Dairy Free Deliciousness?

MobKaz

DD is going dairy free ATM trying to make heads or tails out of some medical issues.  I have a jello recipe that calls for sour cream and Cool Whip.  I have found dairy free versions of both and the recipe actually came out decently.  It is a little denser than the dairy version, but the taste is incredibly close.

I make a fruit dip that calls for dry pudding and milk, among other ingredients.  Experimenting with non milk products is trickier as the almond "milk" is thinner.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Are there non dairy versions of items that you absolutely love?  I think I used a Tofutti brand sour cream.  Are there non dairy versions of sour cream, whipped cream, milk, or cream cheese that you swear by?

I will also accept any and all hints, help, or recipes you care to share!  It is not easy or inexpensive being dairy free or gluten free :-(

Thanks so much!

ernursej

What sorts of food does she usually eat that need to be substituted? 

When end I was doing an elimination trial, I spent a few hours with a dietician who was super helpful in figuring out replacements and what was available. You can also try a natural food store for ideas. 

MobKaz

@ernurse, she has seen a nutritionist and we have spent lots of time at our natural foods store.  We were told that there were many brands available as substitutes, and in that regard, she is fortunate to have some options.  However, as I said, experimenting has been expensive in terms of which brand/type of substitute to use.  I guess I was hoping to get some personal reviews from experienced DF  people in an attempt to lessen our trial and error process.

She does not eat a lot of cheese products, but had in the past eaten foods/used recipes that contain sour cream, cream cheese, and milk.  She has been drinking almond milk for a while now.  As holidays approach, we are trying to find ways to retain some favorites but it has been costly "rehearsing" some of these recipes.  I am discovering that not all dairy free alternatives are created equal.  I am also confused regarding butter usage and have been told that because it contains so little of the actual milk protein that some people can tolerate it.  Does that make sense?  So for baking, if not butter, then......olive oil?  Coconut oil? 

I am mostly curious to know if anyone has maintained a DF diet long enough that they know what works/tastes best, and translates best in recipes that call for these dairy products.  When making pudding, for example, I wondered if cutting the DF milk amount made more sense or whether increasing the dry pudding powder was the better method. 

TrixieJess

Coconut Cream is a really good non dairy substitute in baking. Just make sure you get cream and not milk, it’s thicker. You can also make whipped cream with coconut cream. 

ETA: for butter and baking, see if you can find Earth Balance, they make vegan butter and baking sticks. They also make some really good cheese.

ernursej

https://www.godairyfree.org/dairy-substitutes
https://www.eatingwithfoodallergies.com/dairysubstitutes.html

Both of these have been helpful to me. I don’t have to substitute dairy anymore but found that even though it was expensive, playing around was the best. 

A friend’s website that has a great section on plant based cheeses. 

ernursej

http://www.jillianwalker.ca/

MobKaz

Thank you both so much!

charlotte989875

My SIL was dairy free for a while & her daughter had a dairy allergy; they used a lot of almond butter and almond milk in cooking & baking, or coconut milk (although I remember her saying the taste was more different/off with coconut than almond). Also soy if she can have that is a good substitute. Do you have Wegmans where you are? She found a lot of reasonably price dairy supplements there. 

banana468

I picked up coconut based ice cream for SIL who has to watch her dairy.

Can she use ghee?  It's butter with milk solids removed. 

Along with those, I'd also consider looking up some quality vegan recipes.   Oreos are vegan!    Rather than looking for ways to substitute you can also find really tasty things that simply never had the dairy in the first place.    

TrixieJess

“Oh She Glows” “The Minimalist Baker” and “Thug Kitchen” have good recipes, they’re vegan so no dairy. 

ernursej

banana468 said:

I picked up coconut based ice cream for SIL who has to watch her dairy.

Can she use ghee?  It's butter with milk solids removed. 

Along with those, I'd also consider looking up some quality vegan recipes.   Oreos are vegan!    Rather than looking for ways to substitute you can also find really tasty things that simply never had the dairy in the first place.    

My friend uses the middle of the Oreo to replace butter in her icing recipe! She uses the cookie in something else. 

MobKaz

Thank you again, ladies!

 I have never heard of ghee, so that will be my next search!  Oreos?  I will have to see what they use to make that delicious middle!  I can make awesome crusts just crushing Oreos!

Thank you for the websites, @TrixieJess.

MairePoppy

Marshmallow frosting is fairly easy to make. It tends to satisfy that creamy craving.

For quick dessert, make cupcakes, while they're still hot, put a large marshmallow on top and put back in the oven to melt. Maybe Easter Peeps would work? 

From the Karo corn syrup website.

MissKittyDanger

banana468 said:

I picked up coconut based ice cream for SIL who has to watch her dairy.

Can she use ghee?  It's butter with milk solids removed. 

Along with those, I'd also consider looking up some quality vegan recipes.   Oreos are vegan!    Rather than looking for ways to substitute you can also find really tasty things that simply never had the dairy in the first place.    

Mint oreos aren't vegan

MobKaz

Thank you, again! 

I found ghee at the store today.  Holy cow, is that expensive!  I think I'd rather scrape the middle of the oreo's!  Earth Balance was super easy to find once I knew what to look for, so thanks for that as well!

