Every year I search for Earth Day recipes for healthy ideas. But most of what I find are foods tinted with green and blue food coloring! I thought it was time to celebrate with sustainable recipes that don’t look like the earth, but instead benefit the earth. In honor of this date, I’ve rounded up 22 sustainable dairy-free recipes that cover savory dishes, no-waste ideas, virtuous desserts, and healthy drinks.
22 Sustainable Dairy-Free Recipes for Earth Day and Every Day
All of these sustainable recipes are dairy-free and plant-based. These two aspects alone can explain certain major points in terms of respect for the environment. Cow’s milk has a carbon footprint which is more than 20 times larger than almond milk, and the disparity is even greater with coconut milk. An abundance of data also shows the positive environmental impact of plant-based swaps. But it’s not just a list of vegan dishes. These sustainable recipes go a step further with nutritious ingredient choices and other eco-friendly benefits.
Sustainable savory recipes
Marinated mushroom bowls with lentils and wild rice
This comforting bowl is rich in plant-based protein thanks to mushrooms and lentils. Plus, it contains many more nutrient-rich ingredients.
Rosemary Root Vegetable Puree
This dish is a great way to use up all those sad root vegetables that are rolling around in your fridge!
Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad
Go green with greens! This flavorful salad is packed with minerals and vitamins, and it’s rich in ingredients with a low carbon footprint.
Carrot and mint pesto
Save the carrot tops! Pesto is a great way to use up just about any type of green.
homemade croutons
Forget packaging and avoid waste! Making your own dairy-free croutons is easy and a great way to use up stale bread. This works with even the healthiest, heartiest breads.
Gazpacho soup
This vibrant soup is full of garden-fresh ingredients that can usually be purchased locally or even grown in your garden.
Waste-Free Buddha Bowl with Creamy Herb-Lemon Sauce
Dubbed her “Earth Day Bowl,” Sophia prepares this dish by roasting leftover vegetables in her crisper. This avoids wasting valuable products at the end of the week.
Raw zucchini rolls with pesto
Raw recipes save energy and preserve nutrients. These roll-ups make a simple and light party appetizer or nutritious snack.
Mushrooms stuffed with ratatouille
These flavorful plant-based appetizers are truly garden-to-table. They are filled with fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs that grow abundantly in summer.
Vegetarian burgers from the garden
Made with fresh herbs, black-eyed peas and carrot tops, these burgers are a great way to enjoy summer produce. Plus, the recipe is easy to customize based on what you have on hand.
Sustainable sweet recipes
Beautiful maple and pecan cream
Cure your ice cream cravings with this pure, two-ingredient, dairy-free frozen dessert. Yes, the title is also the list of ingredients!
Sweet potato pancakes with caramel sauce
Not only are these pancakes a great way to use up leftover sweet potato and reduce food waste, but they’re also made with spelled flour. Spelled is one of the few flours that does not require pesticides to grow. The recipe also uses coconut sugar, named the most sustainable sweetener by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Chia Pudding Dirt Cups
Now here are some fun, healthy, kid-friendly treats for Earth Day! The recipe even includes homemade chocolate “worms” sweetened just with dates.
Banana-Oat Trail Mix Muffins
These hearty muffins are made from whole foods and are a great way to use up any nuts, seeds, or dried fruit you have in your pantry.
Strawberry Basil Cream Ice Cream
Only four simple ingredients are needed for these delicious frozen treats. They are also naturally sweet!
Instant Chia Vanilla Pudding
Not only are they healthy, but chia seeds have also been ranked among the most sustainable foods in the world. Make it perfect with seasonal and local fruits.
Almond and nectarine pancakes
These pancakes are made from buckwheat and oats, both of which are sustainable and beneficial to the environment. Buckwheat grows quickly and therefore generally requires no chemical help. And oats are excellent for soil conservation!
Sustainable recipes to sip on
Sustainable seasonal smoothies
This post contains not one, but four seasonal and sustainable smoothies! Recipes use the lowest carbon footprint options widely available for spring, summer, fall and winter.
Homemade green apple juice
Homemade juice is cost-effective and a great way to avoid plastic bottles, but the pulp is usually thrown away. But not with this green juice! Even the apple peel is used up.
Homemade maple hemp milk
Making your own dairy-free milk is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Additionally, this hemp milk can be prepared in large quantities or in individual portions to avoid waste.
Vegetable broth that heals the intestines
You can use up leftover vegetables and kitchen scraps with this plant-based twist on trendy bone broth.
Eat a Dirt Chocolate Protein Shake
I highly recommend eating earth if it comes in the form of this nutrient-rich chocolate smoothie!
