There are so many good dairy free products out there that substituting out cows milk for non dairy alternatives pretty easy. Non-dairy margarines are in all supermarkets, as is a wide range of non-dairy milks – Hemp, Rice, Oat and Nut milks.
It’s really down to personal preference over taste, although please remember that Rice Milk isn’t recommended for toddlers due to the arsenic content.
Here are a few of our tips for dairy free baking and cooking:
- Our favourite dairy-free spread is Vitalite, although Flora and Pure are pretty good too.
- I’ve never quite understood why so many vegan baking recipes call for flavourless oil! We melt margarine to add to cakes to pack in as much flavour as possible.
- For cream substitutes we like Oatly although if you can have Soya then Alpro Cream is a good option and a more ‘cream like’ colour than Oatly.
- Add Trex to baking cookies to make them chewier (divide the fat between Trex and Dairy free margarine).
- Trex is best for making pastries – the dairy free margarines don’t produce a flakey enough result.
- We prefer Koko milk in smoothies, to make porridge and in baking. Nut alternatives are good, but we’re allergic so we don’t use them.
- Violife Cheese and Daiya Cheese are great, the Daiya Mozzarella melts and is great on pizza.
- There are lots of dairy free ice creams available. Our favourite brands are Booja Booja (although not okay for those with nut allergy), Coconuts, Coyo and Ben & Jerry’s Vegan Ice cream. If you fancy making your own then do use Coconut Cream, not Oatly or Soya Cream.
- Don’t try to make a baked cheesecake with dairy free cream cheese – it doesn’t work!. Go for a refrigerated recipe. Here’s our Dairy Free Cheesecake.
- Jus Rol makes great ready to roll pastry and pastries such has Pain au Chocolat – you may not be able to eat pastries when you are out and about but Jus Rol makes having them at home simple.
