Dairy-Free Pantry Essentials for Holiday Baking

Last Updated on November 2, 2022 by Annie

Get ready for all of the pies, cookies, cakes and more this holiday season with these dairy-free free pantry essentials for holiday baking guide. Pick up the most used ingredients for dairy-free and vegan baking to make the most out of your holidays!

Getting your kitchen ready for the holidays might seem like a daunting task. Believe me when I tell you that I have been overwhelmed by this process time and time again. Today I am sharing an extensive list of the baking ingredients and supplies you might need as you approach your holiday baking this year.

Before we dive in let’s discuss why you might want to stock your kitchen before the holidays.

Why You Should Stock Your Pantry in Advance

Have you ever planned to make a recipe only to get halfway through and realize you are out of a critical ingredient? While you may be able to make substitutions on the fly, you also might find yourself SOL and looking at a major dessert disaster.

Here are some of the top reasons you should make a plan to stock your pantry early for the holidays.

• No running out of ingredients in the moment. Have everything you need on hand when the baking urges strike.
• Low inventory at the grocery store. As the holiday season approaches you might find the inventory for those basic baking ingredients lacking on the shelves. Beat the rest of the crowds and grab what you need now to ensure you have all of the ingredients for your family favorite recipes.
• Less time baking in the moment. Having a plan for holiday baking means you can prep many desserts in advance leaving you present for the magical holiday moments instead of stressing over the holiday baking.
• More memory making moments. Having sugar cookie dough, pie crust doughs, and even biscuit doughs ready in advance gives you more time to make special memories with your loved ones in the kitchen.

Now that you have identified why you should stock your pantry in advance let’s look at what is most helpful before you do a major grocery haul.

Before You Shop + Stock

Take some time before you even begin stocking your pantry to list out what your ideal baking goals will be for the holiday season. For starters:

• Are you planning to have family over during the holidays?
• Will you be baking desserts for a friendly cookie swap?
• Do you plan to send out a holiday cookie box?
• Are you making desserts in advance to be more present during the holiday season?

Each of these activities might have specific desserts or recipes tied to them. Gather those recipes and see what ingredients you’ll need to be successful with each activity. Make note of some of the more specialty ingredients in the event you need to order them online.

Going Through Your Pantry

Once you have an idea of what you plan to bake, now you should take some time to take stock of what you already have and what you need to toss. A few tips I would suggest as you clean up your pantry include:

• Throw out expired cans. Check the date and pitch them if they are past their prime.
• Check your baking soda. In a small bowl place a few tablespoons of vinegar. Add a teaspoon of baking soda and mix. If it fizzes it’s still good, if not, give it the boot and add it to you list.
• Test your baking powder. Add baking powder (about 2 teaspoons) to 2 cups hot water and stir. If it bubbles it’s still good to go, otherwise toss it out and pick a new one up.

Now that you know what you want to bake and have gone through your pantry to see what needs to be replaced you are ready to stock your pantry for the holiday season.

How to Stock Your Dairy-Free Pantry for Holiday Baking

An important note before you get ready for the holiday season. Many of the ingredients listed below are perfect for every kitchen. I have placed an * next to items that are particularly important for a dairy-free kitchen.

Basic Baking Ingredients

These are your classics, what you need on hand to bake any day, week, or month of the year.

• Active Dry Yeast
• Cocoa Powder
• Corn Starch
• Crisco or other vegetable shortening*
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Flour
• Old-Fashioned Oats
• Salt
• Sugar (Brown, granulated, powdered, and Turbinado)

Spices and Extracts

It might be helpful to set up your spices in a way you can easily see and read what each jar contains. The spice rack organizer I use keeps everything labeled clearly and is super easy to swap out as needed.

• Allspice
• Almond Extract
• Anise
• Cinnamon (ground and stick)
• Clove (whole and ground)
• Cream of Tartar
• Ginger
• Lemon Extract
• Nutmeg
• Peppermint Extract
• Vanilla Extract

Canned Goods

By no means are these all of the canned items you will need in the holiday season, these are most important for the holiday baking side of your holiday needs.

• Canned Coconut Milk (Full Fat)*
• Cookie Butter
• Peanut Butter
• Pumpkin Puree
• Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk*
• Sweetened Condensed Oat Milk (For a Nut-Free Option)*
• Evaporated Coconut Milk*

Specialty Baking Ingredients

Some of these specialty ingredients, especially the dairy-free options, are difficult to find in the store and might need to be ordered in advance.

• Chocolate Chips (Semi-Sweet, Dark Chocolate, and White Chocolate)*
• Candy Canes
• Dried Fruits (Cranberries, raisins)
• Food Coloring
• Flak Salt
• Frosting
• Graham Cracker Crumbs
• Ground Flax Seed (for making flax eggs in vegan baked goods)
• Nuts (Pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts)
• Marshmallows
• Meringue Powder
• Shredded Coconut (sweetened and unsweetened)
• Sprinkles

Liquid Ingredients

From oils to sweeteners, be sure you have what you need on hand when your baking urges strike.

• Agave
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Canola Oil
• Coconut Oil*
• Corn Syrup
• Honey
• Maple Syrup
• Molasses
• Vegetable Oil

Refrigerated Items

Your refrigerated items might need to be picked up more frequently than the dry ingredients as they may expire during the holiday season. Be sure to freeze items that can be frozen if you plan to stock up early in the season.

• Eggs
• Dairy-Free Cream Cheese*
• Dairy-Free Sour Cream*
• Non-dairy Milk
• Pie Crust Dough (Homemade or store-bought)
• Puff Pastry Sheets
• Vegan Butter Sticks*
• Vegan Spreadable Butter*

Storage and Non-Food Items

Whether you are making, baking, taking, or storing your baked goods this holiday season, you might find yourself in need of some storage essentials.

• Aluminum Foil
• Aluminum Pie Pans
• Cooking or Non-Stick Spray
• Cupcake Cups
• Gallon Ziplock Bags
• Parchment Paper
• Piping Bags
• Plastic Wrap

Holiday Recipes You Can Prep in Advance

Some holiday recipes I like to make in advance to save time in the moment include:

• McKay’s Sugar Cookies – I like to freeze a batch of this sugar cookie dough in advance and roll what I need when I am ready to bake.
• Vegan All-Butter Pie Crust– Making a few pie crusts in advance makes it easy to whip up a chess pie in a moment’s notice.
• Vegan Peppermint Bark– Make and freeze a batch of this peppermint bark for snacking on all season long. Believe me, you will be glad you did.

If you found this guide to stocking your dairy-free pantry for holiday baking helpful feel free to leave a comment below! You can also share any tips you have for preparing for the baking season below. And if you have your pantry stocked and ready for the holidays feel free to snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!

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