Creamy Cashew Milk — No Strain
- Monique Mercurio
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
Almond and oat milk are what most of us reach for — in our morning coffee, matcha, or smoothies. But here's the honest take: neither is quite the health halo it seems. Oat milk is made from a starchy grain, so it's higher in carbs and sugar than most nut milks — and because the oats get broken down to make it creamy, it can hit your blood sugar faster (many brands also add seed oils and gums). Almond milk is watery and strained, so most of the almond — and its nutrition — gets poured down the drain. Enter cashew milk.
Cashew milk is the creamy, no-fuss one I always come back to, and once you learn how to make cashew milk at home, you'll never buy the carton again. The best part? You don't strain it. Cashews blend completely smooth, so you keep the whole nut — its healthy fats, minerals, and a little protein — right in your glass. No nut-milk bag, no soggy pulp, just three real ingredients: cashews, water, and salt.
Why You'll Love This
No straining, ever — cashews blend smooth, so you keep the whole nut.
Cleaner than the carton — three real ingredients, zero gums, oils, or added sugar.
Creamy and naturally sweet — the richest homemade nut milk, hands down.
The perfect Core Four base — build your smoothies and coffee on something clean.
The Core Four Check ✓
Every Revel & Well recipe gets the Core Four Check — a quick, honest look at how it delivers protein, healthy fats, fiber, and colorful vegetables.
Cashew milk is a base, not a full meal, so here's the real read:
Protein — a nice bonus here: because you keep the whole cashew, each cup has about 6g, noticeably more than almond milk.
Healthy Fats — the whole blended cashew, nothing strained away, plus minerals like magnesium, copper, and zinc.
Fiber — light, about 1g a cup, so it's not a fiber source on its own.
Colorful Vegetables — that part's on you: use this as the liquid in a Core Four smoothie and stack your protein, fiber, and color on top.
New to building meals this way? My free Smoothie Challenge makes it easy — protein-packed smoothies in two minutes flat.
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews, soaked — my pick
3–4 cups filtered water (less = creamier, more = lighter)
1 pinch sea salt
Optional add-ins: one pitted Medjool date, ¼ tsp vanilla bean powder, or a pinch of cinnamon.
You'll also want a high-speed blender and a glass jar or bottle for storing.
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How to Make It
Game plan: soak the cashews first (overnight, or a 15-minute hot-water shortcut), then it's just blend and pour — under two minutes of real work.
Soak. Cover 1 cup raw cashews with water and soak overnight in the fridge. Short on time? Cover with hot water and soak 15 minutes.
Drain and rinse the soaked cashews.
Blend. Add the cashews to your blender with 3–4 cups filtered water and a pinch of sea salt (plus any add-ins).
Blend on high 1–2 minutes, until completely smooth and creamy.
That's it — no straining. Pour into a glass jar and enjoy.
Tips, Swaps & Make-Ahead
Flavor it: blend in a pitted date for sweetness, vanilla bean powder for a café feel, or cinnamon for cozy.
Dial the creaminess: 3 cups water for rich and creamy, 4 for lighter and pourable.
Skip the soak in a pinch: a high-speed blender can handle unsoaked cashews, but soaking gives the smoothest, most digestible milk.
Storage: keep in a sealed glass jar in the fridge 3–5 days. No gums, so a little separation is normal — just shake before pouring.
The Revel Rundown
Times: Prep 5 min · Soak overnight or 15 min · Blend 2 min
Makes: about 4 cups
Core Four: Healthy fats, minerals, and a little protein (~6g) from the whole, unstrained cashew — a clean base to build your Core Four smoothies on.
Nutrition (estimated, per 1 cup, plain): ~190 calories · 6g protein · 15g fat · 10g carbs · 1g fiber · 2g sugar
FAQ
Do you have to strain cashew milk?
Nope — that's the whole point. Cashews blend completely smooth in a high-speed blender, so there's no pulp to strain. You keep the entire nut, fats and minerals and all.
Cashew milk vs almond milk — which is better?
Depends on your goal — here's the honest per-cup comparison:
Homemade cashew milk (this recipe): ~190 cal · 6g protein · 15g fat · 1g fiber
Almond milk (store-bought, unsweetened): ~30–40 cal · 1g protein · 2.5g fat · 1g fiber
Cashew is the richer, more nourishing base because you keep the whole nut; almond is lighter and lower in calories (but usually strained, with added gums and oils). For an everyday whole-nut base I reach for cashew — if you want something ultra-light, almond wins.
Is homemade cashew milk a good source of protein?
More than you'd think. Because you don't strain it, each cup keeps about 6g of protein from the whole cashew — noticeably more than almond milk, which is closer to 1g. It's not a high-protein food on its own, but as a base it's doing more for you than the carton. Add extra protein when you build a full smoothie.
How long does homemade cashew milk last?
About 3–5 days in a sealed glass jar in the fridge. No preservatives or gums, so shake before using — a little separation is natural.
Can I make cashew milk without soaking?
A high-speed blender can handle unsoaked cashews in a pinch, but soaking (even 15 minutes in hot water) gives you the creamiest, smoothest milk and makes it a little easier to digest.
Is this Whole30 or paleo friendly?
Yes! With just cashews, water, and salt, homemade cashew milk is both Whole30-compliant and paleo — no added sugar, gums, or oils, and naturally dairy-free. (Most store-bought cartons aren't, so it's one more reason to make your own.)
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Xo, Mo
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