Vanilla Bean Cashew Butter

This vanilla bean cashew butter only has 2 ingredients, but you’d never know it from how much flavor it packs. It’s creamy, healthy, and only takes about 20 minutes to make. 

I’m a big fan of nut butters, and this vanilla bean cashew butter is the stuff of dreams. The vanilla and nut combination is reminiscent of cookies, and other baked goods … you can’t help but feel like you’re eating a dessert. It even tastes sweet, even though there’s no sugar in the recipe. 

Cashew butter isn’t as common as peanut or almond butter, but I think it should be. It’s so rich and creamy, and the perfect base for a flavor like vanilla. This recipe uses a whole vanilla bean, which really brings the most out of the cashews. You'll find yourself spreading it on everything!

What You’ll Need

This is a very simple recipe, with only 2 ingredients. Be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact quantities. 

• Raw cashews
• Vanilla bean

Why Use a Vanilla Bean? 

Most recipes with vanilla use extract instead of beans. Extract is great, but as with most ingredients, you get a better product when you use the real thing. Vanilla beans have a much stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor than vanilla extract, and they’re less bitter as well. You can buy whole vanilla beans at many grocery stores, but if you can’t find any, using a little extract will work.

How to Make Vanilla Bean Cashew Butter

This recipe only takes about 20 minutes to make. It’s that easy! 

• Toast the nuts. Place the cashews on a baking tray that will fit in a toaster oven, and toast them until they turn golden brown. This should take 3-5 minutes.
• Process. Add the cashews to a food processor, and process until smooth and creamy. This process takes a while, usually 10-20 minutes. 
• Add the vanilla. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. The best way to do this is with the back of a paring knife. Process again until the seeds are mixed into the cashew butter. Transfer to a jar, and you’re done! 

Variations

This is a creamy and flavorful nut butter as is, but you can make some variations if you want. Here are a few ways to alter this vanilla bean cashew butter.

• Make it crunchy. This recipe makes smooth nut butter, but you can easily make it crunchy. To do so, reserve a small amount of the toasted cashews, and cut them into pieces. When you add the vanilla bean, also add the unprocessed, chopped-up nuts, to give the cashew butter a crunchy texture. 
• Add sweetener. The vanilla bean makes this nut butter taste sweet, but there’s no sugar added. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you can add some sweetener at the same time as the vanilla bean. Sugar, honey, or agave will all work, but I prefer maple syrup, as the rich, autumnal flavor really goes well with vanilla and cashews.
• Add some spices. You can also amp up the flavor without adding sugar. Adding some cinnamon with the vanilla bean instantly makes this a nut butter for the fall and winter. You can also add other fall spices, like nutmeg, cloves, allspice, or ginger. 

What to Put Vanilla Bean Cashew Butter On

Now that you’ve made vanilla bean cashew butter, it’s time to use it! But what should you put it on? Here are a few of my favorite ways to eat this creamy vanilla butter.

• Slathered on a piece of fresh bread.
• As a topping for granola.
• On top of a slice of banana bread.
• Spread on a scone.

And if you want to cook with it, here are some recipes that use cashew butter.

• Flourless Cashew Butter Bars
• Cashew Quinoa Cookies
• Gluten-Free Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
• No Bake Raspberry Quinoa Cookies

How to Store Vanilla Bean Cashew Butter

You can store this nut butter in an airtight container in the cupboard for up to 3 weeks, or in the fridge for 2 months. Even though it lasts longer in the fridge, I recommend storing it at room temperature so that it’s soft and creamy when you eat it.

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

Sure! You can freeze this cashew butter in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature before eating. The nut butter might separate when it thaws, in which case mix it in the food processor before eating.

More Homemade Nut Butter Recipes

If you liked this cashew butter, check out some of my other favorite homemade nut butters.

• Super Seed Homemade Peanut Butter
• Superfood Vegan Nutella
• Cinnamon Vanilla Pecan Butter
• Honey Roasted Peanut Butter
• Easy Homemade Coconut Butter