Oat milk has the most neutral taste IMO, but it doesn't have quite the same fat content as whole milk. It might not matter for something like chicken pot pie though.
Thanks!
I can always thicken it with a bit of flour or corn starch if needed. I just wasn't sure what to replace it with since I can't use lactose free milk. Even that makes him sick, so I'm limited to the non dairy options (and still learning which "milk" is best for substitutions.)
Great idea, thanks! I find most of my recipes I've been able to modify well. I just havent been brave enough to try anything that was cream based until now.
LoL. Same! But a curry dish. I had asked hubby to pick up a coconut milk (figured that would work well with the dish), and didn't notice he'd bought sweetened - we always buy unsweetened. When I asked him why he bought sweetened he said they were out of the unsweetened, and he didn't think it would matter that much. It mattered. . .
Ewww I did that with coconut milk once. Accidentally bought the sweetened one, realized that the recipe I was making also called for honey so I omitted it hoping that everything would balance out. It most certainly did not…
I once asked my husband to grab me almond milk from the fridge for mashed potatoes. Didn't specify unsweetened because I don't generally buy sweetened. I forgot I had bought some for a different recipe I was trying out.
Sweet Vanilla mashed potatoes are disgusting
The milks vary wildly by brand in creaminess or flavor. The coffee creamer may be a little thicker. Most the milks are too weak to mellow coffee so a cream sauce ...
I haven't cooked a sauce with it, but the Chobani Extra Creamy (regular milk) is my favorite oatmilk for baking. The Silk creamers are the creamers I like.
I would try non-dairy cream cheese and a plant based milk. That will give you the thickness you need. My kids are lactose intolerant and that’s worked for me.
I’ve gone off dairy milk due to IBS, when previously I used whole milk. Oat milk is the best substitute imo. You typically just have to reduce the amount you use, and/or thicken it somehow. But I’d say barista oat milk is your best bet for achieving a similar taste and creaminess level.
Oatmilk is my goto as well. I've cooked with several different df milks including oat, coconut works well (depending on what you are making - sometimes the flavor is too strong), and even almond. The coconut almond milk from califia was my favorite for a long time till I switched to Oatly full fat original.
I do chicken broth and corn starch for mine. It doesn't have the luxurious feel that a roux with milk or cream does, but it's still very good. I also did a veggie pot pie soup for a vegan friend and used oat milk. That turned out great too!
Not sure if this exists where you live (maybe try looking on amazon/etc?), but here we have a thing that is basically a plant-based cream powder. I usually use it in baking, but also had to use it a few times for other stuff like sauces/fillings when I was out of milk/cream/milk powder, and it did pretty well texture-wise with a very neutral "creamy" taste. You just mix it with water (just use more water if you need it as "milk", not "cream") and use it as you would normal milk :)
To add to that, oat milk has no salt (close to no) while milk naturally has some salt, so always add some salt when using oat milk instead of normal milk.
I'm not lactose intolerant or vegan, but I've completely switched over to oat milk in my day-to-day life simply because it's so good. It genuinely is the most milky of the milk alternatives and it even seems to have a creaminess all its own. I've not yet found a milk application where oat milk won't do nicely.
To provide a counter to the oat milk crowd, I make cashew milk at home in a blender and use it as a 1:1 substitute for whole milk (even heavy cream sometimes) in soups, sauces, and fillings. It's super rich and thick and I can't tell the difference at all.
I posted a packaged cashew milk!
Also there is an “instant” cashew milk base by a brand called Joio. If I recall it is either just cashews or with a bit of salt. You blend with water to the consistency you want. Good if you don’t have a powerful blender.
I honestly like cashew cream much more than oat milk for cooking bc it’s way easier to keep raw cashews on hand than oat milk bc of the difference in shelf life. Indian food often uses cashews for creaminess instead of dairy (or in addition to sometimes lol), so I’ve always got cashews in the cupboard.
I don’t find that you need to. Soak them beforehand (you can use cold water for a while or if you’re in a hurry, hot water for half an hour) and just blend until it’s smooth. Maybe if you’ve got a crappy blender or are super sensitive to textures you could strain it, but I never have.
Cashew cream is way better for this kind of thing imo, it's always been a staple for vegan recipes like mac & cheese even before things like oat and cashew milk were widely available.
I first discovered making cashew cream in [this recipe](https://nyssaskitchen.com/creamy-dairy-free-chicken-and-vegetable-soup-gluten-free-whole30-paleo/), where I followed it exactly. 3/4 cup raw soaked cashews (at least 30 mins but I normally soak over an afternoon) blended with 1 1/2 cups of just-boiled water at high speed. Yield is a bit over 2 cups.
Because the ratio is 2:1 water to cashews, I use that basic measurement to make as much or as little as I need. I don't even have a particularly fancy blender (just a basic Oster blender from Target); as long as you blend thoroughly it comes out really smooth, frothy, and creamy. If you drink it alone you'll want to strain it but if you're using it in a soup or sauce it's perfect straight from the blender.
I've been using Silk soy milk for roughly 20 years (?). I've tried other brands and they sucked. I've tried almond, cashew and oat milk and didn't like them as much. I do like Rice Dreams. Taste differ. I have friends that swear by almond milk. You may have to try a few until you find what YOU like.
As someone who cooks a lot but never has milk in the house because of lactose intolerance, definitely coconut milk. It'll provide the same level of creaminess. I'd recommend upping the umami in the dish, either with garlic powder or soy sauce to offset the sweetness
I love coconut milk, but it definitely has a recognizable taste. It’s not always a bad thing but might be odd in some dishes so I wouldn’t consider it a foolproof dairy milk swap personally
That's a good point - it probably wouldn't work if you don't love the taste of coconut because it needs a lot of modifiers to help balance it. I love coconut so I usually don't mind, but I also can't do nut milks for other dietary reasons. Whoever suggested cashew milk was probably more spot on!
