Cashew Milk
Learn how to make cashew milk and what to do with it, as well as its health properties. Cashew milk is the creamiest and most delicious of dairy-free milks!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 5, 2024
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?
Watch How to Make Cashew Milk
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
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 for up to 4 days—stir before using.
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.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Thank you! I used 5 dates instead of the syrup and it’s gorgeous!
Thank you, Allison!
That is a great idea!
I think I may do this, I’m very new to this type of thing, am I making a syrup from the dates, blendin? I have medjool dates but can get something different. I appreciate you!
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.
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)
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.
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
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!
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
I’m sorry to hear that, Rachel! My Vitamix works great. How long did you soak the cashews for?
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.
I’m sorry to hear that, Erin. Thank you for your feedback.
Ninja is not the right blender for making milk
This is SO GOOD in my coffee. I am a half-and-half loyalist who wants to cut down on dairy but I hate every nondairy coffee creamer I’ve tried. This is creamy, rich, delicious! For those who have commented about pulp/texture – I really think you just have to have a Vitamix. “High powered blender” isn’t specific enough lol. I’ve had Cuisinart, Breville, and Ninja blenders and nothing gets cashews smooth like a Vitamix.
Also, you can reduce the amount of water, add a tablespoon of coconut oil and 3-4 medjool dates (eliminate the maple syrup) and make “cashew cream” which my kids go crazy for over berries or on oatmeal.
I agree! It’s delicious in coffee.
Hi Kate! Question… I made the cashew milk and it was great the first day and then it got thicker the second day and even thicker the next. Have you experienced that?
Hi Misty! No, I haven’t. That’s interesting! I have had that with oat milk, but not cashews. Hmm… I’m stumped. Maybe try it again with different cashews and see if you get the same result!
@Rachel, a cheese cloth won’t filter out the small bits of pulp, you’ll need a real nut milk bag for that. A cheese cloth isn’t much different to a colander in terms of size of the mesh. More layers don’t help, they aren’t tight enough for the pulp not to just pass through each layer individually.
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 :)
You’re welcome, Sophie! I’m happy you were able to enjoy it and found a method that worked for you.
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.
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
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 :)
That’s what I like to hear! Thank you for sharing, Emily. I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Perfect recipe! I have a Vitamix and my cashews were completely pulverized. Delicious, creamy and healthy milk. Would this be considered a low glycemic milk? Thank you!
I’m glad you mentioned a food processor because that is what I was going to try it with
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!
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!
My absolute go-to! Sometimes I make plain and other times I add vanilla and honey. Obsessed with the texture in my iced coffee!
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!
You’re welcome! Thanks for letting me know what you thought, Ty.
I made this to use for chia seed pudding and it is delicious. Really creamy and so easy to make!
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?
Hi Molly! I find that to be the case as spices are heavier. I would suggest mixing it occasionally if you find that happening.
Try heating the golden milk syrup first and then add the cashew milk in the same saucepan. This should leave less residue.
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.
Hi is there a reason you don’t use the soaking water to make the milk? Do you lose nutrients by discarding it?
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.
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.
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.
Perfect recipe! I have a Vitamix and my cashews were completely pulverized. Delicious and healthy milk. Thank you!
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!
I can always rely on recipes from Cookie and Kate. They never disappoint. I tell everyone.
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!
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.
I’m happy you loved it, Catherine! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Hi I just wondered what wattage a decent blender should to make this nut milk without straining it. What would recommend?
Thanks
Robyn
Hi Robyn! I love my Vitamix. It is a high power blender. I find those work the best.
Can we see your recipe for the icecream please?
I’ve never been able to stand coffee with a non-dairy milk or creamer but oh my goodness this is good!
I was in a hurry so soaked the cashews in boiling water for 1/2 hr only. I have a new oster blender, not high powered but pretty powerful. Cashews completely blended, nothing remaining.
So far Trader Joe’s have been my choice for cashews- really good flavor – But will try Costco’s raw. A better quantity but will compare price.
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!
I’m happy you loved it, Meghan Thank you for sharing.
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!
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.
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.
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
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
Thank you for sharing! I’m happy you agree with me. It’s so good!
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.
Thank you for sharing! Happy this is a close alternative to help with the transition.
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!!
Hi Abby! I find it helps with the flavor and creaminess.
