The Creme de la dairy free Creme

Oo! How I love/loved cream!! 

Along with cheese, it's like the Holy Grail of my dairy free world! It's fine if you can tolerate soya - many dairy substitutes are made with soya, but I can't. 

I don't know about you, but I've tried a few.

In the early days of going dairy free (pre-discovering I couldn't tolerate gluten) not being able to tolerate soya, I used to use Oatly as my milk replacement and Oatly cream as an accompaniment for a dessert. 

Like many dairy replacements, the Oatly cream needed a good shake, before you opened the carton - as the contents tend to have separated a bit, whilst they've been sat on a shelf. I didn't get as far as baking with it, although it says that you can on the carton, but I did like a blob of it on my apple crumble. By itself, it was bland enough and didn't leave any nasty after taste.

One thing I found, though, was that the cream would start out fairly thick, in consistency, but would soon go runny, once it came into contact with the heat from the apple crumble.

Apple Crumble and 'cream' - delicious!

Once I became gluten free, as well as dairy and soya free, I really thought that my options were limited, until I came across the following, by Ecomil.

Look carefully,  when shopping, it's actually quite a small carton.

Basically, it's a 'cream' that's made with almonds, and, like Oatly, is suitable for cooking. I've used it on desserts ( as with the apple crumble above and now, also, to make a rich chocolate sauce (which I'll tell you more about another time).

On it's own, it tastes fairly bland, but actually works well as an accompaniment, I think. It's fairly thick in consistency, but doesn't work well in coffee - I should know, I've tried. It was an experiment too far!

Look, how it's split!!

It didn't taste bad, but it looked awful, as you can see!

I didn't manage to get hold of any more for quite a while, until I moved to our current location and found that it was stocked by my current 'local' health food store.

So, for a while, I was cream free, until thanks to my friend Sarah (@Sugarpuffish on Twitter) I was pointed in the direction of The Vegan Store and the somewhat misleadingly named Soyatoo.

I say misleadingly, because although they do make products from soya, they also make 'cream' from rice and coconut.

The first product of theirs, that I tried, I think I actually found locally. It was an aerosol cream, made of rice - very similar to the actual cream one I remember we sometimes had as a treat, when I was growing up. At the risk of making you drool, I have to tell you that I thought it was perfect on top of a hot chocolate, although the heat did make it melt in to the drink!

Deep joy!

Obviously not meant for cooking, I also tried it with strawberries - my favourite fruit! By itself, it had no real particular flavour, but I thought it had a nice enough taste and accompanied the strawberries quite nicely.

Just right for Wimbledon!

However, the spray button caused me a bit of trouble. I don't know if I was being thick, but I could only get tit to work properly the first time. On subsequent occasions, despite following the instructions on the can, to the letter, the nozzle didn't seem to spray too well. How disappointing!!

Once opened, I refrigerated it though, and this may have been the problem as it was meant to be kept at ambient temperature apparently, but for no more than two or three days. This I discovered, once I emailed the company.

Since then I have discovered that Soyatoo also make a dairy and soya free rice whipping cream (sold by The Vegan Store). It is long life, so it can be stored in the cupboard for some while - ideal to keep handy in case you suddenly feel the need! 

Having tried it, I think it makes quite a good alternative to cream. There's no unpleasant after-taste. It is easy to whip up cream, but is best chilled first - when chilled it becomes a little more solid and holds shape well. 

One to try!

Although I am still breastfeeding, I felt fine to try these, as it's not like I am planning to eat them everyday!! (If you'd like to know why I am avoiding rice milk, whilst breastfeeding, you might be interested in reading this earlier post.) However, for those who are scrupulously avoiding rice milk, Soyatoo also make a coconut whipping cream.

This is it:

Sorry about the photo quality, here, folks!

On first opening the carton, I couldn't help noticing the smell of the coconut, from which it was made and it didn't look too appetising when I emptied it out into a bowl to be whipped. I planned to use to as an accompaniment to my Christmas pudding. With an electric whisk, like the rice whip, it didn't whisk up too badly, at all. 

Christmas pudding soon being off my list of 'foods I can eat,' I tried it instead with, yes, you've guessed it - crumble! Raspberry and apple this time!

Yes, there's a LOT of cream in this picture but it made lot and I was the only one eating it!

