A Simple Guide to Making 6 of Your Favorite Dairy-Packed Recipes With Oat Milk

Published on June 25, 2019 at 6:00 AM

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Califia Farms

Califia Farms

When you reduce your dairy intake or cut it out of your diet altogether, so many of your favorite dishes seem off the menu. That is, until oat milk came along. This ultracreamy, plant-based milk can work wonders in all kinds of recipes, from savory pastas to sweet breakfast treats.

Cooking with oat milk is actually similar to cooking with regular milk. Just make sure you follow the two cardinal rules of dairy-free cooking: opt for a high-quality, unsweetened milk — like Califia Farms Unsweetened Oatmilk — and know your substitution ratios. For most recipes, you can swap oat milk for regular milk at a 1:1: ratio — anything that requires you to whip cream or thicken a sauce might need a more complex substitution. Ready to give it a try? Start with these six beloved dishes that can be made dairy-free with just one simple swap.

Traditionally, this indulgent Italian recipe gets its creaminess from egg yolks and plenty of Parmesan cheese, but it can easily be made dairy-free or vegan. For a silky, dairy-free sauce, sauté diced onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent, then make a roux with ¼ cup flour and 2 cups Califia Farms Unsweetened Oatmilk. If you're just going for a dairy-free recipe, stick with the traditional pancetta — otherwise, sun-dried tomatoes make a satisfying alternative for a vegan dish.

In order to achieve a pillowy soft texture, most bread-pudding recipes require you to drench cubes of bread in cups of heavy cream. Oat milk works just as well, so feel free to swap it in at a 1:1 ratio in your favorite sweet or savory bread-pudding recipe.

Thanks to its creamy consistency, oat milk makes a surprisingly hearty stand-in for whole milk in most baking recipes — just stick to the same 1:1 ratio. The slight oat flavor works particularly well in blueberry muffins, as it provides a nice contrast to the tart blueberries. Bonus points if you add an oat crumble topping!

Though milk isn't a crucial ingredient in mashed potatoes, you can't deny that it makes them so much more luscious. Oat milk and a bit of vegan butter will help you create the same silky, creamy effect without the dairy.

You don't need heavy cream or even whole milk to whip up decadent French toast. Soak bread in a mixture of oat milk and eggs whisked together for a dairy-free alternative to the beloved breakfast dish.

Traditional quiche recipes use dairy in two places: there's plenty of butter in the flaky crust, then a heavy splash of cream in the filling. To make it dairy-free, swap in oat milk for traditional dairy milk at a 1:1 ratio in the filling, and opt for a ready-made vegan pie crust. Or, go crustless altogether and cook the egg filling by itself in a pie dish or cast-iron pan.