Best Dairy-Free Recipes for Cinco de Mayo
Make this Cinco de Mayo a delicious and dairy-free event! With appetizers, snacks, dinner, and more you will be able to easily find dairy-free recipes perfect for your fiesta!
Traditionally a dairy-loaded category, Tex-Mex and Mexican-Inspired recipes often come served with shredded cheese, melted queso, fresh sour cream, cojita cheese, or cooked in butter making Cinco de Mayo a day of decadent dairy indulgence.
But, it doesn’t have to be that way. I’m sharing some of my favorite recipes that will make your Cinco de Mayo a day you can truly enjoy without having to worry about dairy getting in the way of your celebrations.
Dairy-Free Dips for Cinco de Mayo
Let’s kick this celebration off with some snacks that are great to have out and ready when people arrive. These are dips that pair perfectly with a large bowl of tortilla chips, they can also double-dip as toppings for some of your other dishes you are serving later in the evening.
Warm Snacks for Cinco de Mayo
In addition to a million and a half dips, you can serve some small snacks that are best served warm. These can be made in advance and re-heated on the day of your Cinco de Mayo celebration.
- Air Fryer Shishito Peppers
- Air Fryer Quesadillas
- Loaded Nachos
- Seasoned Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
- Taco Cups
- Vegan Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas
Main Dishes
Looking to make something a little more filling to serve guests or your family on Cinco de Mayo? Here are some delicious and dairy-free main dishes you might enjoy during your Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
- Crispy Sweet Potato Tacos
- Dairy-Free Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Turkey Enchiladas
- Turkey Taco Sweet Potato Skillet
Taco Bar
If you are thinking about having a self-serve taco bar, instead of a sit-down meal, here are some ideas for meats, fillings, and toppings to include. You can also give the option to make taco bowls or taco salads!
Meats
Fillings and Toppings for a Taco Bar
These are the items you like to add to a taco, taco bowl, or taco salad.
- Refried beans
- Avocado or guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- Jalapeño
- Chopped cilantro
- Fresh green or red onion
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cheese- such as Violife or Daiya
- Salsa
- Dairy-free sour cream- like Kite Hill
- Vegan Cilantro Lime Rice
Store-Bought Items for a Dairy-Free Cinco de Mayo
While I am all for making everything from scratch, there is only so much time you have in a day and if you don’t want to spend it all prepping for a fiesta you can easily pick up some dairy-free items at the store to serve alongside some of these homemade options.
- Taquitos- Pop to the frozen foods aisle and pick up some frozen taquitos like José Olé Beef Taquitos. They are dairy-free and make a perfect snack for dipping in guac or queso!
- Tamales- Texas Tamale Co serves up beef, chicken, and black bean tamales that are all dairy-free. You can find their products at Walmart, HEB, The Fresh Market, and more!
- Queso– There are a few different plant-based queso brands on the market. When I first published this post, Siete Foods had a Cashew Queso Blanco (pictured below) that was most addictive but it looks like they have since discontinued the product. Some other brands you might consider include:
I hope this round up will give you some ideas and inspiration for dishing out the best dairy-free recipes for Cinco de Mayo yet! If you tried any of the recipes please leave a comment below! I’d love to hear how they went!
You can also share a picture of it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can see all of your life after dairy adventures!
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