Looking for dairy-free restaurant options in Knoxville? We’ve got you covered.
Although I’m not a big cheese fan, my journey to finding dairy-free options began by being a mom to a kid with food allergies. More specifically, an allergy to milk protein, peanuts, and some tree nuts. It’s become second nature to check labels. To my surprise, there are many food items I wouldn’t have even thought of that contain milk such as some pasta sauces, breads, butters, chocolates…the list goes on. It seems like milk is in everything!
So whether you’re looking for dairy-free options in and around Knoxville due to food sensitivities or some other reason, I’ve got you covered on some favorite spots I’ve found so far so you can still enjoy some American favorites like pizza and ice cream while eating out, but made completely dairy-free!
Dairy-Free Pizza
Mellow Mushroom
If you’re in the mood for pizza, but wish to do it dairy-free, make your way over to Mellow Mushroom for one of their three different varieties for dairy-free pizza. You can opt for the Vegan Build Your Own, Vegan Cheese, or Vegan Veg Out Pizza, all of which include the Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Cheese. You can also enjoy the Vegan Pretzel made with their classic dough and kosher salt and served with traditional yellow mustard.
Blaze Pizza
What I love about Blaze Pizza is the fact that you’re not restricted to just a couple of options when it comes to eating dairy-free. Their classic, gluten-free, and high rise doughs are all vegan. Plus, you can swap out pretty much anything on the menu that has cheese with their vegan cheese option. So that means, yes, you can order any of their cheesy bread too!
Grocery Store Brands
Daiya’s Dairy-Free Cheese or Pepperoni Pizza gets the job done when you’re looking for a quick dairy-free pizza that can be ready at home in a matter of minutes.
Dairy-Free Ice Cream
Bruster’s
Did you know that this popular ice cream chain offers a vegan Cookies and Cream ice cream made from oat milk? It’s actually my favorite vegan ice cream option from a restaurant. PS: Yes, Oreos are also vegan/dairy free!
The Sugar Queen Creamery
This gem in South Knox has three dairy free flavors made with coconut milk: strawberry, vanilla, and a peanut butter flavor. Not only is their ice cream such a treat, but so is their outdoor setting and play area for small kids.
Grocery Store Brands
Oatly makes vegan ice cream, popsicles, and ice cream sandwiches that have an oat milk base, which also makes them nut-free.
Dairy-Free Bakery
Benefit Your Life Bakery & Cafe
Tucked away in the corner of a shopping center in Cedar Bluff, you can find BYL Bakery & Cafe. Their menu features an array of dairy-free baked goods like muffins, cakes, cookies, brownies, oatmeal cream pies, and more. You can also find other dairy-free (also egg-free, nut-free, and gluten free) menu items. For lunch, try their dairy-free Chicken Salad or build your own panini. This spot is a real treasure!
Grocery Store Brands
In the cookie dough selection, look for the brand Sweet Loren’s. Their dairy-free cookie dough is made in a facility that’s also free of the top 14 allergens. They offer traditional flavors like sugar cookies, chocolate chips, and more including seasonal flavors like gingerbread, pumpkin spice too.
Dairy-Free Smoothies
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
When I made mention of food allergies we were trying to avoid, their employees were very good about making sure they used freshly cleaned equipment and tools when handling our dairy-free order, which I appreciate. They have several smoothie options that don’t contain milk or any top allergens such as their Sunshine Smoothie, Detox Island Green, or their Kids Lil’ Limeberry to name a few.
Smoothie King
Smoothie King is another great alternative if you’re looking for a drive-thru option for dairy-free smoothies. My favorite is their Lemon Ginger Spinach and for kids, get their Little Angel, which is just strawberries and bananas.
Of course, there are countless other restaurants that offer dairy-free items on their menu. If you scroll to the bottom of many of their websites, you may be able to find a link to view that restaurant’s allergen information to discover which foods are safe if you have food allergies, dietary restrictions or just looking for dairy-free alternatives.
Some restaurants even offer a way to filter their menu by inputting what allergen you would like to avoid. In this case, for example, foods that contain “milk.” Utilizing this tool is how I found that AppleBee’s has a few dairy-free smoothie options my kid enjoys, like their Mango Smoothie and Strawberry Banana. It also helped me know which foods to avoid, like some wings options that contained milk that I would not have even guessed.
Do you have a favorite dairy-free spot we missed that you’d recommend? Or maybe a dairy-free food item you love to buy in stores? Would love to know in the comments below!
