Ridiculously Easy Homemade Strawberry Cashew Milk

I've had a long love affair with non-dairy milks - I use almond, cashew, and coconut milk on the reg.  And when it comes to nut milks, I reeeeaaaaally try to make my own, since homemade is free of weird preservatives, unnecessary additives, and synthetic vitamins.  Plus, unless you buy the unsweetened version, it's FULL of refined sugars.  Gross. 

You're probably wondering who the eff has time to make their own nut milk. Well, with cashew milk, YOU DO. Yep.  YOU.  I swear this ish is so easy you could do it while Netflix auto-switches between episodes of Orange Is the New Black.  It literally has two steps. 1: Soak nuts.  2: Blend.  No straining required!  Amaze.

Speaking of Orange Is the New Black, I just finished watching the new season, and WTF, Netflix??? How you going to leave us with a cliff hanger like that???  All mayhem is about to break loose and I'M SUPPOSED TO WAIT 'TIL NEXT YEAR TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS???  Also, (*spoiler alert*) I can't beliiiieeeeeve they killed Poussey.  So tragic.  She was one of my fave characters over the years. (Sad cry face) (My computer needs emojis.) (I need a new tv show to watch now, who has suggestions???)

Okay back to ridiculously easy homemade strawberry cashew milk.  I swear, I have a "how-to" and a recipe to share below, but first let's talk about the health benefits of this super creamy amazingness. 

1. Since our homemade cashew milk is unstrained, it retains all the nutrients and health benefits of the whole cashew.  This is  a MAJOR reason to make your own - the store bought version is basically thickened (and most of the time sweetened) water with a few cashews, and loses almost all of its nutritional value.
2. Homemade cashew milk is high in protein - with my recipe you will get approximately NINE grams of plant based protein in a 1 cup serving.  Compare this to store bought, which is <1 gram per 1 cup serving!  
3. Cashews are rich in some very important minerals.  Specifically copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, and iron. If you want to know more, goooooogle it.  Or you can just take my word that they are stellar minerals and you need them in your life. 
4. Cashews have a lower fat content and higher protein content than other nuts. The fat they do contain is about 65% derived from oleic acid, a monounsaturated oil with known benefits in protecting against heart disease and cancer.

Fun facts:  Cashews are in the same family as mangoes and pistachios, and are actually the seeds that stick to the bottom of the cashew apple (the fruit of the cashew tree).  Cashew apples are delicacies in Brazil and the Caribbean! 

Recipe (FINALLY, I know.):
Ridiculously Easy Strawberry Cashew Milk

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups organic unroasted cashews
• 5 cups filtered water
• 1 1/4 cups organic strawberries, hulled
• 1.5 tsp vanilla

     Optional (pick one):

• If you like it sweet: 4 medjool dates
• If you like it salty: 1 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

The ridiculously easy part:

• Soak your cashews in filtered water overnight (or for at least 6 hours)
• Put everything in your Vitamix (or other high powered blender) and blend until creamy and amazing, which takes between 1 and 2 minutes depending on the blender.  
• I store mine in mason jars, but you can use any airtight container you have on hand. In the fridge, the cashew milk will stay good for up to 5 days.  Just make sure to shake it before you enjoy it!

I've been using mine in chia seed pudding and smoothies, and let's be honest - there's been lots of drinking straight from the jar. Lots.

X's and O's,
Nikole