This Vanilla Cashew Milk recipe is a revelation for me. Some of you know of my “milk conundrum”. That is, my long time battle with what kind of milk to take in my coffee. I used to use fat free organic dairy milk. If you don’t know what that was a bad choice read this post.
I switched to store bought organic almond milk. I follow the rule of not using anything with ingredients that I cannot pronounce…almond milk was my only exception. Why not make my own my own you ask? Because it’s grainy and separates in my coffee and I refuse to be annoyed before 7am. So then I went to grass-fed whole milk. This didn’t quite sit right either, as I try to lessen my environmental impact and eat vegan much of the time.
I went back and fourth for a long time. Then the “ahhhhh ha” moment came. Cashew milk was the answer! Creamy, rich, vegan, easy to make, no straining and it doesn’t separate in my coffee…victory! You can make it plain for universal applications or put vanilla or other fun stuff in it.
Creamy Vanilla Cashew Milk
Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water to cover for at least 4 hours
1-1/2 cups filtered water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder* or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Makes 2 cups
Directions:
Drain the cashews of their soak water. Add the 1-1/2 cups filtered water and vanilla and blend on high (preferably in a high speed blender such as a Vitamix) for 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula and blend on high for 15 seconds more. Pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you like your milk less rich you can add more water as you like.
I use this mainly for coffee in the morning so I make just enough to get me through 4 days. If you would like to use for cereal, oatmeal or any other baking purpose in place of dairy or other milk you can double or triple the recipe accordingly. You can also leave out the vanilla if you plan to use it for savory applications.
Tips & Notes~
I actually just put the cashews directly into the carafe of the blender the night before and then whip it up quickly the morning I need it. Then store in a jar.
Add a few dates or some cinnamon or cardamom for a nice sweetness and kick.
