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Emily Stokes
I'm a lady who loves cheese, sour cream, & ice cream, but I recently became lactose intolerant. My key focus in recreating dairy recipes is taste, but I try to be as health conscious as possible. Some of my recipes are low lactose rather than dairy free. I'm also a writer, teacher, nanny, dog mom, housewife, native Yinzer, current Californian, and social organizer extraordinaire.

Dairy Free

Coconut Milk Pumpkin Pie

Desserts, , , , , ,
 (Updated from original post on November 8, 2013)
 

This is my favorite pumpkin pie recipe.

I’ve made it with white sugar, agave syrup, and even sugar free (using Splenda); it turns out incredible every time! 

It has a beautiful light orange color that turns into a deep, creamy orange when cooked, just a teeny bit lighter than a pumpkin pie made with condensed milk. Previous pumpkin pies that I’ve made with soy milk tend to have a much darker color than a dairy pumpkin pie. Not to mention, it’s texture is light and fluffy when compared to a denser soy milk pumpkin pie.

It’s all about the coconut milk.

The full fat canned coconut milk has the same consistency as cream,  so there’s no need to thicken in it any way. Just make sure your canned coconut milk is full fat and at room temperature.

I hope you enjoy this very simple and absolutely delicious coconut pumpkin pie. I make it every year and dairy-eaters love it.

Coconut Milk Pumpkin Pie
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Ingredients
  1. 1 refrigerated pie crust
  2. 3/4 cup sweetener (white sugar, stevia, maple syrup**, or Agave syrup**)
  3. 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  4. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  5. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  6. 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  7. 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  8. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
  9. 2 large eggs
  10. 15oz can pumpkin
  11. 12 oz full fat canned coconut milk, shaken
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Mold the pie crust into a 9 inch pie dish. Fold excess under and flute or cut and use as a garnish.
  3. Mix sugar, salt, and spices in a small bowl until thoroughly blended.
  4. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in the pumpkin, vanilla, and then the sugar and spice mixture.
  5. Gradually add full fat coconut milk while stirring and continue to stir until just blended. Pour into pie crust.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes to set, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 40 minutes. To check if the pie is done, stick a knife through the middle and see if it comes up clean. If there is a layer of pumpkin on it, you may need to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. Allow pie to cool before cutting.
Notes
  1. *Updated
  2. **If using all maple syrup to sweeten, you only need 1/2 cup, rather than 3/4 cup. If using liquid sweetener, the pie will also cook better if you reduce the coconut milk by one tablespoon.
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How to Make a Delicious Grilled (Fake) Cheese Sandwich

Entrées, Snacks & Dips, , , , ,
I made this particular grilled cheese using Trader Joe’s Soy Blend of Mozzarella, Jack, and Cheddar Flavors.

Grilled cheese is one of those comfort foods you don’t have to lose with lactose intolerance. Fake cheese works surprisingly well as a substitute. The trick is to blend it with other flavors. Some fake cheese options are better than others. I’ve tried many different kinds of soy cheese or vegan/dairy free cheese alternatives.

One version of sliced cheese singles I can recommend are Veggie Slices. These are soy based, but they do contain milk protein so watch out if you are allergic. They taste terrible on their own but make a great grilled cheese sandwich. I’ve used them for cold sandwiches but I’d honestly rather do without the fake cheese. This stuff tastes best cooked in something or melted.

If you are looking for vegan and completely dairy free, I always recommend Daiya Shreds. Although for taste, I prefer soy blend cheeses. Two other types I like are Trader Joe’s soy mozzarella and shredded soy blend. These are sometimes hard to find in the cheese aisles so look thoroughly. I always find Daiya Shreds and Veggie Slices at Whole Foods.

Other pluses to lactose free cheeses: no cholesterol, less saturated fat, less sodium, and easy to digest.

Adding another filler in your sandwich blends with the fake cheese, making it taste more authentic. I like to add pickles, tomatoes, bacon, or all three to perfectly replicate a dairy grilled cheese sandwich. Get a nice, thick bread, like sourdough, spread on the SmartBalance Light, and honestly, it’s hard to tell the difference.

Dairy Free Mac’n’Cheese

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Cheese lovers: do you think your body really enjoys all that grease, cholesterol, and hard to digest lactose? Of course not! I know it tastes amazing, but so does my lactose free mac’n’cheese.

