What type of breakfast person are you?
The grab and go without thinking much about it?
The oatmeal or yogurt bowl with a heaping pile of berries on top?
Or are you the full spread type? Cheesy eggs, buttermilk pancakes, and feta chicken sausages oh my!
No matter what kind of breakfast person you are, learning that you have a dairy sensitivity and have to go dairy-free is likely to throw a big giant wrench in your morning routine. Dairy is everywhere. From the butter on your morning toast to the cream in your coffee, from the cream cheese on your bagel to the whey in most granola bars.
Having to figure out what the heck to eat for breakfast when you have to eliminate dairy can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be.
And no, you don’t need to be a master chef in the kitchen in order to figure it out. All it takes is a dash of knowledge and a sprinkle of creativity, and you’ll master the art of breakfast without dairy.
In this blog, we’re going to take you on a journey to dairy-free mornings without the headache.
But first…
Dairy alternatives you should know about.
Finding a replacement for butter, coffee creamer, yogurt, and cream cheese might make you go ‘yuck!’ but don’t worry. Luckily, we live in the 21st century where being dairy-free is pretty normal. This means that there are tons of tried and true replacements on the market that aren’t super gross.
Here are some of our favorites.
Butter replacements: Coconut oil (baked goods, pancakes), Earth Balance (vegan butter alternative. Use it exactly as you would butter), olive oil (savory dishes only), mashed avocado (great on toast).
Dairy-free yogurt: So Delicious Coconut Yogurt is an amazing yogurt alternative and they’re available in most regular grocery stores. You still get the tang that you want in your yogurt and the belly-happy probiotics to kickstart your digestion for the day. Unsweetened or Unsweetened Vanilla are the most versatile.
Coffee creamer: Nut Pods (can be found either in the coffee aisle, or the refrigerated section where you would find regular dairy) are the only ones that we would recommend. We’ve tried several on the market but none come as close to true coffee creamer as these do. Try the Coconut Almond Creamer in both hot and cold coffee. You won’t miss your dairy creamer, we promise.
Cream cheese: Yes, we’re going there. We’re not going to lie, this one was a tough one to replace. Most dairy-free alternatives are just plain old weird, but there was one that blew most of the others out of the water. If you have never tried Kitehill’s onion and chive cream cheese…oh boy, get ready to be addicted. It’s that good.
Believe it or not, hummus is a decent cream cheese replacement. You get that tang that you crave, with the added benefit of extra protein and some truly stellar nutrients to start your day. Just don’t use hummus in sweet recipes.
Milk: There are so many milk alternatives on the market-–like, so many. For frothing, soy milk can’t be beat. If you are soy-free, oat milk comes in at a hot second. Almond milk is great in cold brew, but heating it up changes the flavor. Hemp milk has an earthy taste, so it isn’t an exact alternative, but it does pack quite the nutritional punch.
Coconut milk is wonderful in baked goods and oatmeal (top it with cubed mango and you’ll hallucinate a tropical island), but it’s a little bit too rich for a bowl of cereal.
Cheese: We have yet to find a really great cheese alternative so we’ll shelve this one for now.
For grab and go breakfasters.
Protein Packed Blueberry Muffins by Gaz Oakley.
These muffins are ridiculously good. Like, you’ll be making these in batches and eating them regularly, good. Not only are they delicious, moist, and super nutritious, but most of these ingredients are probably already in your pantry.
They are everything that you want in a muffin, and no one will ever know that they are dairy-free and healthy. The protein powder can easily be replaced with whatever whey-free protein powder you have on hand.
Here is the amazing recipe. Make these ASAP, like right now. You won’t regret it.
Hummus Toast by Gimmesomeoven
Wait! Don’t scroll past this one.
It might sound unconventional but hummus on toast is super versatile and protein packed. If you’re a savory morning person, this might just be your next go-to breakfast option. Did we mention how cost-effective it is?
Throw an egg on top if you have time. Pile last night’s leftover vegetables and add some of that leftover meat, too. Add roasted red peppers and chili flakes. Top it with lox the way you would a bagel and cream cheese.
Chickpeas are so nutritionally dense for such a small bean, and any hummus toast variation is likely to keep you nice and full until lunch time. Especially when paired with a good multigrain bread.
Here are some great hummus toast ideas.
