My Top 10 Dairy-Free Must-Haves

by Eve Gilbert ‘24

In my junior year of high school, I found out that I had a severe dairy allergy. While I was relieved to finally eliminate something from my diet that was causing me lots of physical pain, I was also sad that I would no longer be able to enjoy some of my favorite foods like ice cream and pizza. Although I can’t say it’s easy to be around my friends when they order a large, delicious-looking cheese pizza, I have found a couple of really tasty dairy alternatives that I would love to share!

1. Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto

I just discovered this pesto over the summer, and it is AMAZING! Not only is it made of very healthy ingredients (mostly nuts and vegetables) that help fuel your body, it also tastes delicious. I love putting it on pasta! I have even been able to convince my dairy-loving family to try it on their food (and they actually admitted to liking it!). (Available at Shoprite)

2. Cauliflower/Kale Gnocchi from Trader Joe's

I also discovered this popular Trader Joe’s item this summer. If you haven’t tried TJ’s cauliflower or kale gnocchi, you need to! I love that it's vegetable-based but also tastes like real gnocchi. Most gnocchi has cheese in it, which is why this makes a great alternative. This gnocchi was also pretty popular on Tiktok so if you are looking for a recipe to pair it with you can likely find one there!

3. Califia Almond and Coconut Milk

It took me a while to find my favorite dairy free milk brand, and Califia is definitely it! It tastes AMAZING in coffee because it’s pretty thick. It’s also pretty low in calories (50 calories per serving), and has more protein than most of the other dairy free milk brands—so I think it’s a win-win! (They also have a great hazelnut coffee creamer!). (Available at Target)

4. Nutritional Yeast

You’ve probably seen this all over food Instagram or Tik Tok, and I’d definitely say it lives up to the hype. Many dairy-free/vegan people love nutritional yeast because it tastes just like cheese. My favorite way to use nutritional yeast is to sprinkle it on pasta and mix it in with some olive oil or dairy-free butter! (You’re definitely going to want to mix it into something because it tastes super dry if it’s the only topping you put on a meal)! (Available at Target)

5. Daiya Shredded Cheese

This is the only dairy-free cheese brand I like. Dairy-free cheese definitely does not taste like real cheese (a lot of brands unfortunately just taste gross), but I think Daiya does the best job of creating a similar taste. The only problem with dairy free cheese is that it really doesn’t have any nutritional value, so make sure it’s not the only topping you’re adding to a meal :) (Available at Target)

6. Cappello's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

This is a MUST have! It’s the same idea as the pre-made toll house cookie dough you buy in the freezer section of any grocery store—except it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, and vegan!! And it tastes AMAZING! The only issue is that it’s hard to find (I can always find it at Whole Foods or another type of health foods grocery store).

7. Oatley Ice Cream

This is by far the best dairy-free ice cream brand, and you MUST try it if you’re dairy-free (or even if you’re not because you’ll probably still think it’s really good). My favorite flavor is strawberry! (Available at Target)

8. Earth Balance

This is my dairy-free staple. Earth Balance is a dairy-free butter, and tastes pretty similar to it! I use this for cooking, on pasta, and on toast (really anything). I’ve tried smart balance and some other brands, but I would say Earth Balance is my favorite. They have lots of different types of Earth Balance, so I’d try a bunch out and see which one you like the best! (Available at Target)

9. Miyoko's Cream Cheese

Finding a good dairy-free cream cheese has been quite a challenge for me. But luckily, I found Mykonos (plain) cream cheese and it changed my (breakfast) life! Although it doesn’t taste exactly like cream cheese, I think it’s the best option out there for anyone who is dairy-free. (Available at Target)

10. Siggi's Dairy-Free Yogurt

I think dairy-free yogurt usually tastes really good. The only problem is that similar to dairy-free cheese, most dairy-free yogurts have zero nutritional value. I found Siggi’s yogurt this past year and I really like it because it contains 10g of protein whereas most dairy-free yogurts only have 2g! (Available at Wegmans)