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Dairy-Free Substitutions (That Don't Taste Gross!)

Dairy-free cooking may seem hard. And maybe you've tried certain substitutes that just are not up to par. Well, to be honest, they aren't dairy. And they will never taste exactly like dairy, but--they are pretty darn close!
    Here's my list of the best tasting dairy free substitutes:

1. Instead of milk....


   



















     Silk is the best brand ever! I prefer almond milk over cashew milk when eating cereal, dipping cookies, or just drinking it straight (specifically the one with vanilla--yum!). My hubby prefers cashew milk for all that. However, when cooking, cashew milk is the better bet. It has more fat, which makes it thicker and it holds better.
    Pacific Hazelnut Milk is my absolute favorite to drink straight up. It's sweet and smooth.... just perfect! I don't advise it for cooking. But you can use it in the same way I use almond milk.
    I don't advise soy milk, because it makes a lot of people have gas and some stomach pain--I don't know why. These are my favorites for a milk substitute. You can find all of them in any grocery store.
*Side note-- for the holidays, Silk has "Holiday Nog" which tastes just like egg nog... it's delicious! But you have to buy it fast, like in November or the beginning of December, or they run out. I've only seen this available at Sprouts, but I would imagine Mother's has it as well.*

2. Instead of cheese....





    Now, I know I put a lot on here. But, if you want to cook with cheeze, use Daiya shreds for sure! They melt the best, and they taste the best. The cheddar is delicious for mac and cheeze, grilled cheezes, nachos, tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas. The mozzarella is great for pizza, grilled cheeze, and mac and cheeze. There is also a pepper jack version, but it's a little too spicy for my taste. These can be found at Vons, Sprouts, and Mother's. 
    The cream cheeze is also pretty delicious. You can use it in cooking, on a bagel, on a tortilla, or basically anything you want! I have never baked with it, so I wouldn't know exactly how it holds, say in a cheesecake. Again, found at Vons, Sprouts, and Mother's.
    The GoVeggie! cheddar slices are what I use for my sandwiches. They taste just like real cheddar when in a sandwich. That's the only thing I use this for. Don't put it in a grilled cheeze sandwich--it doesn't melt very well, and the consistency gets a little weird. They also have pepper jack, american, and swiss flavors, which are also really good. Depends on what you like in your sandwiches! This is hard to find. It was originally at Vons, but they don't carry it anymore. Then it was at Ralphs, but they also discontinued it. Then, when I was on vacation in Palm Springs I went to Vons and they had it! I was very surprised. But sadly, they don't carry it at the Vons in my city. Sometimes Sprouts has it, but it depends on when you go. Bummer.

3. Instead of butter...
    I recommend Smart Balance margarine. It tastes delicious! Good to cook with, good for toast, and baking. I have never tried Earth Balance, but I've heard it's good and good to work with. It's also vegan, which a lot of people nowadays are. These are in basically any grocery store.

4. Instead of sour cream...
    This is like the best and closest I've had. And I'm pretty sure Tofutti is the only brand that makes it. Tastes just like sour cream--when it's in something. I tried it with dip mix... didn't turn out so well. It isn't great on its own. However when you put it in anything (tacos, soup, nachos, etc.) it tastes just like sour cream. You can find this at Vons, Sprouts, and Mother's.

5. Instead of ice cream...


    There's a lot on here. Tofutti's best ice creams are the cuties, the crunch bars, and the cones. Ben&Jerry's just came out with their new non-dairy ice cream, which is delicious! P.B. & Cookies is my favorite flavor. You can find all these at Vons, Sprouts, and Mother's.

For most other substitutes, such as ricotta, ranch, and cream, there are recipes. I will be posting many of the recipes that have worked for me.

Hope this helps on your dairy-free journey!

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