This is the step by step process to making awesome Homemade Cashew Milk! Due to the increasing number of people with dairy allergies and digestive issues. Milk alternatives such as soy, almond, coconut and cashew milk's are becoming more and more popular. I have tried all of these milk alternatives and my favorite by far was the Cashew Milk. I started out buying milk alternatives at the grocery store, but I soon realized that even the organic, non gmo and "healthier" companies making these milks, all had added ingredients. These extra ingredients like locust bean gum, sunflower lecithin, gellan gum, ascorbic acid and many others are added to increase shelf-life and keep the milks from separating. (Without binding agents, you just end up with a little bit of the cashews settling at the bottom of your milk jug. Nothing a little shake cant fix.)

This is the main reason why I decided to start making my own cashew milk. Not to mention saving some money. It seems like all the milk alternatives cost more than milk, but then again the milk prices are rising too. Anyway, there are quite a few reasons to start making your own cashew milk if you are interested. The biggest difference is all those ingredients pictured above versus the three ingredients I use in this recipe.

Step #1

Soaking The Cashews

The first step of this recipe actually starts the night before you want to make the cashew milk, or at least 4 hours before. So, to start out you need to find a container with a tight fitting lid (so the water does not leak out) that you can fit 1 Cup of Raw Cashews in. Place 1 Cup of raw cashews in the container and add just enough filtered water/spring water to completely cover the cashews. Cover with the lid and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but overnight works best. The soaking process softens the nuts and also helps break down anti-nutrients that prevent your body from getting the most out of the nutrients in the cashews. Such as the unsaturated fatty acids, plant based protein, dietary fiber, minerals and antioxidants found in the nuts.

 

Step #2

Draining/Rinsing The Cashews

After the cashews have soaked for at least 4 hours, preferably over night. The next step is to drain the water from the container of soaked cashews and then rinse the cashews. You must drain the water and rinse the cashews thoroughly to get rid of all anti-nutrients and enzyme inhibitors. 

Step #3

Blend The Cashews

Once the cashews have been thoroughly rinsed, place them in a blender. Add in 4 Cups of filter water/spring water along with 1/4 Teaspoon of salt. I prefer Himalayan Pink Salt for the higher mineral content and other benefits, but Sea Salt works great too. Once all the ingredients are combined in the blender, blend until smooth. If you have a small blender or bullet blender like I used in the picture, place a handful of cashews in and along with 1 Cup of water. Blend until smooth and pour into the jar/container you will be storing the milk in. Repeat this until you have used all the cashews and 4 Cups of Water.

Step #4

Filter The Milk

This last step is completely optional. Personally I never filter the cashew milk that I make and have never had a problem with it. Others might not like to find little bits of cashews in there milk, thats where the filtration step comes in. To remove any unwanted cashew pieces from your milk, you must run it through some sort of filter like a Cheese Cloth. This can easily be done when you transfer the milk from the blender to your jar/storage container.

Usage/Storage

That is my step by step guide on how to make your very own Homemade Cashew Milk. Now that you have the milk, it should be used within 3-5 Days. You should shake the Jar/Container you keep milk in before each use, especially if you didn't filter the milk with a cheesecloth or other filter. Cashew milk can be used in place of dairy milk in recipes, turned into Chocolate Milk by adding Cacao Powder and Stevia and it makes a great addition to your morning Coffee along with some Organic Muscle Plant Based Protein for a quick breakfast on the go!