I owe it all to my friend Shane. Years ago she suggested I give cashew butter a try and I thought, "Sure, why not?" That is, until I saw how much it costs! One jar of organic cashew butter costs around $15 - wowza! But I'm all about trying new things, so I purchased my first jar and was immediately hooked on this decadent, creamy nut butter.
Fast forward several years...As much as I love cashew butter, I found myself buying it only sparingly because of the cost. However, once I learned how easy it is to make my own cashew butter, it became a staple in my house.
This creamy, dreamy jar of deliciousness is great on apples, bananas and sandwiches, as you'd expect. But it can be used in tons of additional recipes, both sweet and savory. Here are a few of my faves...
Cashew Butter
4 cups raw cashews
2 teaspoons coconut oil, melted
pinch salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place cashews on baking sheet; spread evenly. Toast for 10 to 15 minutes; until lightly golden. Cool on pan for 10 minutes.
Place cashews and salt in a food processor and process until creamy, about 10 minutes, scraping the sides with a spatula occasionally. Then, with the motor running, add coconut oil until smooth.
This cashew butter is not shelf stable and must be stored in a sealed jar in the fridge. To make it soft after taking out of the fridge, simply leave it on the counter to warm for a few minutes or you can heat the amount you want in the microwave or stovetop. I really haven't found this to be an inconvenience.
If you have a small food processor, you might need to make this in batches.
One of my absolute favorite popsicles is this one using cashew butter! It's creamy, nutty, chocolatey and crunchy - so delicious. And like all my popsicles, it's super easy to make and actually pretty healthy!
You'll find this recipe in my Popsicle Palooza post.
Need a snack? These no-bake chewy bars are packed with protein to keep you going through the day.
Time saver: Make these right after you make a batch of cashew butter so you can use the food processor without having to wash it twice!
Find this previously posted recipe here.
If you're looking for a healthy snack that isn't quite as sweet as the Date Coco-Nutty Bars, give these cookies a try.
More like a hearty banana bread, they're packed with nothing but goodness. So good, in fact, you could eat them for breakfast! See this recipe in my Oats - So much more than oatmeal blog post.
Cashew Butter Chocolate Cups
I can only make these on rare occasions because I'm tempted to eat the entire batch. These are so, so good! Adapted from plant.well.
6 tablespoons coconut milk
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup milk chocolate morsels
1/2 cup cashew butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Melt the chocolates and coconut milk over low heat in a double broiler. Place cupcake wrappers into a muffin tin. I use mini muffin tins and mini muffin wrappers but you can use regular sized if you like, they'll just be more than bite-sized desserts. Pour a small amount of melted chocolate into the each cup about 1/8th inch thick. Then take a spoon and spread some of the chocolate up the sides to create a shallow chocolate cup. You'll only use about half of the chocolate mix. Leave the remaining chocolate in the double broiler on low. Place the chocolate cups into the freezer for 5 minutes to harden.
While the chocolate cups are freezing, heat the cashew butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan over low to low/medium heat. Stir to combine. Remove the chocolate cups from the freezer and place about 1 tablespoon of cashew butter mixture in the center; then pat down to firmly seat in the chocolate cup, being careful not to press into the sides (we want all the sides to be chocolate).
Finally, pour small amounts of the remaining chocolate mix on top of each cup, filling in on the sides and to the top of the cupcake wrapper. Freeze for at least two hours to set. Then place into a storage container and keep in the fridge up to two weeks or more (if they last that long). Makes 18 minis.
Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad
I find that salads like this are life savers during a packed week. Make it ahead of time, and quickly serve it up for lunch or dinner. I often eat this as a full meal but it's also great as a side. Love ginger? Make this part of an entire ginger-inspired meal!
Packed with veggies, this salad is super healthy. The combination of textures and flavors will excite your taste buds! I've modified this recipe from one created by Ambitious Kitchen.
3/4 cups quinoa
1/4 cup cashew butter
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1/2 lime, juiced
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 cups red cabbage, coarsely chopped
Rinse quinoa and cook according to package directions; set aside and allow to cool. Whisk sauce ingredients - cashew butter through lime juice. Combine quinoa, sauce and remaining ingredients. Can be served immediately but tastes even better after an hour or so once the flavors meld. Keep chilled in fridge.
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