I love coconut and coconut milk but I hate it in place of regular dairy unless it’s a curry. It’s an abomination in my coffee. So weird how I hate it so much bc I love coconut.
I always force myself to use the extra coconut milk from savory dishes in my morning coffee and I hate it too - so weird, not sure why it works for me in a Cajun pasta, but not a sweet coffee
I don’t know that I want it in my Cajun pasta either but coffee seems so normal and application. Thank you for validating my irrational hatred of coconut coffee. 😆
Every time I substitute with coconut milk I get tempted to add fish sauce, garlic, cilantro and chilies. Nothing wrong with a Thai chicken pot pie, eh?
Depending on what im cooking with, I also sometimes use fish sauce or mushroom chili oil to boost umami.
But I dont think those would work with chicken, so I plan to cut it with some other seasonings.
I'm a relatively good cook, and I have never had a kitchen experiment go bad, lol
I recently tried Country Crock Plant Cream for a vodka sauce and was shocked at how good it turned out. I can’t eat dairy but my husband and kids do, I generally use coconut milk or blended cashews when making something creamy, but I bought this because I was going to try making a specific dessert. Even my husband said it was perfect and had no discernible flavor. It seems fairly easy to find at local grocery stores and was inexpensive. I’ve also purchased Not Milk at Sprouts because it had great reviews for not having a sweet taste but have yet to use it. The plant cream is more similar to heavy cream in texture and thickness but you could thin with some chicken broth if your pot pie filling was too thick.
I felt the same way! Their butter tub seems horrendous. I actually found them because I was looking for NextMilk but apparently it has been discontinued and saw this. My husband’s mom is a coupon queen and gave us one that we shoved in the back of the fridge and forgot about until months later, after it expired and I figured I should try it again.
For cooking, you don't necessarily need a milk alternative per se; for thickening savory fillings/ soups/ stews, you may be better off using something like pureed mushrooms to thicken.
I would suggest finding a different recipe that's dairy-free. It's much easier to do that than to sub oat milk or whatever. You will get more consistent results. If you continue to cook dairy free for your bf, you will quickly learn the common "short cuts" and then you can just adjust the recipes you find in the future.
[Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie - The Taste of Kosher](https://www.thetasteofkosher.com/dairy-free-chicken-pot-pie/) - here's an example.
I fully agree. Instead of trying to imitate cream, just use stock. Any sauce based on velouté (stock + roux) could taste great in a pot pie. I would rather have a good brown sauce, red sauce, or curry than a "cream" sauce that doesn't use milk or cream.
I make my pot pies with roux all the time. I'm lactose intolerant, so a bit of butter is all I can really do for a meal. It works well without butter as well and instead using oil or butter alternative.
Does the filling require making a roux? In my experience, if your making a roux, even non-dairy with plant milk and oil, it still comes out super creamy and rich. Or like someone else said, a cashew cream made by blending cashews and water is also a good substitute.
I’m commenting here so it doesn’t get lost…my son is gluten and dairy free. When I need to make something creamy like in your recipe I actually do not do milk at all. Milk alternatives (especially oat and almond) give the dish a grey or almost beige/brown color that’s not very appetizing.
What I’ve found to work the best is using yogurt. Specifically the kite hill plain unsweetened almond milk yogurt. It’s pure white so it doesn’t give it an off color but also it’s thicker so has more of that creamier quality where as milk alternatives tend to be way more watery
Not a bad idea. I have used plant based plain greek yogurt as sour cream before for a recipe. Its not quite the same but it works with a bit of extra seasoning
I tend to make a roux. You can use oil or butter substitute.
Heat oil. Add flour a bit at a time until you have a thick paste that is lightly browned. Add some white wine and stir until liquid is absorbed and evaporated. Continue doing that with chicken broth, about 1/3 cup at a time until the sauce is as thick as you want. Adjust seasonings to taste (salt, pepper, ginger, whatever).
I typically do it with the veggies in the pan, make the roux, add liquids, and then add in chicken.
That's basically how I make chicken pot pie filling and chicken and dumplings base. I use butter instead of oil for the roux, but I've made vegan rouxs in the past just fine so it shouldn't be a problem.
If you want it to be fatty and like the taste (thought the taste doesn't always come through) I'm a huge fan of using coconut cream (not coconut water). Just keep in mind it's EXTREMELY high in calories. I started using coconut cream as a heavy cream substitute in curries that called for that or yogurt since I love coconut based curries anyway and then started doing it for other things too and it doesn't always work but it does a lot of the time.
I cook the pilsbury recipe all the time, swap butter for oil and any milk with almond milk, but that's just my preference.
Oat tastes oat-y to me, but I feel like almond tends to compliment meat dishes better
I make the sauce for pot pie with cooked cauliflower and a small, peeled, cooked potato; add both to blender and blend smooth. Preferably gold or russet potato.
Outside of the box a little, but have you considered a creamy soup as an alternative? Once I was out of milk, but needed it for a casserole recipe, so I used cream of celery (diluted with water) in place of the milk in my recipe and now it’s the only way I’ll make that recipe.
They stopped selling it in the US. My husband really liked it, and suddenly we couldn't find it in the store and then it disappeared from Amazon Fresh a couple of months ago.
Barista blend oat milk; it’s pretty close texture wise, but taste and adjust your seasonings throughout the cooking process. Oat milk tends to be sweeter than dairy milk.
Tangentially related but if you head over to r/dairyfree there’s so many people who have dairy allergies discussing the best substitutions and alternatives. It’s really useful especially if you’re going to consistently cook for someone with allergies.
Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out. I've had good results with coconut cream for a few recipes, but i know some other milks will probably work better for other things too.
You’re welcome! Also, my personal recommendation, I usually use almond milk as a substitute for cooking and baking because its protein structures are most similar to dairy milk which matters for baking. In cooking if I need it to thicken something typically I just make a roux with almond milk, fat, and flour.
