If you’re looking for dairy-free lunch ideas, then you’ve found the right place! I’ve recreated kid-favorite recipes into dairy-free meals your kids will look forward to eating!

If kids aren’t picky enough as it is, add a dairy allergy to the mix and coming up with meal ideas can be exhausting. I have a ton of dairy-free recipes but to keep it simple, in this post we will stick to lunch ideas.
Related: Top 5 Lunchboxes We’ve Tested
Dairy-Free Lunches for Kids
Packed lunches should always be: simple, healthy, and easy to prepare. However, when faced with a food allergy, you have to pay special attention to food labels. In the case of a dairy allergy, some recipes aren’t easily made dairy-free.
In this recipe below you’ll find a good variety lunches like bento boxes, wraps, even pancakes, all of them made with no dairy.
Coming up with lunches that are allergy-friendly and still yummy is what I do best. Over the years I’ve accumulated quite the arsenal of recipes, which is why I created a packed lunches ebook with over 100 ideas!
101 Packed Lunches eBook
All my best kid-friendly lunches from over a decade of creating meal plans. Add some variety to your child’s lunchbox with these epic lunches, plus receive my Pack Meals Like a Pro ebook, free with purchase!
While not all of the recipes are dairy-free, many of them are or can be by removing cheese or swapping an ingredient like milk or sour cream for a plant based option.
Dairy-Free Bread for Sandwiches
When first going dairy-free, it can be shocking at how many foods, such as bread, that contain hidden dairy ingredients. Sad, I know. Fortunately, we don’t have to give it up altogether, there are dairy-free bread options that taste just as good and build the perfect sandwich!
I like to make my Homemade Paleo Bread, it’s a grain and dairy-free option made with nuts, however, if you or someone in your family has a nut allergy, this one is a great alternative.
Dairy-Free Lunch Recipes
The moment you’ve been anticipating: the recipes! To make packing these lunches easier, I like the Easy Lunchbox containers. They have three compartments per container so packing multiple wet/dry ingredients in one container is possible.
Dairy-Free Snacks
To go with each of these lunches, here are some great snack ideas that are dairy-free and can be easily tucked into the lunch bag.
If making the chocolate chip cookie dough bars, be sure to select dairy-free chocolate chips such as these.
- Baked Apple Chips
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars
- Rainbow Fruit Skewers
- Oatmeal Raisin Bites
- Dairy-free yogurt drinks
For even more ideas, be sure to follow MOMables on Facebook and sign-up for our FREE newsletter!
7 Dairy-Free School Lunch Ideas | Mini Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar, optional
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup milk of choice, ( I used unsweetened almond)
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- Maple syrup, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin puree, egg, and butter. Whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together until just combined.
- In a large greased skillet or griddle, over medium heat pour 1 to 2 tablespoons batter to make small pancakes.
- For larger pancakes, up to ¼ cup of batter. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until pancake batter starts to bubble and flip. Cook for an additional minute or until the middle is cooked through and the bottoms are golden brown.
- Remove pancakes from the skillet and serve with maple syrup, if using.
Corine
So many incredible dairy free ideas here!
Abril Aguilar
both me and my sister are lactose intolerant so these recipes really help us to find what we can for lunch to take to school
MOMables-Laura
Glad you have found these recipes helpful Abril!
Emma Toren
Hi this will be a big help
Ashley
Thanks for sharing! Quick question about the pancakes, do your kiddos eat them cold in a packed lunch? I’m struggling with cold lunch ideas (thermos is on order).
MOMables-Laura
Hi Ashley, this is a great question. You can reheat the pancakes in the morning and they will be at room temperature by lunch, which most kids are fine with. If you need more cold lunch ideas I actually have an entire post on that: https://www.momables.com/cold-lunch-ideas-kids/
Sarah Hunter
Thanks so much MOMables!
I am allergic to dairy and this site really helps when I need to pack lunch!
Liz Barnard
My son is ADD I need some help with measls to makerbfor him lunch box ideas
What not to give him and what I cash give him
Brianna Bryson
I am 11 years old and I have a food allergie to dairy so this site really helps me decide what to make for my lunch for school.
MOMables
So glad we could help!
Brianna Bryson
I am now 13 I was looking for non dairy lunch ideas and came onto this site and saw that I had been on here before and said that comment. It freaked me out a little to see my name on here and I was like “oh I said that when I was 11” I had forgotten about it totally.
MOMables - Laura
Happy to have you back Brianna! You can find lunch ideas on my Youtube channel: MOMables
Lila De Jessa Williams
I am 10 years old and I also am lactose intolerant and this site really helped me thank you momables!
MOMables - Laura
Thanks Lila!