How to Make Cashew Milk (and then what to do with it)

Before I decided exactly how this detox was going to go (two days of DIY juices and three days of juice from Greenleaf), I did all sorts of Google-y research on recipes, expectations, and effects of cleansing. A common addition to many of the juice cleanses I found (supported by a whole bunch of recipes) is cashew milk. I don’t know why that sounded weird or intimidating to me (I regularly use almond milk at home in place of the dairy variety), but it did. But, if I was going to push my comfort zone with a week of juice only, I might as well go all out, right?

Right.

So, here was my big, giant, revolutionary revelation about cashew milk:

It’s just cashews. And water. Blended (then strained).

THAT’S IT.

Yeah, I’m as embarrassed for me as you are. It’s ok. We’ll get through this together.

So, how do you make cashew milk? Soak a bunch of cashews overnight (or at least for a few hours). Then, grab a cup of cashews, two cups of water (or whatever 2:1 water to cashew ratio you want), and BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH. I used the Magic Bullet. You can use your blender. If you want it to be silky smooth, you strain it through a cheesecloth and/or fine mesh strainer (bonus: you get cashew meal pulp stuff that I’ve since read you can add to veggie burgers. I intend to make cashew nut butter out of it).

If you prefer almond milk, the idea is exactly the same. Twice as much water as almonds. Blend. Strain.

Once I figured this out, I was unstoppable. I added spices and flavors to my new favorite beverage and landed on three that I really, really like. Hopefully you will, too.

Non-Dairy Vanilla Latte

• 8 oz coffee, brewed
• 4 oz cashew milk
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped out
• optional sweetener: honey, (or agave nectar for the vegan option)

Heat cashew milk on the stove and whisk in cinnamon, vanilla bean, and sweetener until mildly heated and all has dissolved through. I use an Aerolatte Milk Frother because it’s fun and creates the foamy goodness. As far as coffee goes, this is Starbucks Blonde Veranda Blend, but you know. Use whatever you’ve got.

*I mean, I suppose this is technically a Café au lait, as I’m using coffee and not espresso. But the final product tastes like a vanilla latte, so let’s go with it. 

Non-Dairy Chai Latte

• 8 oz brewed tea (I like vanilla rooibos, but anything simple and/or earthy will do)
• 4 oz cashew milk
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (more if you like it spicy)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• optional additional spices (not tried, but in my “what spices go in Chai research?” these showed up): cardamom, white peppercorns, star anise, ginger, vanilla
• sweetener, optional to taste

Heat tea, milk, and spices on the stove until hot. Let simmer until desired clove-y-ness is achieved. Strain and serve.

Cashew Milk Hot Chocolate

• 8 oz cashew milk
• [up to] 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• sweetener, to taste: (I prefer honey, though agave nectar is lovely too (and keeps it vegan, if you’re into that)).

Gently simmer on the stove until hot. Whisk ingredients together until smooth. Enjoy!

An added bonus to all of these, that I really like about using cashew milk, is that it’s naturally a little sweet on its own. I’m excited to keep playing with different spice and flavor combinations, so if you have any other suggestions, get at me!