Dairy-free breakfast: recipes without milk

Dairy-free here means no milk and nothing made from it – so no yoghurt, quark, cheese, butter or cream. Porridge gets oat, almond, soya or coconut milk instead, and coconut or soya yoghurt replaces yoghurt. If you have an allergy, check the ingredients yourself as well.

A breakfast without dairy is easier than it sounds: oats, chia seeds, buckwheat and millet get just as creamy with plant milk. On this page you’ll find porridge, overnight oats, chia pudding, granola and pancakes, plus savoury dishes like shakshuka, omelettes or avocado toast. Most recipes are vegan, some contain eggs. There’s no cheese, butter or cream.

Dairy-free breakfast recipes

Berry smoothie bowl with spinach and chia seeds – 380 kcal
Mango chia pudding with coconut yoghurt – 280 kcal
Vegan raspberry chia pudding with coconut yoghurt – 250 kcal
Vegan blueberry chia pudding – 210 kcal
Low-carb almond porridge with warm raspberries – 550 kcal
Vegan berry quinoa bake – 410 kcal
Baked oats with a blueberry lava centre – 420 kcal
Vegan vanilla chia pudding – 180 kcal
Vegan almond rice pudding with cherries for Christmas breakfast – 333 kcal
Vegetarian sweet potato omelette – 380 kcal
Classic açaí bowl with berries and granola – 340 kcal
Brazilian açaí bowl with granola and tropical fruit – 410 kcal
Vegan chocolate and hazelnut overnight oats with dates – 493 kcal
Paleo apple and cinnamon pancakes – 290 kcal
Pink dragon fruit smoothie bowl – 400 kcal
Crunchy quinoa granola with cinnamon and pecans – 320 kcal
Keto tuna omelette – 480 kcal
High-protein peanut butter porridge – 400 kcal
Vegan porridge with caramelised pear and walnuts – 380 kcal
Warm turmeric porridge with walnuts and blueberries – 420 kcal
Keto avocado and egg breakfast bowl – 380 kcal
Avocado toast with egg and smoked salmon – 620 kcal
Chocolate courgette porridge (zoats) – 320 kcal
Warm apple and cinnamon porridge – 400 kcal

Frequently asked questions

What can I have for breakfast without dairy?

Porridge or overnight oats with oat or almond milk, chia pudding with coconut milk, pancakes made with plant milk – or something savoury: scrambled eggs, shakshuka or bread with avocado. Fruit, nuts and seeds go with everything.

Which plant milk works best for breakfast?

Oat milk makes porridge especially creamy, almond milk tastes mild and nutty, and soya milk has the most protein. Tinned coconut milk works for chia pudding and rice pudding. If you skip dairy completely, choose ones with added calcium.

Is dairy-free the same as lactose-free?

No. Lactose-free products are still made from cow’s milk, just without the lactose. Dairy-free recipes leave out milk and everything made from it, so they’re also lactose-free – and they suit you if you avoid milk protein too.

How do you decide a recipe is dairy-free?

With fixed rules: as soon as an ingredient is made from milk – milk, yoghurt, quark, cheese, butter, ghee or cream – the recipe doesn’t count as dairy-free. Plant alternatives like oat or coconut milk don’t count as milk.