6 Dairy-Free Desserts To Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

We all know that the best part of every meal is dessert! You go through the starters and the main dishes, just thinking and dreaming about what you will have for dessert. It’s the sweetest ending to a hard day at work or a long day running around doing chores. But when you are lactose-intolerant or just dairy milk doesn’t really sit well with you, having dessert suddenly becomes complicated! It doesn’t feel like there are many options for dairy-free desserts.

Well, we’re here to debunk that belief! Dairy might be a main ingredient in many desserts, but thankfully, these days, we have many alternatives. From coconut milk to oat milk to dairy-free yoghurt, there are many ingredients you can use in place of dairy milk to make your dessert. 

No more skipping on the best part of your meal just because your stomach might make the rest of the day hell for you! We’re here to give you so many unique and delicious ideas for 100% dairy-free desserts. You’re not alone; we’ve got your back!

Everyone Deserves Dairy-Free Desserts!

It’s tough to watch your friends enjoy an excellent cold con of ice cream and not be able to take even a lick! And if you get weak and say, “I’ll just taste it, how bad can it get?” well, bad. It can get really bad! So please don’t do it, we have a better solution.

There are hundreds of recipes for dairy-free desserts that you can find online and in cookbooks. Some are easy to make, and some are a bit more complicated. Whatever your preference is, you will find a recipe that suits you. The important thing is that you can take care of your sweet tooth without throwing your gut under the bus!

So we’re not going to keep you waiting any longer. Here are our favourite dairy-free desserts and how to make them at home!

Creamy Dairy-Free Ice Cream

Since we discussed the dilemma of eating ice cream with friends, we will start this dairy-free dessert journey with dairy-free ice cream! Yes, you heard that right! You can make ice cream that has absolutely ZERO dairy —and not even eggs! This ice cream recipe is super easy to make and is 100% vegan too. Even your dairy-consumer friends and family will swoon over this recipe!

What you need

• One can of whole coconut milk
• 1 cup of extra creamy almond milk
• ½ cup of agave nectar
• ½ tsp of xanthan gum (thickener)
• ½ tsp salt

How to make it

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend for 2 minutes. You want a thick and creamy texture.
2. Transfer your mixture to an ice cream maker and churn according to the instructions in your ice cream maker’s manual. If you feel like the mixture is thick enough before the suggested time ends, you can stop.
3. Transfer your ice cream to an airtight container and leave it in the freezer for an hour to get the perfect ice cream texture.
4. Before eating, you can add your favourite add-ons like sliced strawberries or bananas or even drizzle some chocolate or caramel on top!

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Who doesn’t absolutely love cookies? They are a classic dessert loved by adults and children all over the world. Everyone has their own twist when baking cookies and dairy-free cookies are just another twist on the classic dessert. This is one of the easiest dairy-free desserts you can make. It’s fast, simple, and can be whipped in minutes, making your entire home smell like freshly baked cookies!

What you need

• 1 cup of peanut butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract

How to make it

1. Combine all your ingredients in one bowl until smooth.
2. Optional: Add chocolate chips or caramel bites to the mixture for an extra kick. Children love it!
3. Divide your mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on a baking pan with a baking sheet on top.
4. Flatten the cookie balls using a fork, a spoon, or a cup, whatever gets the job done!
5. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes at 325°F until golden brown.
6. Leave the cookies to cool on a wire rack before you eat them.

Dairy-Free Coconut Pumpkin Pie

October means autumn, and autumn means pumpkin! You don’t have to pretend like you don’t wait every year for Starbucks’ signature drink, Pumpkin Spice Latte. We all love it, even if it makes us “basic”! Pumpkin and autumn are a match made in heaven, and we’re here to give you a delicious earthy recipe for a dairy-free dessert featuring everyone’s favourite autumn fruit. You will fall hard for this pumpkin pie!