And again, with Strawberries - only this time I combined them with a meringue nest. Hey presto! A mini pavlova!

Obviously, whipping cream is just that - and can only really be used for a topping. Funnily enough that is just what it reminded me of - Dream Topping! The flavour was more artificial, I think, than others I had tried. I could cope with it, but it wasn't my favourite. The consistency was good, though - it held shape well. It did occur to me, that because of this it could be frozen (once whipped) and eaten as a kind of ice cream, but I haven't tried it myself.

However, there's another kind of cream that you might want to try. I've come across it, in blogs, but not yet tried it myself. It is, however, probably the most easy to find in your local stores - canned coconut cream! Canned Coconut Cream can be whipped up and in this blog, by Oh She Glows, there is a really good demonstration of how it can be done. 

Now, I'm supposed to avoid canned food - I don't think it does anything too nasty to me, but it brings out quite a rash on my face, which is itchy and gives me exactly the same reaction as I get from my nickel allergy. Despite my funny rash, I think one day that I might give it a go. After all, you only live once!  :)

Other posts about dairy substitutes can be found by following this link.

Update - I've found another vegan cream:



Vegan Devonshire 'Klotted Kream'

There are alternatives - dairy free milk substitutes

So you can't have milk, but you might still want your morning breakfast cereal or something with your cuppa. Well there's no need for complete despair, there are alternatives! 

One of the main things to consider is the age of the individual involved. Some milk substitutes aren't suitable before the age of six months, two, three or even four years, so you need to read your labels carefully. 

Baby's choice:1+ by Alpro

You might also want to bear in mind whether your milk substitute needs to be enriched with certain vitamins. If, for example, you want your milk substitute to perform the same kind of role that normal milk would previously have carried out for you (by providing a considerable amount of your daily calcium allowance) you need to check the label. Most do, but organic versions won't, because they cannot call themselves organic, if they have added anything into the mix. 

Some also have vitamin D added. It is vital for your body to get enough vitamin D, in order to absorb calcium, so it could be worthwhile to make sure your milk substitute contains vitamin D as well. Some also have B vitamins, and so it goes on...


The good news is that there are all kinds of milk substitutes these days. The problem is that the choice could be bewildering, so let's take a look at the options:

Soya Milk

Perhaps most widely known and available - often offered in coffee shops etc. no good, however, if, like me, you have an intolerance to soya milk. Many people who can't have milk also have problems with soya. There is also some question mark over the use of soya by those who are pregnant or infants - soya contains a plant form of oestrogen, which it is thought might cause some kind of hormonal effect. More worrying for boys than girls apparently, but there nonetheless.

There are other associated risks, but reading around, it's tricky sorting out the fact from (quite frankly) the fanciful. The following article, from the BDA, is quite a helpful read.

One thing that does seem to be agreed upon, is that soya is not deemed suitable for children under the age of six months. Alpro produce a junior version (suitable from one year) that we now use for 'Baby'. This is the medical profession's preferred option for young children under the age of two, unless they are intolerant/allergic to soya. This is because it has the right amount of calories and additional vitamins, that are needed by very young children.

One of the major advantages of soya, however, has to be, that (as it has been around so long, as a useful milk substitute) manufacturers have found ways of developing yoghurts, cheeses etc. made with soya. You can also get it in various flavours and in smaller cartons, which are good for carrying around. So if you can tolerate soya, and don't depend too much on it, it could be a good option.

Rice Milk

Personally I think rice milk has a nasty after taste. It is a popular alternative but not considered suitable for children below the age of four and a half (and therefore not suitable for those who are breastfeeding either). This is due to the fact that rice contains a certain level of arsenic!! The arsenic comes from the soil in which the rice is grown. Yet somehow rice is generally widely consumed and is still considered safe as a first food for babies!! Read this article by the Food Standards Agency, for official advice. And then the following article, by Foodsmatter, for a more interesting read!

For those who can have rice milk, as well as the larger cartons, it also comes in handy smaller lunchbox-sized versions, which are good for travelling. They also come in variety of flavours.

Almond Milk

One alternative that is becoming more and more popular, is almond milk. I really like almond milk. Almond is a good natural source of calcium, so it makes good sense. It's also an excellent source of vitamin E. The good news, for nut allergy sufferers, is that almonds are not nuts - they're drupes and are related to the peach!

