Homemade cashew milk

This post is also available in: Español

Of the vegetable milk alternatives, homemade cashew milk is without a doubt one of my favourites. I consider it to be the one with the most neutral taste, light natural sweetness and creaminess of traditional dairy milk, of which we already know the disadvantages and therefore do not consume. If you want to know more about how harmful and aggressive the milk industry is, you can read it here.

Before I became vegan (I was vegetarian for more than 8 years), I experimented with making all kinds of vegetable milks to find the best and most perfect one. Rice, almond, coconut, quinoa (?) But I had a hard time coming to terms with my addiction to milk, coming to terms with the fact that I had a severe “veal complex” at the time. One day I decided to try cashew milk and that day I knew that there are no limits to the surprises that plants can give us, and that there was no valid reason not to change our diet to a more ethical one.

Is it very expensive to make homemade cashew milk at home?

If there is one thing that has not yet changed much in this new plant-based milk boom, it is undoubtedly the price. Although these plant-based alternatives are much more sustainable and have a lower cost of production, the prices are still quite high compared to their counterparts.

This is one of the reasons why I decided that I will never buy vegetable milks again, but I will make them at home and I will make them better, richer and more nutritious, without generating a single drop of waste and certainly much cheaper.

Cashew milk is not very popular commercially and that is because it is a very expensive nut, the vast majority of the ones we find are harvested in Vietnam, and come on, Vietnam is far away from almost anywhere in the world. That’s why my version uses cashew nuts more efficiently, so that with each kilo you can get 14 litres of milk.

Let’s get to know the ingredients to make this tasty milk at home:

• Raw cashew nuts (not roasted or salted)
• Water
• Soy or unflavoured pea protein isolate (optional)
• Soy lecithin

Raw cashew nuts (not roasted or salted)

Surely you know or at least have seen the cashew nuts, they are a crescent-shaped nut, quite particular, with a soft and addictive creamy taste that we usually eat as a snack, but what else?

You probably don’t know that they are born at the base of a very colourful fruit that looks like it’s from another planet:

It is a tropical fruit, which is not even in demand or consumed in tropical countries. Believe me, I come from Ecuador where these trees would grow like nothing else, but they are very rare and cashew nuts, which they call marañones there, are very expensive. Does anyone want to dedicate themselves to this crop there? Because I do.

Another important fact about cashews is their excellent nutritional content. In 100 grams we find 18 grams of protein, 44 grams of fat and 30 grams of carbohydrates, as well as sugars, fibre, antioxidants, vitamins (E, B) and minerals (potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium).

Not bad for a nut. And that’s why it’s far better to prepare homemade cashew milk from raw cashews, so as not to miss out on any of its benefits and nutrients.

Their protein content is not exactly the same as milk, which is something to keep in mind. That’s why I choose to fortify my plant-based milks with vegetable protein isolate from soy, pea or a mixture of both, and very occasionally with calcium carbonate.

This way I don’t have to worry about any deficiencies, even though nutrient requirements are different from person to person and case to case, I feel more at ease getting mine consciously, rather than leaving it to chance. I recommend that you take your vegan diet very seriously and responsibly, just as we take animal rights seriously. Consult your doctor and nutritionist.

Flavourless soy or pea protein isolate (optional)

This ingredient is optional, but I recommend it to increase the nutritional content of our milk, you can add as little or as much as you want, but consider that it will modify its taste. 10 grams is a fair amount so that each glass of your homemade cashew milk contains 4 grams of protein, which will help you to more easily meet your daily nutritional requirements.

You can also add more cashews to the recipe for more nutrients, but this will also increase the amount of fat and carbohydrates you will be consuming in each glass.

The protein also has a consistency-related purpose. You will get an extra creamy milk and not a watery one like the ones you usually find in the shops. Perfect for frothing over your latte or cappuccino and making latte art, of course.

Can’t get it? Look in vegan protein shops for athletes, there are several brands that have their plant-based versions. Only have vanilla? Well, vanilla-flavoured cashew milk sounds like a great plan.

