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.
Kate, this is fabulous! I’ve been making almond milk, but this is much easier and I LOVE the addition of cinnamon. I was baffled by the comments about pulp – I have a Vitamix and mine is perfectly silky, creamy, delish. Decided to test the theory of it being the blender and made a batch using my mom’s Oster blender (nothing special or high powered). I let it blend on high for 5 minutes and although is wasn’t quite as silky smooth as in my Vitamix, it was usable/drinkable to me. Thank you for another great recipe – it’s not only better than store bought, it’s half the cost (using Costco unroasted cashews)!
I’m glad yours was perfectly silky! Thank you for your review.
Thank you for the recipe! Can you tell me how the nutrition information changes in using three cups of water instead of four?
Hi Sarah, Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t have that information. You can input your specific ingredients in a nutrition calculator to find our your specifics.
if you have the same amount of solids(cashew,agave or whatever you put in)then the calories in 3 cup milk are the same calories as 4 cup milk. So take total calories for the whole 4 cup batch and instead of dividing by 4 for calories per cup ….divide by 3.
ie…say it’s 200 calories in 4 cup batch….that equals 50 Cal’s per cup or 66.6 Cal’s per cup for three cup batch.
yum!! thank you! so refreshing. you have my full trust, Kate!
You’re welcome, Sonia!
This is the best cashew milk recipe I’ve tried. Delicious! I love the pinch of cinnamon. I also use this as a base for my smoothies.
The only nut milk recipe I am in love with! I’ve tried other recipes with others types of nuts and grains and I don’t like them at all! I got on the Oatly van wagon for a few years and am tired of the cost and the additives. So I’m right back to this perfect recipe! We prefer ours on the thicker side, so back down to three cups and we double it to get us through the week. It’s great in everything from lattes to vegan mac and cheese. Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
Wonderful, Elizabeth! Thank you for sharing and taking the time to review.
Turned out perfect! Creamy, no sediment, after blending with my Vitamix. Thank you Kate!
You’re welcome, Leanna! I appreciate your review.
Agree your assessment. As a 75 yr, whole foods organic vegan, I’ve tried making pretty much all nuts for nut milks. Only addition is 1tbsp organic vanilla extract. No sweetness. Cashews, by far, easiest to make, in terms time, smoothness, flavor, no remaining nut fragments. Of course, much simpler using a top of the line Vitamix blender. Yes a bit pricy, but for me, with green (+ 1cup organic blueberries, nuts, seeds) and smoothies being my primary daily meal, the Vitamix price is well worth the investment.
I’m addicted to this ! With 4 cups of water mine comes out creamier than full fat milk but I’m not complaining. Up to now, I’ve only liked full fat milk with my lattes and tea-this is a perfect replacement and if you use monk fruit as a sweetener the only carbs you need to look out for are those in the nuts. Thank you !
Thank you for sharing, Marie! I appreciate your review.
This milk is perfect. I have been making it for months now. Not having to strain was my initial reason to try, but it tastes great and I feel so much better knowing exactly what is in it. I only use for my lattes but they have never tasted so good!
I am curious how many ounces of milk this yields? (approximately)
Hi Stacey, using all the water, it should be around 5 cups.
Ok I HAD to come and comment after reading the reviews stating that their “throats hurt” and other nonsense from all of the sharp bits of cashew that they had to contend with….
I do NOT have a fancy blender at all!!! I simply followed the recipe with my old black and decker blender, and just made the most ridiculously creamy and delicious cashew milk I’ve ever had!!!
I soaked my cashews for around 30 hours, maybe that’s what helped? Anyway, I cut the sweetener in half- I usually drink unsweetened anyway but thought I’d try the recipe- and omitted vanilla and cinnamon. I used pink Himalayan salt instead of sea salt. I blended it all for around 2 minutes as suggested and it was great!!!!
Wonderful to hear this worked so well for you, Rachel. I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Yumm Yumm!! Thank you for this game changing recipe ❤️
You’re welcome, Tracey!
Once again, Kates recipe to the rescue. We’ve been making almond milk but this is even better. Looking forward to trying this in the frothier for a latte! Thank you Kate!
Hooray! I’m happy to hear that, Paul.
It’s utterly delicious Kate. Many thanks
I’m glad you liked it, Leslie! Thank you for your review.
Wow! I’m surprised this actually worked. I didn’t have time to soak for that long so I did 2 hours in boiling water and it came out perfectly smooth. I poured through a mesh strainer just to be sure nothing big went in and there wasn’t a nut chunk in site. I used a nutribullet and I think the first blend I did maybe 25 seconds and the second blend just till I saw the agave blend through. It’s definitely nuttier than I’m used to with store bought milks and I think I’d like it a little sweeter and thicker next time but that’s so easy to just add more sweetener and less water.
This is absolutely the best nut milks (by far) that I’ve ever tasted! Delicious! No soaking, nothing added. I used 1:1 cashews to water and I would say it super smooth and creamy…somewhat the consistency of 15% table cream. Used it on my breakfast grains this morning. Can’t wait to try it in my morning coffee tomorrow morning. I love love love it!!
