fridge for 5-7 days? Is it rotten by then? Harmful? Or just not very tasty? My question – can you still use it in soups?
I’d say it will go bad by then and not be usable.
Love your recipes! Could you do recipes on how to make non-dairy yogurt or cheese, like cashew cheese?
I actually have a vegan ricotta cheese that’s made from cashews on my website :)
Hi Lisa,
I made this today, and it is so delicious. I used 3/4 cup raw cashews and 1&3/4 cup water win my Vitamix, it was ready in about 45 seconds. So creamy and delicious, will definitely make again and going to also try the oat milk.
Can the cashews soak on counter or fridge overnite
You can do either or!
Every recipe of yours is so great!
I have tried cashew milk twice but on 2nd day, the cashew pulp and water get separated in the glass bottle. Does that mean it has gone bad?
With your exact measurements, I get 3 bottles of 12oz cashew milk which I plan to use for 3 days.
Thanks again.
Hi Shivani – that separation is normal. Just give it a shake and enjoy!
I have everyone addicted to this. It is amazing and I don’t understand how I went so long without knowing about it! As for the separation, oddly enough I left the milk in my Vitamix container on the counter for a few hours. Then I put it in my Weck jar and put it in the fridge. It doesn’t separate hardly at all when I do that. Not sure why. It has not altered anything about it, so I continue to do that when I can.
Could this work for pistachios?
I haven’t tried, but I’m thinking it could work!
How long does this last in the fridge?
This will last for about 2 days in the fridge.
Love all your recipes. Is there a certain honey that you use? I’ve never used honey in anything and don’t know if one is better than the next.
I normally will just buy any organic honey brand I can find.
Do you soak the cashews on the counter overnight versus in the refrigerator?
I normally will just soak the cashews on the counter.
I made this yesterday and today it went bad. It’s like buttermilk/yoghurt consistency.
Hi Rowena – that’s strange as it shouldn’t go bad after a day. Did you chill it in the fridge?
Hi Lisa! Can sprouted cashews be used for this?
Hi Lisa! I have question about your cashew milk serving size & nutrition info. How many cups do you consider as a single serving of the milk & is the nutrition info you have in the recipe good for a single serving or the whole batch? I’m doing a weight loss program & need to make sure I’m staying on plan. I’ve been making your cashew milk for months & love it! It’s the only “milk” I drink now!! I also really enjoy your videos & content! I’m so grateful I discovered you on YouTube!!
Each serving is about 3/4 cup. Also, the nutritional information for all my recipes is for one serving.
Thank you for your help!!
Where do you buy your raw cashews
I normally will buy them at Whole Foods or Sprouts. But, most markets should have them.
Where has this recipe been all my life?!?! This is so delicious and it is now the only milk we drink. It really could not be any easier. It’s also quite a treat to drink some as soon as you make it, while it is still warm from the Vitamix.
Hi Lisa, as I am italian, I am not used to using cups. I see you use a different kind of cup, a glass one, for the cashew. The metal one doesn’t fit? Thanks.
Hi Laura – I always have metric measurements listed in the recipe card :) There is a toggle button where you can choose metrics!
Hi Lisa:
Love your website! Question – can you use unsalted cashews instead of raw and if you can, do they need to be soaked as well?
Hi Sonya – thanks so much! And yes, you can use unsalted cashews. They do still need to be soaked.