It’s so obvious, right?! I’m sure I’m not the first to come up with this, but it still feels revelatory for me. The secret to making recipes that call for raw cashews when you don’t have a high-speed blender is this: I’ve had a sneaking suspicion for a while that there may be a way around this, but hadn’t actually tried it until about a week ago. Since cashews are the base for so many of the things I create, I’ve always felt bad that these recipes remain inaccessible to those who haven’t invested in something like a Vitamix. For instance, my mother-in-law loves this smooth, creamy, totally killer cashew ranch dressing that I make, but, when she tried it in the food processor at home, it came out a bit chunky and disappointing by comparison. I’ve made things for friends and family that they’ve wanted to replicate at home, and I always have to tell them that it’s probably not going to be the same. One of the things about using raw cashews in these ways is that, to achieve the best results, you almost always need a high-speed blender. Raw cashews are one of the most versatile ingredients that exists. I use them to make plant milk when I need it, occasionally culturing that milk into yogurt, I use them to make creams and aioli, raw cheesecake, salad dressings, a mind-boggling variety of creamy pasta sauces and soups, and so much more. Like, I just bought my third 4-lb bag of cashews since early August, which means that we go through about two pounds of cashews a month.

Vitamix cashew butter