Did you know you can non-dairy milk from nuts and seeds? You probably know about almond milk by now, but here’s a new player in town: a recipe for cashew milk! Today I share with you another video to show you How To Make Cashew Whole Milk! Why whole milk? Because the beauty of cashews is that they are so silky smooth that you don’t need to strain the pulp, making it that much easier and faster to make at home.
Why make your own nut milk? Although it’s nice to have the convenience of buying nut milks nowadays (there are some good brands out there that I use), a lot of the commercial varieties use additives, sugars, oils, etc. to keep the milks shelf-stable. Making it yourself assures you of what goes into it. You are in control, and you know the quality of your ingredients, the amount of natural sugar (maple syrup or dates are a great way to sweeten it without using refined white sugar), etc.
How To Make Cashew Whole Milk
I’ve been making my own cashew milk at home for about a year now, and it always turns out creamy and delicious. Although I do recommend soaking them a bit ahead of time to make it creamier, I’ve made some with raw cashews that were not soaked and it works too. The more powerful your blender is, the better! Only a few ingredients are needed, but optional if you don’t want your milk to be flavoured or sweet, omit everything except the cashews and water.
Cashews Benefits
Raw cashews are a great source of manganese, magnesium, copper, and vitamin K. According to the University of Maryland Medical Centre, as many as 37% of Americans don’t get the daily recommended amount of manganese, because this trace mineral is found in whole grains, nuts and seeds, and most Americans have very little amounts of these.
Manganese is a trace mineral that is present in tiny amounts in the body. It is found mostly in bones, the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Manganese helps the body form connective tissue, bones, blood clotting factors, and sex hormones. It also plays a role in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption, and blood sugar regulation. Manganese is also necessary for normal brain and nerve function.
Manganese is a component of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), which helps fight free radicals. Free radicals occur naturally in the body but can damage cell membranes and DNA. They may play a role in aging, as well as the development of a number of health conditions, including heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants, such as SOD, can help neutralize free radicals and reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause. (source)
However, too much manganese can also create health issues, so as always, a wide variety of food is best, and not always the same foods!
The many uses of nut milks
This nut milk is very simple to make and can be a great addition to:
- baked goods
- pancakes
- breakfast
- coffee or tea
- smoothies
- dairy-free ice creams
I love to use my homemade cashew milk in muffins, cakes, even pancakes! It’s good to have variety in our diets, so let’s mix and match almond milk, cashew milk, hazelnut milk, sunflower seed milk, pumpkin seed milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, etc… So much variety! If you’d like to make your milk even creamier (for your coffee perhaps, just use more cashews).
Enjoy!
How to make cashew whole milk
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup up to 1 cup, raw cashews, whole or pieces (not roasted or salted, preferably organic)
- a pinch of sea salt
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup , or 2 Medjool dates (pits removed)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups filtered water
Instructions
- Put everything in your blender and blend on high speed for about 45-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a container with a lid, and keep in the fridge up to 4 days.
Notes
What a great video! I only use non dairy milks, but haven’t tried making my own. I love cashew milk, and will definitely give this a try. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Colleen! It’s so worth it. Once you try making your own nut milk, you won’t go back 🙂
I’ve never been big on store-bought nut milk (or milk replacements in general), but I tried out a local high-quality almond milk a while back and I was really impressed by the difference and the flavour. Ever since I’ve paid more and more attention to these things. I made my own hazelnut milk a little while back for a cocktail, but I haven’t played around much since then. Now two things have me seriously curious again – one is my Vitamix (yayyyyy) and the other is this cashew idea. I ADORE cashews regardless of the preparation, and I had no idea that you could use them like this without even needing to strain them! That’s amazing! I mean, I just watched the video and… well, that’s the whole process! I had no idea it was so easy! Definitely going to have to give this a go.
Oh yes! That Vitamix really changes your life, doesn’t it? haha 😉 I love experimenting with various ways to create things, and nut milks are great for that! Your cocktail with hazelnut milk sounds intriguing! This cashew milk is amazing because you can control how thick and creamy you want it to be. Just make sure to always use raw cashews. You can also add fruits or chocolate to make it flavoured. It’s too easy not to try!
Okay that’s it — there’s no excuse for me not to make this because I have all the ingredients in my pantry! I’m going to soak my cashews right now overnight and will report back with the results this week. Thanks for sharing this recipe Gabby and for the final kick in the butt I needed to finally make my own nut milk!
haha you’re welcome! You will LOVE it! This one is so easy because you don’t need to strain it (unless you want to or unless your blender doesn’t go fast enough to make it creamy). Even making almond milk is easy, if you have a nut milk bag, it honestly isn’t hard at all. Have fun! I look forward to hearing more!
This is now my favorite type of milk. I also like Almond milk but Cashew is so smooth. I like this recipe because the maple syrup gives it just a hint of sweetness! Love it!
Thanks! Happy to hear it’s a success, and you’re right, it’s so smooth!
Cashew milk is definitely my favorite to make at home. No straining, no leftover pulp, plus insanely delicious – you really can’t go wrong. Love your video! Now I’m craving cashew milk and cookies 😉 Have a great weekend!!
I agree, a glass of cashew milk and cookies is delicious! 🙂
I’ve only made a cashew cream once, as a base for a cream-based pasta sauce. It worked out wonderfully and was so delicious. I’ve never actually made any but milk for everyday use, though. It’s definiteky something I should start doing.
Even if you eat dairy (which I still do occasionally), it’s a really nice change. I love making cashew cream too. It’s so versatile!