Best Dairy-Free Recipes for Cinco de Mayo

Last Updated on April 26, 2024 by Annie

Three pictures at the top with the words Dairy-Free Recipes for Cinco de Mayo at the bottom.

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.

Appetizers + Dips

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. Each of these dips are vegan and can easily be made a day or two in advance.

  • Pico de Gallo– Gluten and dairy-free and perfect for making ahead. Save some for snacking at the beginning and some for serving up with tacos and nachos at dinner.
  • Texas Caviar– I would make this in advance and hold off on adding the avocado until the day of.
  • Guacamole– I would probably save this to be a day of recipe, since the avocados tend to turn after a day.
  • Black Bean Dip– Great for making ahead and best served cold.
  • Mexican Street Corn Dip– Vegan and great for adding on top of nachos!
  • Mom’s Blender Salsa– A simple salsa recipe you can whip up in 5 minutes in the blender. Great for making in advance and having out when people arrive.
  • Vegan Avocado Cilantro Lime Crema– Great for adding to tacos or serving with a quesadilla!

Warm Snacks

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.

  • Taco Cups– These can be made days in advance and reheated in the oven before serving. You’ll want to have pico de gallo and guacamole to top these with nearby.
  • Vegan Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas- Cut into wedges for an easy grab-and-go snack.
  • Air Fryer Quesadillas– Great for making in minutes, these simple quesadillas are a delicious and adaptable recipe perfect for everyone!

Main Dishes

If you are planning to have people over for a Cinco de Mayo dinner here are a few dishes perfect for a variety of diets.

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

  • Turkey Taco Meat– Can easily be made with ground beef or turkey.
  • Southwest Chicken– Shredded or diced into small bite-sized pieces.
  • Shrimp Tacos– Serve the shrimp part and let everyone top their tacos however they like.
  • Fish Tacos- Whip up the oven-baked fish bites that people can add to their tacos

Fillings and Toppings

  • Refried beans
  • Avocado or guacamole
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Jalapeño
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Fresh green or red onion
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Shredded cheese- such as Violife
  • Salsa

Store-Bought Items

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!
  • Queso- YOU READ THAT RIGHT! Thanks to Siete Foods you can serve up some Spicy Blaco Queso or Mild Nacho queso for your Cinco de Mayo celebrations. I would suggest having a bowl for dipping as well as for drizzling over nachos, tamales, tacos, and more!
  • 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!
A bowl of queso with a yellow rim on a white and blue striped dish towel with a bowl of tortilla chips in the back and a jar of Siete Foods queso in the back left.

I hope this helps give you some inspiration to take on a dairy-free Cinco de Mayo! If you try any of these recipes I would love to hear how they went! Leave a comment below or snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can share your life after dairy adventures!

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