Rich creamy cashew butter is the star of these cashew cookies. The cookie dough is rolled in granulated sugar and powdered sugar to create the crinkle cookie effect.
Move over peanut butter. We’re all about cashew butter these days!
Cashews provide the prefect balance of rich and creamy to sweet dishes. Case in point: cashew is the main ingredient in Sans Rival Cake, a Filipino dessert consisting of crunchy cashew meringue and French buttercream.
Rich, creamy cashew butter creates the most luxurious cookies with a beautiful crinkled sugar crust and impossibly soft center. These one-bowl wonders are easier than traditional peanut butter cookies and taste absolutely divine.
Why This Recipe Works
Fans of peanut butter cookies and almond butter cookies will appreciate the creaminess of these cashew cookies!
Cashew butter is my secret weapon for creating cookies with exceptional creaminess and subtle sweetness that peanut butter simply can’t match. The natural buttery quality of cashews means you get a more refined flavor without the assertive nuttiness some people find overpowering
These cookies combine the best techniques from classic crinkle cookies with the luxurious texture of cashew butter. The double sugar coating—first in granulated sugar, then powdered sugar—creates that signature earthquake surface while keeping the interior impossibly soft and chewy.
What To Love About These Cashew Cookies
- No mixer required – just a bowl and spatula
- No chilling needed – mix and bake immediately
- Stays soft for days – thanks to brown sugar and proper technique
- Beautiful presentation – that crackled surface looks bakery-worthy
- Simple ingredient list – likely have everything already
Ingredients
Cashew Butter – This is the star ingredient, so quality matters. Look for brands with only cashews on the ingredient list (salt is okay). The natural oil separation is a good sign! I use Spread The Love Basic Cashew Butter or Thrive Market Organic Cashew Butter. Avoid varieties with added sugars or stabilizers—they’ll affect the cookie texture.
Brown Sugar – The molasses content keeps these cookies tender and adds warm, caramel-like notes. Use light or dark brown sugar based on your preference (dark = more molasses flavor). Don’t substitute granulated white sugar here—your cookies will be crispy rather than chewy.
Butter – Room temperature is crucial for proper creaming. The butter should be soft enough to leave an indent when pressed, but not greasy or melting.
Egg – Also needs to be room temperature for the smoothest dough. Cold eggs can cause the butter to seize up.
Baking Soda & Baking Powder – This combination creates both spread and lift, resulting in that perfect chewy-crispy balance.
Sugars for Rolling – Both granulated and powdered sugar are essential for the crinkle effect. Don’t skip either one!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare Your Mise en Place
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set out two small bowls—one with granulated sugar, one with powdered sugar for rolling.
Make the Dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth (30 seconds). Add brown sugar and vanilla, mixing until light and creamy (about 1 minute). Scrape down the sides.
Beat in the egg until fully incorporated, then add the cashew butter. Mix until the mixture is completely smooth with no streaks.
Add the flour mixture all at once. Mix on low speed or fold with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky—this is perfect.
Coat and Bake
Scoop the dough using a 1.5 tablespoon scoop (#40 scoop). Roll each portion first in granulated sugar until completely coated, then roll in powdered sugar until the dough ball is completely white.
Place coated balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart (they’ll spread moderately).
Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges are set, the tops are crackled, and the centers look just barely set. They’ll appear slightly puffy.
Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for exactly 3 minutes (set a timer!). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Room Temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week. For extra insurance against drying out, tuck a piece of bread—it releases moisture the cookies absorb.
Freezing Baked Cookies: Freeze completely cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. They’ll keep for 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Freezing Cookie Dough: Scoop and coat the dough balls, then freeze on a baking sheet. Once solid, transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare the dough up to 2 days in advance. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before scooping—cold dough is harder to work with.
Reviving Day-Old Cookies: Microwave 1-2 cookies on a plate for 10-15 seconds. They’ll taste fresh-baked!
Frequent Asked Questions
hey have a similar comforting, nut-butter quality but cashew butter is much milder and creamier. Think of it as a more refined, less assertive version—perfect if you find peanut butter overwhelming.
Yes! This recipe is designed for hand mixing. Use a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon—no electric mixer needed.
Likely overbaking. Remember, they should look slightly underdone in the center when you remove them from the oven. Also check that you’re not overmixing the dough once the flour is added.
Other Recipes that Use Cashew Butter
- Kale Apple Smoothie is made with cashew butter, honey, and almond milk.
- Cashew Butter Granola Bars make for a great afternoon snack!
- Swap out the peanut butter for cashew butter in this Hyper Monkey Blended Smoothie made with espresso, frozen banana slices, and chopped dark chocolate.
Cashew Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, (195 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (113 g), room temp, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, (200 g), packed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg,, room temp
- ¾ cup cashew butter, (195 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar, for rolling
- ½ cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or reusable silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Add butter to a large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to beat butter until smooth. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Mix until creamy. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
- Add in egg and beat until well combined. Add in cashew butter. Mix until smooth.
- Add flour mixture to mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour. Alternatively, use a spatula to fold in flour. Do not overmix.
- Use a 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop (#40 scoop) to portion out the smooth dough. Roll dough balls in granulated sugar. Then, roll in powdered sugar until well coated. Place cookie balls at least 2-inch apart on prepared baking sheet.*Don't worry if the balls are not perfect rounds. The dough will still bake into a circle.
- Bake the cookies until the edges are set and the cookies are cracked on top, 15-18 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cool cookies in baking sheet for 3 minutes. Then, use a spatula or mini offset to transfer cookies to wire rack. Cool to room temperature.
Notes
- It is better to err on side on under-baked versus over-baked cookies.
- Baking time works best when cookies are portioned using a 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop (#40 scoop)
- Do not allow cookies to completely cool on the baking sheet. Residual heat form the baking sheet will continue to bake (and dry out) the cookies.
- Use high quality cashew butter. Preferably one that is 100% cashews with no other added ingredients, except salt.
- Brown sugar gives the cookies warm molasses flavor and helps to make the cookies soft. You may use light brown or dark brown sugar. Do not sub in granulated white sugar.
- Cookies will keep for one week stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- To ensure cookies remain soft and chewy, store cooled cookies with a small piece of bread, cupcake, or muffin.
- Alternatively, use the microwave to restore days old hard cookies to their original state. Place one or two cookies on a microwave safe plate. Heat for 10 to 15 seconds. Cool before enjoying.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Hi, can this recipe be made in advance?
Yes, you can make the dough ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge. However, the dough will be a bit difficult to scoop cold. Let it sit out for 10-15 minutes to soften.
For my oven 15 minutes was way too long and they are undercooked. Next time I’ll try 10-12. Tasted really great!
Oh wow! I just made these cookies using Octonuts Sea Salt Caramel Cashew Butter, and they are amazing! Slightly crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. They look exactly like the photo with a crackled crust…beautiful! You can really taste the cashew butter, so use a variety that you like. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing it!
Absolutely excellent! Very rich taste and super easy to make.