Easy Cashew Butter Cookie with Sea Salt Recipe

Growing up, New Year’s Eve was filled with the usual suspects: Auld Lang Syne, confetti, and party blowers. For our family, however, we had an additional reason to celebrate – my grandfather’s birthday. Grandad, as my cousins and I called him, was a slim, energetic man who had a mischievous glint in his eye to match his boyish freckles. I lost count of the amount of times he diverted my attention to some nonexistent attraction while stealing the dessert from my plate. Along with his playfulness, he had a soft heart. On one occasion, he returned from the grocery store with a treat for me he had picked up in the toy aisle – a child’s makeup set. I was thrilled, but he was so disappointed to discover that the plastic bottles contained nothing more than air.

Each year for Grandad’s birthday, my parents would give him something for my grandparents’ cottage or a new golf shirt. My gift to him was always a box of his favorite roasted, salted nuts from Purdy’s Chocolates (a Vancouver institution). He would slide the lid off the box and offer me the first taste. Without fail, I would pick a perfectly-curved cashew and pop it in my mouth, slowing savoring the salty coating and mellow, nutty flavor. These cookies, made with homemade cashew butter, are baked until the edges are golden brown and the insides are soft and chewy. I am certain Grandad would have loved them. He might have even tried to steal one off my plate.

Another round of thanks to the people at Oh! Nuts who sent me these high-quality cashews. I would have to say they even rival Purdy’s version.

The cashew butter:
In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine 2 cups unsalted, roasted cashews, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Process for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and then, with the machine running, slowly add 3 additional teaspoons canola oil. If you are using the cashew butter to spread on bread or toast, you might want to add a little more oil. For the cookies, however, this consistency works well.

The cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with the racks set in the lower-middle and upper-middle positions. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

In the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand-mixer), combine 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted, softened butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 cup (packed) brown sugar. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup cashew butter and mix for approximately 30 seconds. Pour in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, mixing each until combined.

Turn the mixer to low and slowly spoon in the flour mixture. Process until incorporated into the butter mixture. Add 1 cup roughly chopped unsalted, roasted cashews and mix for additional 10 to 15 seconds.

Using rounded 2 tablespoons for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms to form a ball. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, 2 to 3 inches apart. To avoid the cookies baking into each other, I placed only 6 on each baking sheet. With the back of a fork, gently press down each cookie in two directions to make a checkerboard pattern. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of sea salt.

Bake the cookies until the edges are light golden brown and the centers are puffed, rotating the sheets between racks and back to front halfway through baking, 10 to 12 minutes in total.

Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Repeat the procedure with the remaining dough. Serve warm or room temperature.

Other nut butter cookies:

David Lebovitz’s Peanut Butter Cookie with Salted Peanut Caramel
Baking Bites’ Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies
Tasty Eats at Home’s Flourless Almond Butter Cookies
The Merlin Menu’s Whipped Cashew Butter Cookies
Cafe Fernando’s Hazelnut Butter & Chocolate Cookies

Easy Cashew Butter Cookies
Cashew butter recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse
Cookie recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Cashew butter:
2 cups unsalted, roasted cashews
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp canola oil, divided
1/4 tsp salt

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 cup cashew butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup unsalted, roasted cashews, roughly chopped
1/4 cup (approximately) sea salt

Cashew butter:
In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine cashews, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil, and salt. Process for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and then, with the machine running, slowly add 3 additional teaspoons canola oil. If you are using the cashew butter to spread on bread or toast, you might want to add a little more oil. For the cookies, however, this consistency works well.

Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with the racks set in the lower-middle and upper-middle positions. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

In the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand-mixer), combine butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cashew butter and mix for approximately 30 seconds. Pour in vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, mixing each until combined.

Turn the mixer to low and slowly spoon in the flour mixture. Process until incorporated into the butter mixture. Add 1 cup roughly chopped unsalted, roasted cashews and mix for additional 10 to 15 seconds.

Using rounded 2 tablespoons for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms to form a ball. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, 2 to 3 inches apart. To avoid the cookies baking into each other, I placed only 6 on each baking sheet. With the back of a fork, gently press down each cookie in two directions to make a checkerboard pattern. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of sea salt.

Bake the cookies until the edges are light golden brown and the centers are puffed, rotating the sheets between racks and back to front halfway through baking, 10 to 12 minutes in total.

Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Repeat the procedure with the remaining dough. Serve warm or room temperature.

Makes approximately 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Printable recipe