Don’t get me wrong-I love dairy.
I’m like “give me all the cheese.”
The problem is that dairy just does not love me.
There’s that gross, stomach upside down feeling I get every time I eat something with dairy.
Yeah…it’s not fun.
Which means I need to figure out how to enjoy some of my favorite things (ice cream, anyone?!) without them including dairy.
Fun. Times.
Because if you really think about it, it’s not just milk you’re eliminating. It’s cheese, yogurt, pudding and even ice cream!
I know. That sounds like everything that’s delicious in the world.
But then I think about twisted stomach with cramps… and gas… and heartburn…
Yup. I went there. I said it.
Dairy-free products are becoming more and more popular, which means that you don’t have to give up your favorite foods (YAY!) if you need to go dairy free like me.
Milk
You will always find either Almondmilk or Flax Seed Milk in my fridge.
I make the boys Banana “Milkshakes” on the daily and I add almond milk to my protein shakes.
You can find almond milk at almost any major food store in the freezer section or boxed up on the shelves.
DIY Almond Milk Recipe
Dairy-free milk is pretty easy to make at home. You’ll need a high-powered blender, some water, and cheesecloth to filter out any of the bits leftover.
To make a super-simple dairy-free milk:
- Soak ½ cup of almonds, coconut, or even hemp seeds for a few hours (if you have the time).
- Drain the soaking water, rinse, and add to a blender with 2 cups of fresh water.
- Blend on high until smooth.
- Then strain through a nut milk bag, fine mesh strainer, or a few layers of cheesecloth.
You can add a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, or vanilla extract for flavor and sweeten your milk with soaked dates, maple syrup, or honey.
When I make my milk, I always put a cup to the side and only had one cup of water to make a thicker dairy-free cream to make my favorite Vegan Chickpea Curry Recipe.
Yogurt
I love that I can buy dairy free yogurt at the grocery store because it’s something that I just cannot seem to get right at home (that does not stop me from trying, though!!).
Technically, with the right yogurt starter probiotic culture, you can make yogurt out of any dairy-free milk.
The one that seems most popular is coconut milk, but you can use almond milk or any other nut or seed milk.
The trick here is with the fermentation.
You’ll want to get a starter that can be used for non-dairy yogurt, then just follow the instructions on the label of the yogurt starter culture, and enjoy delicious dairy-free yogurt in a few days.
Butter
Being from Texas, I’ve gotten used to slathering butter on anything that’s edible, which is obviously a bigger problem than just being dairy free.
Butter on all the things may taste great, but it’s not the smartest thing. Lately, I’ve learned to adjust and cook all of my food with coconut oil.
It’s a great dairy-free substitute for butter.
You can use it for frying, baking, sauteing, and basically anything you can think of.
There was a “small” timeframe where I was obsessed with Fried Plantains and I would fry them up in coconut oil and sprinkle them with a bit of salt…
(sigh)
So good.
It tastes better than butter anyway.
Parmesan
When I was a vegan (a long time ago), one of the hardest things for me was to give up was cheese. Having grown up with an Italian grandmother, she would put cheese on everything.
Everything.
But, I knew I needed to do it because I was so tired of feeling sick all time.
I went to my local health store and someone recommended nutritional yeast…
I know, it sounds super gross but it’s actually pretty tasty!
Y’all will be pleasantly surprised at how much it tastes like grated parmesan. It’s got a salty, cheesy flaky taste to it and you can add a sprinkle of “cheese” to any plate of food. Plus, it’s also got some B vitamins in there.
My go-to pasta dish (even to this day) is my Stupid-Easy Butternut Squash Risotto. I replace my cheese with half a cup of nutritional yeast and you can barely tell the difference.
Pudding
Pudding is a staple at our house. This is the boys’ go-to snack!
Did y’all know you can make a yummy AND thick pudding with no dairy?
It’s true.
You can make a chocolate pudding with avocado. Take one whole avocado and blend it up with ¼ cup cocoa powder, ¼ cup dairy-free milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and honey or maple syrup to taste.
It’s so good but one of my kids’ favorites is this Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding They ask for it on a daily.
Ice cream
Ice cream is the hill I choose to die on. I refuse to live a life without it.
Thankfully, there are plenty of dairy-free options at the grocery, and it’s really easy to make my own at home, too.
Chocolate Nut Butter N’ice Cream is another delicious dessert made with frozen bananas.
Going dairy-free may be a bit hard at first but it’s not impossible! Trying out these recipe hacks at home can be really simple and you might even find you like it even better.