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Ever since my elimination diet showed that my stomach problems were due to dairy, I’ve been trying to avoid it. Unfortunately, dairy has had a starring role in my diet for most of my life and I needed alternatives.
While I’m not a big milk drinker, I love cheese, yogurt, chocolate, ice cream, froyo and dairy laden baked goods. So, avoiding dairy was actually a lot harder than I thought I would be.
Since I couldn’t fathom just cutting all those things out of my diet, I decided to do some research. With the number of lactose intolerant, vegan and dairy-free people in the world today, I knew there had to be tried and true alternatives that I could turn to.
5 Dairy Substitutions to spice up dairy free eating
1. Dairy Free Cheese for regular Cheese
This has been seriously hit and miss for me- mostly miss. All the vegan/dairy free cheeses I’ve found and tried in the last couple weeks have been the completely wrong texture and they don’t melt. I know that great dairy free cheese substitutes exist but I haven’t found any in my neck of the woods yet. So no sweet potato pizza for me 🙁
Unlike nutritional yeast, using dairy free cheese in place of the regular stuff would be pretty simple. It’s just finding the right one that’s the problem.
2. Cocoa nibs for semi-sweet chocolate chips
Semi-sweet chocolate chips are a staple in my pantry. I put them in almost everything I make, from oatmeal to brownies. So when I realised that they were making me ill, I felt, well, ill. They contain a negligible amount of ‘milk products’ that can add up- especially if you throw chocolate chips into dishes by the handful 😳
Cocoa nibs are a good alternative to chocolate chips since they’re pretty much pre-processed chocolate. They have no milk, sugar etc. and don’t exactly taste the same so I wouldn’t substitute them 1:1 right off the bat. So far I’ve gotten by with replacing half the chocolate chips with cocoa nibs but experiment until you find a ratio that works for you.
Dairy free chocolate chips and some dark chocolates would also be great alternatives.
3. Nutritional Yeast for Cheese
I went out and bought a big bag of nutritional yeast as soon as I decided to go dairy free because I’d heard it’s a great cheese substitute in certain dishes. I’ve cooked with it twice now – both pasta dishes – and both were just okay.
Nutritional yeast is supposed to be great for pasta dishes, ‘cheese’ sauces, salad dressings and sprinkled on pizzas but there’s definitely has a learning curve and I’m still somewhere at the bottom. I’m not giving up though!
4. Nut, Coconut or hemp milk for cow’s milk
I substitute nut milk for cow’s milk in a 1:1 ratio for most recipes unless it states otherwise and have been doing so for years. I mostly use almond milk but recently I’ve been switching it up with coconut milk and loving it.
One thing I’ve always wanted to do is make my own nut milk so I’m going to use this as an excuse to actually try it. Wish me luck!
5. Banana ‘ice cream’ for Froyo
I’m a fro-yo fiend and I almost cried when I realised that I wouldn’t be able to go to Menchies anymore. Then I discovered banana ‘ice-cream’. You literally just blend frozen bananas and you’re done. So much easier than walking all the way to Menchies if you ask me. It’s healthier and cheaper too!
Some other fro-yo and ice cream substitutes I enjoy are sorbets and So Delicious dairy free cold treats.
What about you?
What other dairy substitutions to do you make in the kitchen? Do you have any tips for cooking with nutritional yeast? Found a dairy free cheese that melts yet?
Share in the comments below!
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This is a perfect post for me. I have been cutting out dairy (slowly) over the last few months. It makes my allergies INSANE. But it has been really hard because I love dairy so very much. Thank you for some ideas and inspiration.
I totally understand and you’re very welcome 🙂
I too seriously limit my dairy intake. I would love some ‘cheese’ on a cauliflower pizza or on a burger once in a while. I’m definitely going to try these substitutes!
Dave @ PancakeWarriors recently posted…WIAW – Best Sweet Potatoes EVER!
I definitely feel ya on the pizza! Let me know how these work for you 🙂
I could go without ice cream forever and just live on my banana ice cream recipe! LOL I also am not thrilled about nutritional yeast. Funny story. I made “cheesy” kale chips with that and some other ingredients and was SO SICK. I can’t even look at the stuff now without wanting to gag.
Kayla recently posted…Frozen Chocolate Shakeology Bark
I can actually relate to that. I’m the same way with a particular type of flavoured bbq sauce- the smell alone does me in.
Sucks that you can’t take advantage of that substitution anymore though. Hopefully you get better luck with dairy free cheese than I’ve been having!
I was off dairy for quite some time, but I found out it was the protein in cow’s milk that really bothered me. Switching to a goat’s milk cheese was my answer! It melted really well and I used it on pizza all of the time. I used the President’s Choice goat’s milk mozzarella.
Ree recently posted…wine tours: 5 unexpected places for great wine
I am lactose intolerant, and have been for about 13 years- and yet it’s still hard sometimes! I find that rather than using a cheese substitute, I prefer to just use a small amount of cheese, and limit it to once a week. I can handle that.
I love almond and coconut milk- prefer them to regular milk now! That part isn’t hard.
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine recently posted…Sriracha Sesame Cashews
I’ve found that I’m sensitive to even small amounts of cheese (at least the one that I usually use) but I’ve been meaning to try different brands. Thanks for the suggestion Michelle!
I find adding mustard to nutritional yeast gives it a more cheesy taste!
Cassie recently posted…Montour Run Half-Marathon Recap
Thanks Cassie! I tried that this week and it helped a lot 🙂
I pinned this and bookmarked it as a favorite. Thanks for the great info. I am just starting out on this journey so it is so helpful!
~MB, Chief Bucket Filler http://www.ArtSoulLiving.com
as it is, I don’t eat a whole lot of dairy. I try to avoid it for the most part and I’m not too fond of a lot of cheese or milk or anything so it’s not a huge concern. that being said, I do sub in when I can. thanks for these tips!
tianna recently posted…Fun Couples Halloween Costume Ideas!
Awesome post! I love to use hummus in place of cheese, especially on pizzas and sandwiches 🙂
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl recently posted…How to Stay Healthy This Winter
I started getting sick from dairy a couple of years ago. It was so hard because I love just about all dairy products. I’ve substituted almond milk and actually love it more than dairy milk.
Erin recently posted…Camel Craze