Ready to go dairy free? You may have an intolerance, have been told to eliminate dairy, or just want to try to have less of it.
Did you know that dairy free products go beyond milk substitutes? Now you can have dairy free cheese, pudding and even ice cream!
And you can easily find them in the grocery store. But read your labels! Some contain way too much sugar, or other ingredients you may not want to eat or drink. Be a detective at the grocery store.
Don't know what you are looking at? I am available to give you a tour of the aisles and help you choose the best products. Contact me for more information.
DIY
I've put together some simple recipes for you to make delicious dairy-free foods right in your kitchen. Go ahead and try my dairy substitutes.
Dairy-free milk
Dairy-free milk is so easy to make and flavor yourself. You can make milk out of just about any nut or seed. You can even make alternative milk out of grains like rice, oats, or quinoa. And you can flavor them too.
It just takes a high-powered blender, some water, and cheesecloth to filter out any remaining bits.
For flavoring, you can add a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, or vanilla extract. You can also sweeten your milk with soaked dates, maple syrup, or honey.
To make a super-simple dairy-free milk just soak ½ cup of almonds, coconut, or even hemp seeds for a few hours (if you have the time). Soaking is optional, but it makes the blending process easier and the final milk creamier. Then drain the soaking water, rinse, and add to a blender with 2 cups of fresh water. Blend on high until smooth (about 1 minute). Add your flavorings, if desired. Then strain through a nut milk bag, fine mesh strainer, or a few layers of cheesecloth.
If you want to make a dairy-free cream, just blend your nuts, seeds and/or grains with 1 cup of water instead of 2 for a thicker, creamier, dairy-free milk.
Dairy-free yogurt
Technically, with the right yogurt starter probiotic culture, you can make yogurt out of any dairy-free milk. The most common one to ferment into yogurt is coconut milk. But you can use almond milk or other nut or seed milk.
The trick here is with the fermentation. Follow the instructions on the label of the yogurt starter culture, and enjoy delicious dairy-free yogurt in a few days.
Dairy-free butter
Nut and seed butter is a fabulous substitute for dairy butter. Plus, they have the bonus of fibre, protein, and other nutrients that real butter doesn't have.
Have you tried coconut oil? It’s a great dairy-free substitute for butter. You can fry with it, or even bake with it.
Dairy-free parmesan
If you haven’t tried nutritional yeast, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much it tastes like grated parmesan. Plus, it contains some B vitamins as well.
It’s a salty, cheesy, flaky powder that you can use wherever you want to add a pop of savory flavor to any dish.
TIP: Sprinkle freshly popped popcorn with a bit of nutritional yeast for a salty, cheesy flavor.
Dairy-free puddings
Did you know you can make a delicious and thick pudding without dairy? That's right; the plant kingdom has some natural thickeners that are full of fibre.
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. Then add dairy-free milk to thin if desired.
For chocolate chia pudding, use ⅓ cup chia seeds and place in food processor with 1.5 cups dairy-free milk. Wait for 5-10 minutes until the seeds soak up the liquid. Then add ¼ cup cocoa powder, tsp vanilla extract, and honey or maple syrup to taste. Blend into a smooth pudding.
BONUS: Dairy-free ice cream
Recipe : Chocolate Almond N'ice Cream
Serves 2
2 bananas, chopped and frozen
1 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
2 tbsp almond butter, unsweetened
How to:
1 - Add chopped frozen bananas to a food processor. Pulse or lightly blend until almost smooth.
2 - Add cocoa powder and nut butter. Pulse or lightly blend until mixed.
Serve immediately & enjoy!
Conclusion
Dairy-free is easy! Making (or buying) delicious dairy-free yogurt, milk, butter, parmesan flavor, and even pudding and ice cream is simple and easy to try.
Please let me know if you tried any of these recipes or if you have one to share too. I'd like to hear from you.
Coach Michelle