Ecomil, Blue Diamond, Alpro, Dairy Free Dream, and Rude Health all make their own versions of almond milk, but Ecomil's, being organic will not have any extra vitamins beyond those which are naturally present in the almond itself because you can't add vitamins to an organic drink - it immediately invalidates its organic nature). Rude Health's version will not be suitable for anyone avoiding rice milk (see section below), as it contains 14% rice milk. This isn't a huge amount, so you might regard it as okay, but that's entirely up to you!

Alpro's advice (aimed at those of us who have young 'uns) is that Almond milk is not suitable as a main milk drink for children under three, but can be used in cooking etc. Additionally, they state (unless they're organic, of course), that all Alpro milks contain vitamins B2, B12, and D as well as calcium.

Hazelnut Milk
Hazelnut milk has quite a distinctive nutty flavour. I like it in porridge, as it adds a kind of creaminess, which is missing in almond milk. Alpro is the brand leader in this one. Rice Dream also make a hazelnut milk, but it's unsuitable for anyone avoiding rice milk as rice milk is blended in with the hazelnut milk. As with almond milk, Alpro state that it is not suitable as a main milk drink for children under three, but can be used in cooking etc. 

Coconut Milk

Chocolate Kara

Made by Kara, it's OK, but I thought it left a slightly powdery taste on my tongue (but maybe that's just me). Kara's coconut milk is quite good used in custard and rice pudding. It's very popular with parents whose children are unable to have rice or soya milk. Kara's coconut milk contains calcium (250ml = 375% of RDA) and now vitamin D as well (it didn't used to). It is apparently cholesterol free. 

Handily, it comes in smaller cartons now, and in three flavours: Original, Chocolate and Strawberry, although the strawberry only comes in the smaller size. The chocolate version makes a very good hot chocolate once warmed!

Hemp Milk

Called 'Good Hemp' and made by Braham and Murray. I know it has lots of fans, but I tried this one once and am not a fan - it has a very distinctive taste. I'm guessing they've successfully removed the narcotic effects of the Hemp, though, as otherwise things could get a wee bit interesting! It's main selling point seems to be that, not only does it apparently contain calcium and vitamin D, it also contains omegas 3 and 6!

Quinoa Milk

Quinoa (keen-wah) is a type of grain. It was used by the Incas to strengthen their warriors, I believe. It's quite a good source of protein and is regarded by some as a sort of 'super food'. Made by Ecomil, we've only used this in making bread, so far!

Oat Milk

Oatly, are the brand leaders with this one, although there are now more oat drinks on the market. It was my personal favourite before my intolerance problems really began. Now that I can't tolerate gluten, this one is out for me - as it's not made with gluten free oats, which is a shame. 

It's not suitable for children under the age of two, as a main milk drink (unless advised otherwise by your dietitian), but can be used in cooking. I didn't get any nasty after-taste from it, but you do need to shake the carton really well before use as the mixture can separate. You can get a chocolate version (which isn't too bad) and they also do an Oatley cream substitute which is not unpleasant either (it's fairly thick, but thins somewhat, when it comes into contact with warm food).

In case you're wondering...
Goats milk and sheep milk are two substitutes to cow's milk that we've not tried - although people often bring these up in conversation, once they realise you have a problem with cow's milk! The reason that we haven't is because both of these contain proteins that are very similar to those found in cow's milk, so we're not going there! 

I have a friend who did rear her children on goat's milk (you can get it as a powdered formula in a tin from some supermarkets and good health food shops, it's called 'Nanny Care'), but I'm not prepared to take the risk of a bad reaction. Camel's milk and mare's milk are apparently much less allergenic, but I don't know about you, I've certainly not seen them on sale in any supermarket, just yet!


If you're from the States...
For the Americans among us, a comprehensive breakdown of milk substitutes available in the US, has been produced by the American nutritionist, Heather Bauer.


At the end of the day (having considered the options) whichever milk substitutes you end up trying, I hope you find one that you can enjoy with your cuppa and/or cereal!! 


And please... let me know how you get on!

More posts about milk substitutes can be found on our blog, under the heading 'Dairy Substitutes' which also covers yoghurt, cream and cheese!