This dairy free lasagna is a totally creamy and satisfying casserole to serve your family. I have provided two options, one dairy free, and one not!
Either way, this homey and comforting Italian dish will feed a crowd with a lot less effort than you would think!
Of course, I have been CRAVING this, in fact I had a pan in the freezer I had made before my son was born waiting for us.
Maybe because I grew up eating it…but I have always loved my mom’s lasagna the best. We are creatures of habit, but anyone who eats her recipe always enjoys it, so it must be good by itself too!
Then of course food intolerances galore set in, and the gluten and dairy in it were out. Sigh.
I needed to recreate the cheese sauce with no dairy.
The results are a creamy and dreamy casserole free of all gluten and dairy!
For those of you still able to, you can use any lasagna noodles, and the dairy cheese mix to follow…OR try something new and just as delicious and totally dairy free!!
Is lasagna time consuming and difficult to make?
A lot of people avoid making lasagna, making the wrong assumption that it is time consuming…not at all!! It is a really simple assembly that requires no special skills or methods…and is a snap to throw together.
Best of all, you can easily make a double batch, freeze one pan for later or share it with a lucky friend. This a favorite meal to send to friends in need!
Vegan | vegetarian lasagna option?
Simply replace the ground beef with roughly 3-5 cups chopped veggies – onion, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach…whatever sounds good.
Sauté the veggies in oil until tender, adding the spices and tomato sauce at the end.
Serving suggestions for dairy free lasagna sides
- a simple green salad with a homemade vinaigrette takes just a couple minutes to prepare!
- My best fresh green beans would make a great veggie side!
- How about some homemade gluten free Artisan bread?
Additional gluten free dairy free recipes:
- I have a quick and easy gluten free lasagna soup recipe that everyone loves! Use the dairy free cheese mixture in THIS recipe for the cheesy addition.
- My Asian lettuce wraps are light and fresh and completely addicting!
- This one pan Cowboy Barbecue Skillet is a crowd favorite!
- My crockpot pulled pork couldn’t be any easier!
- How about this carne asada with an incredible mojo marinade?!
If you are looking for a lower carb version, ty this palmini lasagna that uses palm hearts in place of noodles!
Gluten Free Dairy Free Lasagna Recipe:
If you try this gluten free lasagna, I want to hear about it! Please leave a comment below!
Mom's Lasagna - Gluten | Dairy Free Option
Ingredients
- 1 box lasagna noodles (there is no real science here, if you like yours really noodly, then add more!! If you get a box with mostly broken noodles, break them all up and layer pieces instead, lasagna is just a casserole after all! I used Tinkyada Lasagna Noodles to make it gluten-free.
Red sauce:
- 1 pound ground meat or sauteed veggies for a vegan option
- 1 24 ounce spaghetti sauce or 24oz crushed tomatoes and a can of paste Tonight I used my easy homemade tomato sauce.
- 2 teaspoons herbs of choice I added basil, oregano, thyme, parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste, start w/ 1 teaspoon
Cheese Mix I - Dairy Free Version
- 1 cup pine nuts soaked in cold water at least 2 hours, then drained. Macadamia nuts, blanched raw almonds, or raw cashews would also work.
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast or more to taste (adds 'cheesy' flavor)
- 1/4 cup water or more if needed. Different nuts need more or less water..so start with none and add as needed to get it smooth and creamy.
- 8 oz mozzarella style vegan cheese such as Daiya cheese
Cheese Mix II - Dairy
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella
- 8 oz cottage cheese
- 8 oz grated parmesan or pecorino romano
Instructions
- Boil lasagna noodles following the directions (I used Tinkyada Brown Rice noodles- yum!), rinse with cool water, toss with a bit of oil to keep them from sticking, set aside. I have noticed I do not cook Tinkiyada noodles as long as they suggest, about HALF the time, so be safe and test a noodle!
- Brown the ground meat with some garlic powder and salt.
- Add in the tomato sauce of your choice, along with the herbs.
- Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning to your personal taste. Choose your cheese sauce and prepare:
- Dairy Free 'Cheese' Mix I - Puree all ingredients except the shredded cheese in a food processor until they are silky smooth (and if you are feeling creative, add some herbs in here too for added pizazz. Oregano, basil, thyme, Italian Seasoning, garlic are all good options). Scrape the sides down as needed, and only add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time if needed. When smooth, add the dairy free cheese, and pulse a couple of times to mix.
- Cheese Mix II - Mix all the cheeses together in bowl.
Assembling:
- Put a ladleful of red sauce to coat the bottom of a 11 x 7 pan (or similar)...this is a little trick so the noodles don't stick to the bottom. A smaller pan works and will yield a thicker lasagana that will need more time to heat through, a larger pan equals a thinner casserole...you decide!
- Then layer the noodles, then cheese mix, then red sauce, and repeat until ingredients are used up. NOTE: the layers don't need to be completely covered, it will all melt and blend together in the oven, promise, DOLLOPS WORK GREAT!!)
- I like to end with the red sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. Cover and freeze at this point if you are saving for later.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for apx 30 minutes until heated through.
Notes
Nutrition
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I am planning to make and use the
Kite-Hill dairy free ricotta.
I feel like I’ve read this recipe 10x now and I don’t see where it is mentioned what pan size to use just simply “coat the bottom of the pan”. But what size pan? Thanks!!
Thanks Tracy, I’m surprised no one has pointed that out to me, this is a poular old recipe! I use a 11 x 7, but other sizes are fine (noted in directins now)
This was so good! I’ve never tried a dairy free lasagna and everyone in my family loved it. Definitely going on my monthly rotation. Thank you!
Yay Kendra, so glad the whole family liked it!
So I’ve been gf/df for over a decade and one of the foods I’ve missed the most is lasagne. Well, not any longer! I’ve made this at least once a month since finding the recipe. Thank you for a delicious recipe!!
You’re very welcome Erica!
New family favorite! I used Tessa’s homemade sauce in this with veggies from our garden, gluten-free no-boil noodles by Jovial, and Daiya Mozzarella style plant-based cheese for the shredded part. We all loved it! So thankful to have a familiar, comforting dish after going gluten, dairy, & egg free! Thanks, Tessa!
Awesome Melissa! So glad you liked it! Really appreciate your feedback!
Oh boy! I just made this using cheese choice 1 with the pine nuts. And green lentil pasta. Sooo yummy totally top 8 allergy free! Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks
For your feedback!
Looks yummy! I may have missed it, but what size pan? 9 X 13? Thanks!
Really any size, depending on the thickness you’re going for. Unusually use a 9 x 12 or a brownie pan!
Thanks! Making it tonight!
This lasagna receipt isn’t dairy free. Why is labeled as such?
Hi Nicolyn! I am sorry if it seemed confusing, but there are TWO versions of the cheese sauce listed in the recipe, the first being dairy free. I like to provide options whenever I can since everyone has different dietary needs!
Hi,
Just wanted to let you know I am sharing your wonderful recipe tomorrow in my Gluten-Free Recipe RoundUp with a link back to your original post!
Have a terrific weekend!
Cathy from APeekIntoMyParadise.com
Oooh, this is great. I haven’t seen a lasagna recipe with nut-cheese before.
Wow this looks delicious. I never seem to get gluten free lasagna right. I will definitely try this recipe.
Thank you!
I am allergic to all nuts (pine nuts included) can the nuts for the dairy free cheese sauce be left out or substituted?
Are you allergic to dairy too?
I have sinus issues which are aggrevated by dairy so I eat dairy free and currently gluten free. All these food issues are so much fun, aren’t they!
How would tiger nuts work?! ?
I don’t think there is way to get them creamy enough unfortunately. Do you need it nut free? Could go the bechemel sauce route….
Wonderful lasagna recipe and I love how you have adapted it for special diets. The pine nut cream sounds really delicious!
I am so excited to find your blog. I recently discovered I may have food allergies and I am looking for helpful resources. Thanks for all of the information!
Ashley
Ashley, glad you found me! Please, let me know if i can help you in anyway, it is quite a daunting adventure in the beginning! I love to help people tweak things for their own allergies, so please don;t hesitate to ask!