Soy Lecithin

This magical ingredient that has benefits for our circulatory system and brain, has a specific purpose in homemade cashew milk and any other vegetable milk. It improves the suspension of fat in water and prevents them from separating – no more cut up milk in your fridge!

Now let’s get to the recipe:

Leche de Castañas de Cajú (Anacardos)

Susan Romero

Hoy aprenderás a hacer Leche Vegetal de Castañas de Cajú fortificada, una alternativa que se equipara en sabor, nutrientes y textura a la leche normal.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Share in Pinterest

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Tiempo de remojo inicial 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Ingrediente

Cuisine Vegana

Servings 5

Calories 80 kcal

Equipment

• Licuadora
• Gasa o tela de algodón para filtrar
• balanza de cocina
• Embudo

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 70 grs Castañas de cajú sin tostar ni salar
• 200 ml Agua caliente
• 1000 ml Agua fría
• 1 gr lecitina de soya
• 10 grs proteína vegetal aislada en polvo sin sabor opcional
• 1 pizca sal

Instructions

 

• En un bowl, pesa 70 grs de castañas de cajú sin tostar ni salar y remójalas en agua caliente por 10 minutos hasta que estén blandas. Cuélalas y enjuágalas del agua de remojo.
• Agregar las castañas de cajú ya remojadas a la juguera (licuadora) junto con la mitad del agua fría, la lecitina de soya, sal, proteína y licúala a velocidad alta, por al menos un minuto.
• Dependiendo de la potencia de tu licuadora, puede tomar menos o más tiempo haber molido completamente las castañas. No le sobre exijas, no me gustaría que se te echara a perder. Cuando se note lisa y cremosa agrega el resto del agua, bate un par de segundos y ya está.
  
• Prepara una jarra de un litro, y coloca dentro un embudo que te facilitará el filtrado, coloca una gasa sobre el embudo y empieza a verter la leche de a poco ordeñando la tela para exprimir todo el líquido del afrecho. Retira el embudo y ya puedes disfrutar esta deliciosa leche cremosa, en todas las recetas que puedas imaginar.

Notes

Quedarán aproximadamente 3 cucharadas de resto de castañas de cajú que puedes utilizar en el porridge, galletas, o en la masa de alguna tarta. ¡No lo desperdicies! En el peor caso, dáselo al compost.

Esta leche se puede consumir directamente sin colar para preparaciones como salsas o cremas, postres ya que es un fruto seco bastante cremoso y no deja mucho afrecho que afecta la textura. Pero, para su uso en café, té y bebidas más delicadas, recomiendo colarla siguiendo las instrucciones de la receta.

 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Leche de Castañas de Cajú (Anacardos)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 80

* Los valores porcentuales diarios se basan en una dieta de 2000 calorías.

Calories: 80kcal

Keyword anacardos, cashews, castañas de cajú, leche vegetal de anacardos, marañones

Have you tried the recipe?Comment what you think

In what preparations can I use homemade cashew milk?

You can use this vegetable milk in different preparations where it is perfect for its creaminess and spectacular taste, for example:

• Vegan mozzarella
• Vegan sour cream
• Vegan yoghurt
• Vegan cream cheese
• Vegan custard cream
• Vegan manjar or dulce de leche
• Vegan ice cream
• Vegan Bechamel Sauce
• Vegan cappuccinos and lattes

I hope you liked this recipe, and that you enjoy it as much as I did. If you are just starting out in veganism I hope it helps you to discover that you don’t need to harm any living thing to eat correctly and deliciously. Here this milk in action in a Cappuccino for breakfast, I’m not an expert in latte art, but I can do it, and this milk is ideal to practice it.

Don’t miss this recipe where I used my reinforced homemade cashew milk:

• How to make vegan hard boiled eggs

Thank you very much for reading Hazlo Vegan, if you want to be up to date with the recipes you can subscribe in the form on the right bar to receive them periodically in your mail, you can also comment and follow me on Instagram and Pinterest. If you make any of these recipes, don’t forget to upload a photo to show the world what vegans eat, using the hashtag #hazlovegan and mentioning me as @hazlovegan to keep me updated.

This post is also available in: Español