Let’s talk milk. Do you like milk? Milk and I have a tumultuous past. As a kid, I boycotted milk for a solid ten years, during which time my mother fretted about my calcium intake and swore I’d turn into a decrepit, brittle old lady. May the record show that I have not once broken a bone.
These days, I’m still not much of a milk drinker. I like a splash of it in my coffee, but I accidentally stopped drinking coffee two months ago. I can’t say I’m a fan of store-bought milk alternatives, either. Soy milk, rice milk and almond milk all have a funky aftertaste that I can’t abide. Homemade almond milk is pretty good, but straining the pulp from the liquid mixture is more trouble than it’s worth.
Homemade cashew milk, however, is a different story. It’s my one exception. It’s easy to make and it’s absolutely delicious. Cashew milk is the creamiest of homemade nut milks and the most refreshing, in my opinion.
Since the nuts blend entirely into the water, no nuts go to waste in the process. That also means that the cashew milk retains all of the fiber and nutrients present in the cashews. Did I mention that you don’t have to strain the mixture? I’m a fan.
Cashew milk is full of redeeming nutrients, like magnesium, phosphorus, iron, potassium and zinc. The fat in cashews is mostly unsaturated and they are a good source of protein (source).
I’ve made this cashew milk recipe in my old blender and my new fancy pants blender (courtesy of Blendtec). Both blenders produced creamy milk that didn’t require straining, so don’t worry if you don’t have a fancy pants blender. Soaking the cashews first helps them break down in the blender, too. Generally, soaking nuts before consuming them helps release beneficial enzymes. I’m not sure that’s true for cashew milk, though, because even “raw” cashews have already been through two roasting processes to remove their inner and outer shells. “Raw” cashew milk/cream/cheese may be a misnomer.
A cold glass of cashew milk is super refreshing on a hot day. Add cinnamon and it reminds me of horchata. Mix some into Assam or black tea with spices for a riff on Chai tea. It would be great with muesli or cereal for breakfast. Apparently you can even make ice cream with cashew milk, though I admit I’m skeptical. Have you tried it?
Please let me know how your cashew milk turns out in the comments! If you’re looking for more homemade milk alternatives, check don’t miss my pecan milk and oat milk.
Cashew Milk
- Author:
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Total Time: 5 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Beverages
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: American
Cashew milk is creamy and refreshing, nutritious and easy to make. You shouldn’t need to strain the mixture after blending if you have a decent blender. That means less hassle and less waste! Recipe yields about 5 cups cashew milk.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 4 cups water, divided*
- 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey or agave nectar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Dash of sea salt
- Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in water at least 4 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the cashews and rinse until the water runs clear. Add the cashews and two cups water to a blender. Start on a low setting and increase the speed until the cashews are totally pulverized. This could take 2 minutes in a high-powered blender or longer in a regular blender.
- Blend in 2 cups more water*, your sweetener of choice, vanilla extract, sea salt and cinnamon (optional). If your blender can’t totally break down the cashews, strain the milk through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth. Store the milk in a covered container in the refrigerator. It should keep for 3 to 4 days.
Notes
*Water ratio: The ratio of water to cashews (4 to 1) in this recipe yields milk that is somewhere between 2% and whole milk in terms of creaminess. I think it’s just right as-is, but you can use less water for even creamier results.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup or agave nectar, not honey.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Allison F
Thank you! I used 5 dates instead of the syrup and it’s gorgeous!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Allison!
Shannon
That is a great idea!
Shani
Love the recipe. I had several uses for my cashew milk in mind so I blended without sweetener so that I could sweeten and flavor as needed. Even with an overnight soak, I had pulp so I searched Google and found options from a few but based pulp recipe.
After staining the cashews I mixed the pulp with ghee (great taste but other oils can be used), a little honey and maple syrup, pepitas, pecan pieces, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and a pinch of sea salt. I spread it on parchment paper covered baking sheet and baked on 200 degrees until crispy brown, mixing occasionally. It’s delicious and can be a grain free topping or a granola eaten with the cashew milk.
