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Dairy-Free Substitutes - Recipe Solutions for the Dairy-Free Cook

By Ashley Skabar, About.com

Food is much more than something to nourish us physically; meals and dining not only become parts of regional cultures, but personal and family traditions as well. Many of our favorite meals often have dairy products as a base or staple ingredient. These helpful substitutions will aid you in creating dairy-free versions of classic recipes of your past as well as new and exciting dishes that contain milk, cream, and butter.

For soy-free dairy substitutes, check out my page on Soy-Free Dairy Substitutes

Butter

© 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.

1 cup dairy-free soy margarine, such as Willow Run (reduce the salt in recipe by ½ t. if recipe calls for unsalted)

1 cup canola oil (Note: for many baked recipes, or recipes that use butter to coagulate, emulsify or stabilize, soy margarine will be the better choice. Oil works well as part of meat and vegetable dishes as well as sauces.)

Best Butter Substitutes

Baking Without Butter

Buttermilk

1 cup soymilk combined with 1 T. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Allow mixture to rest in the refrigerator for five minutes so that the mixture will thicken correctly.

1 cup plain soy yogurt

2/3 cup soy sour cream blended with 1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk

Cheese

© 2007 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Check out some of these Dairy-Free Cheese Recipes

!

Cream, Light

1 cup dairy-free soy coffee cream

1 cup soymilk mixed with ¼ cup melted dairy-free soy margarine

1 cup whole coconut milk

1 cup soymilk mixed with 1/4 cup soymilk powder

Cream, Heavy

1/4 cup soy half-n-half, mixed with ¼ cup soy margarine, melted, and ½ c unsweetened soymilk

1 cup cream of coconut

Crème Fraiche

½ cup soy sour cream processed with ½ cup soy cream cheese

½ cup plain soy yogurt processed with ½ cup soy cream cheese

2/3 cup extra firm silken tofu processed with 1/3 cup soy yogurt or soy sour cream

Ghee

1 cup melted soy margarine

1 cup canola oil

Milk

© 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Milk, Evaporated

1 cup soy coffee creamer

1 cup plain soy yogurt

Milk, Sweetened Condensed

1 cup soymilk powder mixed with 2/3 cup sugar heated over low heat with ½ c soy coffee creamer and ½ cup soymilk. Heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth.

1 cup vanilla soy ice cream, melted over low heat with 2 T soymilk powder until slightly thickened

Sour Cream

© 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.

1 cup soy sour cream

1 cup soy yogurt mixed with 1 T. soymilk powder and salt to taste

1 cup extra firm silken tofu blended or processed with 1 T. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

Dairy-Free Sour Cream Recipe

Explore Dairy Free Cooking

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