This recipe for Non-Dairy Cinnamon Vanilla Cashew Milk is so simple. If I only knew how easy it was to make my own non-dairy milks, I would have started doing it years ago. Why did it take me so long to discover this?!
Okay, it's still not as easy as picking up a carton of almond milk at the store. But it's easier than I thought it would be. After learning about carrageenan, I decided that I wanted to avoid non-dairy milk made with it. This is not a lecture-y blog, so don't take this as me telling you what you should or should not eat, but I decided that for me, I'd rather seek out products that don't use carrageenan. There are plenty of carrageenan-free nut and soy milks out there, but I started to get curious about whether I could make my own.
I started with my friend Kelly's tutorial on how to make your own coconut milk. It was easy and delicious and I wanted to make more. MOOOORE! So then I tried making the cashew milk recipe that came with my Vitamix. I love almond milk, but I think I love cashew milk even more. (Side note: why do they not sell cashew milk in grocery stores?)
Cashew milk is creamy and rich, without having to add carrageenan or any other thickeners. Unlike other nut milks, cashew milk is so smooth that you don't have to strain it (although you can if you want to). Urban Remedy makes a cashew milk spiced with vanilla and cinnamon, and although I haven't tried it, it sounded so delicious that I thought I'd put those flavors in my own cashew milk.
If a hug could be turned into a drink and bottled, it would taste like this. It's a hug for your tastebuds! Or something. The beverage equivalent of a warm fuzzy sweater, if you will. You know why? Because the secret ingredient is LOVE. (Oh, wait—no, it's cinnamon.)
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked for at least 4 hours
- 3 cups water
- 2 tbsp Grade B maple syrup more if you want it sweeter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 vanilla bean cut and scraped
Instructions
- Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. With a high-powered blender, you should be able to get the cashew milk completely smooth, but if you don't have one, simply pour the milk through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer before serving.
Genevieve says
I still haven't gotten around to making my own nut milk - I always end up picking up a carton of almond milk at the store before I think to try making it myself! I did try a latte made with fresh cashew milk from a cafe recently and I hated it - the cashew milk overpowered the drink and not in a good way! But I think if it was flavored with cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup then I would have enjoyed it much more!
Kiersten says
Cashew milk does have more of a flavor than almond milk, I think. But I love cashews, so I don't mind it. 🙂
sarah @ two tarts says
Yum! I love to make nut milk at home, too. Carrageenan freaks me out. Also, I have been curating a board about "how to make your own nut milk" and just included this recipe. It sounds so great! http://learni.st/users/sarah.welle/boards/14694-how-to-make-nut-milk
Kiersten says
Thanks for including my recipe on your board!
Samantha says
I'm with you on the carrageenan! The cinnamon gives this a nice touch!
Kiersten says
Yeah, I feel like the last thing I need is something that encourages inflammation. 😛
Shirley says
I just read some how-to in a magazine the other day on how to make your own almond milk, and I was surprised at how easy it was, and that it involved water. I always assumed some special factory machine smushed the nuts and extracted precious liquid, something that couldn't be replicated at home. And I didn't know cashew milk existed!
Kiersten says
Yeah, I thought it was something like that too--like somehow the liquid got extracted from the nuts. But nope! 🙂
Ksenija @ Health Ninja says
I love Cashew Milk! It's the best vegan milk ever. The combination with maple syrup and vanilla is a staple in my home, but I haven't yet tried to add some cinnamon... sounds tempting!
Kiersten says
It really is! I've always loved almond and coconut milk, but after trying cashew milk, I have a new favorite. 🙂
Caitlin says
seriously, why is there no cashew milk on the market?! this looks so creamy and fabulous. i must try!
Kiersten says
Isn't that weird?! I keep thinking about it and wondering why. These are the things that keep me up at night.
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Ooh, this sounds amazing! I have yet to try making my own nut milks since I don't have a full sized blender 🙁 So sad! I just want to try plain old almond milk homemade, but this looks really great!
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says
I loathe regular milk drank alone, so a way that I can make it at home would be perfect when I want a non-dairy alternative.
alex says
OMGOOODNESS I TRIED THIS AT HOME AND I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GRATEFUL!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!!!!!!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY YOU SAVED ME!?!?!
I was buying a brand at wholefoods and each bottle was 9.00!! for about 16 oz!!! do you know how hard that is on a single mom budget!!? I kept thinking my lord there has to be another way!! And I found it!!
THANKS!!! FOR THE RECIPIE NOW I WANT TO TRY OTHER RECIPIES!!!
MUCH LOVE!!!
Kiersten Frase says
I've had that Blueprint cashew milk too and you're right, it is SO GOOD, but also really expensive. Making it yourself is so easy, so why not, right? I'm glad you liked it!
Stephanie says
Do you make large quantities of cashew milk at a time? Do you store it? I just started making my own cashew milk and I'm storing the little bit that I made in the fridge in mason jars... I'm just interested in learning how other people store theirs. I think I remember reading that it only lasts 3-4 days as long as it's kept very cold.. Great post 🙂 Can't wait to check out your other vegetarian/vegan posts!!!
N says
Hi,
I love cashew milk and was very surprised when I found that silk ( the non-dairy milk brand) now sells it! I have been trying to replicate an Urban Remedy "juice" for ages and for some reason remember it having dates added for sweetness. I will have to try try this recipe, I think dates might make it a but more creamy(?!?)