Easy yummy ideas for children and guests who have a dairy allergy or intolerance.

You might be used to preparing dinners without milk, cheese and other dairy items. However, when it comes to treats, buying dairy-free desserts can be expensive, so why not try these easy recipes?
NB When buying ingredients, always double-check the labelling for allergy information, even products you have bought before, as they sometimes change.

Creamy ices
Blend chopped banana, soft mango or mixed berries (a bag of frozen berries is always a useful standby) with calcium-fortified soya or rice milk. Freeze in lolly moulds.

Chewy flapjacks
Slowly melt 125g each of soya spread and soft brown sugar, adding 3 tablespoons of golden syrup as the sugar and spread begin to mix. Take this off the heat and stir in 250g oats then press this mixture into a 2cm layer on a lightly greased baking tin.
This should make 10 to 20 flapjack bites. Bake for 15-20 minutes at gas mark 4 (180°C or 350°F).

Choccy muffins
Dairy-free chocolate and cocoa powder might not always taste as appetising to young palates, but in baking they can work well, especially in something moist like a muffin.
Mix 250g self-raising flour, 40g cocoa powder, 100g muscovado sugar, 75g dairy-free chocolate drops or cut into chunks. Whisk 150ml rice or soya milk together with 100ml olive oil and then add to the dry ingredients. Put this all into a blender and mix in 1 teaspoon each of vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.
The mixture should make at least 12 muffins. Bake for 15 minutes at gas mark 6 (200°C or 400°F).

Savvy tip
Use calcium-rich or calcium-fortified foods to make up for the lack of dairy in the diet – fortified rice or soya milk, fortified bread, broccoli, some cartons of orange juice.

Pass it on – Lowri Turner’s ‘healthy’ truffles
Watch Lowri’s videoof how to make yummy dairy-free truffles in just a few minutes.