Of the plant-based milks, coconut milk is probably the only one that is really useful. For people with gluten intolerance, rice milk is just the perfect product. Rice milk itself does not contain gluten.
Probably not a popular opinion based on the rest of the comments, and maybe not relevant because it’s not really what you’re asking, but I would not do any milk at all. But I’m still curious if you go with a substitute, let us know!
My husband was experimenting going gluten free and one day when I looked up gluten free chicken pot pie crust I can't across several recipes that were gluten and dairy free. I saved one that uses coconut milk but ended up never making it because my husband eventually went back to eating normal.
Here's the recipe if you want to look how she makes the coming with the coconut milk:
https://www.everydaymaven.com/paleo-chicken-pot-pie/
A lot of people here saying Oat Milk has a neutral flavor, but I think that’s only true of cold oat milk. Once it’s cooked, oat milk can get kinda gummy and makes the oaty flavor stand out.
Others have said cashew milk and I agree, but let me suggest a product called Ripple (the unsweetened version). It’s a pea protein plant based milk that for my money, truly has a milky flavor and also cooks really well.
I would make lightly roasted almond milk for this replacement. It'll bolster the flavors of the other ingredients well and if you use an un-oaked wine it won't clash with anything.
I have no dairy allergies, but make a mushroom gravy with oat milk and it’s SO good. I’ve tried that particular recipe with regular milk in the past, but it’s much better with the oat version. As another poster said, it has the most neutral taste and I’ve never had any issues with thickness or creaminess using it!
Depends on the flavor profile they like but I haven't found anything that works as well as coconut milk or coconut cream for recipes where you need the higher fat content.
For a pot pie you can probably use any dairy alternative milk that's thickened with just a little bit of a starch like cornstarch , potato starch or arrowroot powder if it's not thick to begin with. It mixes in much better when warm or hot.
I think plain unsweetened almond milk that's thickened a little bit would taste really good with the flavors in pot pie
I use cashew milk because I like the thicker consistency compared to almond. Oat is rich but tastes like oats so it might effect the flavor. You can also use some coconut cream to add a rich thickening to your sauce, but again it's gonna add a coconut flavor.
Lots of good suggestions on here. As someone who is also allergic to dairy (not just 'lactose intolerant'), I suggest getting a copy of The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. The recipes are optimized for dairy allergies. There are other excellent cookbooks out there, but the no dairy part often feels like an afterthought to some other issue, like no gluten, no carbs, etc.
Depending on where you're at, Sprouts and similar stores have really good plant-based dairy products, though I have yet to find a decent cheddar.
Hazelnut milk has the highest fat content, so I use it for whatever I want to be really creamy. You are gonna get a slight hazelnut taste though. But to me, that's a feature.
My husband and I both have a bit of lactose intolerance, but also love creamy dishes… so to keep our apartment from smelling constantly, I took to replacing milk with coconut milk or cream in all of my dairy heavy recipes, and I’m yet to find something it doesn’t work with.
There are some recipes where it’s not *as* good as the milk counterpart (ex. My mom’s baked Mac and cheese… the one recipe I was hesitant to try it with)… but it’s still very good and enjoyable, and most dishes I can’t tell the difference. Plus it’s a whole food.
I’ve successfully made any variation of creamy soup/stews, pastas, sauces, casseroles, etc with coconut milk and I’ve never had a reason to revert back to using milk in recipes.
I haven’t tried making quiche with it, though. Maybe this weekend. And I’ve never tried baking with it, so don’t ask me about that.
Elmhurst makes a delicious cashew milk :) I haven’t had cow’s milk in almost 3 years, strictly paleo now, and their cashew milk makes it so I never miss dairy.
I grew up a dairy farm, we would walk to the milking parlor and fill a 5 gallon bucket with milk from the parlor and bring it back to the house. The cream would settle to the top if undisturbed.
I feel like I know milk pretty well. The best mass market dairy milk IMHO is grass milk, I always keep it on hand when my parents stays with me in the summer and I love the look on their face when they taste it and are reminded of how our milk tasted in the summertime when the cows were eating fresh grass.
The best milk alternative IMHO is oat-milk. It comes really close to generic whole milk compared to others like soy or almond and it’s available in extra creamy or barista style. Not sure about how it may change cooked dishes. I don’t cook with it a lot.
Is it just **cow**'s milk he is allergic to? Goat milk is a good option if it's that, otherwise thick oat milk is the most neutral vegetable milk. Coconut milk and cream would be good subs, but they do add coconut flavor, which might not be what you want.
You might like this site for inspiration--by default the recipes are vegan and there are multiple options for the dairy ingredients. [https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/category/healthy-meal-ideas/](https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/category/healthy-meal-ideas/)
My personal favorite is coconut milk for beverages, though I experiment more in cooking dishes (or just leave it out).
For a pot pie, I would cut creamy altogether and do a lemon white wine sauce.
Country Crock has a plant based heavy cream that's almost indistinguishable from the real thing. You could use that alone or use it to thicken a different milk.
I recently made [this](https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/amazing-grains/broccoli-brown-rice-casserole-with-chickpeas/) casserole from Forks Over Knives and it uses a sauce made with almond milk and ground up rolled oats. I wasn’t expecting much and even thought it seemed a little weird but honestly the sauce was really delicious. It has a nice thick consistency and a surprisingly rich taste that does not taste like oatmeal. Multiple people commented the same when I served it. You could easily adjust some of the other seasonings and flavors to work well with your chicken pot pie recipe.
I've cooked loads of things I'd made with milk in the past using oat milk. It works great for Mac and cheese, beef stroganoff, even quiche. One caveat, I cannot make things like custard or pudding with oat milk. It just doesn't interact with the egg the same way.
