Vegan Butter

Cashews are the secret to this silky toast topper or baking ingredient

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHELLE MAGDALENA

I used to have boyfriend who had a cow. It was unsurprising, then, that my inner farm girl was excited to make butter and cheese, as well as enjoy all of the other wonderful perks that come with knowing and loving a cow (RIP Clelia).

Despite the joys of having ready access to fresh milk, making farmstead dairy products is a process—one that requires patience, a stable environment and often, specialized equipment and components like starter cultures and rennet.

Fortunately, you don’t need to own a cow to make delicious and healthy vegan butter. With just a handful of raw cashews, an acidophilus probiotic, salt, coconut and grapeseed oils and a dash of sunflower lecithin (an easy-to-find emulsifier), you can whip up this easy non-dairy spread, although you’ll need to allow two days for the prep.

The first step is making a nut milk from the cashews, which necessitates soaking them overnight; you’ll need half of the total quantity of the milk to make the butter. I use the leftover nut milk in teas or smoothies. For the latter, I toss in a date while blending to add a bit of sweetness, and drink the smoothie straight from the Nutribullet canister while it still has a creamy, cappuccino-like froth.

Cashew Milk

½ cup raw cashews
Pinch of salt
2 and 2/3 cups water, divided

Soak raw cashews overnight in 2 cups of water. Drain and rinse cashews. Add to a blender with 2/3 cup water. Process until smooth. Makes 1 cup.

Vegan Butter

This butter is a real treat, and like cow’s milk butter, I still enjoy it spread thickly on bread. It is also a great substitute for baking and is much cheaper than real butter. Better for your wallet and your planet!

½ cup cashew milk
1 acidophilus capsule
1 teaspoon liquid or 2 teaspoons powdered sunflower lecithin
1¼ cups coconut oil
1/3 cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
Pinch of salt

Add the acidophilus to the cashew milk, cover and let sit for 24 hours at room temperature. Allowing the milk to ferment slightly overnight gives the butter a more dairy-like quality.

Warm the coconut oil and blend it with the cultured cashew milk, neutral oil, salt and sunflower lecithin. You can also add 2 tablespoons carrot juice for color, but we never do.

Transfer the butter to an airtight container with a lid and place in the freezer to solidify for a few hours before refrigerating. The butter will keep up to 2 weeks. Makes 2 cups.