What you need for the base

• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• ¾ tbsp salt
• ½ solid coconut oil
• 10 tsp ice cold water
• 1 large egg

What you need for the filling

• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 can of pumpkin
• 1 cup of coconut oil (liquid)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¾ tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• Pinch of pepper
• 3 large eggs
• ½ tsp salt

How to make it

1. Prepare the crust by adding the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor.
2. Gradually add the coconut oil until well combined.
3. Start adding the cold water 1 tsp at a time until the mixture clumps and then comes together.
4. Transfer the mixture to a flat surface and divide it into two equal parts.
5. Flatten one part into a flat disk and the other into a flat rectangle, then cover them with plastic wrap and let them sit for 30 minutes.
6. Unwrap the disk-shaped dough and press it into a pie pan. Unwrap the rectangular dough nest and cut it into nine strips.
7. Use the strips to make 3 braids that will be placed on the edge of the pan.
8. Make the egg wash using one egg and water, and then brush the braids with the egg wash and arrange it on the edge of the pan in a circular shape.
9. To make the filling, whisk cornstarch, sugar, pumpkin, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, pepper, eggs, and salt together until well combined.
10. Pour the mixture into the cooled crust prepared above, then bake for 45 minutes.
11. Let the pie cool down before serving.

Dairy-Free Vegan Brownies

Who can say no to a fudgy brownie? No one! Brownies are the ultimate dessert, and paired with the dairy-free ice cream recipe above, it’s simply heavenly! Whether you make it for your children’s bake sale, as a chocolatey addition to your children’s lunch boxes, or just for you to enjoy late at night, brownies will never let you down. That’s why we have these vegan, dairy-free dessert recipes for you, so you can enjoy every sweet delight!

What you need

• Roughly chopped dark chocolate
• ⅓ cup of coconut oil
• ½ tsp instant espresso powder
• ¾ cup of granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup of coconut milk
• ½ tsp cornstarch
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• Salt

How to make it

1. Start by preheating your oven to 350°.
2. Melt the coconut oil and the dark chocolate together in the microwave.
3. Add espresso powder, cornstarch, sugar, and coconut milk and whisk them together until combined.
4. In another bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt).
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.
6. In a pan lined with a baking sheet, spread the batter and bake for around 25 minutes. (Check if ready by inserting a toothpick or knife into the brownies and them coming out primarily clean.)
7. Let the brownies cool for 10 minutes (hardest step ever!), then cut into squares and serve (with ice cream!).

Sweet and Salty Chocolate Bark

Some people like a bit of salt in their desserts, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! In truth, a bit of salt makes the dessert so much better and brings the sweetness forward even more. The clash of flavours in your mouth can be heavenly, and chocolate bark is one of the best desserts that do just that. What is the best thing about chocolate bark? It’s a dairy-free dessert!

What you need

• Dark chocolate
• Roughly chopped salted pretzels
• Dried fruit (cherries are recommended)
• Unsweetened coconut flakes
• Roughly chopped unsalted pistachios
• Flaky sea salt.

How to make it

1. Start by melting your dark chocolate in the microwave.
2. In a baking pan lined with a baking sheet, spread half the melted chocolate evenly.
3. Sprinkle half the chopped pretzels, pistachios, coconut flakes and dried fruit on top.
4. Spread the second half of the chocolate, then sprinkle the second half of the toppings.
5. Garnish with the flaky sea salt, then let it completely cool down.
6. Remove the hard chocolate from the pan and break it down into uneven bars.

Note: You can substitute the pistachios and dried cherries with the nuts and dried fruit you prefer. Chocolate Barks are supposed to be a fun and creative DIY project!

Wacky Cake/ Depression Cake

httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JvIYuK3rG8

This cake might have been born during the Depression era, but trust us, nothing is depressing about this spongy delight at all! Wacky cake, Depression cake or wartime cake, is a cake that was created by homemakers during the Depression era when ingredients were scarce. It used to have no dairy and no eggs at all! Which makes it a perfectly vegan and dairy-free dessert for us!

What you need

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• 1/3 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda

How to make it

1. In a large bowl, mix the cocoa with instant espresso powder and boiling water until the mixture is smooth.
2. After 2 minutes, add the oil, vinegar, and salt and mix well.
3. Finally, stir in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and baking soda).
4. Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
5. Optional: Make icing by combining cocoa powder, instant espresso, powdered sugar, and a little bit of water until smooth and well combined with a thick consistency.
6. Let the cake cool down before drizzling powdered sugar and icing on top.

Dairy-free desserts are not an impossible concept. Alternative milk options and vegan recipes made the lives of lactose-intolerant people much easier! You don’t even have to pretend to like those recipes because they are actually very delicious! No more staying away from dessert because these dairy-free desserts will make all your sweet tooth dreams come true.

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