We’re going to take a look at ingredients to stock, check out sweet recipes, and I’ll share some great tips to help you have success when diving into the world of dairy free desserts.
Great Ingredients to Keep in Your Pantry & Fridge
As you go about making dairy-free dessert recipes, these are some ingredients I suggest keeping well stocked. It’s not an exhaustive list, but this reflects my most loved and most used ingredients in all of my free-from baking and dessert making.
- Acid (apple cider vinegar, lemon juice)
- Bananas (sliced bananas, caramelized bananas, seared bananas, and more, these can add so much flavor to your dairy free desserts)
- Coconut Oil for Special Projects (like rice vegan raw cheesecake)
- Dairy Free/Vegan Butter
- Dairy-Free Milk (almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, rice milk, homemade milk, etc.)
- Freeze Dried Fruit (check out the brand Karen’s Naturals)
- Frozen Berries (these can be thawed and used in desserts, or even used frozen in a sweet leaning smoothie)
- Granulated Sweeteners (white sugar, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple sugar, date sugar, etc.)
- Liquid Sweeteners (honey, maple syrup, date syrup)
- Nuts & Seeds (pistachios are a top pick because of their well loved flavor)
- Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Organic Tiger Nut Oil (both fantastic for baking, tiger nuts are tubers not tree nuts)
- Organic Shortening
- Special Flours & Grains (rolled oats, almond flour, etc.)
- Spreads (peanut butter, almond butter, etc.)
- Vanilla Extract & Ground Vanilla (ground vanilla is the ace up my sleeve sometimes as it really elevates free-from desserts, but it’s expensive)
For the chocolate lover, make sure you keep dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and any other chocolate chips stocked that you really enjoy. For dairy free chocolate chips, my brand of choice is Pascha because they’re organic and offer a range of options. Plus, they have a dedicated facility.
If you’re also gluten free, be sure to keep a range of gluten-free flour options in your pantry. If you’re not sure where to start, check out this helpful article on gluten free flours.
Dairy Free Desserts: Tips for Success
The biggest tip I can offer you is this: dairy free products are usually a 1:1 exchange for dairy products in baking recipes. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 stick of butter, you can use the same amount of vegan butter/dairy free butter and the recipe will usually still function. I’ve personally seen issues with some types of cake recipes such as pound cake, however, I’m also a gluten + egg + top 9 free baker by default. I may run into issues you may not have.
Think about flavour and texture first and foremost. Some vegan and dairy free products have a distinct taste that not everyone appreciates. Make sure you’re using dairy free products that actually taste GOOD so they don’t throw off the balance of your recipe.
If a recipe calls for “milk” you can use any dairy free milk, in equal amounts, and you’ll usually be fine. On the other hand, if a recipe calls for a specialty milk such as 2% milk or heavy cream, you’ll need to do some math/conversions. This article can help you with that.
For products such as chocolate chips, dairy free chocolate chips are a 1:1 swap for one another. Again, make sure you’re using DF products that legit taste good on their own, or you’ll be seriously disappointed with the final sweet treats.
The term “vegan” means no milk, egg, honey, or any other animal or insect derived ingredients. “Vegetarian” means no animal flesh but animal by-products are allowed such as gelatin, eggs, and milk. If you’re lost looking for recipes online, you can look for vegan, vegetarian, and plant based recipes to get yourself started. Paleo desserts are also dairy free, but may eliminate more than you’d like.
If you’re also gluten free, or gluten free + egg free, check out these helpful articles on baking.
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Mouthwatering Dairy-Free Recipes to Take to a Party
If you’re needing an amazing dairy free, gluten free, allergy friendly recipe to share with friends and family members, these are my top picks to share.
- Candy Cookie Bars (featuring No Whey Chocolate Dairy Free faux M&Ms)
- Fudgy Brownies (dairy free, gluten free, egg free, top 9 free)
- Chocolate Upside Down Cake
- Vanilla Birthday Cake Cupcakes
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Sweet Treats That Freeze Well
As you set out to bake desserts, you may wonder why I’m suggesting treats that are freezer friendly. Well my free-from friend,
- Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Cake Date Muffins (these pull triple duty for breakfast, snack, and dessert)
- Baked Vanilla Cake Doughnuts with Glaze
- Chocolate Cherry Crumble (has a subtle smoky flavour)
- Danish Butter Cookies (yup, these can be made diary free and allergy friendly)
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Dairy Free + Egg Free + Gluten Free Cake Recipes
These cakes are all fantastic. I had bakery customers, without any food allergies or dietary restrictions, who couldn’t get enough. It’s really a testament to free-from done right. When you use high quality ingredients and really good ratios, it doesn’t matter that the recipe is free from traditional ingredients because it’s just so dang good.
