Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! Cream of the Crop: Dairy-Free Delights Round Up

For this month’s theme of Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free, it was dairy-free delights. This was new for many people and a great opportunity to explore and discover options or alternatives to dairy. Dairy is sometimes a tricky ingredient to replace, depending on what’s being made – in most cases I’ve been successful in replacing it but in others, not so much, or I’ve yet to find a suitable alternative. This can be tough, especially as not everyone can eat soy or rice products, for example, but slowly, there are more options becoming available for those who eat dairy-free or are lactose intolerant. Coconut milk, for example, I think is only really being picked up on now (at least in our part of the world) as really healthy and flexible to use in a variety of dishes, in both sweet and savoury.

If you’ve been wondering what to make for dinner, or dessert, or just something to nibble, there’s a great variety that you could mix and match. There’s a lot of sweets and fruity things since summer is officially here, but there are a few savoury dairy-free delights as well. Some are also grain-free, and also suitable or “legal” for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) or could be easily adapted as such.

I decided to present every dairy-free delight in the order that I received them. I would have loved to make them as they rolled in, but I didn’t have enough time, unfortunately. Thank you, Naomi, of Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried, the creator of this monthly blogging event, for having me hosting this month; and thank you everyone who joined in this event and helped spread the word! It would not have been possible without you. I also thank my sister, who helped me with the layout of some of the photos. (Unless otherwise noted, she does all my photo collages for me, until I’ve learned how and remember.)

First, Jamie of What On Earth Do I Eat Now? made gluten-free, vegan blueberry muffins, which are also gum-free! (Xanthum or guar gum, that is.)

A double whammy:  Chinese Five Spice Molten Chocolate Cake and Moist Chocolate Avocado Cake from The Curious Baker. I’ve seen many recipes for molten chocolate cake (alas, cannot yet say eaten many molten chocolate cakes as well) but never one with Chinese five spice. Since seeing the spice used in a cookie, I’m thinking we have a new trend going on here! Avocado and chocolate is still something on my goals list to try.

Naomi Devlin, of Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried and the creator of this wonderful blogging event, submitted these Dairy-Free Mango Ice Cream Lollies. I think that these ice cream lollies are really unique since it uses dried mango, which hooked me from the start.

Sophie of Sophie’s Foodiefiles contributed these Moist, Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins, which she baked in a beautiful flower-shaped muffin tin! When I first saw them, I didn’t even realize that they were muffins.

Jenn of Jenn’s Cuisine made this delicious One Step, No-Cook Marinara Sauce, although, if I could, I would rename it Lake Geneva Marina Sauce, after the photos of it that she included in her post. Jenn’s photography is gorgeous! I really admire her work.

Alisa of One Frugal Foodie presents a Peanut Butter and Banana Cravings Smoothie. She also runs and is the founder of the informational website, Go Dairy Free.

This dairy-free frozen yogurt is unique and packed full of protein because it’s made with nut milk, which I am very excited about! Created by Lexie of Lexie’s Kitchen, she made nut milk yogurt and used it to make this strawberry frozen yogurt. Love the presentation with the heart-shaped strawberries, too!

Iris of The Daily Dietribe made a yummy Rhubarb Cake. Look at that crumb! Neither of us could decide which shot we liked better, so I decided to use both.

Another banana and peanut butter combo,  Hallie of Daily Bites made a Banana-Gone-Nuts Milkshake, using almond milk. Almond milk is a wonderful dairy-free alternative, and it’s even better when it’s homemade, from scratch, but that is another story – and another recipe – for another time.

Lots of ripe bananas and don’t know what to do with them? Alea of Gluten-Free Flavor Full! used some in these Guilt Free Banana Muffins.

Maggie of She Let Them Eat Cake made these Sweet Cinnamon Buns. I’m a fan of her blog and her recipes – especially her gluten-free bagels that she guest posted (which I’ve still yet to try!) on Simply Sugar and Gluten Free.

This Pasta-less Turkey Lasagna was created by Aubree of Living Free. It’s a white lasagna, which is simply lasagna without the tomato sauce. I never knew! I’ve always eaten lasagna with tomato sauce, but next time I’m in the mood to try something different I might just try this.

Linda of The Gluten-Free Homemaker made an easy and simple Dairy-Free Cream Sauce.

This Coconut Milk Beef Sauce, served over brown rice, was made by yours truly and simple and quick to make. It tastes like it’s made with dairy cream, but it really isn’t!

Chaya of Chaya’s Comfy Cook Blog adapted a Nigella Lawson recipe for Chocolate Mousse, tweaked to be made dairy-free as well as kosher.

Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free whipped up these mouth-watering Apricot Carob Blondies – I love apricots (I think everyone in my family does).

These fudgey Stevia-Sweetened Black Bean Brownies are served up by Debbie of The Gluten-Free ‘Dish’, made with raw cacao powder, and yes, black beans.

Next up, Shirley of Gluten Free Easily whipped up a Raspberry Banana Pineapple Coconut Smoothie. Raspberries are another family favourite (in fact, we ate a whole pint of fresh raspberries the day Shirley sent this). I will have to try this one soon. Coconut milk is perfect in smoothies and shakes, especially ones with banana.

After making a peach cobbler for Father’s Day, Jessica of Sweet & Salty Sea was inspired to make this Blackberry Cobbler.

Full of electrolytes, Strawberry Creamsicles from Stephanie of Gluten Free By Nature.

Raj of Flip Cookbook, a website with a primary focus on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and dedicated to healthier eating, created a No Bake Banana Cream Pie, using cashew cream instead of the traditional dairy cream in this classic pie.

It was lunchtime when I got this Coconut Shrimp Curry in my inbox from Tracee, aka Mrs. Ed as you may know her, from Mrs. Ed’s Research and Recipes. I love curry, and I love seafood! I hope to make this soon. Not only is it dairy-free, it’s also SCD!

Stef of No Grain, No Pain (a great blog name, by the way) made Very Vanilla and Coconut Cupcakes, adapted from Elana Amsterdam’s The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. They’re grain-free and sugar-free!

Fellow Canadian teen blogger Lauren of Celiac Teen whipped up Chocolate Pavola, with coconut cream instead of dairy cream. Doesn’t it look pretty?

In a moment of inspiration, Ariana of The Frugally Rich Life made Homemade Chocolate Frosty.

Amidst birthday party frenzy, Kim of Cook IT Allergy Free made a Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Rum Cake! Despite being adapted from a wheat (and other allergens) recipe and a husband favourite, by no means does she claim that it’s healthy! 😉

Ending on a sweet and salty note, we have Gluten-Free Pretzel Ball Surprises from Sheryl of Breaking Bread.

Once again, I thank you all who joined in this fun event and thank you, Naomi, for allowing me the honour of hosting such a wonderful blogging event! Next month will be hosted by Sheryl of Breaking Bread, with the theme Ooh La La! Bastille Day! Be sure to head on over to her site to check it out and we’ll see you again in the round-up next month!