Strawberry Cashew Butter (Paleo, Vegan, Sugar Free + Whole30)

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.

Meet my new favorite nut butter: Strawberry Cashew Butter. Hooooly smokes you guys, this stuff is good.

I’ve been pedaling some major nut butter game 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 of it last night, and I’m planning a trip to the grocery store to get more cashews and freeze dried strawberries so I can 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 it’s 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.

The cashews are roasted in the oven until golden, which helps bring out their roasted, irresistibly nutty + buttery flavor. From there, they go into the blender or food processor solo and are blended into creamy, smooth, nut butter perfection.

Once you’ve got drippy, creamy cashew butter, it’s time to add the goodies: 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.

Here, the freeze dried strawberries add a bold and tart strawberry flavor. Along with the vanilla bean powder’s sweet warmth, they combine into sweet strawberry perfection. I also added a sprinkle of salt, for balance. I like my nut butters 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 it’s own, I didn’t want to muddle up the delicious fruity, vanilla-y flavor.

I dreamed of dolloping it over oatmeal, and baking it into some cookies, but alas, it didn’t last nearly long enough for that, so I’ll need to ration my next batch. I did share some of it, and the flavor was likened to a PB&J (all in one bite!) and reminiscent of the colorful frosted animal cookies from we all remember 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 :) and if you’re looking for more nut butters, why not try out one of these?!

Banana Bread Pecan Almond Butter
Super Seed Nut Butter
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Nut Butter
Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter

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Remember to #bakerita if you try the recipe!

Strawberry Cashew Butter

Save Print Prep time 20 mins Cook time 10 mins Total time 30 mins Author: Rachel Conners Serves: 2 cups 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

Directions

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 counter top. 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.

3.5.3226