Well, I didn’t actually use macaroni, but I did use hearty whole wheat penne! Unsweetened almond milk brings this dish to life, along with vegan butter and lactose-free cheese. It has a couple of secret ingredients that you would never have guessed: egg and dry mustard. Topped off with flavorful french fried onions! It will make you wonder if this isn’t the real thing. How can I ever miss mac’n’cheese again?

I can recommend a few lactose-free cheeses to choose from. Trader Joe’s has a shredded soy cheese that’s a blend of mozzarella, cheddar, and jack flavors. I used that for this dish. It’s not vegan and has milk protein in it, so beware if you are allergic to milk protein. It’s great if you are just lactose intolerant. If you are looking for dairy-free, soy-free, and vegan, then I recommend using Daiya Shreds in cheddar.

Parmesan is an aged cheese and has very little lactose. If you can tolerate this, use the real thing. If not, I recommend a product called Parma!, or use nutritional yeast instead. GO Veggie also makes a soy-based parmesan topping.

Follow the directions according to pictures or scroll to the bottom for an easy to follow printable recipe.

What you need:
1 pound pasta 
1 egg
4 tablespoons vegan butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese alternative
1/3 cup parmesan cheese alternative
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Topping:
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese alternative
1/2 cup to 1 cup french fried onions, alternatively you can use breadcrumbs

Directions:
Cook pasta until firm but not done. Knock off about 2 minutes of cook time. Drain and keep in warm, covered pot.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Beat egg in small bowl and set aside.

Melt vegan butter  in a large pot over medium heat. Add flour, whisking constantly. Cook for 2-3 minutes. 

Pour in almond milk. Add mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes or until thickened.

To temper egg, slowly pour 1/4 cup of the almond milk sauce into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg.

Slowly pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking until smooth. This will create a nice, thick mac’n’cheese.

Add lactose free cheese and 1/3 cup of parmesan alternative, stir until melted.

 
  

Mmm creamy, cheesy goodness.

Add sea salt and pepper plus more to taste. You can also add any other spices at this point.

Pour cooked pasta into sauce and stir to combine.

In a large casserole dish sprayed with cooking oil, add pasta and cheese mixture.

Top with french fried onions and 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese alternative.

Bake 5-10 minutes or until the surface is lightly browned. Taste approved by cheese lovers!

Dairy-Free Mac'n'Cheese
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 1 pound pasta*
  2. 1 egg
  3. 4 tablespoons vegan butter**
  4. 1/4 cup all purpose flour***
  5. 2 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  6. 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  7. 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese alternative
  8. 1/3 cup parmesan cheese alternative****
  9. 1 teaspoon sea salt
  10. 1 teaspoon black pepper
For topping
  1. 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese alternative
  2. 1/2 cup-1 cup french fried onions or breadcrumbs
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta until firm but not done. Knock off 2-3 minutes of cook time. Drain and keep in warm, covered pot.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. Beat egg in small bowl then set aside.
  4. Melt vegan butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add flour, whisking constantly. Cook for 2-3 minutes, careful not to burn.
  5. Whisk in almond milk. Add dry mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low.
  6. To temper egg, slowly pour 1/4 cup of the hot almond milk sauce into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg.
  7. Slowly pour egg and almond milk mixture into sauce, whisking until smooth. This will create a nice, thick mac'n'cheese.
  8. Add dairy-free cheese and 1/3 cup of parmesan alternative, stir until melted.
  9. Add sea salt and pepper plus more to taste. You can also add any other desired spices at this point.
  10. Pour cooked pasta into sauce and stir to combine.
  11. In a large casserole dish sprayed with cooking oil, add pasta and cheese mixture.
  12. Top with french fried onions and 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese alternative.
  13. Bake 10 minutes or until the surface is lightly browned. Taste approved by cheese lovers!
Notes
  1. *I used whole wheat penne, but macaroni works of course! I also recommend Tinkyada's gluten-free brown rice elbows.
  2. **I used Smart Balance Light.
  3. ***Use cornstarch to keep this gluten-free.
  4. ****You can also use nutritional yeast.
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman's Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman's Macaroni and Cheese
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