Eggs are creamy, dreamy, and delicious. You can find them in everything from delightful breakfast items to delicious dinners.
If you’re lactose intolerant, eggs might be confusing.
Do eggs have dairy?
Figuring out if eggs are dairy or not may feel like playing a game of Among Us.
If you’re trying to figure out whether eggs are “sus” or not, look no further.
We’re here to answer your question, “do eggs contain lactose?”
Table of Contents
Egg, I’m lactose intolerant, are you my friend or foe?
To determine whether eggs contain lactose, we need to figure out what foods have lactose.
Lactose is a sugar in dairy products such as milk, yogurt, ice cream, and cheese.
What counts as a dairy product?
Dairy is any food product derived from mammal (cows, goats, etc.) milk.
Products containing dairy are typically a no-no for lactose-intolerant who cannot digest the lactose in these products.
Eggs do not fall into this category as they come from birds, not mammals.
On its own, it is safe to eat because it isn’t dairy and does not contain lactose.
Why are eggs considered dairy?
You’re not alone if you thought eggs are dairy.
Why do we tend to lump them together?
In the U.S., you can usually find these two products in the refrigerated “dairy” section together at the grocery store.
This grouping may lead people to think that they are both dairy products.
The truth is, they aren’t related at all.
They are 100% safe for lactose-intolerant people to eat as long as the dish you’re eating them in doesn’t contain lactose from another product.
Even people with dairy allergies can eat eggs safely as long as there’s no cross-contamination.
What egg-based dishes can I eat without lactose?
While eggs and dairy are two separate things, and there is no lactose risk in eggs, they are often paired together in dishes.
If you add dairy to an egg dish, you do need to worry.
However, we’re here to take the fear of stomach explosions out of eating eggs.
Here are some recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner you can try that are lactose-free.
Breakfast
Dairy-free breakfast casserole
Breakfast casserole recipes without dairy can be challenging to come by. Luckily, we have 19 dairy free breakfast casserole recipes you can eat with your hash browns.
This mouthwatering concoction has a blend of sweet potatoes, breakfast sausage, onions, mushrooms, kale, eggs, non-dairy milk, and seasonings.
Breakfast Burritos
Breakfast burritos are another dish that tends to mix egg and cheese. Milk Free Mom has a tasty recipe where this is not the case!
This freezable recipe contains green bell peppers, onions, eggs, black beans, tortillas, salsa, and avocados.
Breakfast sandwich
Many breakfast sandwiches contain cheese, but this one from Go Dairy Free does not.
This delicious sandwich served on English muffins has eggs, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, spinach, dairy-free milk, sausage patties, and seasonings. A bonus is that this recipe is freezer friendly!
Shakshuka
This tasty northwestern African egg dish is naturally dairy free – yes lactose free too!
The Mediterranean Dish’s Shakshuka recipe calls for onions, green peppers, garlic, coriander, paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, eggs, parsley, and mint.
All of the flavors will leave you and your stomach happy.
Egg wraps
Egg wraps are a blank canvas, much like a tortilla or bread is. This recipe from Cotter Crunch is also paleo-friendly.
There are only two ingredients – eggs and oil.
They’re similar omelets but used to wrap various fillings like a tortilla.
Lunch
Egg salad sandwich with no dairy, no lactose
Egg salad sandwiches are so creamy and decadent that you would think it has dairy. Wrong! They have mayonnaise, which has emulsified egg.
This Recipe Critic recipe calls for bread, eggs, mayonnaise, dill, chives, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
Easy and delicious!
Fried rice with egg
This fried rice recipe from Gimme Some Oven is the perfect hearty lunch. While there is butter, this ingredient only has trace amounts of lactose.
Other ingredients in this delicious recipe are eggs, carrots, onion, peas, garlic, rice, green onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil.
Egg Drop Soup
Egg drop soup is a warming, comforting Chinese soup that is also dairy and lactose free.
Woks of Life’s delightful recipe has chicken stock, sesame oil, salt, sugar, white pepper, turmeric, cornstarch, eggs, and scallions.
A bowl of this soup makes for a soothing lunch.
Beef Empanadas
Empanadas are a tasty Argentine treat that is lactose-intolerance friendly.
Tastes Better from Scratch’s empanada filling calls for onions, garlic, bell pepper, beef bouillon, ground beef, hardboiled eggs, green olives, parsley, and spices. The homemade dough has flour, butter, water, and an egg.
Tortilla de patatas
Tortilla de patatas is a quintessential Spanish dish that does not contain any dairy.
Spanish Sabores has a typical recipe consisting of fried potatoes and onions mixed with scrambled eggs that become a tasty dome-shaped frittata. You can serve it with bread or other snacks.
Dinner
Spaghetti alla Carbonara (egg dish – lactose free, but not dairy free)
This traditional dish from Italy is simple, creamy, cheesy, and lactose-free.
Yes, it does have cheese, but pecorino does not contain lactose.
Recipes from Italy’s traditional version has dry spaghetti, guanciale, eggs, pecorino romano cheese, and ground black pepper. No cream is involved, so you’re safe!
Scotch Eggs
Scotch eggs are a hearty pub food that is actually from England, not Scotland.
Culinary Ginger’s version is a hardboiled egg surrounded by sausage and seasonings that is breaded and fried. You can eat this tasty treat with a homemade mustard sauce.
Katsudon
A tasty Japanese eggy comfort food that is dairy-free is katsudon.
Chopstick Chronicle’s katsudon has a pork cutlet mixed with an egg topped with a sauce made of dashi (broth), onion, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce over piping hot white rice.
Bibimbop
This Korean classic is light, healthy, and dairy-free.
My Korean Kitchen’s recipe starts with a rice bowl topped with spinach, bean sprouts, shiitake mushroom, carrots, garlic, and minced beef. Top all of this with a fried egg, and you have a delicious meal!
Does Egg Based Dishes Contain Lactose? Nope!
Take a big sigh of relief. Eggs are safe!
While eggs may seem like dairy, they are not.
Since there is a world of delicious egg dishes out there, you have plenty to eat without worrying about how your lactose-intolerant stomach will react.
As long as the dish doesn’t contain milk products, you will be A-Ok eating eggs!
