Let's Make a Trade: Dairy Edition (with Christmas Cookie Solutions!)

Hello Everyone!

Everyone has a special tradition for the holiday season, and mine is baking.  My grandmother on my mom's side of the family was apparently the resident baker in the family, and though I never got the chance to meet her, my mom carried on that tradition when I was a little girl.  I specifically remember making chocolate chip cookies from grandma's recipe with instant Jell-o Vanilla Pudding.  As I grew up, I started taking over the baking for the holidays, and now, I make anywhere from 250 to 500 cookies of all kinds between December 15th and New Years Eve.  This year so far, I've made about five different types of cookies:  chocolate chip, chocolate peppermint, sugar cookies, gingerbread cookie pops, and mini ginger pumpkin biscuits; and also some fudge.

Here's the thing - my niece is allergic to dairy.  Not just milk - we're talking cream, butter, casein, whey, milk powder, cheese, yogurt, etc.  If it's made from milk from a cow (or I think any animal, really), my little niece CANNOT eat it. And, as anyone with food allergies knows, milk or milk protein is in a LOT of foods.  And, it can be difficult to figure out how to substitute or compensate for dairy products in a recipe.  So, after some experimenting in the kitchen this year, I've figured out how to make some of my favorite cookie recipes dairy-free so that everyone, including my niece, can enjoy the holidays.  But before I share the recipes, let’s talk about some substitutions for dairy that you can use. 

If a recipe calls for milk, here’s a list of things you can directly substitute:

- Coconut Milk

- Soy Milk

- Rice Milk

- Potato Milk

- Oat Milk

- Almond Milk

Now, with some of these suggestions you have to be careful because some of these are allergens all their own.  For example, pretty much everyone in my family is allergic to tree nuts and peanuts, so almond milk is not a viable substitute for me.  But, I’ve used coconut milk and rice milk instead, and have had great success!  Given that my niece is so young, I try to stay away from soy milk.  And as far as the coconut milk goes, I prefer the “So Delicious” brand because it tastes great and isn’t chalky.

The next main dairy item that is usually called for in baking recipes, especially cookies, is butter.  I love butter just as much as the next person, but let’s face it – even if you don’t have food allergies or restrictions, sometimes its really nice to cook or bake without butter because of what large amounts can do to your cholesterol.  Besides, if you can bake holiday cookies without butter, then there’s less guilt too! 

The best things I’ve found to use as a butter substitute are either all vegetable shortening, or coconut butter.  I’m sure there are other substitutes out there as well, but I haven’t ever needed to use anything else, so I just stick with these.  One thing I should note if using either of these options – your cookies will not really spread when using them.  In fact, your cookies/cakes will be VERY light, and will pretty much retain whatever shape you leave the dough in.  So all that being said, let’s get to some actual recipes! :D

The Allergic Baker’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes

      Makes about 6-7 dozen cookies

      -   2 1/4 cup flour (if you need a gluten-free cookie, use brown rice flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup of all vegetable shortening
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (or a little more for flavor - be generous!)
- 1 package (4 serving size) Jello instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 eggs

- 1 (12oz.) bag of chocolate chips (can buy dairy-free chips to use)

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Sift together all the dry ingredients, and then add in all the wet ingredients.  The dough will be a bit thick, so I tend to not use a mixer; rather, I mix as much as I can with a fork, and then I just knead the dough with my hands (make sure you wash them thoroughly before doing this!).  Then, knead in the chocolate chips.  Once that’s done, scoop the dough in rounded teaspoons onto a cookie sheet and pat down slightly.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes.  Let cool, then enjoy!

Quick note about the Jello Instant Vanilla pudding mix: according to the packaging and what I’ve seen online, it seems to be milk-free (even “Go Dairy Free” lists it as a dairy-free product).  And, I’ve been able to use it in mixes without my niece having a problem.  But, if you feel uncomfortable using it, or feel that it’s too much of a risk, you can always add a little more vanilla extract and an extra tablespoon of veggie oil to compensate. 


The wonderful thing about chocolate chip cookies is that they can be enjoyed any time of year.  So I hope you enjoy this cookie recipe with your family!

Happy Baking,
The Allergic Baker