Got Food Allergies? You Can Still Eat Dessert

Food allergies often determine what people can eat. Depending on the type of food allergy you have, you may have a hard time finding good recipes. Sometimes the dessert does not come out edible, doesn't cook all the way through, tastes funny etc. While some allergies are easier to avoid than others, it can be difficult baking a delectable dessert that meets your body's needs.


I myself am lactose intolerant, however, I do not have a severe case. As long as I don't eat a gallon of ice cream, my body can handle the dairy by taking a Lactaid pill. For those of you that do have a severe dairy allergy or cannot have dairy due to other allergies, Lactaid milk is a great substitute for regular milk. It keeps the ingredients in cookies, brownies and cakes together nicely. In my experience, I've never had a problem using Lactaid milk for my baking and cooking needs.


Soy milk, on the other hand, is something I would not recommend for baking or cooking. It seems almost too watered down to be able to hold the ingredients together. I have tried using soy milk several times and each time I've tried, the batter was too liquidy to use and ended up being thrown out. I have even attempted to use soy milk when making scrambled eggs thinking you can't mess up scrambled eggs. Boy was I wrong. The eggs didn't come out right. It took longer then normal to cook and tasted a little odd.


For those of you who need to be gluten-free have a much more difficult timing finding desserts they can eat. Almost all desserts have some form of gluten in them unless the recipe or ingredient says otherwise. I know several people who have Celiac's disease, wheat allergy or gluten sensitivity and witnessed first hand how difficult it can be to cope with.


However, there is some good news for people who suffer from the above-mentioned allergies. More food and recipes have become available in recent years allowing for bakers to bake their own desserts once again. Based on my experiences, I would advise trying different recipes, with different substitutes (i.e.: applesauce, shredded veggies or yogurt), until you find one that you like. For example, use ingredients such as organic light brown sugar instead of refined white sugar to boost moistness, and flavor and add more vanilla to soften the taste of gluten-free flour since it may have a strong taste at first.


Regardless of what type of baking requirements your body needs, there is a recipe for everyone. I encourage you to get your cooking hat on and get baking today.