If you have nut allergies in your family -- what are some of your substitutions

[Anonymous]

I love to cook, and love to try new recipes. I'm trying to find some new things to try for Thanksgiving and Christmas (yes, I know the date LOL) and almost everything that is intriguing me seems to have nuts for "crunch". So, I'm looking for other options to add that crunch.

We'll have a vegan (which is probably what's leading me to all the nut recipes) and a child with nut allergies, and I've promised that child's parents that no nuts will be served, so adding the nuts at the end isn't an option.

I don't need a lecture about how I could just not accommodate the vegan, or the kid with allergies can learn to just not eat the foods with nuts. I know those are options. They aren't the options we're choosing this year.

[Anonymous]

It depends on the specific nut and recipe as to what I use. Seeds are great - sunflower and pepitas do a great job of replacing a lot of nuts. You can splurge for pine nuts (which aren’t a nut), which add a unique taste and texture.

[Anonymous]

Lordy, veganism and a nut allergy do not mix well! Good luck, OP.

I have a son with an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts, pine nuts, certain seeds and multiple tree nuts. There would be none of these at the table, because I do not want an ER visit for Thanksgiving. You can substitute small bread crumbs for crunch if you want a crunchy topping o savory items. I like bottom pie crusts to be crunchy, so I just bake them for longer. You can also mix in little fragments of hardened caramelized sugar in your desserts, or sugar crystals you purchase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the specific nut and recipe as to what I use. Seeds are great - sunflower and pepitas do a great job of replacing a lot of nuts. You can splurge for pine nuts (which aren’t a nut), which add a unique taste and texture.

Just to be clear, that it's not uncommon for people who react to tree nuts to also react to pine nuts. The allergist who sees the kid in my OP says no pine nuts for that specific kid.

There are absolutely people who can eat some tree nuts and not others, or who can eat pine nuts and not most tree nuts, but if someone tells you they're avoiding all tree nuts (as opposed to naming a few specific nuts) I wouldn't assume they can eat pine nuts without asking.

-- OP

Here's one recipe I'm looking at:

https://www.purplecarrot.com/plant-based-recipes/butternut-squash-gnocchi-with-cranberries-herb-butter

[Anonymous]

Seeds like pumpkin or sunflower, puffed grains/ seeds such as rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, crispy panko breadcrumbs or streusel (can be sweet or savory).
In Indian stores you can find a lot of crunchy savories that are vegan great to add texture. Sev, gram flour noodles, is one option. Although if cross contamination is an issue I'd steer clear of those.

For your recipe I'd probably use crispy breadcrumbs made from vegan bread.

[Anonymous]

Jicama is a great add. It’s a root vegetable. Mild flavor. Lots of crunch.
Second the suggestion of purple carrot for inspiration

[Anonymous]

OP, is the nut allergy just tree nuts or can the child eat peanuts? Those can be a good substitute if so. Also seeds, especially at thanksgiving adding pepitas to anything would be very appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Pumpkin seeds
Roasted chickpeas
Toasted quinoa
Sunflower seeds

[Anonymous]

We tend to eat vegan and have a child with a severe nut allergy. It’s not that big a deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, is the nut allergy just tree nuts or can the child eat peanuts? Those can be a good substitute if so. Also seeds, especially at thanksgiving adding pepitas to anything would be very appropriate.

She is also allergic to peanuts.

[Anonymous]

Seeds are what you're looking for, OP. I have a peanut allergic kid who can do most tree nuts (but maybe not pine nuts? unclear). I get needing to avoid all nuts, regardless of specific allergies. It just feels safer. 12:47 has a good list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We tend to eat vegan and have a child with a severe nut allergy. It’s not that big a deal.

OP here,

I don’t think it’s a big deal, I am just looking for new things to try.

We do crunch quinoa as a yogurt topping, for example, but it hadn’t occurred to me to use it for something like a salad so that’s a great idea.

[Anonymous]

In the squash recipe I would just leave them out. On sweets I'll use GF oats, panko or corn flakes. For flavor I'd use bacon (but you loose the vegan spin). If nuts are a major ingredient in the recipe it might not be a good choice.

[Anonymous]

For that recipe I would definitely roast some pumpkin seeds.

[Anonymous]

Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, quinoa crunch, roasted chickpeas.