Trash Panda Swaps: Dairy-Free

Navigating dairy-free options at the grocery store can be more than complicated. Though it’s great to have so many available options, a rise in popularity of dairy-free items means more labels and ingredient lists to read through. Regardless of why you may opt for these products, we’re sharing our favorite brands for dairy-free cheeses, milks, yogurts, and desserts. Whereas other brands may use sneaky ingredients like natural flavors or xanthan gum, the brands we’ve chosen are committed to high-quality, real ingredients - and you can taste the difference.

*This article may contain affiliate links which help fund the Trash Panda app, and keep our ingredients library free for all. Thank you for your support!

We think Kite Hill’s ingredient list speaks for itself - this ricotta alternative is the perfect addition to any pasta dish, cheesecake, or pizza recipe! Find it at Whole Foods.

Pizza night coming up? This 100% vegan mozzarella cheese from Violife is the addition you need. Violife offers the variety, functionality, and great taste of dairy products but free from allergens, GMO’s, preservatives, and more. Their slogan, “we are 100% vegan but you don’t have to be” captures just why we love them. Find this cheese at Whole Foods.

One scan of any Forager product will show why they’re one of our favorite brands to highlight. This organic dairy-free cashewmilk yogurt is versatile, perfect alone or added to other recipes, and full of plant-based nutrients and probiotics. Available on Amazon Fresh.

This cultured Vegan butter is 100% crafted from plants. Not only does it taste just like traditional dairy butter, but it’s loved by chefs and foodies for the way it melts/spreads/bakes and beyond. Find it at Whole Foods, or we’ve recently grabbed it from Costco too!

Plant-based milks often have added gums and flavors, and it can be hard to find a “cleaner” alternative that’s creamy. We love this coconut milk from Native Forest, and use it as a coffee creamer, or thin it out with a little water when we want it less thick. The only ingredient? Organic Coconut Milk. Love that. Stock up on Amazon.

Lastly, our current dairy-free frozen dessert favorite is from Coconut Bliss. Made with coconut milk as the base, their products are certified organic, dairy and egg free, and without preservatives. Their variety of flavors are creative and delicious; we think you’ll love them just as much as we do. Try it out on Amazon.

Regardless of which diet you follow, these brands are worth trying for their authentic flavor, short ingredient lists, and lack of artificial additives. These swaps are certainly upgrades to us - if you give any of them a try, be sure to let us know on our Instagram.