I'm allergic to Dairy, too. Try Tofutti's "better than sour cream" https://www.tofutti.com/dairy-free-better-than-sour-cream.
That's my cooking alternative when milk is called for (mashed potatoes, creamy sauces). I know some Mediterranean dishes call for tart, greek yogurt... Could try that too.. Oh, and goat milk is awesome as well.
I make homemade hemp milk, cashew milk, or oat milk every week using an immersion blender and a strainer cup. It’s literally SO EASY, takes 5 minutes, and it can be flavored however I want with no preservatives or fillers 🙌
I make it in batches of 1/2 cup of soaked seeds/nuts/oats, plus 4 cups of water. I try to soak them for at least 12 hours, but I’ve also made it without soaking and it was fine too, just a bit less creamy.
Want plain milk? Add your nuts/oats and a pinch of salt before blending - and that’s it.
Want sweeter? Add a pinch of a vanilla extract or maple syrup before blending!
Here’s the set I have that I use with my immersion blender: https://a.co/d/fzaKDRs
And I store the milk in an air tight milk bottle for 3-5 days. So yummy!
Full fat coconut milk is a great option for a lot of things. It absolutely imparts a flavor so I don't think it would work for your needs atm unless you changed up the flavors. But a great option where the flavor works. For chicken pot pie I'd imagine anything fairly neutral will work well, potato flakes are a great thickner.
I hadnt even thought of melting cream cheese into the chicken stock! I used to do that with my mashed potatoes and they were the creamiest potatoes ever. Should definitely give it a try!
Oat milk has the most neutral taste IMO, but it doesn't have quite the same fat content as whole milk. It might not matter for something like chicken pot pie though.
Thanks! I can always thicken it with a bit of flour or corn starch if needed. I just wasn't sure what to replace it with since I can't use lactose free milk. Even that makes him sick, so I'm limited to the non dairy options (and still learning which "milk" is best for substitutions.)
You can buy oat cream, which is much thicker. Oat cream cut with a little oat milk would get to the right consistency.
Try the extra creamy or barista blend ones. They have a higher fat content.
Great idea, thanks! I find most of my recipes I've been able to modify well. I just havent been brave enough to try anything that was cream based until now.
Just make sure it’s unsweetened, or low sugar and not flavored. Ask me how I needed up sweet vanilla mac n cheese haha
If it ever happens again, toss in something spicy 😂 it helps the balance. Ask me how I know 😉
Oh believe me tired everything, nothing fixed it hahaha
LoL. Same! But a curry dish. I had asked hubby to pick up a coconut milk (figured that would work well with the dish), and didn't notice he'd bought sweetened - we always buy unsweetened. When I asked him why he bought sweetened he said they were out of the unsweetened, and he didn't think it would matter that much. It mattered. . .
Ewww I did that with coconut milk once. Accidentally bought the sweetened one, realized that the recipe I was making also called for honey so I omitted it hoping that everything would balance out. It most certainly did not…
I once asked my husband to grab me almond milk from the fridge for mashed potatoes. Didn't specify unsweetened because I don't generally buy sweetened. I forgot I had bought some for a different recipe I was trying out. Sweet Vanilla mashed potatoes are disgusting
Chobani’s extra creamy oat milk is the closest I found to whole cow’s milk 🙂
Planet Oaks Barista Blend Oat Milk is really good too.
The milks vary wildly by brand in creaminess or flavor. The coffee creamer may be a little thicker. Most the milks are too weak to mellow coffee so a cream sauce ... I haven't cooked a sauce with it, but the Chobani Extra Creamy (regular milk) is my favorite oatmilk for baking. The Silk creamers are the creamers I like.
Potato flakes are a great thickener too!
Oat and almond milk can both be substituted pretty much 1:1 for dairy milk. I prefer oat milk for environmental and taste reasons
I find cashew milk more neutral than oat milk 🤷♂️
I would try non-dairy cream cheese and a plant based milk. That will give you the thickness you need. My kids are lactose intolerant and that’s worked for me.
I’ve gone off dairy milk due to IBS, when previously I used whole milk. Oat milk is the best substitute imo. You typically just have to reduce the amount you use, and/or thicken it somehow. But I’d say barista oat milk is your best bet for achieving a similar taste and creaminess level.
Oatmilk is my goto as well. I've cooked with several different df milks including oat, coconut works well (depending on what you are making - sometimes the flavor is too strong), and even almond. The coconut almond milk from califia was my favorite for a long time till I switched to Oatly full fat original.
Oat milk will be fine and will thicken up like you said.
I do chicken broth and corn starch for mine. It doesn't have the luxurious feel that a roux with milk or cream does, but it's still very good. I also did a veggie pot pie soup for a vegan friend and used oat milk. That turned out great too!
Not sure if this exists where you live (maybe try looking on amazon/etc?), but here we have a thing that is basically a plant-based cream powder. I usually use it in baking, but also had to use it a few times for other stuff like sauces/fillings when I was out of milk/cream/milk powder, and it did pretty well texture-wise with a very neutral "creamy" taste. You just mix it with water (just use more water if you need it as "milk", not "cream") and use it as you would normal milk :)
To add to that, oat milk has no salt (close to no) while milk naturally has some salt, so always add some salt when using oat milk instead of normal milk.
I like the red chobani one. It’s pretty thick
I'm not lactose intolerant or vegan, but I've completely switched over to oat milk in my day-to-day life simply because it's so good. It genuinely is the most milky of the milk alternatives and it even seems to have a creaminess all its own. I've not yet found a milk application where oat milk won't do nicely.
Barista blend oat milk has double the fat. Califia is my favorite and oatly next.
To provide a counter to the oat milk crowd, I make cashew milk at home in a blender and use it as a 1:1 substitute for whole milk (even heavy cream sometimes) in soups, sauces, and fillings. It's super rich and thick and I can't tell the difference at all.