Hi Kate! Our family is going GF/DF this summer, and I happened upon your blog! I love the idea of switching to cashew milk. Do you use whole cashews or cashew pieces to make your milk? I wondered if using pieces would reduce the soak time and maybe help with blending. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Hi! Whole cashews work.
I’ve been making Cashew Milk to this same recipe for 3 years now. I soak overnight in fridge use cheap blender from BigW….never have pulp…very creamy milk….froths up beautifully in my milk frother. I don’t sweeten it these days but initially I used a very small amount of maple syrup Best milk ever for my decaf lattes
I love that you have been making it for so long! Thank you for sharing, Kerrie.
Holy creaminess!! This stuff is so good! didn’t even sweeten it 1000% better than any store bought nut milk I’ve tried. I’m addicted to this stuff! I even doubled the recipe without a problem. Thank you for providing such awesomeness
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Danielle!
Perfect, simple, and versatile! I do not like cow’s milk, and I found that buying so many different kinds of milk alternatives was getting to be pricey. This recipe is the best! I have used pitted dates before instead of other sweeteners, and it works great. I use a Vitamix, and it blends them up perfectly. However, when it comes to taste, agave is my favorite. Thanks so much for another awesome recipe, Kate!
You’re welcome, Lea! Thank you for your review.
I’ve been making cashew milk for years to have on my muesli, granola or steel cut oats and I never strain the pulp- just shake it up before using..why let all that protein go? Easiest way to have fresh milk wherever you are…
This was lovely! I ran out of vanilla, so only 1.5 tsp. Still – wonderful! Also soaked my cashews for 24 or so hours, used a Magic Bullet, and produced a light, silky nut milk that’s fabulous for this morning’s serving of golden milk.
Thank you for sharing, JM!
Made this today as cashew cream; used 1/2 of the water and also added a bit freshly ground nutmeg.
Delicious, when I blend initially I use less water so the nuts are blitzed and slowly add the rest of the water. My first batch was only nuts and water.
very yummy, thank you!!!
You’re welcome, Bianca!
I have been making cashew milk for quite some time in my soy milk machine. I also have a lot of left over cashew fibre in my freezer.
Do you have any good recipes for the fibre?
I have made a moch cheesecake, using eggs but would like to try other recipes. Eggs are the only animal product I consume.
Thanks
Erika
Hi Erika, I don’t have any recipes on the blog. Sorry!
Love the recipe.can we boil the cashew milk before storing in the refrigerator as the weather is too hot or can I warm up the milk before drinking.
I’m glad you enjoy it! Thank you for your review.
I’ve been trying to make frothy oat milk for my cappuccinos for weeks and finally gave up when I read that cashew milk froths best. I Found this recipe and my first attempt was fantastic. I used raw cashew pieces from Trader Joe’s, soaked overnight and blended with a Ninja blender. No straining, no waste, delicious and you can make it as thick as you like by adjusting the ratio. I can’t wait to experiment more.
Thank you! I could not find a local source for alt. milks that froth well without all the chemicals and oils and I am trying to avoid putting more delivery trucks on the road for my personal comfort. Win Win!
Yes! This one works so well to froth. Thank you for your review, Nicole! Try my How to Make Oat Milk too.
Omg. this cashew milk though was creamy, thick, and yummy. Omg. i used my vitamix. if you want creamy, thick, and yummy cashew milk, make an investment to buy a decent blender and then try this recipe. you will fall in love with it.
I grew up drinking cow milk in a country where cows go to pasture in the morning to eat grass and then come back home in the evening so I could have my milk. Here the quality of cow milk is thrown out of the window; it makes me sick and fat. So I tried other milks, still not good.
So i bought vitamix and started making my own nut milk, usually cashew milk, and there was always pulp but this recipe was the bomb, nothing to throw away.
so the key is that soak the cashews in hot water as many hours as you can. I did soak them for about 5 hours. and it was delish.
I checked the nutrition info and was shocked at the calorie snd fat count. My Silk Grand has only 30 calories per serving. I do buy unsweetened though. Thoughts? I want to make it, but I don’t want that many calories
Great recipe. Loved the milk. I used my ninja ultima pro variable speed blender and it worked great and had no pulp.I’m very happy with how it came out. I used less water though for a creamery consistency. I did use roasted nut though because my coworker gave me a 5 found bag and I needed to use it for something. I ended up soaking them for 24 hours instead of overnight and that really helped soften and make them way less dry. I checked the nuts in the morning to see if they needed longer and they did so that’s why I did 24 hours.
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for sharing, KM.
Does it matter how much water Im soaking the nuts in overnight?
Hi Kim, be sure there is enough water to cover.
Why do you drain and rinse the cashews after soaking. Doesn’t that cause a loss of nutrients?
Hi Kate, Yes, drain the liquid. I’m not sure how much if any you would be removed. I hope you try it!
