Margerine and soy or almond milk come to mind.

Isn't margarine all trans fats? I can't imagine anything less healthy.

I don't see why you can't have butter and milk for yourself! If you are talking about meal or baking recipes that won't use dairy, then I'd get clarification about how they define "no dairy", if you haven't already. I've found that not all people define "no dairy" the same way.

You could sub coconut oil....and some margerines contain less saturated fats....go read some labels.

Yes, I can have dairy, but that family cannot. Dairy, in this case, is any food derived from the milk of a ruminate.

This is a great margarine to cook with. Make sure it is the salt free, not original.

https://www.fooducate.com/app#!page=product&id=024D9D34-E108-11DF-A102-FEFD45A4D471

This is a great spread for toppings and putting in vegetables.

https://www.smartbalance.com/products/buttery-spreads/smart-balance-original/

We use this Rice milk. Substitute 1 for 1 for cow milk.

http://www.dreamplantbased.com/product/rice-dream-enriched-original-organic-rice-drink/

I used to use this soy milk, but my son is trying to cut back on the soy. I still use it in the fudge recipe at Christmas. It is the Kraft Marshmallow creme recipe, but use Fleishmann"s margarine and the soy milk (12oz). Takes a little longer to cook (15 min.)

https://silk.com/products/vanilla-soymilk?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=silk%2Bvanilla%2Bsoy%2Bmilk&utm_campaign=Silk_Soymilk_Brand_Exact&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsMDeBRDMARIsAKrOP7EJDolQKu8OsKsnJbJ1eS1vnqBTXMlXkvng1XVXJUWO-tM2fdjZjuEaAkD_EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I substitute the above 1 for 1 in any recipe. My grandson has been stage 5 allergic to dairy since birth. NOT LACTOSE INTOLERANT, Epi Pen/ emergency room allergic to ANY dairy.

ETA: These taste so good and work so well, you will not miss the butter or milk.

When reading labels, look for whey in the ingredients, not just milk or butter. Whey or whey powder IS milk.

Depends on what you are making. Bacon grease, chicken schmatlz, other rendered pork and beef fats, margarine, crisco/butter flavored crisco, lard.. coconut and other oils all can work instead of butter.

There's a lot of non-dairy milk substitutes now, is your daughter already using something?

I tend to use coconut oil to replace butter (never margarine), but it depends on the recipe. Often I will use almond oil instead, but of course this is a liquid at room temperature whereas coconut oil is not, and sometimes this is important. Almond oil has almost no flavor but coconut oil does have a slight coconut flavor. I use very little milk myself (I never buy fresh milk), but if I wanted a substitute, I would choose pea protein milk. However, when making a savory sauce such as a gravy or béchamel, I use vegetable or chicken stock instead and make a velouté sauce, which I like better anyway. I've been using pea protein powder lately in my new diet, and I much prefer it over soy protein. I do keep Nestle brand powdered milk on hand for the rare occasion when I need a small amount of milk, and I also keep powdered buttermilk on hand for when I make pancakes or waffles.

Be careful with coconut and almond anything. Grandson can eat coconut (although he doesn't like it) he cannot have almond or cashew (nut allergy). He cannot have any pea stuff (chickpea, garbanzo, black beans, ect) ( that goes with the nut allergy) All of the "peas" are a legume (peanut) and it depends on how it rates on the "pea" scale. He can eat green beans (some cannot), but not much else.

That is why I recommended the rice and soy, although a lot of people cannot eat soy.

This diet is not done to be Vegan as a choice against animal products. It is a life threatening allergy.

Lars, pea protein milk is an allergic trigger to a lot of people allergic to cow milk.

Examples of legumes include peanuts, beans, peas, lentils and soybeans. Legume allergies are among the most common food-related allergies and includes peanuts, which are one of the most allergenic foods. In the case of legume allergies, the body sees certain proteins in the legume as a toxin, rather than a food. Allergic reactions can be caused by ingestion, skin contact, and even inhalation. Peanut allergies typically develop during childhood and are usually lifelong. In most cases, allergy to peanuts signifies allergy to many other types of legumes. Peanut allergies have been known to cause some of the most severe allergic reactions of all food allergies, including anaphylaxis and even death.

