Dairy-Free Baking: Breads, Breakfast and Bakes
Breads, breakfast bakes and everyday staples, all without a drop of dairy. Plant milks and oils slot straight into most doughs and batters, so you get the same soft crumb and golden crust. Here are our go-to dairy-free baking recipes plus the swaps that make them work.
8 Dairy-Free Recipes to Try
- Banana Bread — moist, one-bowl loaf ready in about an hour.
- Scones — fluffy, bakery-style scones with a tender crumb.
- Crispy Waffles — crisp outside, fluffy inside, the best homemade recipe.
- Pancakes (GF) — light, fluffy stacks that are gluten- and dairy-free.
- Sandwich Bread — soft loaf with no dairy and no gluten.
- 2-Ingredient Bagels — chewy bagels with no yeast and no boiling.
- Soft Tortillas — pliable homemade tortillas for tacos and wraps.
- Pizza Crust — crispy, golden crust that holds any topping.
Dairy-free baking swaps that always work
Replace milk 1:1 with unsweetened soy, oat or almond milk (soy and oat have the most body). Swap butter for vegan butter or oil, and add a teaspoon of lemon juice to plant milk to mimic buttermilk. These three swaps cover almost every bread and breakfast recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best dairy-free milk for baking?
Unsweetened soy and oat milk perform closest to cow milk because of their higher protein and body. Almond and rice milk work too but give a slightly lighter result.
How do I replace buttermilk without dairy?
Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup of plant milk and let it sit 5 minutes until slightly curdled.
Can I substitute oil for butter in baking?
Yes; use about ¾ cup of neutral oil for every cup of butter in most quick breads and muffins. Vegan butter is a better 1:1 swap when you want a buttery flavour.
Looking for more? Browse the full collection of dairy-free recipes for cookies, desserts, dinners and substitutes.