Recipes and Cooking How to Cook Cooking Basics Milk Substitutes Don't let spoiled milk spoil your recipe. If you're lactose intolerant, vegan, or dairy-free, try our picks for non-dairy milk substitutes. By Sheena Chihak, RD Sheena Chihak, RD Instagram Sheena Chihak is a registered dietitian, former food editor and current edit lead for BHG with over 15 years of writing and editing experience for both print and digital. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on March 15, 2023 Fact checked by Marcus Reeves Fact checked by Marcus Reeves Marcus Reeves is an experienced writer, publisher, and fact-checker. He began his writing career reporting for The Source magazine. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Playboy, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone, among other publications. His book Somebody Scream: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power was nominated for a Zora Neale Hurston Award. He is an adjunct instructor at New York University, where he teaches writing and communications. Marcus received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Learn about BHG's Fact Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email Get our free emergency substitutions chart! Substitutes for Milk For 1 cup milk, substitute 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water or 1 cup water plus 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder. More ingredient substitutions Non-Dairy Milk Substitutes If you need to limit or remove dairy from your diet due to health or ethical reasons, substitute an equal amount of one of these non-dairy milk. Soy milk is similar to dairy milk in nutrition, with the highest amount of protein when compared to other non-dairy milk alternatives.Almond milk contains fewer calories than dairy milk and almost no protein. For the go-getters, know that if you make almond milk from scratch, it will not be fortified with calcium or vitamin D.Rice milk is a tasty alternative to dairy milk, but it contains almost no protein or calcium. It also has a higher carbohydrate content than other plant-based milk.Coconut milk has a delicious creamy consistency but, it contains almost no protein. Coconut milk is also unique in that it is one of the only plant-based milk that contain saturated fat. More healthy substitutions Get our free emergency substitutions chart! Get our free healthy cooking substitutions chart! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit