Tip: Cashew Butter Apple for lunch

A granny smith apple sealed with nut butter was a college lunch staple for me. It was quick and easy. Toss it in a baggie and go!

I don’t eat peanuts anymore due a mold allergy but that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying this healthy treat.

Vitamix

I now roast cashews and grind my own organic cashew butter in an old Vitamix blender. It’s pretty simple if you have the right tools. Making nut or coconut butters does require a high-powered blender. Sorry. There’s no getting around that. I highly recommend making the investment sooner rather than later. I got my used Vitamix on eBay for @$100. It’s an old model with a metal canister. I love the metal canister for sterilizing and wouldn’t trade it for a new plastic canister model if they gave it to me! I hate the spigot though. Cleaning it is a pain, but I’m willing to do it for the nut butters. 🙂

Tips for making nut butters

Roasting your nuts doesn’t need to be frought with danger. It’s not a race. Cool down that oven and let them roast slower. You’ll still get delicious roasted flavor. It hurts my wallet and my psyche to throw away expensive organic nuts because I was impatient and burned them.

I set my oven at 200°F and start checking them at 15 minutes. They usually take 30-45 minutes though.

It’s important to grind the butter while the nuts are still warm from the oven. I usually add 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil to move things along. If the nuts are cold, the coconut oil will seize and make matters worse.

Add a pinch of sea salt, if you wish. One baking sheet will give you about 16 ounces of butter. I store it in the refrigerator since it contains no preservatives.

Assembling the cashew apple

Core an apple and cut in half. Spread your nut butter across the apple making sure that you seal all exposed areas of the apple. The cored out center makes a nice well for extra butter. 🙂

Other uses for cashew butter

I’ve been making an oatmeal waffle recipe I found online. I substitute this cashew butter and it’s delicious. It reminds me of my maternal grandpa. He used to put peanut butter on his waffles and pancakes instead of butter. I can’t eat them without thinking of him and smiling.

I’m working on creating a thai peanut sauce recipe using cashew butter. I’m also trying to recreate a cole slaw dressing from a local restaurant that uses peanuts and ginger. If/when I get these perfected, I’ll post them on the site.

Bonus tip… if you live in San Diego

If you’re ever in San Diego, visit a local produce store (formerly) called Henry’s Market. When I lived there in the early 2000’s they make their own honey roasted almond butter that is to die for on granny smith apples. The synergy between the tart apple and the savory, sweet almond butter turns each bite into sweet and salty candy!

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