Strawberry Cashew Butter
If you’re a homemade nut butter fan, you must try this irresistible Strawberry Cashew Butter! Flavored with freeze-dried strawberries and vanilla beans, this Paleo, vegan, sugar-free + Whole30-friendly treat will be a new favorite.
Meet my new favorite nut butter:
Strawberry Cashew Butter 🙌🙌🙌
Holy smokes you guys, this stuff is good.
I’ve been pedaling some delicious homemade nut butter recipes your way lately, and it seems a lot of you are enjoying the easy nut butter recipes I’ve been sharing. For those of you who haven’t yet hopped on the homemade nut butter train, I surely hope and request that this is the one to change your mind.=
I finished off my jar last night…and I’m already planning a trip to the grocery store to get more cashews and freeze-dried strawberries. Gotta make it again…despite the 15+ jars of nut butter I have in my pantry. I think I have a nut butter problem.
This one is perfect in its simplicity. Only a few ingredients, but they come together in the most magical, flavorful way to create a nut butter unlike any I’d tried before. Pure heaven, if you ask me.
Cashew butter usually isn’t my go-to, as I tend to prefer the nuttiness that comes from almonds or pecans. Cashews do have a tendency for taking on fruity flavors very well though (hence the cashew cheesecakes galore), so they became the base here, and they are the perfect nut for the job.
What goes into Strawberry Cashew Butter:
We only need THREE ingredients to make this. Maybe four if you want a dripper nut butter.
- Cashews – of course! I like starting with raw cashews and roasting them myself.
- Freeze-dried Strawberries – these pack all of the fruity, strawberry punch and give the nut butter a beautiful pink color. DON’T substitute fresh or frozen berries here.
- Vanilla Bean Powder – aka vanilla GOLD. it’s simply ground-up vanilla beans and packs such a punch. plus, it gives little vanilla bean flecks.
- Coconut Oil – this is optional, just used to make the nut butter drippy if that’s how you prefer it.
How to make Strawberry Cashew Butter:
Roast the cashews in the oven until golden, which helps bring out their roasted, irresistibly nutty + buttery flavor. I like to roast the cashews fresh because they blend more easily when they’re a little bit warm.
Blend the cashews into nut butter in the blender or food processor. Just blend patiently until the cashews have turned into a creamy, smooth, delicious nut butter. Scape down as necessary or use the tamper if you’re using a blender.
Add the freeze-dried strawberries + vanilla bean powder. Freeze-dried fruit is always one of my favorite ingredients, because it packs a tart, fruity punch without adding any liquid – meaning you can add it to pretty much anything.
Blend in coconut oil, if desired. I like my nut butter on the drippier side, so I also blended in a tablespoon of coconut oil to get it to my preferred consistency.
The vast majority of this strawberry cashew butter never get spread or smeared on anything. It made it’s way directly from spoon to mouth (or finger to mouth, in my hangry moments). A little bit got spread on apples, which was fantastic. But, it was so outstanding on its own that I didn’t want to muddle up the delicious fruity, vanilla-y flavor.
I’ll need to ration my next batch. I did share some of it though (just a bit), and the flavor was likened to a PB&J and reminiscent of the colorful frosted animal cookies from childhood.
Friend, if you love nut butters, or cashews, or strawberries, do yourself a big favor and make a batch of this Strawberry Cashew Butter. I bet you won’t be able to resist the creamy texture or the irresistibly bold and tart flavor. Oh, and it’s Paleo, vegan, AND Whole30-friendly! You can bet this will be a staple next time I do a Whole30.
I’ll be impressed if you make it last longer than a week. I’d send you each a jar if I could! Happy nut butter making :)
Looking for more nut butter? Try out one of these!
- Banana Bread Pecan Almond Butter
- Super Seed Nut Butter
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Nut Butter
- Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter
Strawberry Cashew Butter
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Cuisine: American
Description
If you’re a homemade nut butter fan, you must try this irresistible Strawberry Cashew Butter! Flavored with freeze-dried strawberries and vanilla bean, this Paleo, vegan, sugar-free + Whole30-friendly treat will be a new favorite.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- ¾ cup freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1–2 tablespoons coconut oil, if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the cashews on a lined baking sheet and bake in the heated for about 10 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly toasted. Let cool for a few minutes on the countertop. You can also leave the nuts raw if you want.
- When the nuts are cool, add them to your food processor or high-powered blender (I used my Vitamix). Process for about 3-6 minutes, scraping down as necessary. Your time might be shorter if you’re using a high-powered blender – it will take a little bit longer in the food processor and require more scraping down.
- When the cashews have broken down into a smooth, creamy butter, add the freeze-dried strawberries, vanilla bean powder, and salt. Process to incorporate, and taste. Adjust add-ins as desired. Add the coconut oil if your cashew butter is thicker than you want it – I added 1 tablespoon.
- Transfer to a glass jar or two (like a mason or Weck jar) and store sealed for at room temperature for 1 month, or in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.
Strawberry cashew butter?! This looks AMAZING, Rachel! You seriously make the best nut butters! I’ve never seen a combination like this before, so I can only imagine how delicious it must taste. And I would be swirling it into just about everything! :)
I can’t even do justice to how good it is!!! Thanks Gayle.