Cashews are on sale. Will make the milk this week and tag you on Instagram @iamdrphstubbs
Very helpful and easy to prepare cashew butter cookies recipe! I thoroughly enjoyed reading the ingredients of it. Would prepare soon once I get back to my US trip!
Never, never going to buy store-bought cashew milk again! Thanks Mom for the Vitamix and thank you Kate for the recipe – Jamie
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Jamie.
was delicious! thanks for the recipe, will definitely make again.
I soaked the cashews in initially boiling water for 12 hours, rinsed them well, and blended for 5 min in my magic bullet (cheapie blender!) and it turned out amazing. I can’t believe how good it is – all my previous nondairy milk adventures have always turned out bleh. There’s no grittiness, just a tiny bit of sediment at the bottom but that’s typical even for store bought nondairy milks. I didn’t add any sweetener or vanilla or salt, but you totally could. I prefer to make a neutral batch in case I want to use it in something savory. All you really need are cashews and water!
I’m glad it turned out well! I appreciate your review.
I learned that I couldn’t have dairy a couple months ago, and have been experimenting with different types of milk. I generally use store bought milk, which can be rather expensive and is often a bit flavorless, but it’s okay.
However, I have to say that this is the best non-dairy milk I’ve been able to find. It is so creamy, and I had to stop myself from drinking it all out of the blender!
I halved the recipe as this was my first time making it, and I soaked my cashews overnight. I used my (very old) Vitamix blender and it seemed to work great! I did not need to strain it at all. I did notice just a small big of pulp after putting the milk into the fridge, but it doesn’t bother me too much. Highly recommend!
Hooray! I’m glad you came to this recipe and are enjoying it. I appreciate your review, Maya!
This was an absolute brilliant recipe that turned out flawless for me!
I just love how smooth, creamy and tasty it is. A perfect milk replacement that actually has so much more flavor and quite a bit more satisfying if you ask me. Im very grateful I found your site! THANK YOU for sharing this!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Catherine!
I’ve been vegan for 30+ years and I make my nut milk this way, good recipe, but I would only use 1 cup of nuts to 2 cups of water, and always strain in a ultra fine nut milk bag. This gives a lovely creamy milk that is great for coffee and hot drinks, and also for cooking with. The strained nut bits I make into nut cheese, or use as a cream in cooking or dessert.
I would say if you need milk only for cereals then I wouldn’t strain. For anything else like smoothies, milkshakes etc there is no need to make milk, just add the nuts and water to your blender. I agree that a high speed blender is the greatest tool, but I use a cheap 600w nutribullet and it does everything I need, I also have an electric hand blender which works just as good.
Came out silky smooth in my blender (a fancypants Vitamix). I made it with half the amount of water and nothing else to start, so that I would have cashew cream as a base to try out a bunch of uses. After removing about half of the cream I added enough water to get to your ratio for milk. Used the milk for smoothies and in coffee. For the coffee I mixed in some maple syrup and vanilla. Very nice, though next time I will use a thicker version of the milk (by adding less water). Next up: dressings and some kind of soup…
I’m glad you loved it, Jen! I appreciate your review.
Kate, is there anything I can make with slightly sour cashew creamer? Like, can I turn it into cheese?
This isn’t meant to be made into cheese, sorry!
This recipe was amazing! Simple to make and easy to follow! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Ashlee! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Thank you so much for this recipe! My husband will not drink coffee without creamer, but they have so many unclean ingredients. I asked him to try this today and he absolutely loves it!
I’m glad you enjoy it, Stephanie!
This came out great! I’ve made a few oat milks and they haven’t come out as good as this for an alternative to cow’s milk.
I will say I used a Ninja blender which others are mentioning isn’t the best. I had to use a nut milk bag to strain the pull. Just a heads up for those who may not have a powerful enough blender (as mentioned in the recipe).
Taste was great. Thanks for sharing!
Hooray! I’m glad it worked for you, B.
Is it really only good for 3 -4 days?
Hi Julie, Use your best judgement, but that’s what worked well for me.
Best non dairy milk recipe I’ve tried. I substituted sweetener for 3 dates (2x the recipe) and it tasted delicious. I had to strain the mixture with a nut milk bag but the result was worth it. I dehydrated the left over pulp and made cashew flour. I will be sharing this recipe with everyone I know. Thank you!
Wonderful to hear, Linda! Thank you for your review.
Are the nutrition facts for the whole recipe or per serving? The amount per serving section is blank. I was looking for about how many calories this is per serving
Hi Alex! The nutritional information is per serving based on standard nutrition labels. More on my Nutrition Disclaimer .
Thanks for this cashew milk recipe – I’m looking forward to trying it for my son who has milk intolerance.
A quick question, please:
The water that you use for blending the cashews, is it the same water they were soaked in or should I be using fresh water?
Thanks
Hi Debby! You will want to use new water. I hope you love it and your son can enjoy it!
So good! And so easy to make. The flavor is perfect ❤️
Thank you kindly!
You’re welcome, Albina! I’m glad you enjoyed it.