Maple Vanilla Cashew Butter

Wow.

That’s it; that’s all…just wow.

You probably want to know a little bit more than that about this deliciousness, don’t you?

Well, here you go:

It’s only 3 ingredients.

It’s healthy.

It’s clean.

Did I mention that it’s also delicious?

Oh, yah, and it tastes like Raw. Cookie. Dough.

Have I sold it?

Ingredients:
2 cups unsalted cashews – I used the pieces
1/4 cup organic maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:
Place the cashews in a food processor. You’re going to need a food processor for this one because it’s the only way that I’ve found to get the nuts ground enough to begin to release their oils which then makes the “butter.”

Process the cashews for about 1 minute then stop.  Using a spatula, scrape the sides to get everything altogether and happy again. 

Process again for about 1 minute.  Continue…

At first it will start to look like course meal:

Then it will start to come together:

At the point that it’s all creamy, add the maple syrup and the vanilla and pulse until it’s all nice and mixed.

Remove the butter to a mason jar or container…or a spoon…This made 1 cup of cashew butter.  Store in the fridge.

I adapted this recipe from My Whole Food Life and she used almonds which I think would also be amazing.  (Check this blog out, she’s got some really great stuff on there!).  The next time I make it with cashews, I will probably cut down the maple syrup to 2T…cashews have a naturally sweet flavor anyway, so I don’t think it will be missed.  You could try it either way.

This morning I had some on Kashi waffles with blueberries.  I can’t even tell you how good it was!  Oh, guess I just did…well, you should try it for yourself.

Nutrition:
Serving size – 1 tablespoon

Calories 100 / Carbs 7g / Fat 7g / Protein 3g / Fiber 1g / Sodium 3mg