The Best Dairy-Free Alternatives
Pretty much the second that someone finds out I can’t have dairy their first question is “But what can you eat?” And it’s true that dairy is a main food group in the western world and it wasn’t easy to give up by any means. But food has come a long way in the last decade and I’m happy to say that these days I’ve got some alternatives that are top of the line for all my dairy lovers out there who don’t want to feel like they’re missing out!
Homemade pizza featuring Violife Just like Mozzarella
The Best Dairy-Free Shredded Mozzarella:
Violife Just Like Mozzarella. This dairy-free cheese is the real deal, friends! Melts like a popsicle in summer and I am so thrilled by it that it can literally always be found in my fridge “just in case”. It’s so yummy I’ll eat pinches of the cheese while I’m sprinkling it on my pizza, it’s delicious cold or hot!
The Best Dairy Free Parmesan:
Violife Just Like Parmesan. It comes in a triangular block that you can actually grate yourself! Tastes great tossed on salads or melted over pastas and even reheated on leftovers!
The Best Dairy-Free Feta:
Violife Just Like Feta. This is the richest, creamiest, feta-like goodness I have ever found. And it comes in the perfect size to fit on your charcuterie board, or be sliced up for whatever you’re looking to make! It’s 100% vegan, it’s also soy-free, gluten-free, and nuts-free, so literally everyone can enjoy it!
Violife Just Like Feta on the left and Mykonos Creamery Smoked English Farmhouse on the right
The Best Dairy-Free Cheddar:
Mykono’s Creamery Smoked English Farmhouse. This hits you in the face with that beautifully aged smoked aroma that is absolutely mouthwatering and the perfect savory notes you look for with any smoked cheddar round, except this one is dairy-free, and makes my tummy happy! It’s also soy-free and gluten-free!
The Best Dairy-Free Ricotta:
Kite Hill Ricotta. This light and fluffy cheesy goodness is such a perfect replica of the original dairy version you’d never know the difference if someone didn’t tell you! I love it on crackers, with fruit, or to replace the homemade cashew spread in my asparagus tart. It’s the ultimate dairy-free alternative!
The Best Dairy-Free Milk Alternative:
Oatly. Oat milk is the only thing that doesn’t make your barista cringe when you ask for extra foam. It also doesn’t have any of the funky flavors that you find with nut milks. There’s absolutely always oat milk in my fridge and I pretty much only go to cafes that serve oat milk because they’re just the best option for my latte or bowl of cereal. It’s probably important to note that even before I realized I couldn’t drink milk anymore I was never one to pour myself a big glass of the stuff so I can’t speak to how any milk alternatives taste on their own cause I only ever have them as an ingredient.
The Best Dairy-Free Ice Cream:
Frankie & Jo’s. Anyone who knows me knows I’m obsessed. Like, get on a ferry and drive two hours round trip for a cone, obsessed. True story. They’ve got a Ballard and a Capitol Hill locations for those of you lucky enough to live in the Seattle area like I do, but, for the rest of you, never fear, they deliver! You can order pints all across America!
The Best Dairy-Free Butter:
Earth Balance. The soy-free Earth Balance is what I cook with every single day and have for years. You can pry it out of my cold, dead hands because I plan on using it forever!
The Best Dairy-Free Queso:
Trader Joes Fiesta Cashew Cheese Spread. This is the dip my friends and I always have at parties! It’s delightful and if you’re not careful, you’ll eat it all in one sitting.
The Best Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Spread
Miyoko’s Creamery Pumpkin Spread is exactly how I put on the freshman fifteen in college but these days I still enjoy it, albeit, less frequently. But it will forever hold a near, and dear, place in my heart. And when they don’t have the pumpkin spread available, since it’s seasonal, the rest of their spreads are fantastic, too!