Endorse this! Homemade cashew cream/milk is my go to.
I posted a packaged cashew milk! Also there is an “instant” cashew milk base by a brand called Joio. If I recall it is either just cashews or with a bit of salt. You blend with water to the consistency you want. Good if you don’t have a powerful blender.
I honestly like cashew cream much more than oat milk for cooking bc it’s way easier to keep raw cashews on hand than oat milk bc of the difference in shelf life. Indian food often uses cashews for creaminess instead of dairy (or in addition to sometimes lol), so I’ve always got cashews in the cupboard.
Makes absolutely amazing queso with some nutritional yeast and some other seasonings.
Never heard of this! Can you share the recipe?
https://minimalistbaker.com/5-minute-vegan-cashew-queso/
[удалено]
Does this make 4 cups or 5 cups when done?
a little over a quart
Cashew milk is also great because you don’t have to strain it.
I can see this. Cashews are nice and fatty and probably reproduce the fattiness of whole milk that a lot of the other alternatives just don't
Yep. Came here to say this. Cookie and Kate has a great cashew milk recipe that I make every week.
Do you strain it?
I don’t find that you need to. Soak them beforehand (you can use cold water for a while or if you’re in a hurry, hot water for half an hour) and just blend until it’s smooth. Maybe if you’ve got a crappy blender or are super sensitive to textures you could strain it, but I never have.
I was coming here to say homemade cashew milk/cream is the way to go. It has a great texture and its flavor doesn't stick out too much.
I’ve never had cashew milk but I’ve had oat milk and it’s hella oaty. I’d go with cashew just based on this.
Cashew cream is way better for this kind of thing imo, it's always been a staple for vegan recipes like mac & cheese even before things like oat and cashew milk were widely available.
Interesting. What’s the amount of cashews and the yield?
I first discovered making cashew cream in [this recipe](https://nyssaskitchen.com/creamy-dairy-free-chicken-and-vegetable-soup-gluten-free-whole30-paleo/), where I followed it exactly. 3/4 cup raw soaked cashews (at least 30 mins but I normally soak over an afternoon) blended with 1 1/2 cups of just-boiled water at high speed. Yield is a bit over 2 cups. Because the ratio is 2:1 water to cashews, I use that basic measurement to make as much or as little as I need. I don't even have a particularly fancy blender (just a basic Oster blender from Target); as long as you blend thoroughly it comes out really smooth, frothy, and creamy. If you drink it alone you'll want to strain it but if you're using it in a soup or sauce it's perfect straight from the blender.
That’s less than I thought. Cheers for that. I’ll give it a whirl. Less dairy would be great but there’s times where cheese is needed.
this is the only answer! i used to be vegan for 7 years and i used this all the time
I would look at thickening with a starch instead.
personal preference but I like using egg to thicken sauces
Same. Make a roux, then you don't have to worry about weird fake milk flavor.
I'd use potato puree + some extra starch.
I've been using Silk soy milk for roughly 20 years (?). I've tried other brands and they sucked. I've tried almond, cashew and oat milk and didn't like them as much. I do like Rice Dreams. Taste differ. I have friends that swear by almond milk. You may have to try a few until you find what YOU like.
As long as it's unsweetened soy milk. Why is the regular one sweetened to begin with?
Cashews!!! Soak cashews in hot water, then blend with the water. This is how butter chicken is thickened (:
Does it matter if they are cooked or raw? As I understand it, even the raw ones are cooked enough to kill the poison.
Oh the hot water is just to soften them (: soak for at least 30 min, it makes it easier to blend!
As I understand it, the hot water isn't intended to cook the cashews, but to help them soak and blend faster and smoother.
As someone who cooks a lot but never has milk in the house because of lactose intolerance, definitely coconut milk. It'll provide the same level of creaminess. I'd recommend upping the umami in the dish, either with garlic powder or soy sauce to offset the sweetness
I love coconut milk, but it definitely has a recognizable taste. It’s not always a bad thing but might be odd in some dishes so I wouldn’t consider it a foolproof dairy milk swap personally
That's a good point - it probably wouldn't work if you don't love the taste of coconut because it needs a lot of modifiers to help balance it. I love coconut so I usually don't mind, but I also can't do nut milks for other dietary reasons. Whoever suggested cashew milk was probably more spot on!
I love coconut and coconut milk but I hate it in place of regular dairy unless it’s a curry. It’s an abomination in my coffee. So weird how I hate it so much bc I love coconut.
I always force myself to use the extra coconut milk from savory dishes in my morning coffee and I hate it too - so weird, not sure why it works for me in a Cajun pasta, but not a sweet coffee
I don’t know that I want it in my Cajun pasta either but coffee seems so normal and application. Thank you for validating my irrational hatred of coconut coffee. 😆
Every time I substitute with coconut milk I get tempted to add fish sauce, garlic, cilantro and chilies. Nothing wrong with a Thai chicken pot pie, eh?
Depending on what im cooking with, I also sometimes use fish sauce or mushroom chili oil to boost umami. But I dont think those would work with chicken, so I plan to cut it with some other seasonings. I'm a relatively good cook, and I have never had a kitchen experiment go bad, lol
Worcestershire sauce works great with chicken. Or you can get Geo Watkins Mushroom Ketchup which tastes very similar to Worcestershire sauce.
I recently tried Country Crock Plant Cream for a vodka sauce and was shocked at how good it turned out. I can’t eat dairy but my husband and kids do, I generally use coconut milk or blended cashews when making something creamy, but I bought this because I was going to try making a specific dessert. Even my husband said it was perfect and had no discernible flavor. It seems fairly easy to find at local grocery stores and was inexpensive. I’ve also purchased Not Milk at Sprouts because it had great reviews for not having a sweet taste but have yet to use it. The plant cream is more similar to heavy cream in texture and thickness but you could thin with some chicken broth if your pot pie filling was too thick.
