Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 450 g raw cashews, unsalted and unroasted
- 3 g sea salt, fine
- 15 ml neutral oil, liquid
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 187 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 10 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 87 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Potassium
- 212 mg
- Calcium
- 12 mg
- Iron
- 2.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 94 mg
- Phosphorus
- 191 mg
- Zinc
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 11 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.13 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.02 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 8 mcg
- Water
- 2 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 165°C/330°F.
Spread the raw cashews in a single, even layer across the baking sheet.
Roast the cashews in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring halfway through. They should be golden brown and highly fragrant.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cashews cool for 15 minutes. They should be warm to the touch, but not piping hot.
Transfer the warm cashews to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times, then run continuously on high speed to break them down into a fine, sandy powder.
Continue processing for 5 to 8 minutes. The mixture will clump into a dough ball before gradually releasing its natural oils and melting into a creamy butter. Stop every couple of minutes to scrape down the sides with a spatula.
Add the sea salt during the final minute of processing. If the cashew butter is too thick for your liking, slowly drizzle in the optional neutral oil while the machine is running until you reach your desired consistency.
Pour the smooth cashew butter into a clean glass jar, seal tightly, and allow it to cool completely before storing.
Chef's Notes
- Patience is the secret ingredient when making any nut butter. The mixture will go through stages of powder, heavy clumps, and a stiff ball before finally smoothing out into a luxurious paste. Trust the process.
- Allowing the nuts to cool slightly after roasting prevents your food processor motor from overheating, but blending them while they are still warm helps their natural oils release much faster.
- For a flavor variation, consider adding a pinch of cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup, or a few drops of vanilla extract during the final blending stage.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 months — Store in an airtight container. Refrigeration prevents the natural oils from going rancid.
Freezer: 6 months — Can be frozen in a sealed container, thaw at room temperature before use.
Troubleshooting
The mixture forms a hard ball and refuses to turn into butter.
Cause: The cashews were too cool, or the food processor needs more time and friction to draw out the natural oils.
Fix: Keep processing. If it still will not smooth out after several minutes, add the optional neutral oil a few milliliters at a time.
Prevention: Ensure cashews are still slightly warm when blending, and be patient as it can take up to 10 minutes depending on equipment power.
Cashew butter tastes bitter or burnt.
Cause: The cashews were left in the oven too long and began to burn.
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Adding sweetener will only mask light bitterness.
Prevention: Watch closely after the 8-minute mark while roasting, as nuts go from toasted to burnt very rapidly.
Cultural Context
Nut and seed butters have been utilized globally for centuries as an essential source of plant-based protein and stable fats. While cashew butter is a more modern artisan pantry staple compared to ubiquitous peanut butter, it brilliantly showcases the rich, naturally sweet culinary versatility of the cashew seed, which originates from northeastern Brazil.
