Ingredients to Keep on Hand for Delicious Dairy-Free Meals

Soy yogurt is a healthy alternative to buttermilk, cream and sour cream in many dairy-free recipes. It can be added to pureed soups or sauces to give the dish both a delightful soured flavor as well as a creamy consistency, and it also works wonderfully in both yeasted baked goods and quick baked goods. I have used soy yogurt in place of buttermilk and sour cream at a 1:1 ratio in a variety of cookie recipesand cake recipes over the years and have always had pleasant results.

Silken tofu is easy to store in the pantry; it has a long shelf-life and simply needs to be stored in a dry, cool place. It's an easy way to add a rich, creamy texture to recipes like dairy-free saues, custards and puddings, and it can also be pureed and used in place of eggs in a variety of baking recipes. Best of all, it's healthy; low in calories and fat, tofu is an easy way to add protein and calcium to your diet. Here are a just a few of my favorite dairy-free silken tofu recipes to help you on your way:

Cinnamon Custard

Key Lime Pie

Lemon Tea Cakes

Mango Cream

Although soy margarine is a great substitute for butter in many instances, for persons with intolerances to both dairy and soy, vegetable shortening is a nice option. Although it is higher in saturated fat than soy margarine with 6 grams per tablespoon, it is still lower than butter! This Rich Chocolate Cake Recipe is one example of how you can use vegetable shortening in your soy-free and dairy-free recipes.

For more dairy alternatives that are soy-free as well, check out my Soy-Free Dairy Substitutes.

Xanthan Gum is an emulsifying and stabilizing agent derrived from cellulose that can be found in many commercial products such as salad dressings and ice creams, but it can also be used to stabilize homemade non-dairy sauces, dressings and ice creams. To use xanthan gum in dairy-free recipes such as this Non-Dairy Strawberry Ice Cream, a general rule of thumb is to use about 1/8 t. per cup of liquid. When combining xanthan gum with liquid, it is important to keep the mixture constantly in motion until combined. To do this, blend the liquid with the xanthan gum in a blender as opposed to mixing it by hand.