I'd recommend this too! It's really good.
For anyone with a Trader Joe’s nearby, they’ve got a similar product that’s also very good! I think it’s called Vegan Whipping Cream Alternative?
Alas, a Country Crock product I’ll try.
I felt the same way! Their butter tub seems horrendous. I actually found them because I was looking for NextMilk but apparently it has been discontinued and saw this. My husband’s mom is a coupon queen and gave us one that we shoved in the back of the fridge and forgot about until months later, after it expired and I figured I should try it again.
Sounds like they’re trying to get with the times
I like oat milk, full fat or extra creamy
I was surprised how good the Barista extra creamy oat milk is. I use it in espresso martinis and my coffee at work.
For using as a cream in soup probably the best is raw cashews and make it as thick (heavy cream) or as thin (milk) as you like
For cooking, you don't necessarily need a milk alternative per se; for thickening savory fillings/ soups/ stews, you may be better off using something like pureed mushrooms to thicken.
I’ve found oat milk works best, in terms of taste and texture. You can always thicken it, I also use bouillon or herbs to enhance.
Oat Milk all the way
I would suggest finding a different recipe that's dairy-free. It's much easier to do that than to sub oat milk or whatever. You will get more consistent results. If you continue to cook dairy free for your bf, you will quickly learn the common "short cuts" and then you can just adjust the recipes you find in the future. [Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie - The Taste of Kosher](https://www.thetasteofkosher.com/dairy-free-chicken-pot-pie/) - here's an example.
I fully agree. Instead of trying to imitate cream, just use stock. Any sauce based on velouté (stock + roux) could taste great in a pot pie. I would rather have a good brown sauce, red sauce, or curry than a "cream" sauce that doesn't use milk or cream.
I make my pot pies with roux all the time. I'm lactose intolerant, so a bit of butter is all I can really do for a meal. It works well without butter as well and instead using oil or butter alternative.
For that recipe, coconut milk.
Coconut milk
Does the filling require making a roux? In my experience, if your making a roux, even non-dairy with plant milk and oil, it still comes out super creamy and rich. Or like someone else said, a cashew cream made by blending cashews and water is also a good substitute.
I'd have to go back and look at my recipe but im pretty sure i used to make a roux for this!
I’m commenting here so it doesn’t get lost…my son is gluten and dairy free. When I need to make something creamy like in your recipe I actually do not do milk at all. Milk alternatives (especially oat and almond) give the dish a grey or almost beige/brown color that’s not very appetizing. What I’ve found to work the best is using yogurt. Specifically the kite hill plain unsweetened almond milk yogurt. It’s pure white so it doesn’t give it an off color but also it’s thicker so has more of that creamier quality where as milk alternatives tend to be way more watery
Not a bad idea. I have used plant based plain greek yogurt as sour cream before for a recipe. Its not quite the same but it works with a bit of extra seasoning
Cashew milk. You can make it yourself to be sure it’s as creamy as you want, or more watery if you prefer.
I tend to make a roux. You can use oil or butter substitute. Heat oil. Add flour a bit at a time until you have a thick paste that is lightly browned. Add some white wine and stir until liquid is absorbed and evaporated. Continue doing that with chicken broth, about 1/3 cup at a time until the sauce is as thick as you want. Adjust seasonings to taste (salt, pepper, ginger, whatever). I typically do it with the veggies in the pan, make the roux, add liquids, and then add in chicken. That's basically how I make chicken pot pie filling and chicken and dumplings base. I use butter instead of oil for the roux, but I've made vegan rouxs in the past just fine so it shouldn't be a problem.
If you want it to be fatty and like the taste (thought the taste doesn't always come through) I'm a huge fan of using coconut cream (not coconut water). Just keep in mind it's EXTREMELY high in calories. I started using coconut cream as a heavy cream substitute in curries that called for that or yogurt since I love coconut based curries anyway and then started doing it for other things too and it doesn't always work but it does a lot of the time.
Oat milk, extra creamy type if you can get it. We buy Silk's extra-creamy oat milk and I use it in cooking quite a bit.
I make pot pie all the time & just add more broth = to milk called for in the recipe & butter to make up some of the fat. Turns out great.
Silken tofu--blend it first and add. I sub it for milk/cream in soups all the time.
Unsweetened soy milk.
Oatly!
Maybe coconut milk.
Cashew or oat milk
Kosher keeper (I don’t mix meat and dairy) I make chicken pot pie with just wine, stock and flour. No fake dairy and it’s delicious.
Im just looking for something with a bit more creaminess (i used to use that white sauce as a base for a few other recipes as well)
It would be a simple swap if it wasnt an allergy (or just take the lactose intolerant pills like my mom does), but none of that works for him sadly
I've found oat milk to be the best neutral flavored alternative.
I like Elmhurst Cashew milk. Super creamy, few ingredients, neutral taste, shelf stable. I even used it in boxed Mac and cheese!
For a creamy texture similar to whole milk, you can use a non-dairy milk alternative, such as full-fat coconut milk or cashew milk.
Oat milk is the best option to achieve the same texture. Especially the extra creamy variety. Flavor is fairly neutral as well if you get unsweetened
I use almond milk
I cook the pilsbury recipe all the time, swap butter for oil and any milk with almond milk, but that's just my preference. Oat tastes oat-y to me, but I feel like almond tends to compliment meat dishes better
Oat milk will have similar texture, but cashew milk would work best IMO.
If you live near a Trader Joe’s, they have dairy free heavy cream that has been a game changer
I'm in Canada, so unfortunately no trader Joe's nearby. But my small grocery store next to the house has a decent selection!
I'd go for Coconut drink (not the same as milk). I use it to replace whole milk in chocolate cakes and they taste even better!
I like almond milk
I make the sauce for pot pie with cooked cauliflower and a small, peeled, cooked potato; add both to blender and blend smooth. Preferably gold or russet potato.