★★★★★
Meghan Johnson
Thank you so much for this gorgeous recipe! Making homemade nut and oat milks have been a part of my routine these days. I love putting this homemade cashew milk in my morning lattes! I am having trouble getting the right consistency though, even with a high-speed quality blender…I still end up with pulp! Any suggestions? (My best friend uses the same recipe and doesn’t have to strain it! I don’t know what I am doing wrong! haha)
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Meghan! I’m sorry to hear that. What type of cashew are you using? I wonder if it is roasted at all? I find that doesn’t always work as well since it gets dried out.
mai mallo
It’s great to have this unusual kind of recipe. I am amazed and enjoyed doing the cashew milk. Thank you dear for this one of a kind recipe I really love it
Jolene
Never made cashew milk before. Loved this first try. High powered blender left no pulp. I used only nuts and water. May add other ingredients later. Can’t wait til it’s chilled to see how I like it then. Thanks!
★★★★★
Rachel
What kind of blender do you have? Mine was undrinkable. I strained it through cheesecloth, and had to keep using more new cheesecloth because only some milk would get through. I drank what came through and my throat feels hoarse from drinking tiny bits of cashew and getting stuck in the back of my throat. Awful experience. Its store bought for me unless I can figure out a way to leave no pulp
★★★★
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that, Rachel! My Vitamix works great. How long did you soak the cashews for?
Erin
I agree rachel- must be you have to have a fancy blender. Mine soak for days and are very soft (raw, unroasted) and always leave this thick pulp and I can’t even strain it out. I think I am going to give up on nutmilks. I have a Ninja blender by the way.
★
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that, Erin. Thank you for your feedback.
Sam
Ninja is not the right blender for making milk
Sophie
I haven’t had any cow milk for around three years now and have tried so many alternatives at the store from many different brands – almond, oat, soy, etc. I settled on soy since I found it the creamiest and closest resemblance to milk (texture-wise). It still wasn’t my favorite flavor. I tried this recipe with 1/2 cup less water and love it. The texture is perfect and I love the flavor too! I’m never going to get store-bought milk alternatives again. I used a nut milk bag to strain the milk though since my blender didn’t fully incorporate the cashews. Thank you :)
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Sophie! I’m happy you were able to enjoy it and found a method that worked for you.
San Q
Just a quick comment that you don’t always need to strain it. I use my homemade nut milks in oatmeal so it doesn’t matter whether it’s strained. If you don’t mind a little sediment, you don’t need to strain it either.
★★★★★
Kam
I made this for general use so I didn’t sweeten it and the yield was more than I expected despite ending up with some pulp. I knew it would take forever to try and blend the pulp and strain it again so I added some sweetener to it and stored it in the fridge to use a whipped cream for pancakes! It ended up working very well and was incredibly creamy. I imagine adding a little salt and lemon juice would turn it into a great cream cheese for toast or a salad topping! Always love a byproduct :D
★★★★
emily
made some for my friend and I and we both love it! she even said it tasted better than store bought nut milk. i used a powerful food processor to blend the cashews and ended up with some pulp, but it’s still a smooth consistency :)
★★★★★
Kate
That’s what I like to hear! Thank you for sharing, Emily. I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Carey baker
Delicious! I am
In a strict diet that won’t allow me to buy store bought coffee creamer. I can’t wait to enjoy tomorrow’s coffee with this!
★★★★★
Karen Mary
This is my fave milk in the world! I’ve made it since my (now grown kids) were babies. I linked to your recipe in my blog post about milk storage today.
Enjoying your cookbook, too Kate! Cheers!
Macie Surovik
My absolute go-to! Sometimes I make plain and other times I add vanilla and honey. Obsessed with the texture in my iced coffee!
★★★★★
Ty
This is fantastic! Made it tonight and it was delicious. Blending with a Vitamix made it warm, so I will have warm milk before bedtime! Can’t wait to have some chilled. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for letting me know what you thought, Ty.
