butter alternative (milk allergy)

[In the Rain]

I found out this week that I am allergic to milk products.

 

Due to the severity of some of my symptoms, the doctor said I needed to give up butter for at least 4 weeks and then do a challenge.

 

I bought some spreadable Earth Balance for toast, but what can I use in baking? I don't want partially hydrogenated anything. Dh suddenly feels a need to bake chocolate chip cookies. :lol:

[Mabeline]

You can use coconut oil or earth balance in baking.

[mommymilkies]

Earth Balance, olive oil, coconut oil (unrefined is what I prefer), and palm oil all work great. :)

 

I would say use a 50/50 Spectrum and Earth Balance mix for cookies. Also check your candies or chocolate chips for milk!!!

[In the Rain]

Thanks. I didn't think spread products could be used for baking. I'll look for the Spectrum one too and see about combining them for cookies. After years of spreading rock hard butter on bread or toast, my kids cheered when they saw me buy spreadable stuff. :lol:

 

I have coconut oil too. I used it in biscuits last night, and they were gross. :tongue_smilie: They were also gluten free, and apparently low sodium, so there were many issues. :lol: The oil oozed out of the biscuits and left each one frying in a little puddle of oil. :confused:

 

I found Justin's dark chocolate peanut butter cups, which are dairy free. That was a consolation. :001_smile:

[Dana]

Earth balance makes sticks. Not all stores carry them, but they work well for baking.

[Carrie12345]

Crisco makes butter-flavored sticks. Personally, I am not a fan, but my 9yo loves baking with them. As a once-in-a-while thing, I let her have at it.

[In the Rain]

Earth balance makes sticks. Not all stores carry them, but they work well for baking.

 

Maybe Whole Foods will carry them. I need to go there this week.

[sncstraub]

I second (or third) the coconut oil suggestion. I use the Nestle recipe, modified slightly, with 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 Fleishmann's Unsalted Margarine sticks. Everyone loves my cookies (I do add craisins, coconut, and oats to the recipe; sometimes walnuts). I'll be switching the Fleischmann's for palm shortening next time since I just got some.

 

Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips and Trader Joe's chocolate chips do not have milk in them. Hershey's and Nestle do.

[In the Rain]

 

Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips and Trader Joe's chocolate chips do not have milk in them. Hershey's and Nestle do.

 

Do you know about 365 brand? I bought some dark chocolate mini chunks and put them in a jar. I buy a lot of bulk food, and put all of my pantry items in jars, so I have no idea what is in some of the stuff. I need to head to the store and read the labels.

[In the Rain]

For people using coconut oil to bake, do you add it in its solid state or melt it? I added solid coconut oil to my biscuits last night, and it never seemed to blend into the dough right.

[Jenny in Florida]

I've been baking more and more with plain old canola oil. It works fine in most things, including cookies.

 

Do you know about 365 brand? I bought some dark chocolate mini chunks and put them in a jar. I buy a lot of bulk food, and put all of my pantry items in jars, so I have no idea what is in some of the stuff. I need to head to the store and read the labels.

 

Also, Whole Foods has vegan chocolate chips in their 365 brand. They are my favorite dairy-free chips.

[In the Rain]

I've been baking more and more with plain old canola oil. It works fine in most things, including cookies.

 

 

 

Also, Whole Foods has vegan chocolate chips in their 365 brand. They are my favorite dairy-free chips.

I'll look for them. These are one of my favorites, but 10yo dd is disturbed by the fact they aren't fair trade. Dh is disturbed by the fact they are tiny. :lol:

[Jenny in Florida]

Do you know about 365 brand? I bought some dark chocolate mini chunks and put them in a jar. I buy a lot of bulk food, and put all of my pantry items in jars, so I have no idea what is in some of the stuff. I need to head to the store and read the labels.

 

I'll look for them. These are one of my favorites, but 10yo dd is disturbed by the fact they aren't fair trade. Dh is disturbed by the fact they are tiny. :lol:

 

Yep, those are tasty, too! (She said, kicking herself for not thinking of checking the fair trade aspect.)

[sncstraub]

For people using coconut oil to bake, do you add it in its solid state or melt it? I added solid coconut oil to my biscuits last night, and it never seemed to blend into the dough right.

 

You're right, it never seems to blend properly, even if it's soft. So I melt it by putting it in a glass measuring cup and setting that in a bowl of hot water (no microwave).

[In the Rain]

You're right, it never seems to blend properly, even if it's soft. So I melt it by putting it in a glass measuring cup and setting that in a bowl of hot water (no microwave).

 

Okay, I'll try melting it next time. :001_smile:

[LostSurprise]

Use good coconut oil (not the kind from Walmart).

 

Melt it before you add it.

 

If you're making a blander recipe (like biscuits), and don't like the taste of coconut in that context, use a milder oil such as Canola.

 

If it seems like too much, use less. Most baking is tweaking things.

[In the Rain]

Use good coconut oil (not the kind from Walmart).

 

I don't know what kind WalMart sells. I have Spectrum organic and 365 (Whole Foods) organic. Are those considered good? I was actually surprised that WholeFoods didn't have much of a selection of coconut oil. It seems so popular, I figured they'd have larger containers available.

[LostSurprise]

That should be fine. You can usually tell because the good stuff smells faintly of coconut.

 

The other kind tastes/smells a bit more like wax.

[joannqn]

I've never seen the Earth Balance sticks around here. I use Earth Balance in the red tub for all of my dairy free baking (the red one is soy free too). It works fine in everything, though if the recipe calls for a lot of butter, the taste is off.