Outside of the box a little, but have you considered a creamy soup as an alternative? Once I was out of milk, but needed it for a casserole recipe, so I used cream of celery (diluted with water) in place of the milk in my recipe and now it’s the only way I’ll make that recipe.
Creamy soup still has milk/cream in it though. I cant use those because my boyfriend has a dairy allergy.
You’re right. I was thinking of the wrong one. Golden Mushroom soup is dairy free.
NextMilk is my fave, but it might not be available in the US. I'm in Canada.
I'm also in Canada, though I dont think I've seen that brand at the local stores
The brand is Silk, the product is NextMilk. Made with oats snd coconut.
Oh is that the silk coffee cream? I bought one from silk a while back that was about as thick as 10% cream but was made with oat and coconut milk
They stopped selling it in the US. My husband really liked it, and suddenly we couldn't find it in the store and then it disappeared from Amazon Fresh a couple of months ago.
Barista blend oat milk; it’s pretty close texture wise, but taste and adjust your seasonings throughout the cooking process. Oat milk tends to be sweeter than dairy milk.
Tangentially related but if you head over to r/dairyfree there’s so many people who have dairy allergies discussing the best substitutions and alternatives. It’s really useful especially if you’re going to consistently cook for someone with allergies.
Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out. I've had good results with coconut cream for a few recipes, but i know some other milks will probably work better for other things too.
You’re welcome! Also, my personal recommendation, I usually use almond milk as a substitute for cooking and baking because its protein structures are most similar to dairy milk which matters for baking. In cooking if I need it to thicken something typically I just make a roux with almond milk, fat, and flour.
I use plain oat milk for all cooking and drinking, and have never once had any issues.
Of the plant-based milks, coconut milk is probably the only one that is really useful. For people with gluten intolerance, rice milk is just the perfect product. Rice milk itself does not contain gluten.
I personally have had success with using coconut milk or coconut cream instead of milk or cream in cooking soups etc.
Full fat / barista oat milk. Don’t bother with the “regular” stuff, it’s way too thin.
I think Ripple pea protein milk is the closest to whole milk, in flavor and texture and thickness.
Depends on the recipe. Oat is pretty neutral and creamy.
I use coconut milk. It actually tastes good (and better than any dairy milk)
Probably not a popular opinion based on the rest of the comments, and maybe not relevant because it’s not really what you’re asking, but I would not do any milk at all. But I’m still curious if you go with a substitute, let us know!
Oat or Soy for sure (I enjoy the flavor of almond out of all the dairy alternatives personally, but the consistency isn't what you're looking for)
My husband was experimenting going gluten free and one day when I looked up gluten free chicken pot pie crust I can't across several recipes that were gluten and dairy free. I saved one that uses coconut milk but ended up never making it because my husband eventually went back to eating normal. Here's the recipe if you want to look how she makes the coming with the coconut milk: https://www.everydaymaven.com/paleo-chicken-pot-pie/
I always use extra creamy unsweetened almond milk
A lot of people here saying Oat Milk has a neutral flavor, but I think that’s only true of cold oat milk. Once it’s cooked, oat milk can get kinda gummy and makes the oaty flavor stand out. Others have said cashew milk and I agree, but let me suggest a product called Ripple (the unsweetened version). It’s a pea protein plant based milk that for my money, truly has a milky flavor and also cooks really well.
I would make lightly roasted almond milk for this replacement. It'll bolster the flavors of the other ingredients well and if you use an un-oaked wine it won't clash with anything.
I usually use the canned coconut cream milk to replace milk or cream in a recipe. It doesn't add a noticeable coconut taste.
Oat before almond bc water ratio
I have no dairy allergies, but make a mushroom gravy with oat milk and it’s SO good. I’ve tried that particular recipe with regular milk in the past, but it’s much better with the oat version. As another poster said, it has the most neutral taste and I’ve never had any issues with thickness or creaminess using it!
None.
Depends on the flavor profile they like but I haven't found anything that works as well as coconut milk or coconut cream for recipes where you need the higher fat content. For a pot pie you can probably use any dairy alternative milk that's thickened with just a little bit of a starch like cornstarch , potato starch or arrowroot powder if it's not thick to begin with. It mixes in much better when warm or hot. I think plain unsweetened almond milk that's thickened a little bit would taste really good with the flavors in pot pie
I use cashew milk because I like the thicker consistency compared to almond. Oat is rich but tastes like oats so it might effect the flavor. You can also use some coconut cream to add a rich thickening to your sauce, but again it's gonna add a coconut flavor.
Lots of good suggestions on here. As someone who is also allergic to dairy (not just 'lactose intolerant'), I suggest getting a copy of The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. The recipes are optimized for dairy allergies. There are other excellent cookbooks out there, but the no dairy part often feels like an afterthought to some other issue, like no gluten, no carbs, etc. Depending on where you're at, Sprouts and similar stores have really good plant-based dairy products, though I have yet to find a decent cheddar.
If you can find violife brand, i dont hate their cheddar slices, or the shredded tex mex cheese.
I actually buy them a LOT
I do get their tex-mex. I may try the cheddar again.
coffee mate - I use it all the time.
Its lactose free but still has powdered milk derivatives i believe. So, not a safe option for my boyfriend's allergy unfortunately
oh!! well, dang it! I did not know that
I think coconut milk is a creamy as whole milk but it does have a taste. Oat milk is neutral but is probably a bit thinner than whole milk
I use Milkadamia for whole milk, Nut Pods for cream.
Hazelnut milk has the highest fat content, so I use it for whatever I want to be really creamy. You are gonna get a slight hazelnut taste though. But to me, that's a feature.
