Cashew butter is an excellent, easy-to-make alternative to peanut butter or almond butter. You can make it straight, only with cashews, or try more refined flavors by mixing it with maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla powder or other flavors. Cashews are actually the seeds of the cashew apple, but they are considered nuts because of their flavor and texture, very similar to the rest of the nuts. Originating from Brazil, nowadays they are also grown in other tropical regions of the world, including parts of West Africa and Southeast Asia.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Cashews
Step 1. Buy cashews
Cashews are available in the fiber or nuts department of most grocery stores; they are often found both roasted and raw. Keep in mind that about 280g of cashew nuts will make 180g of cashew butter. Use this quantity as a guideline to determine how many to buy.
- Cashews cannot be purchased with the shell still intact. In fact, the Anacardiaceae or Toxicodendri are part of the same family as poison oak and poison ivy, which means that their shells release a toxin (called urusciolo or urushiol oil) that causes skin irritation and rashes. The nuts themselves are usually roasted or, when sold as "raw", are usually steamed to remove the toxin.
- You can also buy already flavored cashews, toasted with honey for example, and they too can be used to make butter.
Step 2. Check the manufacturer's warnings carefully for contamination with peanuts or other tree nuts
If you are buying cashews as a substitute for peanuts because you are allergic, you need to make sure that the factory that processes them does not also process peanuts. The risk of contamination can be dangerous, with even serious consequences, for those with allergies. Also check that the person who is allergic to peanuts is not allergic to other nuts as well. Peanuts are ground nuts while other nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts and cashews are tree nuts. Some people are allergic to peanuts only, while others are allergic to all nuts.
Step 3. Soak the cashews in water
If you buy raw (unroasted) cashews you may choose to soak and dry them before turning them into butter. To do this, put 5-600 grams of cashews in a glass or ceramic bowl and fill it with water so that they are completely submerged, adding 20-30 grams of unrefined sea salt. Cover the bowl and let it rest for about 2-3 hours.
Raw dried fruit contains considerable amounts of phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that can cause irritation and digestive difficulties, as well as inhibiting the absorption of some nutrients contained in the fruit. By soaking them you can neutralize acid and enzyme inhibitors, maximizing their potential for health
Step 4. Rinse the cashews to remove the salt
Use fresh water to remove any remaining salt residue.
Step 5. Dry and dry them
Arrange the cashews in a single layer on a sheet of parchment paper or a drying rack. Heat the oven or dryer to 60 °. Check the cashews periodically, turn them over to ensure they dry on all sides and keep an eye on them to prevent them from burning. Let them dry until they are slightly crunchy, for about 12-24 hours.
Step 6. Toast them
Heat the oven to 160 degrees. Preheat a ceramic dish for 5 minutes and then add a layer of cashews to this dish. Cook them in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes. If you wish, add a little olive oil or salt at this point, to cover the cashews. Stir them thoroughly thoroughly.
Step 7. Let the cashews cool before using them to make butter
Cashews, like most nuts, are quite dense and heat can build up inside them. Allowing them time to cool will reduce the risk of burns when you work them to make butter.
Part 2 of 3: Making Cashew Butter
Step 1. Gather the ingredients
You will need at least 250-300g of cashews to make 180g of butter. If you want to add salt as well, for the same amount, include 1.5g of salt in the ingredients. You don't need any other ingredients like oil, water or various flavors, unless you want to make a cashew butter with a particular taste. A plain cashew butter consists of only cashew nuts and a pinch of salt if desired.
Step 2. Gather the necessary materials
Prepare a blender and spatula. The blender will need to be robust enough and able to operate over a long period of time. Alternatively, you can use a coffee grinder (which will likely process smaller amounts of cashews in the same amount of time) or a high-powered blender; Using a Ninja Master Prep blender will reduce the time it takes to mix cashews. Prepare containers for transferring the cashew butter once you've finished making it. You can use glass jars, freezer jars, or other types of food containers.
