Light and refreshing dairy-free strawberry milk is extra creamy by way of cashews.
Sweetened with dates and strawberries, this enticing beverage tastes like summer itself.
Some things just take you back to childhood…
Camp songs.
The smell of the lake.
And drinking ice cold strawberry milk.
Add a straw and start slurping.
Suddenly, you’re transported to a summer of bare feet & pigtails all over again. But this time around, strawberry milk is even better than you remember.
As a kid, my strawberry milk was from Nestle Quik (which later came to be known as Nesquik). It was made with artificial powder.
Today’s dairy-free strawberry milk recipe is made with actual strawberries.
They are blended with raw cashews, water, Medjool dates for sweetness, and a splash of vanilla.
Just a few natural ingredients. (And you can enjoy it in an adorable glass milk carton for fun!)
The flavor bursts with ripe berries. And the milk has a full-bodied creaminess because of the cashews.
In this post:
Why readers love this recipe
“This was so easy and 100% perfect! Exactly like a drink I’d get from the markets, but now I can have it any time I want in my own home.” – Susan
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Raw cashews: Raw cashews are essential for this creamy drink. Look for them in the nut section of the grocery store or online. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s.
Because they’re going to be blended anyway, I recommend raw cashew pieces, which are usually cheaper than whole.
Medjool dates: Pitted dates are used for sweetness. You can either buy them pitted or easily remove the pits yourself.
Dates can be replaced with the sweetener of your choice like maple syrup, agave syrup, or date syrup.
Strawberries: Either fresh or frozen strawberries will work for this recipe.
Vanilla extract: This rounds out the flavor.
Salt: A pinch of salt brings it all together.
Step by step instructions
This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
Put the following ingredients into a high-speed blender:
- Water
- Raw cashews
- Pitted dates
- Fresh or frozen strawberries
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
Blend until completely smooth.
(You’ll know it’s totally smooth when you stop hearing any crunches from the raw cashews breaking up in the blender.)
You can drink the vegan strawberry milk right away.
But if at all possible, I recommend transferring it to a covered container, and refrigerating it for at least an hour or two.
It tastes even better when it’s ice cold.
The cashews continue to thicken it, making the drink even creamier & sweeter as it condenses.
Make it your own
Here are some easy ways to personalize your drink:
- Make this drink your own by using fresh or frozen strawberries.
- Add more dates for sweetness.
- If you don’t have dates, use a couple squeezes of your favorite liquid sweetener like agave or maple syrup.
- Instead of vanilla extract, scrape fresh vanilla from a pod or use vanilla powder.
Standard blender instructions
If you don’t have a high-speed blender for making strawberry milk, there are some easy workarounds.
My favorite option is to grind dry raw cashews in a clean coffee grinder first.
Grind until the cashews have the texture of flour. Then add it to your standard blender along with the other ingredients.
It’s an easy & fast option with great results.
If you don’t have a coffee grinder, you can soak the raw cashews in water for several hours to soften them first. Then drain & continue the recipe as written.
Or you can pour boiling water over the raw cashews to soften for 10 to 30 minutes. (The microwave works here too.) Then drain & use them in the recipe.
Serving ideas
This refreshing drink is great on its own, as a snack, or light breakfast.
It is delicious with brunch alongside vegan quiche or vegan frittata and breakfast-style air fryer potatoes. Or tote along a jar to a picnic.
Storage instructions
Store strawberry milk in the refrigerator in an airtight jar.
I recommend using it within about 3 days. That’s when nut milks are at their best.
(Looking for more non-dairy milk recipes? Check out this post on how to make almond milk.)
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Vegan strawberry cashew milk
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 6 Tablespoons raw cashews*
- 2 to 4 Medjool dates pitted
- 2 cups strawberries frozen or fresh (about 32 small strawberries)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Put water, raw cashews, pitted dates, fresh or frozen strawberries, vanilla extract, and salt into a high speed blender. (If your strawberries are very sweet you can use just 2 dates. Otherwise, I recommend using 4.) Blend until completely smooth. (You'll know that the cashews are fully broken down once you stop hearing any crackles or crunches of them breaking up.)
- You can drink the strawberry cashew milk right away. But for an even tastier drink, move it to a covered container, and refrigerate for at least an hour or two. The cashew milk will continue to thicken, making it even creamier & sweeter. And the flavor is best when it's ice cold.
Notes
- Grind the dry raw cashews in a clean coffee grinder until they become like a flour. Then add them to your standard blender, and continue with the recipe as written.
- Soak the cashews in water for several hours. Then drain the cashews, and continue with the recipe as written.
Nutrition
Content, recipe, and photos updated June 9, 2021. Originally posted May 6, 2019.
Gemma
Wow I can’t believe this is vegan! I’d never think to use cashews, but I have to try it. It sounds like the most amazing strawberry milk xo
Cadry
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!
Sarah De la Cruz
Ooh, this looks so yummy! I grew up on the powdered strawberry shakes! This fresh version looks SO much better!
Cadry
Thanks, Sarah! I totally agree. Powdered strawberry flavor just can’t compete with actual strawberries.
Susan
This was so easy and 100% perfect! Exactly like a drink I’d get from the markets, but now I can have it any time I want in my own home.
Cadry
That is such great feedback. Thanks, Susan! So glad you enjoyed it!
Shellie
Had this today. Just delicious. The strawberries were frozen, so it was very creamy.
Cadry
I love to hear this! Thank you for letting me know, Shellie!
Shell
Cad, I remember your love of strawberries waking me up to the their deliciousness when we were young. Still love them!
Cadry
Yay! I’m glad I was able to influence you early. 🙂
Susan
Looks amazing and I have all the ingredients in my house right now!
Cadry
Yay! It’s a sign!
Natasha Nadel
This looks sooo delicious. Makes me wonder why people need the junk version when they can have real food. Oh I know, because they have no idea! Such a great way to introduce people to plant-based food. Thank you! On a side note, I love how your recipes are presented. What program do you use? I’m creating a new website right now. TIA!
Cadry
Thanks for your nice comments, Natasha! For my recipe card, I use WP Recipe Maker. I have the pro version. I highly recommend it! It has all of the JSON-LD metadata that Google wants for SEO. And I love how readers can click on the box next to the instructions & ingredients to cross things off as they complete the recipe. Very user friendly! Good luck with your website!
Bianca Phillips
This sounds so good!! And way better than the Strawberry Quik I used to drink! 🙂 I think I’ll try this later this week. Sounds perfect with cookies.
Cadry
Awesome! Let me know what you think, Bianca!
Dianne
I never drank strawberry milk as a kid. For me it was all chocolate, all the time. But I’d gladly sip on this on a hot day now!
Cadry
It may be unusual, but as a kid, I always chose strawberry over chocolate. I probably still would now! I have a summer birthday, and I often would have strawberry shortcake as my birthday cake.