- Simple Gluten Free Cake Recipe
- Carrot Cake (this recipe is from my award winning free-from bakery)
- Grain Free Paleo Chocolate Cake Recipe (I’m told this is a mega delicious dessert)
- Brown Sugar Peach Cake (one of my kids’ favorite treats)
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Dairy Free Desserts to Dazzle Your Taste Buds
You don’t need dairy products to have amazing desserts for special occasions and holidays, or even just next Tuesday’s dessert. Here are some recipes that really highlight that fact:
- Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
- Amazing Apple & White Chocolate Sheet Pan Cake Recipe
- Pumpkin Pie Recipe (such an amazing recipe, gluten free, top 9 free)
- Beet White Chocolate Chip Cookies (perfect for Valentine’s Day)
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Delicious Dairy Free + Egg Free Homemade Ice Cream
These days, you can find quite the selection of dairy free ice cream at your local grocery store. However, if you have multiple allergies, or want to try your hand at making a cold creamy dessert, here are some recipes to get you started.
My two biggest tips: get an ice cream maker with a compressor built in. I’ve tried all the methods and I’m telling you, this is the absolute best way to get the best results with homemade ice cream. Second, use FAT. The key word in the term cream. It’s called ice cream, not ice milk or ice juice. To make a creamy dessert without milk, you’ll need the right ratio of non-dairy milk to fat to sugar.
Interestingly, ripe avocados are one of the best kept secrets when it comes to making an indulgent dessert at home, and the brand Cado has used avocado oil in their ice cream recipe. My child with a dairy allergy says the Cado brand is hands down, THEE best dairy free ice cream brand to purchase.
- Avocado Ice Cream (great for St. Patrick’s Day)
- Easy Vanilla Oat Milk Ice Cream (I make this with homemade oat milk and it pairs so well with chocolate chips, cinnamon glaze, or fresh fruit)
- Dairy Free + Egg Free Peach & Nectarine Ice Cream Recipe
- Banana Chocolate Chip No Churn Ice Cream Recipe (made in your blender)
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Dairy Free Cookies
All of these cookie recipes are gluten free, egg free, dairy free, and very allergy friendly. They’re all vegetarian, and most are vegan as well.
- Mint Edible Cookie Dough
- Smooches Vanilla Vegan Cookies (topped with a diary free faux Hershey’s Kiss)
- Crunchy Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies (tastes like a classic recipe for chocolate chip cookies, but it’s gluten + top 9 free)
- Honey Lavender Cookies (an elegant cookie for when you’d like something out of the norm)
- Thin Mints Copycat Recipe
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Get tips on how to bake cookies that are stop-you-in-your-tracks delicious.
No Bake Dairy-Free Desserts
No bake treats are one of personal fave to make. When it comes to dairy free no-bake desserts, I can’t suggest cashews enough. If you’re not nut free, embrace them because they can help you achieve an amazing creamy texture and mouthfeel.
- Dairy Free Cashew Pumpkin Pudding Recipe
- Nutrient Dense No-Bake Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Blueberry Chia Pudding (can be served at breakfast or enjoyed for dessert with a dollop of dairy free whipped cream)
- Chocolate Spread (faux Nutella, nut free, seed free, dairy free, top 9 free)
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A Few More Dairy Free Desserts
Before you head off, I thought I’d share a few more delicious dairy free desserts with you. These are all also gluten free, plant-based, and very allergy friendly.
- Zucchini Bars with Chocolate Chips
- Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Upside Down Caramelized Banana Cake
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- “Peanut Butter” Cookies (this recipe can be made with any nut/seed/tuber/legume spread)
- Coffee Cookies
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Answering Your Questions About Dairy Free Desserts
Is cocoa butter dairy free, or is it a special type of butter that contains milk?
This is a great question! Despite the use of the word butter, the great news is that there’s no milk in cocoa butter. It’s the fat that comes from the processing of cacao beans in their raw harvested state.
The cacao bean is the source of cocoa butter, cacao powder, and all other chocolate products. Some products will have additional added ingredients, such as chocolate chips (sugar, vanilla, etc.), whilst other cacao products will be more of a raw ingredient.
Cocoa butter is great to experiment with if you’d like to make your own chocolate chips and high end chocolate creations at home. However, as someone who has messed around with this quite a bit, I only suggest doing so if you don’t have safe store bough options.
In fact, the only time I’ve really played with cocoa butter was when I wanted to make special chocolates that were GAPs Diet compatible (it’s a super restricted free-from diet used for specific medical conditions). Outside of that, I usually start with a chocolate chip product that’s ready for me to melt and temper, then use as part of another creation.
