With just a few simple ingredients you can have creamy chocolate cashew butter that tastes SO much better than the store bought version. Plus, the best part? This chocolate cashew spread is totally customizable…aka you can control the texture and how chocolate-y and sweet you want it to be.
If you’re looking for an easy nut butter recipe, this is the one. Move over almond butter, peanut butter, even Nutella…this cashew butter is going to become your new favorite. Thus, this recipe was born!
This cashew butter makes the perfect dip, spread, breakfast topping…or just eat it by the spoonful. Basically, it tastes good on just about anything. And, will definitely satisfy your chocolate cravings!
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WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
Simple Ingredients – We love simple recipes here and this nut butter is made with just a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
Easy to Make– Roast the cashews, blend, and enjoy! Just two simple steps and you’ll have homemade nut butter to enjoy.
Lasts for Weeks (or Months) – Depending on how you store this cashew butter (see storage section below) this chocolate cashew butter can last for weeks on ends! So no need to worry about having to go through it in a week (although…I definitely could).
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (WITH SUBSTITUTIONS)
To make this delicious cashew butter you will need the following ingredients:
Roasted Cashews: For cashew butter, we of course need cashews. For this recipe I recommend using raw, unsalted cashews. If you are using raw salted cashews, you can skip adding additional salt.
Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder gives a delicious chocolate flavor to this spread.
Powdered Sugar: To sweeten things up we add a bit of powdered sugar. Why powdered sugar? Liquid sweeteners such as maple syrup may cause the nut butter to separate. While you can use liquid sweetener in replacement of the powdered sugar, just note it probably won’t last as long/may separate.
Salt & Vanilla: Adding a pinch of salt and vanilla brings out the chocolate flavor in this cashew butter.
Melted Coconut Oil: The coconut oil in this recipe is used to thin out the nut butter just a bit. If you are happy with the texture before adding the coconut oil, you can leave it out.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Making this chocolate-y spread is super simple. For ingredient amounts and full instructions on how to make homemade cashew butter make sure to read the recipe card below.
Step One: The first step for making this cashew butter is to roast the raw cashews. Add cashews to a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350F.
Step Two: Let the cashews cool for a few minutes, then add to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until crumbly, pause, scrape down the sides, blend again, and repeat until semi-smooth.
Depending on your blender / food processor this can take a (slightly) long time! Make sure to use a tamper along with your blender to make the blending process easier. And, make sure to take breaks and scrape down the sides of the food processor / blender so that you don’t overheat your appliance.
Step Three: Next, add in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar and blend until smooth (again, pausing and scraping down as necessary).
Step Four: Then, add in the vanilla and salt and blend again.
Step Five: At this point, the cashew butter should be smooth but may be thick. Start adding the coconut oil slowly, until you reach your desired texture. If necessary, you can also add the coconut oil earlier to make it easier on the blender.
Step Six: Taste and add more cocoa powder or powdered sugar if desired.
Step Seven: Use a rubber spatula to get all of the nut butter out and place in an airtight container and enjoy!
STORAGE & REHEATING
Storing this cashew butter is pretty simple – add to an airtight container and store in the pantry for up to a month. Or, store in the fridge for 2-3 months. Because of the coconut oil, it may harden a bit in the fridge.
Nut butter can go rancid, so if you’re worried about it going bad you can store it in the fridge right away (i.e. if your house is particularly warm).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How can I use this cashew butter?
You can use this cashew butter in SO many ways. Some ideas include dipping fruit or crackers in it, adding it to oatmeal or overnight oats to make chocolate oatmeal (yum!), adding it into smoothies, on top of toast, etc. The list goes on!
Want to make a chocolate nut butter smoothie? Add the chocolate cashew butter, banana, plant milk, and some ice into a blender and enjoy!
Or want to make dark chocolate cashew butter cups?
Think peanut butter cups but next level!
All you have to do is:
- Line a silicone muffin liner with chocolate (you can just melt together chocolate chips and coconut oil), freeze for a few minutes.
- Top with cashew butter, freeze again.
- Then, add more chocolate so it covers the top, freeze once more, and that’s it.
If you’ve never made homemade nut butter cups, they are ridiculously easy and delicious.
Should I use a food processor or blender?
If you have a high-speed blender, I find that it’s easier (and quicker) to blend until smooth because it’s a smaller space. However, if you just have a regular blender, definitely use your food processor!
Depending on how big your food processor is you may need to double the recipe so that the food processor is able to blend everything together.
Is cashew butter healthy?
Yes! Cashew butter is a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids, magnesium, and amino acids. While this chocolate spread does have added sugar, it’s a pretty small amount.
What does cashew butter taste like?
Cashew butter is a mild and slightly sweet nut butter. Honestly, out of allll the nut butters out there, it’s my personal favorite! The chocolate adds a rich, chocolate flavor to this spread, while the sugar adds a touch of sweetness.
RECIPES TO ENJOY WITH THIS NUT BUTTER
If you decide to try this recipe out, let me know! I love seeing your recreations tagged on Instagram @nourishedwithnatalie.
Chocolate Cashew Butter
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups roasted cashews
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Add cashews to a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes.
- Add the cashews to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until crumbly, pause, scrape down the sides, blend again, and repeat until semi-smooth.**
- Next, add in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar and blend until smooth.
- Add in the vanilla and salt and blend until combined.
- At this point, the cashew butter should be smooth but may be thick. Start adding the coconut oil slowly, until you reach your desired texture.
- Taste and add more cocoa powder or powdered sugar if desired.
- Use a rubber spatula to get all of the nut butter, then place in an airtight container.
Is there anything I could substitute the powdered sugar for, or add no sugar at all?
Hi Emily! You could use a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup or agave, it just might not last as long. I wouldn’t add no sugar just since the cocoa powder is unsweetened. Hope that helps xx
This is literally my FAVORITE nut butter. It lasted me a week lol. SO good! Thanks for the recipe.