When it comes to dairy free eating, there are a lot of things to remember. I made the mistake one time and forgot that butter is a part of dairy…like I said, I made that mistake ONE time only. After that, I wouldn’t forget again. As always, like I say in almost every post, READ THE LABELS! Regardless of whether you assume something wouldn’t have dairy or even if it’s labeled ‘dairy free’, take the time to flip the box over and read the ingredients. But, I’m here to help give a quick look into some of the foods that actually are dairy free that you wouldn’t expect to be! I did find a great list on the Food Network of surprising dairy free foods that I’ll post here. My list overlaps some, but I tried to look for other surprising foods that I didn’t even know were dairy free! 1. Classic Oreos YES! I can eat as many of my favorite cookies as I want and the only stomach ache I’ll get is from over indulgence! This ingredient list is straight from the Oreo website. Now, I’ve done some research and there have been some complaints of cross contamination with milk and there are some concerns with the ingredient listed simply as “chocolate”. ![]() Now, my allergy isn’t that severe where I’ll be affected by something like that, so I’m personally okay, but if you have a dangerous reaction to milk I would do more research. Also, I’m really not sure about the other flavored Oreos and whether they are dairy free or not. I only really looked into the classic (my favorite) so AGAIN, READ THE LABELS! 2. Mayonnaise![]() It’s not like I’m sitting over here eating spoonfuls of mayo, it’s just something I’ve noticed people ask me a lot, “This has mayonnaise in it. Can you eat that?” Yes, I can! Now, if you’re vegan you cannot eat mayo because it contains eggs, so I’m strictly talking to my dairy free people out there. It’s basically blended oil and eggs with some other stuff to taste, but no dairy! 3. Ritz Crackers Fun fact: I’m obsessed with crackers. THEY ARE SO GOOD. They are flaky. They are salty. But most importantly, they are buttery. Immediately I thought I would never be able to munch on my favorite crunchy treat every again, UNTIL I LOOKED AT THE LABEL! I don’t know how they get the buttery flavor, but they do it well! I’m just so happy I can eat them. 4. Dark Chocolate/Cocoa Powder![]() Again, this is one of those things where you have to make sure to read the label, but when you see a dark chocolate that is Dutch Processed, that means that it was not processed with milk but with an alkali. After some research, this is the scientific meaning behind Dutch Processing and some different types of chocolates. ![]() “Cocoa powder is the core of a chocolate's flavor, without any extra fat, sugar, or milk to get in the way. Chocolate is naturally acidic, so natural cocoa powder typically has a pH between 5 and 6 (for context, water is 7, right in the middle). Dutch process cocoa powder (also sometimes called "alkalized," "European style," or "Dutched") is washed with a potassium carbonate solution that neutralizes cocoa's acidity to a pH of 7. The Dutch process [also] gives the powder a noticeably darker hue. There are also heavily Dutched "black" cocoa powders that bring the cocoa powder to an alkaline level of 8. This the kind of bittersweet cocoa you'll find in Oreo cookies” (source). I also read that “pure chocolate is in fact dairy-free. True dark and semi-sweet chocolates are made with a base of cocoa solids (cocoa powder), cocoa butter and sugar. Though cocoa butter sounds like a dairy ingredient, it is actually the fatty portion of the cacao bean and is naturally dairy-free. However, many brands are not pure chocolate, and instead have milk added, usually in the form of butter oil, milk fat, milk solids, or milk powder” (source). 5. Betty Crocker Bisquick Mix Now, I’m not sure about other brands of pancake and batter mixes, but Betty Crocker hooked us up! I just assumed there was going to be some form of powdered milk or milk protein within the mix, but there isn’t! All you have to do is prepare the mix with your choice of milk alternative and BAM, dairy free pancakes. 6. Strawberry (and other fruit) Poptarts7. Some Duncan Hines Products![]() This brand has been my saving grace when it comes to making cupcakes and using frosting. The cake comes out great and the frosting has the same consistency and taste as the dairy filled ones. Now, you could always do everything from scratch to make sure there is 100% no dairy or cross contamination, but if you’re in a hurry and need something quick, Duncan Hines has your back with cakes and frostings. I haven’t looked into what flavors are dairy free, but I know there are a lot! Next time you need a dairy free cake option, look for Duncan Hines and read the label to make sure! (this sounds like a brand deal…hey Duncan where you at?!). 8. Marshmallows![]() I .LOVE .S’MORES. I think they are one of the most underrated desserts and they need more love. Luckily, marshmallows are dairy free! Now, despite having no dairy, they are not vegan because they contain gelatin, but there are vegan brands if that’s what you’re looking for. Marshmallows are basically little pillows of sugar, gelatin, and water, so EAT UP! 9. Macaron Shells![]() Not to be confused with macaroons (two different things with different pronunciations). The shells of macarons are dairy free, being made with egg whites, sugar, almond flour, and whatever flavoring is desired. The part where dairy comes in with macarons is the filling, which might be a ganache (which is LOADED with dairy) or some sort of butter/milk creamy thing. So, the shells are good, but ask around for a dairy free filling. 10. Olive Garden Breadsticks?!?! Okay, I haven’t been brave enough to try this one out (mostly because I don’t want to have an attack out in public. NOT AGAIN!) but apparently, they make their breadsticks with soy products and not butter! Based on their Vegetarian and Vegan menu (of the US restaurants) their breadsticks are vegan. I went there one time and just to make sure, I asked the waitress if she knew if the breadsticks had butter on/in them. She kept forgetting to ask the cooks and then after a while she gave me a vague answer, so I didn’t want to risk it… That's a wrap! Alrighty folks! Those are some of the foods that surprised me with their dairy free…ness? If I made any mistakes or if you have anything to add to the list, let me know by leaving a comment! Again, and I cannot stress this enough READ THE LABELS! If you're interested in reading my list of foods that have sneaky dairy in them, click here!
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AuthorHey, I'm Morgan! This is some information I've learned over the years about dairy. Archives
August 2018
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