Cashew Milk (Raw)

June 3, 2012 in Recipes

I know that buying Almond Milk, Soy Milk, etc. is convenient & making milk sounds incredibly intimidating, but I am glad to report that my first venture into milk making was painless and very easy!!  I am always skeptical as to how healthy a processed nut milk can be (how is it staying fresh FOREVER in a carton??), so I thought I would make some that is truly all natural.    [the answer is UHT I believe?]

I bought raw cashew pieces at my co-op the other day (less expensive than whole cashews), but was still on the fence as to whether I would go through with the whole process.  I returned to the co-op the next day to pick up some other things, and the cashier randomly asked me if I had ever made my own nut milk.  IT WAS A SIGN.  I went and made me some cashew milk.  You will not believe how easy this is.  Combine ingredients, soak, blend, combine, strain, done.

Cashew milk, along with other nut milks is great over cereal, in baking, with granola, in coffee & tea, or just straight from the cup!  This particular way of preparation (with dates & vanilla) is delicious & can honestly serve as a treat after dinner.

Cashew Milk
Recipe Type: Beverage
Prep time: 8 hours
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 8 hours 10 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 C Raw Cashews
  • 4 C Filtered Water
  • 4+ Pitted Dates
  • 1 Vanilla Bean or Vanilla Extract
  • Sea Salt
Instructions
  1. Place raw cashews in a bowl with four cups water, cover, and refrigerate overnight. (I have read that you can soak for as little as four hours, but overnight is easy).
  2. In a blender add cashews & water, blend for 2-3 minutes until pretty consistent.
  3. With a spoon, scrape inside of vanilla bean and add to blender along with pitted dates, and a pinch of salt. If you do not want a mildly sweet cashew milk, omit dates. If you are using vanilla extract, start with 1 tsp and add in small increments until you reach the flavor you like.
  4. Blend at a higher speed until completely smooth (3 minutes on my Vitamix, level 2)
  5. When fully blended you can either strain if you would like a thinner milk, or store as is. (I chose to strain)
  6. To strain: either rubber band some cheese cloth over the top of your blender and slowly pour out into a large measuring cup/bowl OR use your “nut milk bag” and set it up in your large measuring cup, pour nut milk into bag, and slowly strain.
  7. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for 2-3 days. Separation will occur, just mix it up before serving. If the flavor changes at all towards sour, it has gone bad & its time for a new batch!

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