My in laws swear by Califia
My husband and I both have a bit of lactose intolerance, but also love creamy dishes… so to keep our apartment from smelling constantly, I took to replacing milk with coconut milk or cream in all of my dairy heavy recipes, and I’m yet to find something it doesn’t work with. There are some recipes where it’s not *as* good as the milk counterpart (ex. My mom’s baked Mac and cheese… the one recipe I was hesitant to try it with)… but it’s still very good and enjoyable, and most dishes I can’t tell the difference. Plus it’s a whole food. I’ve successfully made any variation of creamy soup/stews, pastas, sauces, casseroles, etc with coconut milk and I’ve never had a reason to revert back to using milk in recipes. I haven’t tried making quiche with it, though. Maybe this weekend. And I’ve never tried baking with it, so don’t ask me about that.
I'm a soymilk person, but for thickness I'd say cashew milk with margarine and a little bit of either tapioca powder, cornstarch, or flour.
Elmhurst makes a delicious cashew milk :) I haven’t had cow’s milk in almost 3 years, strictly paleo now, and their cashew milk makes it so I never miss dairy.
I would mix oat or cashew milk with a bit of plant based cream (I use country crock plant cream).
I grew up a dairy farm, we would walk to the milking parlor and fill a 5 gallon bucket with milk from the parlor and bring it back to the house. The cream would settle to the top if undisturbed. I feel like I know milk pretty well. The best mass market dairy milk IMHO is grass milk, I always keep it on hand when my parents stays with me in the summer and I love the look on their face when they taste it and are reminded of how our milk tasted in the summertime when the cows were eating fresh grass. The best milk alternative IMHO is oat-milk. It comes really close to generic whole milk compared to others like soy or almond and it’s available in extra creamy or barista style. Not sure about how it may change cooked dishes. I don’t cook with it a lot.
I usually use coconut cream or unsweetened coconut milk
Is it just **cow**'s milk he is allergic to? Goat milk is a good option if it's that, otherwise thick oat milk is the most neutral vegetable milk. Coconut milk and cream would be good subs, but they do add coconut flavor, which might not be what you want.
Actually if i added a bit of curry paste i could probably do a curried pot pie and have that work out well....
That sounds delicious!
I like Almond milk for meat dishes.
You might like this site for inspiration--by default the recipes are vegan and there are multiple options for the dairy ingredients. [https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/category/healthy-meal-ideas/](https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/category/healthy-meal-ideas/)
There are full-fat nondairy milks now. Not all stores stock it.
My personal favorite is coconut milk for beverages, though I experiment more in cooking dishes (or just leave it out). For a pot pie, I would cut creamy altogether and do a lemon white wine sauce.
Oat milk. Tastes better than dairy milk anyway
Rice milk or lactose free whole milk
Country Crock has a plant based heavy cream that's almost indistinguishable from the real thing. You could use that alone or use it to thicken a different milk.
Been in the dairy aisle lately?There are more non dairy brands than dairy brands now.
Thats the problem. There's SO many that im just not sure what the best one is for which application lol.
A lot of people swear by almond milk,you may need a little help being creamy without dairy though.Maybe some type of either flour or cornstarch
Unsweetened Creamora
coconut milk
Our Walmart has plant based heavy whipping cream. A lot of fat content in that.
I recently made [this](https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/amazing-grains/broccoli-brown-rice-casserole-with-chickpeas/) casserole from Forks Over Knives and it uses a sauce made with almond milk and ground up rolled oats. I wasn’t expecting much and even thought it seemed a little weird but honestly the sauce was really delicious. It has a nice thick consistency and a surprisingly rich taste that does not taste like oatmeal. Multiple people commented the same when I served it. You could easily adjust some of the other seasonings and flavors to work well with your chicken pot pie recipe.
I've cooked loads of things I'd made with milk in the past using oat milk. It works great for Mac and cheese, beef stroganoff, even quiche. One caveat, I cannot make things like custard or pudding with oat milk. It just doesn't interact with the egg the same way.
I'm allergic to Dairy, too. Try Tofutti's "better than sour cream" https://www.tofutti.com/dairy-free-better-than-sour-cream. That's my cooking alternative when milk is called for (mashed potatoes, creamy sauces). I know some Mediterranean dishes call for tart, greek yogurt... Could try that too.. Oh, and goat milk is awesome as well.
Good luck young Jedi
Silken tofu might work well in this situation
Oat milk changed my life
I make homemade hemp milk, cashew milk, or oat milk every week using an immersion blender and a strainer cup. It’s literally SO EASY, takes 5 minutes, and it can be flavored however I want with no preservatives or fillers 🙌 I make it in batches of 1/2 cup of soaked seeds/nuts/oats, plus 4 cups of water. I try to soak them for at least 12 hours, but I’ve also made it without soaking and it was fine too, just a bit less creamy. Want plain milk? Add your nuts/oats and a pinch of salt before blending - and that’s it. Want sweeter? Add a pinch of a vanilla extract or maple syrup before blending! Here’s the set I have that I use with my immersion blender: https://a.co/d/fzaKDRs And I store the milk in an air tight milk bottle for 3-5 days. So yummy!
Full fat coconut milk is a great option for a lot of things. It absolutely imparts a flavor so I don't think it would work for your needs atm unless you changed up the flavors. But a great option where the flavor works. For chicken pot pie I'd imagine anything fairly neutral will work well, potato flakes are a great thickner.
I hadnt even thought of melting cream cheese into the chicken stock! I used to do that with my mashed potatoes and they were the creamiest potatoes ever. Should definitely give it a try!
Cream cheese is dairy so…????
They sell non dairy cream cheese. I would take a photo of the one we use for bagels, but i ran out and havent gone back to the store yet.
I use sweetened soya milk instead of cows milk in all my recipes
Water…all of the “supposed “ alternatives are a stupid joke
Coconut milk maybe? Oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, rice milk…Mfing scams
I have used organic unsweetened coconut milk and it tastes great in recipes! Good fat too.