Cashew gives a quiet nut background

Cashew has a gentler flavour than peanut or strongly roasted almond, making it useful alongside sharp blackberries. The nut butter adds richness while the cashew drink supplies the liquid. Vanilla ice cream makes this a dessert shake rather than a simple berry smoothie.

Stir the cashew butter before measuring, particularly if the jar has separated. Smooth butter is preferable to chopped nuts because it blends more readily into a cold drink. Check the cashew drink's ingredients too: some products contain other nuts or stabilisers, and sweetness varies between brands.

Strain while the mixture is thin

Blackberry seeds can remain hard even after prolonged blending. If you dislike them, strain the berries and cashew drink before adding the thick ingredients. This removes seeds without forcing an ice-cream mixture through a sieve. It also avoids overblending the final drink while trying to solve a seed problem that the blades may not solve.

Lemon juice is a finishing adjustment, not a main flavour. It helps a sweet batch of blackberries remain lively against the cashew richness. If the berries are already very sour, use less. The ice cream supplies sweetness, so there is no automatic need for syrup. Choose a dairy-free frozen dessert and inspect the label carefully if milk allergy is a concern.

What you'll need

180 g fresh blackberries
200 ml unsweetened cashew drink
25 g smooth cashew butter
100 g dairy-free vanilla ice cream
1 tsp lemon juice

Let's make it

Wash the blackberries and blend them with the cashew drink. Pass through a fine sieve if you want to remove the larger seeds.
Return the berry liquid to the blender. Add cashew butter and blend briefly until it is evenly dispersed.
Add dairy-free ice cream and lemon juice, then blend just until combined. Taste before adding any extra sweetener.
Pour into two glasses and serve while cold. Scrape down any cashew butter above the liquid line only with the machine switched off.

Make it your own

Almond drink and butter produce a stronger nut flavour and change the tree-nut ingredients.

Raspberries can replace blackberries in the same weight; strain if their seeds are also unwanted.

Keeping it fresh

Serve immediately for the best frozen texture. Washed berries should be drained well and kept refrigerated if prepared ahead. Follow the cashew drink and ice-cream storage instructions.