This is genius!
Thank you so much, Megan!
Could you substitute almonds or pecans for the cashews?
I have an intolerance to cashews but I really want to try this recipe!
You could do either! I actually wanted to try it that way, so let me know how it is :) the flavor won’t be exactly the same because almonds and pecans are more strongly flavored, but it will still be super tasty. A mix of both pecans and almonds would probably be delicious, too. Enjoy Sara!
That color is so pretty! Love this cashew butter! :)
What a brilliant use of freeze-dried strawberries – it gives it such a GORGEOUS color! I’m already addicted to cashew butter on its own, so I can only imagine how good this tastes!
Thank you so much Casey!
The whole family loved this nut butter yesterday by the spoonful and this morning as the filling in your crepe recipe! So good and definitely a keeper! Thanks for another great recipe!
OMG that sounds amazing, Lori! Need to try that with fresh strawberries :) so glad the family is enjoying this one, definitely one of my new faves. I tried making it with peanuts this morning and that was also sooo good. Thanks for your feedback!
Where would we purchase vanilla bean powder? Could whole vanilla bean be substituted?
You could definitely substitute vanilla bean seeds. I get my vanilla bean powder from Amazon!
Can u use fresh strawberries instead? it’s their season now and I got a whole bunch of them so I’m looking for good recipes to use them in. Also what would the measurement equivalent be?
Hi Diana, unfortunately no – it would make the texture completely different, since freeze dried strawberries, when crushed, are essentially a strawberry flavor powder. Using fresh strawberries would add too much liquid to the recipe and cause the nut butter to go bad much more quickly.
I tried it and I almost fainted!!! It took me a bit of time cause I used my little cuisinart food processor but once done, I spread some on toast and put a drizzle of honey…..ummm yum!!!!!!
So thrilled to hear you’re loving it, Diana! It’s one of my favorites too :)
This is most amazing!! Delightfully delicious and so simple! It. Screams for hot biscuits! I’m making some for the whole family and friends post haste!!
One of my faves – so glad you’re loving it!! Sounds so good with biscuits :)
Thank you for all of your nut butter recipes! I’ve never made any, but they look so good! I am making some for my mom for Christmas. She can’t have salt and is a diabetic, so I am just choosing ones without sweetener and leaving out the salt. Do they all make the same amount? Trying to think what size of mason jars I should buy? Thank You!!
Hi Lora, it depends on the amount of nuts called for! You should be able to store this in a 16 oz. glass jar. Hope this helps!
Would it be ok to use vanilla extract in this? I have everything but the vanilla powder and want to make this today!
Yes vanilla extract will be just fine! Enjoy :)
I am new to keto and was wondering if these nut butters were keto friendly? They sound so delicious.
Hi Linda, the freeze-dried strawberries have sugar so it depends on how much sugar the keto diet allows – I haven’t calculated the nutritional info for this since I don’t count macros, but you can always check on myfitnesspal.com to see if it fits into the diet!
Rachel -the strawberry cashew butter looks absolutely divine!. How can I freeze dry strawberries at home? I don’t have a freeze drier!
Hi Salina, I don’t think there is a way to do it at home without one. I recommend buying them at the store – I get mine from Trader Joe’s.
I didn’t have the strawberries but did have raspberries. I also ground up some cacao nibs and a touch of honey to half a batch and it was quite nice.
Glad you enjoyed it!!
I truly dream about this stuff!! Pure strawberry gold, and it’s so easy to make. I love it with apples or drizzled on ice cream + pancakes. SO GOOD!!!
Similarly obsessed over here!! So glad you’re loving it :)
I’m on day 20 of my whole30 and am getting ready to make my third batch after running out yesterday! I don’t want to go without it and will continue to make it long after my whole30 is over! Thank you for such an amazing recipe!!!!
Yessss I’m always thrilled to hear I’ve brought someone new into the strawberry cashew butter obsession! It’s one of my favorite things ever – so simple and so delicious! Thanks for letting me know you’re enjoying it :) best of luck finishing up your Whole30!
I thought Rachel was exaggerating when she said she could finish a jar with a spoon alone – until I tried it! It’s unbelievable!!!!! The cashew butter is so so creamy and the strawberry and vanilla taste are perfect. Not too sweet at all. This will be the perfect snack or breakfast addition. I’ll be making this often! I might even try a different freeze dried fruit next time.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I just made it and my family is so happy!
So glad you loved it – one of my favorites!
Just made this and it turned out so delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
So glad you loved it!
Can’t believe it’s not dessert! So simple to make and incredibly unique. I love impressing guests with this recipe.
One of my favorites too! Thanks so much Courtney :)
Love it!
So good.
I used my homemade dehydrated strawberries
Sounds so yum!! Glad you’re enjoying it :)
OMG!
Soooo good!
So glad you’re loving it, Melanie!
This recipe is nothing short of delicious! So easy to make as long as you have a good quality blender. I make this regularly in my household and it rarely lasts longer than a week.
So glad you love it, Courtney! One of my personal favorites, too.