Pizza, cake, and ice cream are traditional birthday party foods, but for children with dairy allergies, celebrating with friends can be more terrifying than fun.
Dairy allergies are becoming more common and more dangerous among children. is beginning to outperform peanuts in anaphylaxis (a life-threatening reaction when a person’s airways are dilated and airflow is reduced).
For those who are milk intolerant or follow a plant-based diet, the risk may not be serious, but eating a home-cooked meal or eating a diet that looks and smells just like everyone else You may feel left out by not eating food. other party attendees.
In my own life, I am always on the lookout for good quality dairy-free foods. We’ve created a list to help you host a product-free kids’ birthday party.
Here’s a list of places or products that are both delicious (yummy enough to entice even dairy lovers) and safe (not falling into the Worst Birthday Ever category for a trip to the emergency room). However, for severe allergies, contact the restaurant or manufacturer to ensure that the risk of cross-contamination is minimized and pass the parent/guardian of the child with the food allergy on to the food. must be run.
Choices: eat-in, pick-up, make-at-home
The Cakes, Pizza, and Ice Cream categories are divided into locations within the area where you can dine in, order pickup, buy in store, or make at home.
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cake and cupcake
have fun there: Sweet Alchemy, Essex Junction
Sweet Alchemy is a vegan restaurant and bakery offering a variety of dairy-free treats. The menu changes daily, but there’s plenty to choose from including donuts, cookies, cupcakes, scones and whoopie pies. Open from Thursday to Sunday until 3pm. During COVID, customers can pre-order and pick up or order at the door. There is outdoor seating on the porch and on the grounds.
Pre-order/pick up: West Meadow Farm Bakery, Essex
Technically a gluten-free bakery, West Meadow also accommodates other dietary needs, including dairy-free. The website says the made-to-order cakes and cupcakes require a lead time of at least 48 hours, but the bakery can fill up with reservations a week in advance of his. When ordering online, be sure to choose dairy-free American buttercream made with shortening. The company offers 7 cake flavors, 4 fillings, 6 frosting flavors and a variety of decorations. Hours of operation are currently Wednesday through Friday until 3pm and Tuesdays are for pick-up orders only.
Shop in store: Healthy Living, South Burlington and Williston
Healthy Living, a local grocery store chain that promotes healthy foods, often uses allergen-free treats in prepared meals. Be sure to read the label to make sure it doesn’t say “contains milk” under the full list of ingredients. It contains butter, cream, and milk, plus lactose, casein, and whey.
Make at home: A go-to cake recipe for special occasions is the Vegan Raspberry Blackout Cake with a ganache-like frosting. Instead of milk or eggs, use almond milk (you can also use nut-free milk) and raspberry his jam as a binder for the batter. Jam spreads between two layers of chocolate cake, with a raspberry punch in the middle. You can also garnish with fresh raspberries on top. Everyone I’ve served has been surprised that it goes well with any cake, not just as a vegan cake.
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pizza
Enjoy there: Stone’s Throw Pizza, Richmond, Charlotte
Stone’s Throw Pizza offers two vegan pizzas on its menu. “Off the Vine,” which includes vegan white sauce with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and vegan pesto; Or you can create your own by combining our vegan mozzarella cheese with your favorite toppings and sauces. They also offer gluten-free crusts upon request. Restaurants should inform us of any allergies or intolerances at the time of ordering.
One of the perks of the Richmond location is that there is a park next door where excited kids can play when they’re done eating.
Pre-order/pick up: Forinos, Burlington, Shelburne
Folino’s has created a unique vegan offering that incorporates both a cashew-based “cheese” and vegan sausage into its “Vegan Supreme” pie. Alternatively, customers can create their own pizza utilizing a variety of ingredients and bases. The ordering system allows you to choose special instructions ‘wash all dairy allergies’, vegan cheese or no cheese.
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Shop in store: Dia Pizza, most grocery stores
Many grocery stores offer Dia brand pizza in the frozen food section. The dairy-free company recently tweaked its recipe in a way that makes the product taste more like traditional pizza. .
Make at home: Dia cheese, ready-made or homemade crust, toppings of your choice
It’s also fun to make pizza at home with toppings that will please your partygoers. There are plenty of ready-made dairy-free crusts at the grocery store, but you can easily make your own.
For cheese, Otani Shredded is often the easiest non-dairy cheese to find in stores. You can also add “Mexican Four Cheese”.
For traditional pizza eaters, however, it might be nice to tell them to expect the taste and consistency of the cheese to be a little different than what they’re used to.
ice cream
Enjoy there: Quirky Creamy, Winooski
With the tagline “Smooth as silk without a drop of milk,” Off-Beat Creemee offers plant-based ice creams free of dairy, eggs, soy and refined sugar. What it does have is a blend of coconut and oat milk in four presentations: creamy, hard ice cream, float or “milkshake,” and an add-on that includes five toppings and four sauces.
Off-Beat is located next to Myers Memorial Pool in Winooski and is open Thursday through Sunday from 6pm or 8pm until Halloween.
Pre-order/pick up: Ben & Jerry’s, Burlington
Ben & Jerry’s offers a variety of non-dairy ice cream flavors that can be added to a pint, milkshake or ice cream cake by ordering from their Church Street store.
Ice cream cakes must be ordered 36 hours in advance, and the company suggests calling the store at 802-862-9620 for allergies or dietary needs rather than ordering online.
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buy in store: Wild Good, Burlington Area Grocers and Online
Wildgood is a new plant-based Vermont ice cream company that uses a special ingredient: olive oil imported from family farms in Greece.
The creaminess, texture, and flavor are reminiscent of gelato, making it an easy treat for dairy lovers who might not be able to tell the difference.
The company currently offers eight flavors, with more to come. Pints are available at both Burlington’s City Market and South Burlington’s Healthy Living, or online at wildgood.com.
Make at home: A local mom and a commenter on a Facebook post suggested blending frozen bananas, mangoes and cherries to make “nice cream” at home.
Please contact reporter April Barton at abarton@freepressmedia.com or 802-660-1854. Follow her on Twitter @aprildbarton.
