From my baking shelf
Brands I use
These are the brands I reach for in my kitchen, from cocoa and fruit powders to the ingredients in my frostings and fillings.
Looking for my dairy-free picks? They have their own guide, with the specific products I use and notes to help you choose. For a particular bake, start with the brand notes in that recipe.
Plain unsweetened yogurt
Match the style in the recipe: regular and Greek-style yogurt have different consistencies.
- Forager Unsweetened Plain Yogurt
Smooth, mild, and dependable in cake batters and loaf batters.
- Silk Plain Unsweetened Yogurt
Another plain, mild option that behaves well in baked goods.
- Forager Unsweetened Plain Greek Style Yogurt
One of my Greek-style choices when that is the style listed in the recipe.
- Tezza Plain Unsweetened Greek Yogurt
Another Greek-style choice used in my recipes. Keep to the yogurt style listed in the recipe.
Sour cream
Violife is my first choice, with Forager as another option.
- Violife Sour Cream
My first choice for sour cream.
- Forager Sour Cream
My second choice and another good option when Violife is not available.
Milk
My milk picks for batters, fillings, and frosting.
- Silk Original Unsweet
Creamy, neutral, and consistent in batters, fillings, and frostings.
- Ripple Original
A creamy option that helps batters and frostings emulsify smoothly.
- Oatly Barista Edition
A richer oat option that works well when creaminess matters.
Butter
These are my butter picks. Look for sticks when the recipe calls for them.
- Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks
Reliable for baking and sturdy buttercream.
- Violife Plant Butter Sticks
A strong option for buttercream and baked fillings.
- Earth Balance
Useful in recipes where structure matters.
- Miyoko's
Rich, flavorful, and helpful in the right bake.
Cream cheese
The recipe matters here. My picks for frosting, baked cheesecake, and no-bake cheesecake are different.
- Philadelphia Plant-Based Cream Cheese
A dependable choice for cream cheese frostings, icings, and cake batters.
- Violife Supreme Cream Cheese Block
My pick for no-bake cheesecake and the frosting on my Carrot Cinnamon Roll Lava Cake.
- Tofutti
My only recommendation for baked cheesecake.
Cream
My cream picks for fillings and buttercream.
- Country Crock Heavy Plant Cream
Silky, creamy, and dependable in buttercream and fillings.
- Silk Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative
A smooth option for loosening buttercream and fillings.
Sweetened condensed milk
I prefer the oat version. The coconut version is another option when you want that flavor.
- Nature's Charm Sweetened Condensed Oat Milk
Thick, glossy, and dependable when condensed milk affects set and sweetness.
- Nature's Charm Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk
Works well if you want a coconut note.
Marshmallows and mallow
For marshmallow-heavy recipes, texture and melt matter. This is one of those ingredients where I do not treat every brand as interchangeable.
- Dandies
My hands-down pick for marshmallows and mallow.
Hazelnut spread
A good hazelnut spread should taste rounded and chocolatey without making the dessert feel waxy or flat.
- Nocciolata Hazelnut Spread
My favorite Nutella-style spread.
Freeze-dried powders
Freeze-dried powders are useful when you want concentrated fruit flavor without adding extra liquid.
- Jungle Powders
My go-to for freeze-dried powders.
Gel food coloring
A highly concentrated gel creates vivid color without adding enough liquid to change the texture of a batter, filling, or frosting. Better color also means you can use much less.
- Ann Clark Gel Food Coloring
A highly concentrated option that gives strong color with only a few drops.
- Colour Mill Oil Blend Coloring
A concentrated, dependable option for rich, even color.
Black cocoa powder
Black cocoa creates the deep Oreo-style flavor and dramatic color I want in cookies-and-cream desserts.
- The Cocoa Trader black cocoa
My favorite black cocoa for deep Oreo-style flavor and dramatic color.
Dutch-process cocoa powder
Dutch-process cocoa brings smooth, deep chocolate flavor and a darker color to cakes, fillings, and buttercream.
- Majestic Dutch-process cocoa powder
One of my preferred Dutch-process cocoa powders for deep color and chocolate flavor.
- Ghirardelli Dutch-process cocoa powder
Another Dutch-process cocoa brand I regularly reach for.
Natural cocoa powder
Natural cocoa brings a brighter, classic chocolate note that complements the deeper flavor of Dutch-process cocoa.
- Ghirardelli natural cocoa powder
A natural cocoa brand I regularly use for its classic chocolate flavor.
- Valrhona cocoa powder
The Valrhona cocoa powder from Sur La Table. This product is Dutch processed.
Chocolate
The two chocolate chips I use in my Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Donut Loaf.
- Guittard 46% Cacao Semisweet Chocolate Chips
My semisweet chocolate chip pick for this loaf.
- Guittard Super Cookie Chips
My second chocolate pick for this loaf. Made without milk ingredients, but on equipment that also handles milk chocolate.
Egg substitute
Most of my recipes are already egg-free. Where a recipe specifies JUST Egg, I use the liquid product and the amount listed.
- JUST Egg
The liquid egg substitute used in my recipes that call for it.
Nutritional yeast
A recipe-specific addition for my dairy-free Limoncello Cheesecake Mousse filling.
- Foods Alive Nutritional Yeast
I use the unfortified version in the amount listed in that recipe.