Step 3. Put the cashews in the blender
Set the blender speed almost to maximum to chop the cashews into small pieces. Keep an eye on the consistency, it should go from large pieces to thin pieces after a few minutes, and to a sticky paste after another 4-5 minutes. The addition of oil or water is not necessary, as the nuts will turn into butter after a few minutes from the start of the process.
Step 4. Pause the blender
The blender may overheat slightly and benefit from a break from work. Take a 2-3 minute break to let it cool and use this time to scrape the edges of the bowl, giving the cashews a light stir.
Step 5. Start the blender again
When you start working the cashews again, they will start releasing the oils, which causes them to become sticky. Process the cashews for another 2-3 minutes, until they begin to turn into a creamy butter. Stop to scrape the edges of the bowl again and continue to work them until you reach the desired consistency. The whole process can take up to 15-25 minutes, depending on the tools you use, so try to be patient.
It may seem like the blender is just spinning without mixing anything. It's actually still continuing to turn cashews into cashew butter, so keep it running. Let the machine rest for a while every few minutes so as not to risk it melting down
Step 6. Add salt or sweet ingredients only at the end
If you choose to add salt, use 1.5g of unrefined sea salt per 280g of cashews. Honey, raw cane sugar or maple syrup (20-30 grams) can also be added to sweeten the cashew butter. Stir the butter well to mix the added ingredients together completely.
Step 7. Add finely chopped chunks of cashew nuts
If you want crunchy cashew butter, add some other cashew pieces that you didn't turn into butter in the blender. These finely chopped chunks of cashew nuts will add make the butter a pinch more crunchy and give it a bigger dimension.
Part 3 of 3: Save and Use Cashew Butter
Step 1. Put the cashew butter to refrigerate
Transfer the cashew butter to a glass jar with a tightly sealed lid. Put it in the refrigerator and use it within a week. The oils and the solid part will separate after settling, which is why you will need to give it a good stir every time you use it.
Step 2. Store the cashew butter in the freezer
Pour the cashew butter into cake molds or ice trays. After they freeze, you can put these mini cashew butter cubes in a freezer-proof container or cooler for about 4 months.
Step 3. Use cashew butter exactly as you would use peanut butter:
spread it on bread, whole or sliced fruit, bananas, apples, or served straight from the jar. Cashew butter has a rich, creamy, buttery taste that many prefer over peanut butter. It is also rich in proteins and unsaturated fats, making it ideal for an energetic and healthy snack.
Step 4. Eat a cube of cashew butter as a one-serving snack
Place a frozen cube of cashew butter in a small container and add it to your packed lunch along with crackers, celery sticks, or an apple. After sitting out for a few hours, the butter will have thawed well and become easy to sink, but it won't settle too long to separate the oils and solids.
Step 5. Use cashew butter for cooking
Cashew butter is particularly useful, suitable and tasty for Indian, Thai or West African cuisine (Gambia or Senegal for example). It can be used in recipes as a dried fruit flavor or thickener. It can be used in dishes such as Szechuan chicken, spring rolls, various curries, chicken tikka masala and soups. It can also act as a substitute in any recipe that needs peanut, almond or tahini butter.
Step 6. Make cashew butter cookies
Substitute cashew butter in a peanut butter cookie recipe for a nuanced flavor change to these classic cookies. Due to the softer consistency of cashew butter, you may need to experiment with the quantities you are substituting in the recipe for peanut butter cookies. Add more flour if the cookie batter feels too watery. Make balls with the cookie dough and spread it in sugar before cooking. Or, use a fork to make a cross-striped pattern in the dough before cooking it. Bake the biscuits following the directions in the recipe for those with peanut butter. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn; Sometimes, substituting ingredients can change the cooking time required for the perfect cookie.
Step 7. Use cashew butter to make a gift
Make batches of cashew butter and put them away in medium to large glass jars (0.5l or so). Make custom labels for the jars and tie a ribbon around them. Give your homemade cashew butter to friends or relatives as a gift on birthdays or various holidays.
Advice
- Make a mixed nut butter using equivalent amounts of cashews and peanuts (and other types if you prefer) and follow the instructions above.
- Cashew butter is compatible with a paleo diet if it does not have additional ingredients.
