Not only is the cashew a suave, classy nut, revered above all others in the nut mix, it makes one of my favorite nut butters in the world, to boot. Too many years ago, when I was just out of college, I moved to the city and got a job at a natural fruit juice bar. The concept of wheatgrass juice and detox diets was really new to most people, so we had to work extra hard to get customers on board with what we made. We had developed a small selection of sandwiches, too, in case too many folks wrinkled their noses at beet juice and left empty handed. It was a super cute, fun place to work, and I could drink all the wheatgrass juice I could handle during my shift. I built up quite a tolerance!

That’s where I first discovered the glory of cashew butter. One of the most popular items of our entire menu was a cashew butter sandwich with juicy slices of tart Granny Smith apples and sharp cheddar cheese. What it lacked in complexity it more than made up for in deliciousness. In those days, it was a relatively novel concept for people to go meatless, even for lunch, but this sandwich packed a nice protein punch that kept them ordering more. Even we employees couldn’t keep our hands out of the bin of apple slices, dipping a wedge into the nut butter every once in awhile. If only we had Flatout flatbread back then, we could have made these sandwiches even leaner for our customers. But I digress.

Gone are the days of that juice place, but the sandwich still stays on my repertoire. People care even more about their diets than they once did, it seems; they know their carbs, their points, and their fats from their good fats. They go without meat, intentionally, and often. And this recipe in flatbread form continues to be relevant. It’s more along the lines of a grown up, slightly more sophisticated PB&J, but just as pleasing to eat. A drizzle of honey can also work wonders on this flatbread wrap, too, if your apple is on the tart side. Try it!

As always, try to use the highest quality ingredients that you can find, especially with this recipe; there are so few ingredients that each one shines like a star in your flatbread wrap. I prefer a super sharp cheddar and very fresh roasted cashew butter I make myself easily. For bonus points, wash it down with a shot of wheatgrass juice, if you can find it anymore!

Amy at Flatout