Substitution, Dairy & Cheese

Guidelines for substituting for Dairy,
Unlike many other foods, substituting for dairy is pretty straightforward. For the most part if a recipe calls for 1 cup (235ml) milk, simply replace with 1 cup (235ml) nondairy milk, such as soy or almond milk. Same rule applies for yogurt, sour cream, and butter. All you have to do is replace these items at a 1:1 ratio with their nondairy counterpart.

If the original recipe calls for:

• 1 cup (235ml) buttermilk

Replace with:

• Combine 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice or vinegar, such as apple cider or white balsamic, with 1 cup (235ml) unsweetened soymilk

If the original recipe calls for:

• 1 cup (235ml) cow's or goat's milk:

Replace with:

• 1 cup (235ml) soymilk
• 1 cup (235ml) almond milk
• 1 cup (235ml) hemp milk
• 1 cup (235ml) rice milk
• 1 cup (235ml) coconut milk for drinking, such as So Delicious

If the original recipe calls for:

• 1 cup (224g) dairy butter

Replace with:

• 1 cup (224g) nonhydrogenated, nondairy butter, such as Earth Balance
• 1 cup (224g) coconut oil
• 3/4 cup (168g) vegetable shortening

If the original recipe calls for:

• 1 cup (235ml) heavy cream

Replace with:

• 1 cup (235ml) soy creamer
• 1 cup (235ml) full-fat unsweetened coconut milk, or coconut cream

If the original recipe calls for:

• 2 scoops ice cream

Replace with:

• 2 scoops soy ice cream
• 2 scoops rice ice cream
• 2 scoops coconut ice cream

[will be doing several entries on this subject!!]

If the original recipe calls for:

• 1 cup (240g) sour cream

Replace with:

• 1 cup (240g) nondairy sour cream, such as Tofutti or Follow Your heart
• 1 cup (240g) Basic Tofu Sour Cream [entry to come on how to make this!!]

If the original recipe calls for:

• 1 cup (240g) yogurt

Replace with:

• 1 cup (240g) coconut yogurt
• 1 cup (240g) rice yogurt
• 1 cup (240g) soy yogurt
• 1 cup (240g) Basic Homemade Sorta Yogurt [entry to come on how to make this!!]

(The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions p14)

Guidelines for substituting for Cheese,
[...] If you have access to good-tasting cheese substitutes, then you can just replace the cheese in the original recipe at a 1:1 ratio with a nondairy version.
If you are not fond of store-bought cheese alternatives or don't have easy access to them, you may have to be a little bit more creative. [entries to follow!]

If the original recipe calls for:

• 1 cup (112g) shredded cheese

Replace with:

• 1 cup (112g) nondairy shredded cheese, such as Daiya

If the original recipe calls for:

• 1 slice cheese (for sandwiches)

Replace with:

• 1 slice Galaxy or Tofutti Cheese Slices (available in several flavors)
• 1 slice Nutty Pepperjack [entry to come!!]

If the original recipe calls for:

• 1 cup (240g) cream cheese

Replace with:

• 1 cup (240g) nondairy cream cheese, such as Tofutti or Follow Your Heart [personal favorite is tofutti, I prefer it over regular cream cheese!]

If the original recipe calls for:

• 1 cup (235ml) nacho cheese suace

Replace with:

• 1 cup (235ml) Nacho Queso [enrty to come]

If the original recipe calls for:

• 1 cup (150g) feta crumbles 

Replace with:

• 1 cup (150g) Tofu Feta [entry to come]

If the original recipe calls for:

• 1 cup (245g) ricotta cheese

Replace with:

• 1 cup (245g) Tofu Ricotta [entry to come]

(The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions p43)