Lactose Intolerance Cheesecake – Ultimate Substitution Guide

By Lindy Van Schalkwyk, last updated on October 3, 2024

Thousands cannot enjoy the delicious flavors of cheesecake, so we decided to make a guide for the ultimate lactose intolerance cheesecake!

Today, we will specifically focus on some dairy-free ingredient substitutions you can use for common cheesecake products. And of course, we included how you should incorporate them into the recipe. So, if you haven’t been able to share the joys of cheesecake with family or friends, this article is for you!

Can Someone With Lactose Intolerance Eat Cheesecake?

Unfortunately, if you are lactose intolerant, you shouldn’t even look at a cheesecake! It basically only consists of dairy! A cheesecake is packed with fresh soft cheese and other dairy products.

Cream cheese will always be present, but other optional additives include sour cream, buttermilk, butter, and heavy cream to name a few.

One of our close friends actually became lactose intolerant and was devastated when she realized she can’t eat cheesecake anymore. Luckily, that’s when we started exploring the options of a lactose intolerance cheesecake!

So, let’s explore how exactly you can make any regular cheesecake a lactose-free one, or what other lactose intolerance cheesecake options there are!

How To Make Dairy-free Cheesecake? – What Needs To Go

Cheesecake almost always contains cream cheese. However, it can also be made using cottage cheese or mascarpone (any soft fresh cheese). All of these are milk-derived products, so cannot be used.

Sour cream and buttermilk are two other common ingredients used in cheesecakes. This helps add an even tangier flavor and helps tenderize the texture of the cheesecake. But again, they are also dairy products.

Lesser-used dairy products for cheesecakes are milk and cream (heavy cream or whipping cream). These are sometimes used to help adjust the texture of the cheesecake or are used in the frosting or topping.

And finally, while butter or shortening isn’t all that common in the cheesecake filling itself, it is a very common ingredient for the crust. Now, keep in mind that some shortening products are actually dairy-free and only made from plant oils. However, many contain some form of dairy to give them a more butter-like flavor. So, always check the packaging to make triple sure!

To make a lactose-free cheesecake, you will have to replace all of these ingredients that are present. And of course, any other dairy product that you may come across like yogurt.

Lactose intolerance cheesecake options – Alternatives for cream cheese

Substituting cream cheese with a non-dairy alternative isn’t as easy as people think. We know, today there is basically a substitute for everything! However, cream cheese has an incredibly unique flavor, texture, and purpose.

So, while you could use hummus as a cream cheese substitute for dips or sauces, it will obviously not work as a substitute for cheesecake.

Just keep in mind that for all of these substitutes, you will have to add some lemon juice. Cream cheese has added lactic acid to give it that tangy flavor.

You can start by only adding 1 teaspoon of lemon or lime juice per 1 cup of vegan cream cheese. You can add the lemon juice with the vanilla, but just remember to add it.

Vegan cream cheese

The best cream cheese substitute for cheesecake is a nut cream cheese alternative. These are all completely vegan and usually made from either cashews or almonds – so at least you have some flavor options available.

Personally, for cheesecake, we prefer using the sweeter almond cream cheeses. The cashew option works better with savory dishes.

Silken tofu

Silken tofu can simply be blended in a food processor or blender with a little bit of vegan milk. This will help make it completely smooth and still keep it thick.

But, this alternative will only work if you use a vegan cheesecake recipe that calls for tofu. So please do not substitute it for regular cream cheese.

Substitutes For Butter Or Shortening

There are a ton of butter alternatives you can use in cheesecake. Some of our favorite options include coconut butter, pureed and strained banana, vegan yogurt, margarine (vegan), or another type of vegan butter.

All of these can be used in a one-to-one substitution to regular butter. Just keep in mind that some will create a massive flavor difference.

Alternatives for sour cream or buttermilk – Lactose intolerance cheesecake

Sour cream and buttermilk, while they aren’t the same, can be substituted in the same way. Both have a thicker consistency and both have an acidic flavor.

So, the best substitutes for sour cream or buttermilk would be either coconut milk or almond milk. But, you will need to alter both options before using them.

Coconut milk or cream

This option is our favorite. Nut milk sometimes tends to create an overpowering flavor profile. Coconut milk or cream, while still pretty prominent, pairs much more seamlessly with loads of other flavors.

You can combine 1 cup of coconut milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. This will help mimic the flavor and texture of sour cream. Add the lemon juice along with the other flavoring ingredients like vanilla extract.

Almond milk

Almond milk is the other plant-based milk that works well with cheesecakes. However, as you probably know, there are tons of other dairy-free milk options available!

You can use it in exactly the same way as you would coconut milk or cream. The flavor profile will just be completely different.

Lactose intolerance cheesecake substitutes for milk or cream

This one is the easiest for today! The best alternative for milk or cream is a plant-based option. And believe us, there is no shortage!

One pro tip we will give you is to try and pair the alternatives’ flavor with that of the other ingredients you use. So, if you are making an almond cheesecake (with almond cream cheese), then don’t use soy milk! Use almond milk instead. It just makes sense!

Bottom Line – Lactose Intolerance Cheesecake

We’re sure that you found this article on lactose intolerance cheesecake very informative! Feel free to share this with anyone that you know with a lactose allergy so that they can also enjoy consequence-free cheesecake!

Read more about Where To Buy Gluten Free Cheesecake?

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