Coconut cream is also surprisingly easy to locate; you’ll find it in the Asian foods section of most grocery stores under the guise of canned coconut milk. Coconut cream is simply the rich part of full-fat coconut milk. As the coconut milk rests, the cream rises to the top to form a very thick layer that can be scooped out like soft ice cream.

In fact, the sign of a good canned coconut milk is one that separates into a watery base with up to three-quarters of a cup of “stand a fork in it” cream on top. In warmer months, chill the coconut milk in the refrigerator for a few hours to assist in the separation.

Watermelon and strawberry have evolved to be one of my favorite fruit combinations. Plus, the riper the fruit, the sweeter the pops, so this cool recipe is ideal to enjoy in the heat of summer.

Feel free to reduce the honey in the watermelon and strawberry blend if your fruit is particularly ripe, but be aware that the finished pops will taste a little less sweet once frozen. –Alisa Fleming

Free of: dairy, nuts and gluten, plus the other top allergens.

Makes 4 to 6 Pops

Ingredients

Fruit Layers

• 1⁄4 lb (113 g) seedless watermelon flesh (about 1 ⁄ 2 cup of purée)
• 1⁄2 cup (120 mL or 2.5 oz) fresh or frozen ripe strawberries, halved
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) honey
• 1⁄4 tsp (1.25 mL) fresh squeezed lime juice

Vanilla Cream

• 1⁄2 cup coconut cream* [see “Advice on Substituting Cream”] or full fat canned coconut* milk
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) honey
• 1⁄4 tsp (1.25 mL) vanilla extract

Method

1. Combine the watermelon, strawberries, 1 tbsp of honey and the lime juice in a blender. Purée until smooth. Pour into a glass measuring cup, and quickly rinse the blender jar.
2. Combine the coconut cream or coconut milk, remaining 1 tbsp of honey and the vanilla in the blender. Purée until smooth.
3. Pour the fruit blend into 4 to 6 pop molds until they are roughly ⅓ full. Freeze the pops for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the pops from the freezer, and divide the vanilla cream among the pops to make the second layer. Freeze the pops for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the pops from the freezer, and pour the remaining fruit blend over the pops to make the third layer. Place the popsicle sticks into the pops, and freeze the pops for 1 to 2 hours, or until completely frozen.

Recipe Variations

• Quick Blended Cream Pops: For a super fast two-step recipe, skip the layers and simply blend all of the ingredients together. Fill the pop molds and chill in the freezer for 2 hours or until solid.

• Strawberry Cream Variation: For fruitier pops, blend two ripe strawberries into the vanilla cream before pouring it into the molds.

*A Note on Coconut
Coconut is technically a fruit. While most allergists do not consider it a tree nut, if you are nut allergic, ask your doctor if coconut is safe for you.

Alisa Fleming is Allergic Living’s Senior Editor and the author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance and Casein Free Living. She is also founder and chief editor of the popular Godairyfree.org website. Recipe was first published in Allergic Living magazine.

Free of: dairy, nuts and gluten, plus the other top allergens. For those not following a gluten-free diet, a flour alternative is included.

Makes 16 cupcakes

Ingredients

Carrot Cupcakes

• 1 cup (250 mL) brown rice flour (superfine if possible)
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) tapioca starch
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) potato starch
• 1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) xanthan gum
• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (80 mL) white sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) crushed pineapple with juice
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) grapeseed, coconut or canola oil
• 2 eggs [See "Recipe Notes” for egg substitute]
• 1 1/4 tsp (6.25 mL) vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded carrots

Pineapple “Cream Cheese” Frosting

• 4 oz (113 g) dairy-free cream cheese alternative
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) palm shortening, coconut oil [see “Recipe Notes”] or dairy-free margarine
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) drained, crushed pineapple or 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) pineapple juice
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) lemon juice
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups (250 mL+) sifted confectioners’ sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 16 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together: brown rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.
3. Using a hand blender, in a separate mixing bowl mix: brown sugar, white sugar, pineapple, oil and eggs. Or whisk for 1 minute.
4. Add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, then stir with a wooden spoon just until the ingredients are combined. Stir in the shredded carrots.
5. Pour batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups; they should be 2/3 to 3/4 full.
6. Bake the cupcakes 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. To make the frosting, with a hand mixer, beat the shortening, oil, or margarine with the cream cheese alternative until soft and well-combined. Beat in the drained pineapple (or pineapple juice) and lemon juice, and slowly blend in 1 cup of the powdered sugar. If a sweeter icing is desired, beat in up to ½ cup of additional confectioners’ sugar. Chill the frosting in the refrigerator as the cupcakes cool.
8. Once thickened, give the frosting a quick whip. The consistency will be slightly softer than a buttercream. Frost cupcakes and serve.

Next: Recipe Notes

There is no need to forego favorite family recipes, even if following a free-from diet. With the right ingredient substitutions, those beloved holiday desserts will make the transition flawlessly. The most important thing to consider when making substitutions is the purpose of the original ingredient.

Take buttermilk for example. It adds a slight tang and subtle richness to recipes; the acid in buttermilk tenderizes the gluten in batter to produce baked goods with a softer texture; and the acid reacts with baking soda to help quick breads and cakes rise. Fortunately, all of these needs can be met with a quick, homemade substitute.

Dairy-Free Buttermilk Alternative

Yields 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
• plain or unsweetened soy milk, or rice milk, or hemp milk alternative

Method

• Place the vinegar or lemon juice in a glass measuring cup and add enough milk alternative to reach 1 cup. Stir, and allow to stand and thicken for about 5 minutes.

Note: Milk alternative does not curdle the way dairy milk does.

Sour cream has similar properties to buttermilk, but its thickness also adds structure to recipes. You can substitute a store-bought sour cream alternative, but making your own is easy and economical.

Silken ‘Sour Cream’

Yields 1-1⅓ cups

Ingredients

• 1 12.3 oz (349 g) package firm silken tofu
• 1 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp agave nectar or sugar
• ½ tsp salt

Method

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender, and process until the mixture is creamy.
2. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Next: Replacing Egg White