Is there a dairy free cake mix I can purchase that doesn’t require eggs?
There are quite a few actually. The buzz word you want to look for on a package is “vegan”, “plant based”, or “top 9 free”. If you see any of those three, it means that eggs shouldn’t be required in the mix. However, there’s a good chance you’ll be asked to make some kind of flax or chia binding agent when you put the cake mix together.
Three egg free options I can suggest, that are also dairy free, are Rustic Scoop, Miss Jones, and Namaste. They each offer cake mix along with other mixes you may enjoy, and there are several flavors to choose from. Now, if you’re not following a gluten-free diet as well and want something made with wheat flour, get the Miss Jones brand. Form more options, check VitaCost, as they have amazing brands and excellent prices.
Which brand makes the best vegan chocolate chips?
Honestly, that’s going to be subjective, as everyone has a different preference for vegan chocolate chips. For those who are dairy free or following a vegan diet, I can tell you the top brands in my experience. This is also based on feedback from my taste testers as well as sales from my award winning free-from bakery.
- Pascha Chocolate Chips ( if you’re into organic and healthy eating, this is the best brand, they also have white chocolate)
- Equal Exchange Chocolate Chips (you must read the label to make sure you’re purchasing the right version, but these were a HIT at my bakery)
- Guittard Dairy Free Chocolate Chips (I’m told by chocolate lovers that this is the best chocolate chip when you want a quick chocolate fix)
- Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (great if you need mini chips)
There are several new up and comers in this category, however, since I’m allergic to just about everything, I can’t tell you anything about them, and my tasters haven’t had the chance to try them either.
How can I give my dairy free desserts a sweet flavor without using a lot of sugar?
First, you’re going to need to follow low/no sugar recipes from the get go. If you were to take a traditional recipe for cinnamon rolls and slash the sugar in half, you’d end up with something so disgusting, and the texture would be all wrong. That’s because sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it helps your recipe retain moisture. When you mess around with the amount of sugar in recipes, you run the risk of having a mess on your hands.
Now, when you find a great low/no sugar dessert recipe, first, you’ll need to make dairy free swaps (such as dairy free milk, vegan butter, etc.). Then if you’d like to have more sweetness, make a glaze and drizzle it all over.
A glaze or dusting of powdered sugar is one of the easiest ways to add an additional layer of sweetness, without adding copious amounts of sugar to the recipe.
What can I use as a substitute when a recipe calls for egg whites?
It’s really gong to depend on the recipe, and how much egg white has been called for. Egg whites can do amazing things in baking (hello angel food cake), but egg white substitutes have their limitations. There’s a popular belief online that aquafaba can do anything, and that simply isn’t true. That’s because it breaks down above certain temperatures, and preforms best in certain scenarios.
Additionally, leavening agent + acid OR carbonated water may get you better lift when replacing egg whites. Again, it’s going to be recipe dependent, and without seeing the recipe along with the other ingredients that are called for, that’s about all I can tell you. If you’d like to experiment, use your best judgement when replacing a small amount of egg whites in baked goods.
Is it possible to make a vegan chocolate mousse?
Yes! This is one of the many sweet things that can be done in part thanks to aquafaba. I can’t vouch for the egg free, dairy free recipes that other people share online, but, do a search for “aquafaba vegan chocolate mousse recipe”. There are a lot to choose from, and I suggest starting with a recipe developer that has a proven track record of making great vegan dessert recipes.
Can I use coconut cream in place of vegan butter in recipes?
When you’re following a dairy-free diet, you’re going to see a lot of different fats that can take the place of butter in a recipe. Depending on the recipe, coconut cream could work, however, I don’t suggest it.
When choosing the right fat substitute in a recipe, you need to think about how it behaves at room temperature, and how it affects the spread, texture, flavor, and mouthfeel of the final goods. Now, if you were making a coconut driven dessert, I’d say maybe this can work.
However, coconut cream and dairy free butter don’t behave the same at room temperature. When you leave dairy free butter out, it softens. Coconut cream on the other hand does not. You’d have a hard time getting the coconut cream to function properly, and have your final dessert behave properly, especially after a temperature change.
If for some reason you can’t have dairy free butter, then organic shortening is the next best choice, and for good reason. It’s going to get you a lot closer to the function of vegan butter because of it’s softness and pliability at room temperature.
Now, all of this is applicable to baking and most dairy free desserts. Remember, there will be times when the coconut cream will work out beautifully. In cooking, you can totally use coconut cream in place of vegan butter, so long as you love the taste of coconut since it will be present in your final cooked dish.