Because I am a Fluff and marshmallow freak, I actually have a Fluff cookbook.  Thanks for the reminder and recipe, @MairePoppy!

banana468

Look up Alton Brown's recipe for ghee.  You can make it yourself with butter by melting and cooking it so the milk solids fall out.  

MobKaz

banana468 said:

Look up Alton Brown's recipe for ghee.  You can make it yourself with butter by melting and cooking it so the milk solids fall out.  

Awesome. So easy!  I have to admit, though, I'm not sure I can keep it out of the fridge.  I recall "back in the day" butter used to be left out all day, but things that used to be normal are harder to do these days.  Thanks so much!

MairePoppy

MobKaz - I bought a French butter keeper and have been leaving my butter out. Haven't lost any family members yet. I will reconsider in summer. 

MobKaz

MairePoppy said:

MobKaz - I bought a French butter keeper and have been leaving my butter out. Haven't lost any family members yet. I will reconsider in summer. 

The things I am learning!  Just read a great article from Bon Appetit on "The Cult of the French Butter Keeper".  Looks like you may be safe in the summer months, @MairePoppy , unless you have no A/C or you get a freakishly hotter-than-Hades summer!

Looks like I've also just found a very early Christmas purchase for DD!

short+sassy

MobKaz said:

banana468 said:

Look up Alton Brown's recipe for ghee.  You can make it yourself with butter by melting and cooking it so the milk solids fall out.  

Awesome. So easy!  I have to admit, though, I'm not sure I can keep it out of the fridge.  I recall "back in the day" butter used to be left out all day, but things that used to be normal are harder to do these days.  Thanks so much!

My mom never refrigerated butter.  She kept it in a cupboard near the stove.  Margarine, yes, that was kept refrigerated.  That was also back in the day when the nutritional pundits acted like "butter was evil" and margarine was this healthier fat miracle that everyone should use.

And now we are back to butter is natural and better for you.  Don't eat all that fake, chemical stuff in margarine, lol.

SP29

You can also use avocado oil for the "fat portion" of the recipe. And avocados themselves, mashed, for various things (like icing!).

"Oh she Glows" is a good recipe book. Lots of recipes on Pinterest as well.

I wouldn't continue to use butter unless DD has expressly said it is OK. I have a couple friends with dairy allergies (one is lactose, the other to the casein protein in dairy) and butter is still a no. Use oil instead (coconut, olive, avocado).

MobKaz

Thank you, @SP29. I am using Earth Balance at the moment.  I found a dairy free cheesecake fruit dip recipe using Daiya “cream cheese”,  CoCo Whip, and coconut cream. I am fortunate to live in an area where these products, although not all available at one store, are still fairly accessible. 

 I am in the process of planning a long distance baby shower for my son and his wife. Two of the guests are vegan. Exploring these new stores has made me aware of so many diverse products. I inadvertently found some vegan body lotion and lip balm.  It made me realize that even with (dreaded) game prizes and favors, I need to maintain that awareness beyond menu planning.
  
I appreciate the help from everyone. 

MesmrEwe

DH is lactose intolerant to the point that he doesn't/can't do dairy at all.  I highly recommend finding a great grocery store that specializes in dietary needs (Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, etc.).  Our grocery store has a whole section of frozen treats that fit the spectrum of ice cream type treats.  They have a "Cool whip" type product made from coconut milk, also coconut/almond/soy "yogurt", butter spread substitutes, etc.  Ben & Jerry's also makes an amazing 7-layer bar treat that is dairy free (and I wasn't sold on the whole almond milk treat idea until I tried it)...  Coconut milk is also creamier in texture when frozen as compared to actual cream, that's where I'd start for the baking/dessert ideas.

Sorry y'all - just noticed this was posted in MARCH - I was thinking April...  Long week at the office... my apologizes for resurrecting...

thisismynickname2

You may want to check out the Chicago Diner's recipe book (easy to find on Amazon). It's vegetarian but they also have vegan recipes. 
I suggest this because they make a vegan milkshake and vegan desserts that are AMAZING. Not sure if the recipes are in there but they sure should be, haha. I honestly think their vegan milkshake is better than shakes with actual milk. 

"The New Chicago Diner Cookbook: Meat-Free Recipes from America's Veggie Diner"

Have you guys been to the Chicago Diner? I'm familiar with the one at Roscoe/Halsted. Definitely worth a trip; better than Karyn's restaurants in my opinion. 

Edit- yep, sorry, this is old. But still, yummy recipes never get old. 

MobKaz

Thank you so much!  I will definitely check into this!  Looks like we will be having some family fun in the city soon!

MissKittyDanger

Recently discovered that many pre-made pasta sauces have dairy in them. Keep an eye on that!

MobKaz

MissKittyDanger said:

Recently discovered that many pre-made pasta sauces have dairy in them. Keep an eye on that!

Thank you.  We are learning all the “code words” that actually mean something contains dairy, such as cassein.  Some of those buzz words are pretty sneaky!

MesmrEwe

MobKaz said:

MissKittyDanger said:

Recently discovered that many pre-made pasta sauces have dairy in them. Keep an eye on that!

Thank you.  We are learning all the “code words” that actually mean something contains dairy, such as cassein.  Some of those buzz words are pretty sneaky!

The blasted "Substitute words" for what the item really is bug the heck out of me because I've got allergies to some of the sugar substitutes which do that same tactic!  (I'm one of the poor saps that the Splenda warning label is directed at!)...