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 :)
I love this recipe! Its simple and delicious, no straining needed even army regular blender.. This will be my bedtime drink. Linda
Thank you for sharing, Linda! I’m glad you loved it.
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!
The cashew milk I buy is only 25 calories per cup. Why is this recipe so much higher? Thanks
Hi Lana, I can’t speak specifically to the nutritional differences. Here is more on my nutritional information.
Me thinks the cashew milk you buy is severely watered down with barely any cashews in them.
If you eliminate sugars you’ll have a significantly lower calorie point. That, and the probability that store-bought stuff is more watered down = $$$ in their pockets.
Probably because store bought nut milks use fewer nuts and add thickeners (gums) so it will still seem creamy. I figured out by reading the nutrition facts on almond milk once that a store-bought serving contains about 1/4 of the almonds that my homemade almond milk contains.
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.
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 ⚡
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Nikki!
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 !
Thank you! I’m excited you love it so much, Deana.
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 !
I’m glad you loved it even though it’s not completely smooth!
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
Thank you, Debbie!
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.
I make this all the time and it’s so good!
This was a lifesaver. I had a recipe for vegan gingerbread I was going to make and realized that I had run out of almond milk for it. Luckily, I had a bunch of cashews and a blender. I tried this with just the cashews and water in a Magic Bullet and a quarter of the recipe since I didn’t need much. It worked out really well. I only had a couple of pieces that I could strain out and any little bits of pulp are pretty much not noticeable.
Fantastic! I’m glad you found it and it worked out.
I bought some cashews at Sams club an am afraid they might be roasted. The jar said whole unsalted cashews but I dont know if they will work. If not, I’ll just roast them some more with a liitle sea salt. Theyre soaking right now so I’ll have to wait till morning to see how plump they get. Do roasted nuts work? Guess I’ll have to go to the health food store to get raw ones.
Hi! I find raw work best, others are quite as creamy.
Hi
I gave your recipe a try today & oh my goodness, it is a keeper!! Thank you so much. I will definitely be saving this to use often! It worked perfectly with my lil old Oster blender without a problem (no fancy pants blender here. Lol) It came out creamy and absolutely no pulp, all milk. That was so easy! I’m never buying store bought nut milk again. Very excited to have found your blog.
Have an awesome day ❤
Wonderful! I’m happy you love it.
I am on my second time making this delicious milk. I love that is natural and it’s great in my cereal, coffee or tea. The first time I made it I only had roasted cashews, I couldn’t wait to make it so I used those. I sweeten it with 4 dates and It came out so delicious.
This time I purchased organic raw cashews and I used agave and it’s also great! (I think is tastier with the dates) either way is delicious.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for sharing, Aura! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
You are very welcome Kate. I was enjoying tea with cashew milk when I saw your reply
I recommend using nut bags to strain. I don’t like the extra bits. I have a ninja
Hello! I made this to use as the milk component for Creamy Chard Soup. It does not need the sweetener, vanilla or cinnamon when used in savory dishes and is delicious and creamy! Also, I did not have time to soak the cashews and it worked just fine, particularly because I was cooking the soup. I give it five stars!
Just made this and wow! I am impressed. I used three cups of water so it’s extra creamy but other than that did not alter the recipe. I have a vitamix blender and there was no need to strain after blending for one minute. I will be making this often, I love that there’s no leftover pulp like over plant based milks.
Wonderful to hear, Brie! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for this recipe. In the past we have had to buy cashew milk for my husband and 2% milk for me because I loved the taste of real milk. Didn’t care for almond milk at all. I mixed the cashew and 2% half and half because I knew cashew milk was so much better for you. My husband bought a 5 lb. bag of raw cashews at “wegotnuts.com and followed your recipe without the added vanilla and maple syrup. We used our blentec, and it is as smooth as can be. I no longer buy the store-bought cashew milk nor the 2%. This recipe tastes so good without any addiives.
That’s great to hear, Gail! Thank you for your review.
I just finished making a batch this morning!
I soaked raw, unsalted cashews from Costco overnight. Then blended with 1 cup of water in my vitamix, then added the rest of the water the recipe calls for plus an extra cup of water as I thought it was a little too creamy.
Pretty sure this is going to be apart of my morning routine. Soaking cashews for the next day and blending milk for this day. Thanks for the recipe!!
Absolutely delicious! I used dates instead of maple syrup and it is so good!
Thank you for your review, Angelica!