Thank goodness there are great substitutions these days for dairy products. What used to be just milk alternatives has expanded into really delicious vegan cheese, yogurt and more. But with all of the options on the shelves these days, you may be wondering, "Which one should I choose for cereal? What about desserts?" I get it...it's like the wild West out there.
Since Julia is dairy-free and grain-free, I've had the chance to try a lot of different dairy-alternative brands and products in my cooking. To those of you searching for a quick, digestible list of some of the best plant-based dairy substitutes, this post is for you!
Quick note: When adding any of these to hot liquids, it’s best to do it toward the end. Most of these plant-based milks, if boiled or cooked for long periods, will separate and become grainy.
Best Milk Alternatives for Soups and Smoothies: Good Karma Flax Milk
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When to Use Good Karma Unsweetened Vanilla Flax Milk
I use this one for sweet dishes or fruit-based smoothies. The potentially clumpy nature of flax milk does best when cooked or blended, so I’ll use it in a dessert or a smoothie with fruit, as the texture added by frozen fruit goes really well with it.
When to Use Good Karma Unsweetened Plain Flax Milk
I use this one for savory dishes where I might otherwise use milk. Soups in particular, but also as part of the base for vegan cheese sauces.
Best Milk Alternatives for Shakes and Cereal: Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla or MALK Unsweetened Almond Milk
When to Use Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla
I use Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla almond milk for protein shakes and for bowls of cereal.
When to Use MALK Almond Milk
I know the gums in the almond milk can be a little difficult for some, so as an alternate I like MALK brand almond milk, which has very few ingredients but can be a tad more grainy.
Best Cheese and Yogurt Alternatives for Dips and Sauces: Kite Hill
When to Use Kite Hill Ricotta
Kite Hill ricotta works great for being cooked into sauces or thick soups (like a broccoli-cheddar soup). It also works really well in desserts where a little thicker consistency is desired, or as a base for dips.
When to Use Kite Hill Greek-Style Plain Yogurt
I use this in place of sour cream as a topping as-is, or I’ll mix it into dressings where you may use sour cream or mayo. It adds a good consistency and flavor to mashed potatoes as well, and cooks into sauces uniformly.
Best Butter and Cheese Alternatives for Pizza, Casseroles & Soups: Miyoko's Creamery Products
Miyoko's Creamery makes my favorite products overall. The flavors are great, the textures are great, and the ingredients are typically simpler than other brands.
When to Use Miyoko's Creamery Butter
I use this as I would regular butter. It’s great spread on toast, whipped into mashed potatoes, or melted as a dip for shrimp and crab. It’s fantastic mixed with garlic and lemon and tossed in some noodles with herbs. I’ll often use it in tandem with duck fat for a little more depth of flavor.
When to Use Miyoko's Creamery Classic Plant Milk Mozzarella Wheel
I use this one similarly to the Kite Hill ricotta, but while that one is more friendly to sweet dishes, this one favors savory IMO. It’s great crumbled and melted over pizza, but also cooks into sauces and soups incredibly smooth, especially with the use of an immersion blender.
When to Use Miyoko's Creamery Cream Cheese
I use Miyoko's cream cheese for baked dips, casseroles, and sometimes desserts. Combine with Kite Hill ricotta to stabilize the structure and keep it feeling like cream cheese when cooked.
When to Use Miyoko's Creamery Pourable Plant Milk Mozzarella
Anywhere you’d have a cheese getting baked, I use this. Pizza and nachos in particular. It’s also great to add as a creamy thickener in sauces and soups.
Best "Topping" Dairy Alternatives
In the last category, I have a couple of my favorite dairy-free products to add on top of savory and sweet dishes.
Best Yogurt Alternative for Cold Desserts and Fruit: Cocoyo Plain Coconut Yogurt
I love this one for cold desserts. It’s great to use as the base of a dressing for fruit salad or even a dollop over top a baked blueberry crumble. Mixed with a little orange juice and honey, it’s exquisite.
Best Cheese Alternative for Salad Toppings: GOOD PLANeT Foods Olive Oil Cheddar Shreds
These are my favorite shreds for adding to salads or using as a topping. In any instance where you would sprinkle grated cheddar over something, this one works great. It doesn’t melt super smoothly unless whisked into a hot liquid.
Best Cheese Alternative for Melting: Parmela Creamery Plant-Based Mozzarella Shreds
These shreds melt pretty well and are great in creamy dips, sauces, and pastas. I’ll use it in tandem with Miyoko's pourable mozzarella on pizza and nachos. Or add it to cooked-down vegetables and stock with some of the Kite Hill ricotta for a super-tasty nacho cheese dip.
So there you have it! Let me know your favorites in the comments.
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Hubby and I have been married 24+years and went Vegan in 2017 once our blinders were removed and we saw the cruelty in our consumption, plus the planet and health benefits were the icing on the cake. I was a cheeseaholic, every kind I loved. We love to cook and bake too, so learning the best plant based alternatives took time to try all and learn the best. I agree 💯 Miyoko Shinner and her Miyoko's products are my favorite (the liquid Mozzarella and all her cheese wheels are divine). I adore her and was were so sad when they pushed her out last year (she gave up 51% to grow it, after several incredible cookbooks and building it to what it is today). There are also other great products, like Follow Your Heart Gouda and Chao Cheddar slices, covered on a burger and both melt beautifully. So Delicious is incredible. Their Vanilla yogurt is so good.
Thank you so much! Immediately bookmarking (and shopping that pourable mozzarella 🤯🥺)
Greetings from someone who was married to half and half and determined to come up with the best alternative at home. All you do is blend (in a high speed blender) one cup cashews in three cups water. The cashew milk is heavenly, no preservatives, and it's the creamiest, best coffee creamer ever. Soak your nuts overnight if you have a regular blender.
Have you ever made your own nut or oat milks? While I love that there are alternatives, I don't like all the gums and additives. I'll have to check out your list because there seems to be some more pure options. Thanks!
I would like to double down on how good that Miyokos liquid mozzarella is. The dreamiest dairy-free alternative. I never considered adding it to soups, good tip! I also love Kite hill scallion cream cheese and Cocojeune plain unsweetened yogurt! Great post, I'll be trying some of these.
Thank you very much for such a detailed list, and I really appreciated your specific cooking tips and suggested recipe uses! My littlest one is allergic to dairy (and nuts), and I'm always looking for new ways to add allergy-friendly products. Thank you!
Thank you so very much for this post! I’ve learned that I can no longer consume dairy or wheat products and the food posts on this website have been incredibly helpful! You two are a blessing for those of us foodies well versed in the kitchen who are now “starting over” with the most basic of ingredients. Thank you!