Luxurious classic recipes that don’t contain dairy

We all know the old French adage - add more butter! But when some of our loved ones can’t have dairy, what is a cook to do? Here are our favourite versions of comforting classics that are usually loaded with butter, cream and milk - but contain no dairy!

Spinach manicotti

Source: Abrams

Vegan choc peanut butter cake

This cake uses peanut butter and banana to serve you some luscious mud-cake realness. Bonus points? It’s even refined sugar, egg, AND gluten-free! Try making this unicorn of a cake here.

Vegan choc penut butter cake
Vegan choc penut butter cake Source: Luisa Brimble

Chocolate peanut slice

There are just six ingredients in this slice, with puffed brown rice and roasted peanuts stirred into a mixture of dates, peanut butter and vanilla, then topped with melted chocolate. The dates are the secret to creating a gooey caramel while cutting back on processed sugar.

Donna hay's chocolate peanut slice
Source: Donna Hay: Basics to Brilliance Kids

Steamed banana cake

This banana cake doesn’t quite have the same texture as say, a sponge cake, but the tapioca flour provides a springiness that is addictive all on its own. Bonus points, the sauce on the cake is also made with coconut cream, so our dairy-free friends don’t have to miss out!

Steamed banana cake
Steamed banana cake Source: One World Kitchen

Melty mozzy

This recipe makes a savoury, melty “cheese” out of cashews and miso. Use it to replace cheese toppings and stuffings in your favourite recipes, like this spinach manicotti!

Melty mozzy
Source: Abrams

Dark chocolate espresso mud cake

Coconut oil and almond milk take the place of butter and cow’s milk in this dark beauty. Just remember to use dairy-free chocolate when making the ganache as well!

Dark Chocolate Espresso Mud Cake
Dark Chocolate Espresso Mud Cake Source: Melissa Darr

Paul’s Mum’s ginger biscuits

Embrace true retro baking when you make Paul Hollywood’s mum’s biscuits (try saying that three times fast!) - which uses margarine instead of butter! This recipe uses ratios by weight, so if you’re apprehensive about using margarine, you can experiment with different fats as long as you keep it in the same weight!

Paul’s Mum’s ginger biscuits
Source: Paul Hollywood's Pies and Puds

Choc mousse with berries

Can a mousse be dairy-free? We say it can! Avocado is our secret saviour here - its creamy flesh provides a luscious texture to the mousse, without needing cream.

Choc avocado mousse
Choc avocado mousse Source: Damon Gameau

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