Vickie
I made this to use for chia seed pudding and it is delicious. Really creamy and so easy to make!
★★★★★
Molly
I love it to make golden milk. I used two dates to sweeten, but the solids sink to the bottom of my cup by the time I finish?
Kate
Hi Molly! I find that to be the case as spices are heavier. I would suggest mixing it occasionally if you find that happening.
Mike Bello
Try heating the golden milk syrup first and then add the cashew milk in the same saucepan. This should leave less residue.
ERIC MOONEY
Yes, you CAN make ice cream with cashew milk …. well… cashew CREAM plus coconut milk. The ratio used is 125% water to the weight of soaked cashews. So if you have 100g of cashews that were soaked overnight, add 125g of water and blend.
★★★★★
AprilJ
Hi is there a reason you don’t use the soaking water to make the milk? Do you lose nutrients by discarding it?
Kate
Hi April, I believe that some of the starch in the oats is released into the soaking water. The starch can negatively impact the texture of the milk. You might lose a few nutrients, perhaps, but the bulk are still within the oats. Hope that makes sense.
Nicole
The cashew milk tastes great but I only end up with about 1 cup worth of milk following the directions. Am I doing something wrong? I’m straining it through a t-shirt so I don’t have any issues with pulp.
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Nicole! I’m sorry to hear that. Did you add the additional water per step 2? I assume your tshirt soaked up too much of the moisture too.
Maria
Thank you for this recipe! I made it in my Vitamix and it came out ultra creamy with absolutely no pulp whatsoever. I wanted to give the following tip to anyone having trouble getting the right consistency:
– I soaked my cashews for about 12 hours in the fridge overnight. They were pulverized in less than 20 seconds at medium speed, but I continued increasing the speed nonetheless and blended for a total of about 40 seconds to make sure I got everything.
Hope this helps! And thanks again!
★★★★★
Melissa
I can always rely on recipes from Cookie and Kate. They never disappoint. I tell everyone.
★★★★★
Taylor
LOVE this recipe! I am a coffee lover, but can’t drink cows milk, so am always searching for a new milk alternative to try. I cut the water ratio in half to make it creamier, and heated and frothed it up for my morning coffee. Absolutely delicious!
★★★★★
Catherine Neeley
I made the chai cashew latte from your recipe book this morning and it was wonderful. So creamy, with delicious froth, and lovely balanced flavour.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you loved it, Catherine! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Robyn King
Hi I just wondered what wattage a decent blender should to make this nut milk without straining it. What would recommend?
Thanks
Robyn
Kate
Hi Robyn! I love my Vitamix. It is a high power blender. I find those work the best.
Meghan Johnson
I love this cashew milk recipe! I use my handy “nut bag” to strain it bc I’m a texture freak and can’t deal with the slightest bit of pulp :D I’ve also tried this with soaked dates instead of maple syrup and it was also delightful!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you loved it, Meghan Thank you for sharing.
2 Cups first?
Why do you blend the cashews in two cups of water first, instead of blending them with all four cups at once? I have a vitamix and am wondering whether this two step blending is really necessary. Thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi! This step helps to make sure your cashews get broken down all the way without little pieces. I hope that helps! It ensures a smooth result.
2 CUPS FIRST?
Thanks for the response and for this recipe! It’s my family’s new staple, and has replaced store bought non-dairy milks. I can see why the two step process might be necessary with some blenders but I’ve had perfect results with blending the cashews with all the water in one step. Just including my experience in case other vitamix owners see this.
★★★★★
rishu
Thanks for the recipe!! I loved it, especially with sourdough bread dipped in. I feel like I might try to make this with macadamia nuts too.
It also reminded me of when I made horchata but much easier lol
★★★★
Carla Pogson
Your Cashew milk recipe turned out to be the best I’ve ever tasted. I have printed this off so I don’t lose it. The only thing I changed was the honey, I used raw honey. Thank you
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing! I’m happy you agree with me. It’s so good!
