Dairy Free Baking: Avoiding Salt Overload

Before I started the Elimination Diet, I frequently used unsalted butter for cooking and baking. Since I eliminated dairy from my diet, I’ve had to replace that with a dairy-free substitute. Olive oil is great for many tasks, but has a very different taste and different consistency, which limits its application. Unfortunately, many kinds of margarine contain dairy, including I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (which should be renamed I Can’t Believe It Still Has Dairy In It) and most kinds of Smart Balance.

I’ve found that Earth’s Balance margarine makes a pretty good substitute. I probably would not enjoy it plain on bread, although I never really buttered my bread in the first place. But it tastes pretty good melted inside a baked potato, which I consider the ultimate test. And unlike some margarines (ahem…I’m looking at you, Smart Balance), it does not smell like fish when melted.

Dairy-Free Cooking: Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes

I’m happy to say that not all my cooking efforts are Pinterest fails. This one was super easy and earned commendations from both my husband and my mother-in-law. And I just had to move them to the garage
(also known as my winter walk-in freezer) to prevent myself from eating the rest.

The idea came from my sister who made them over Thanksgiving. They looked soooo good, but I could not eat them because there was dairy in the cake mix and in the frosting.

So when I got home, I searched out a non-dairy alternative. I discovered that Duncan Hines yellow cake mix is non-dairy – yay! I also picked up a tub of non-dairy Pillsbury Cream Cheese frosting. Yes, non-dairy cream cheese. I recommend not reading the ingredient label too carefully.