When people cut out dairy, their minds tend to go toward cheese, milk, and yogurt alternatives. But bread is commonly made with milk ingredients. Fortunately, you can bake your own with simple ingredients from your kitchen. In fact, all of the recipes below can be made straight from your pantry! That’s right, you can use your non-perishables to make the naturally dairy-free bread recipes below – and avoid the store!
12 Essential Dairy-Free Bread Recipes from Your Pantry
All of the dairy-free bread recipes that follow can be made egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, sesame-free, and vegan. I’ve included a few gluten-free options.
Quick Tip: Some of my dairy-free bread recipes call for dairy-free milk beverage. These are sold in shelf-stable packages. But you can quickly make your own, or simply use water. Most breads do just fine with plain old water.
The Benefits of Baking Your Own Dairy-Free Bread
- You control the ingredients. At home, you don’t need dough conditioners, preservatives, dairy, soy, nuts, or anything else you might want to avoid.
- You don’t need to go shopping. As mentioned, you can bake all of the recipes below straight from your pantry!
- It’s a fun project for the family. You might think it’s complicated, but the first thing we taught my niece how to bake was whole wheat bread. She baked it every week for her lunches. It’s a skill that kids can master at a fairly young age. Just be there to handle the oven duties if they aren’t old enough for the actual baking.
- It’s great for batch baking and freezing. Bread freezes really well. I often bake mini loaves, individually wrap them, and just let a loaf thaw as we need. But just about any type of bread will freeze well.
- It really is relaxing. One of the most enjoyable, rewarding, and calming things to me is baking bread. Try it with the recipes below.
Wheat Sandwich Bread
Trust me, this kicks the pants off any loaf at the store. Nothing beats making a sandwich or toast with thickly-sliced homemade bread. I have two versions, one part wheat-part white, which is great if you don’t have wheat gluten on hand, and one that’s 100% whole wheat. The loaves pictured here are actually 100% whole wheat mini loaves – yes, really.
Basic Versatile Quick Bread
This is my “honey quick bread” recipe adapted from a favorite cookbook that my grandma gifted to me. You can use all-purpose flour, wheat flour (like pictured below), or even spelt flour. You can add or omit spices, toss in favorites like chocolate chips or dried blueberries, and use whatever liquid sweetener you have on hand. A good gluten-free flour blend that’s made for baking should also substitute well in this recipe.
Pumpkin Bread (quick bread made with canned puree)
I’ve actually got a few pantry options for this type of bread! My favorite is the Healthy Pumpkin Bread pictured. But for a more indulgent version, try my Popular Moist Vegan Pumpkin Bread. If you need gluten-free and top allergen-free, you’ll love my Perfect Pumpkin Bread for All. All three recipes are straight from the pantry! You can use canned pumpkin puree (I almost always do), and substitute another puree, depending on what you have on hand. Pure sweet potato puree, butternut squash puree, or butternut squash puree will also work well.
The Best Brown Soda Bread
Soda bread is a wonderfully quick alternative to yeast bread. It doesn’t require any rising time, and it works great as toast, dinner bread, and even sandwiches. It’s just a little more rustic and fragile than yeast bread. Most soda bread recipes call for eggs and buttermilk, but this one is vegan! It’s a brown bread, but you can use all-purpose flour, if needed.
Beer Bread
This time-tested classic is a naturally dairy-free quick bread and minimal ingredients. We’ve included alcohol-free options, too.
40-Minute Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns
This is one of our most popular recipes here on Go Dairy Free. I often use an egg in this recipe, but the egg-free and vegan options also work well. This is a speedy, no-rise dairy-free bread recipe. If you have more time on your hands, you can let it rise. I’ve included tips for that option with the post.
100% Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Rolls
If I put together a list of the most under-appreciated recipes on this site, these rolls would be on that list. They are AMAZING! They are my absolute favorite for breakfast. I usually bake a full batch, and individually wrap and freeze any that we can’t eat within a couple of days. Not a fan of raisins? Omit them or use another dried fruit – I won’t judge! They’re bakery soft, just sweet enough, and filled with nutrition. Seriously, bake these!!!
Homemade Dinner Rolls
When you need some savory bread bites, bake up these dinner rolls. They also work great for making sliders or sandwiches, and taste delicious with your favorite spread. This is a big batch recipe, so you can freeze some for later. Or, you can halve or quarter the recipe for a smaller batch.
“Cream” Biscuits
These are my favorite biscuits in the world, dairy-free or not. The original recipe is in Go Dairy Free, but I have a couple of variations online. Try my Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Cream Biscuits (with All-Purpose Option) or my Whole Wheat Dairy-Free Biscuits Recipe. And yes, these really are pantry recipes – no buttery spread or other dairy alternatives required!
Pizza Dough
I know many of you get takeout, but a crust, or even buy the dough. But making your own pizza dough is SO, SO EASY. It’s a natural pantry recipe that pretty much uses flour, water, oil, and a little salt. I use the recipe in Go Dairy Free most often, but we do have a few recipes posted online. Try this Basic Pizza Dough Recipe, Big Batch Pizza Dough (with pantry sauce recipe), or Whole Wheat Pizza Dough. And don’t worry if you don’t have cheese alternative. Cheeseless Pizza is amazing! Trust me. I’ve included some topping suggestions on our Pantry Meals Post.
Focaccia
This is another naturally dairy-free bread recipe – as long as you don’t top it with cheese! We like this Basic Focaccia Recipe, which is spiked with several dry herbs and spices. You can omit them for a truly basic recipe. Top your loaf with olives, onions, or sun-dried tomatoes for a flavorful finish.
Dairy-Free Bread Machine / Bread Maker Recipes
I have bread makers covered too! All of the following recipes are dairy-free and vegan, made for bread machines, AND can be made solely from pantry ingredients.
- Basic White Bread Machine Recipe
- Flax and Sunflower Seed Bread Machine Recipe
- Crusty Tea Bread Maker Recipe
- Whole Grain Spelt Bread Machine Recipe
- Honey Whole Wheat Bread Maker Recipe