Vinita
Thanks for the recipe. My husband suddenly became lactose intolerant and this is the best alternative we’ve found for his tea! It is not a perfect substitute but better than any other we’ve tried (soy, oat, almond) and it’s easy to make. I used half the water because I wanted a thicker milk.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing! Happy this is a close alternative to help with the transition.
Abby
Hey Kate! I use your blog often and always trust that the recipes will turn out great! I am about to make the cashew milk… but I am wondering if it is necessary to drain the water after soaking them. I am afraid of wasting precious nutrients in the water where there cashews were soaked. Is there some sort of benefit to adding new water? Is it necessary to have to drain the soaked water or can I use that to blend the cashews? Thanks so much!!
Kate
Hi Abby! I find it helps with the flavor and creaminess.
Tamara McGinnis
OMGOSH I wish I could add photos!!! :)
I’ve recently started an elimination diet and Phase 1 allows me to have cashews but not almonds. Cashew milk is somewhat hard to find and pretty much either milk is hard to find without other ingredients. Sure I can have salt and cane sugar but most store bought items have many other ingredients; some I can’t even spell LOL
I tried this recipe tonight for the first time and my husband even liked it. I have a Ninja Blender (professional 1500 watts) and didn’t need to strain or do anything extra!!
I soaked the cashews for approx 6 hrs (cause I had a few errands to run) and the recipe came out perfect!
I am so excited that as of Monday I can have cereal again (plain puffed rice cereal) with my cashew milk.
THIS IS A LIFE SAVER!!
And the best part… all natural ingredients without any preservatives!
Thanks again and again so much Kate!
Tamara in Tucson :)
★★★★★
Linda V
I love this recipe! Its simple and delicious, no straining needed even army regular blender.. This will be my bedtime drink. Linda
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Linda! I’m glad you loved it.
Rossana
I love this recipe!! Comes out perfect and I also made your cream of cashew and treated myself and friends to some White Russian drinks for Halloween.
Thank you!
Lana Roby
The cashew milk I buy is only 25 calories per cup. Why is this recipe so much higher? Thanks
Kate
Hi Lana, I can’t speak specifically to the nutritional differences. Here is more on my nutritional information.
Danny Boy
Me thinks the cashew milk you buy is severely watered down with barely any cashews in them.
★★★★★
Brenda
This is by far one of the best recipes for Cashew Milk. Thank you so much for such a winner! This is my go to recipe.
★★★★★
Nikki
Yummy! Blended up a treat with soaking the cashews for 24 hours by accident, haha! I added extra vanilla and salt thank you! Il enjoy with reishi and cacao before bed ⚡
★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Nikki!
Deana
Kathryn- I’ll give your divine recipe a ’20’ out of ’10’!
Soo easy, smooth and creamy. I love the neutral background flavor it lends- so subtly sweet, but not ‘sweet’.
Thanks for sharing !
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you! I’m excited you love it so much, Deana.
Jen
I just made this and it is delicious ! I soaked raw unsalted cashews overnight , and only added 2 cups water, a little salt and cinnamon, and 2 dates to sweeten. I also used a Ninja blender. My milk isn’t completely smooth but that doesn’t bother me at all because it tastes so good. If you have a ninja blender you might need to strain afterward if you’re big on textures :) Thank you !
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it even though it’s not completely smooth!
Debbie Gillispie
I made your cashew milk and I am totally in love with it. I can’t drink regular milk due to being lactose intolerant so i have been trying almond milk off and on. However, just like you say you must strain it. I love the fact that cashew milk doesn’t require straining! I always make it the night before so I always have it on hand to use.
This is now my go to milk for everything!
thank you soooo much for this recipe.
Debbie Gillispie
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Debbie!
Prisha
I first made cashew milk a couple of weeks ago and wow did it blow my expectations! My favorite way to enjoy it is with some breakfast cookies with a tiny bit of maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon in the milk.
★★★★★
Katie
I make this all the time and it’s so good!
★★★★★