Find the best kid-friendly dairy-free recipes to make feeding toddlers and kids with milk allergies and intolerances easy and delicious. Bonus: Everyone in the family will love these recipes too!

dairy-free-ideas-in-gridDairy-Free Recipes

Finding nutritious dairy-free recipes that the kids will actually eat can be a challenge—so much kids food has so much cheese!—but I hope this list helps you to have a few more options to feed your child.

There is almost always a substitution available to make a recipe dairy-free, but there are also so many delicious recipes and foods that naturally don’t contain any dairy. Some of my favorites are below.

What to Feed a Dairy-Free Toddler

When a child can’t have dairy, it can help to focus on the foods they can eat. A dairy-free toddler, assuming no other allergies, can eat:

  • Complex carbohydrates including whole grains
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Meat, poultry, fish
  • Legumes, seeds, and nuts
  • Healthy fats including avocado, help, chia, and flax
  • Plant-based dairy substitutions including plant milk, nondairy yogurts, and more

TIP: Keep a running physical list of all of the foods your child can eat if you often feel stumped for what to serve them.

 

mini carrot cake muffins in bowl with toddler handsDairy-Free Breakfast Recipes

These healthy recipes for kids either are free from dairy or offer easy substitutes.

TIP: You can make any smoothie recipe using nondairy milk or nondairy yogurt. Any overnight oats recipe can be made with nondairy yogurt.

coconut chips overhead on llama bibDairy-Free Snack Recipes

Try these healthy snacks for kids if you need to provide dairy-free options.

TIP: Store-bought snacks including mini Larabars, Made Good granola bars, and Enjoy Life Foods products are all dairy-free.

skillet stuffed peppers in white bowl and blue kids bowlDairy-Free Dinner Ideas

Try these family-friendly dinner ideas to feed everyone at the table a delicious dairy-free meal.

no-bake chocolate peanut butter ballsDairy-Free Desserts

The kids can still have treats, even without the dairy!

TIP: Buy dairy-free chocolate chips as needed.

If a recipe calls for butter, what’s a good dairy-free substitution?

You can usually use melted coconut oil in place of butter in baked goods or olive oil in savory foods. It may vary depending on the recipe.

If a recipe calls for milk, what’s a good dairy-free substitution?

You can usually use a nondairy plant milk (plain unsweetened is best) in place of regular dairy milk in baked goods and other recipes. It may vary depending on the recipe.

Is it a true milk allergy?

According to Jenny McGlothlin and Katja Rowell, MD, authors of Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating, some parents think that their children are allergic when it is a lactose intolerance. In those cases, lactose-free milk, hard aged cheeses, some yogurt, and even chocolate milk are more readily tolerated.

Additionally, some children grow out of an earlier sensitivity and even allergies. Check with your doctor for more detailed information.

Do your kids have a favorite dairy-free recipe? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

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