For the yogurt and oats breakfasters.
Tropical Islands Oatmeal by Immuno Labs
This oatmeal recipe was kind of a happy accident. There Kat was on a Friday morning, pantry and fridge were running on fumes, and the only fruit in the basket was one super ripe champagne mango.
She was out of oat milk so she used a can of full fat coconut milk and hoped for the best. The result was an oatmeal that tastes like what Miami Beach would taste like if it could be bottled and shipped. Decadent, tropical, and so good that it should be illegal.
Here is what you will need:
1 Cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 Cup Full-fat coconut milk
1 Cup water/leftover coconut milk
Cinnamon to taste (be generous)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Healthy pinch of sea salt
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts
1 Diced Champagne Mango (the star of the show)
1 Tablespoon hemp seeds (hello, protein and omega-3s)
1 Tablespoon shelled pumpkin seeds
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
2 Tablespoons dried cranberries
1 Tablespoon maple syrup or honey to taste
Add the coconut milk and water to a pot over medium heat. Add your salt and cinnamon and wait for it to boil. Because of the (healthy) fats in the coconut milk, this may take longer than water. Once it starts to boil (less than a rolling boil, more than a simmer), stir in your oats, chia seeds, and chopped walnuts. Set a timer for 6 minutes and forget about it.
When the time is up, take the pot off the burner, give it a stir, and let it sit for 3 minutes. After the three minutes have passed, add your vanilla extract. Put the oatmeal in a bowl, add your diced mango, the hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and top with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
You should get about two to three servings from this batch of oatmeal. Use one whole champagne mango (they’re little) per serving.
3-Ingredient Chia Pudding by Feel Good Foodie.
Chia seeds are a superfood for a reason. They are a great source of omega-3s, fiber, and protein. They might not seem like much when you see them on store shelves, but they are a cost-effective nutritional powerhouse that will keep you full until lunchtime.
This is a great option for the folks who can’t start their day without yogurt. The chia seeds give it the texture of yogurt, and add some excitement to an otherwise boring breakfast.
The best part is that you can meal prep these and just grab and go the way you would with your usual yogurt. If you’re missing those probiotics and yogurt tang, replace half the milk serving with coconut yogurt.
This simple 3-ingredient recipe is a great base recipe. We recommend adding a dash of vanilla, topping it with berries and nuts, and adding granola with a dash of cinnamon.
Check out the recipe here.
For the decadent Saturday morning.
Dairy-free Waffles by Cookie Dough Diaries
Are you craving a decadent Saturday breakfast but aren’t sure what to make that will please the whole family?
This waffle recipe is super versatile and easy to follow. They take about 20 minutes to make a full batch and they serve 2-4 people. Use vegan butter or coconut oil for the moisture and satisfying bite. Canola oil works, too. The best non-dairy milks for this are oat milk (for the creaminess) or soy (for the neutral flavor).
Add dairy-free chocolate chips or frozen blueberries, and top it with a thick dollop of coconut yogurt or coconut cream and drizzle with a homemade berry compote or tried and true maple syrup.
Dairy-free Hollandaise Sauce by Alisa Flemming on Go Dairy-Free
Who doesn’t love an indulgent eggs benedict on a Sunday morning?
Most of an eggs benedict is dairy free except for the hollandaise sauce. Would an eggs benedict even be a benedict without the coveted hollandaise? We think not.
Because of this, we wanted to extend a helping hand and offer you a simple recipe that is likely to make a regular appearance in your Saturday morning lineup. Traditional hollandaise is loaded with butter, making it rich and creamy but also not so great for someone who has a dairy sensitivity.
Dairy-free yogurt gives it that creamy texture that you want from a hollandaise, and with the added spices and that dash of hot sauce, you won’t miss the original.
Dairy-free doesn’t have to mean boring.
Learning that you have a dairy sensitivity doesn’t have to be a breakfast death sentence. With a little exploring and the willingness to try new things, you won’t miss that slab of butter on your morning toast or the vanilla creamer in your cold brew.
Why settle for a dull breakfast when you can start your day off right with these dairy-free delights? Give them a try and see how they can transform your mornings and improve your overall well-being.
Want to know what foods trigger an inflammatory response in your body? Check out our Bloodprint panels and get the answers you’ve been searching for.