Soy can be found in many food products, not just Asian cuisine and soy-derived foods like soy milk and soy sauce. Soy can be found in miso, tofu, vegetable broths and starches, energy bars and protein snacks, cereals, crackers, and processed meats and soups.

Did you know: An allergy to legumes is often an indicator of additional allergies, specifically to tree nuts such as almonds and coconuts.

Angel food cakes are dairy free. I baked the family chocolate birthday cake and just substituted water for the half cup of milk successfully. Not all margarine is dairy free. Look for whey and casein.

The OP did not mention anything about an allergy; in fact she said they are "no longer eating any dairy", which indicates that they have been eating it in the past and have simply chosen not to continue eating it.

Kate,

Apologies for not reading all the previous answers. I'm short of time. I've done a lot of dairy free baking and there's no problem. As others have said, you can substitute water for milk in most things. If the recipes calls for whole milk, you can add a dab more fat to compensate.

Margarine will give you a different crumb than butter. Butter gives you the "melt in the mouth" feel of certain crisp cookies. For most cookies, cakes, etc., it works just fine. To get a good outcome, however, you must use "baking sticks", which have 100 Calories per serving (I think that's one ounce). I haven't done pie crust with this, though I have used 0 trans fat vegetable shortening. With shortening, I think there's an odd flavor--really flavorlessness--that requires a little something tasty in the pastry.

Any margarine that's labeled "vegan" or has a kosher signiture mark and "parve" or "pareve" has no dairy in it.

I use Earth Balance soy free (red label), but I'd assume that any of their baking sticks would be of similar quality. I also use their soft version for things like adding a dab to a vegetable, corn on the cob, potatoes, etc., for non-dairy or non-animal uses.

I really dislike nut milks. Soy isn't so bad if absolutely needed, but I'd rather do without milk altogether for most purposes. Hemp milk seems the best of them to me, but is hardest to find or make. Almond singles "cheese" aren't too awful for adding a cheese-like texture to sandwiches, but they aren't much better than that. There are some truly lovely nut cheeses, but nutritionally, they're very different from cheese, and should be used advisedly.

Good luck with it all!

I second using Earth Balance vegan margarine in a tub (I like the organic). No transfats. Nice flavor and I've not had any problems cooking or baking with it. Baking might be a little different, but not enough to bother me or be a real problem. When I really am worried about the results, I buy this (again, no saturated or transfats):

Earth balance sticks

I also prefer hempmilk (original or unflavored) over all milk subs, except for soy (which I don't mind using in moderation). I don't buy any but organic and I don't buy Silk or any other brand made with Chinese soybeans. It's hard to find shelf stable made from north American grown, but Organic Valley Soy (unflavored) in the refer section is made from USA grown soybeans (at least it used to be, but I haven't bought it for a while so would check the labels).

Don't reinvent the wheel. Ask your daughter for recipes and suggestions. Expand you repertoire as you get more comfortable.

That's what I was going to suggest. Ask your daughter what she wants you to use or just leave the cooking to her and have fun with your grandchildren lol

Well, I totally agree with Sheesh and Islay about asking, but it seems to me that the question was looking for information with which to boost confidence. There's no point in walking in unprepared and mystified, even if it turns out that some of what one has learned isn't applicable.

True, plllog, but the best way to get it right and boost confidence is to ask exactly what is wanted/needed/expected. As several replies have suggested, some like nut milks, others don't. Some have not allergies. Others cannot eat soy. Better to ask and be safe rather than sorry, I think.

Thanks to everyone. DD is both gluten-free and dairy-free.... and bean-free ( Thanks for the explanation, Sherry), but she won't be home most of the time. The reason for the new "dairy-free" for the boys is... acne. Oldest brother has almost totally cleared up from almost no dairy, and now younger bother hopes the same will get rid of his severe acne. I am willing to do whatever is required, but... don't like DDs recipes very much, so would like to try some new ones - like those sometimes given here. I'm anxious to try the Empire State muffins since they qualify for the boys' new diet. I'm going to re-read the links you've all so graciously added to see what I might use in place of milk and butter.