11 Easy Substitutes For Heavy Cream
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We have all been there. Halfway through a recipe, you realize you are missing one of the key ingredients. Or you are at the grocery store and find them sold out of the things you need. Sometimes you have to substitute one ingredient. Some ingredients can be easy to replace, but others can be tricky.
Heavy cream is a milk product made from the thick, fatty layer that forms on top of fresh milk (via Bob's Red Mill). When that layer is separated from the rest of the milk, it creates heavy cream. Heavy cream is notable due to its high-fat content of between 30 and 40%. This high-fat content makes it thicker and richer than its counterparts, such as milk. Heavy cream can be used in sweet or savory dishes as a way to add richness and tenderness. If you find yourself without access to heavy cream, do not worry. We have 11 alternatives for you.
1. Coconut cream
One of the simplest substitutes for heavy cream is coconut cream, which is similar to coconut milk. In both products, coconut is blended with water to produce a smooth white substance (via MasterClass). However, coconut cream uses more coconut and less water, which results in a thicker liquid that has a much higher fat content — around 20%. While this is still lower than heavy cream, it retains much of that product's properties (via the Coconut Handbook).
Coconut cream is thick and offers a creamy mouthfeel similar to that of heavy cream. It can be used in cooking and baking as a dairy-free substitute for heavy cream. It can even be used to make homemade whipped cream, as long as you do not mind the coconut flavor coming through.
Coconut cream can be purchased easily at many grocery stores, with brands such as Target offering their own store brand. Just be sure to pick up coconut cream and not cream of coconut, which is a sweetened product.
2. Half-and-half and butter
Half-and-half is similar to heavy cream and provides a rich and creamy addition to dishes and baked goods. While heavy cream has a minimum of 36% milk fat, half-and-half comes in at around 10.5 to 18% fat because it is made with half heavy cream and half whole milk, hence the name.
Due to their similarities, you might be tempted to substitute half-and-half for whipped cream without any alterations. If you are using it in a baking recipe that may be fine, but for recipes that require extra thickness and the full support of full-fat heavy cream, such as chowder recipes, there is an easy way to doctor your half-and-half to fit the bill. Simply melt butter and mix it into your half-and-half. This will raise the fat percentage to meet that of heavy cream and will make it an adequate substitute, giving the dish more depth.
3. Milk and butter
While you may not have half-and-half on hand, many people have milk and butter as staples in their kitchens. Much like adding butter to half-and-half, you can add butter to milk to create an easy substitute for heavy cream.
First, you want to use the right kind of milk. When you see options at the grocery store that say 0%, 1%, 2%, and 4%, this denotes the fat content in the milk. "Whole" milk is full-fat milk, which is around 4%. While this is a far cry from the up to 40% fat found in heavy cream, using whole milk will give you better results for your cream substitute.
To make an appropriately fatty substitute, Life Hacker says to mix ¼ cup of melted butter with ¾ cup of milk. This substitute can not be used for whipped cream but will work quite well for most recipes when baking and cooking.
4. Milk and cornstarch
If you are making a recipe and need the thickness of heavy cream, but without necessarily the fat that comes with it, milk and cornstarch might be your ideal option.
Cornstarch is a popular thickening agent derived from corn. It works by being added to cold liquid, where the starch binds with the liquid and causes it to thicken. Do not add cornstarch to hot liquid. Instead, you must first dissolve it in cold liquid, or it will clump and not work properly. However, it must then be heated to activate the cornstarch fully.
To use as a substitute for cream, mix cornstarch and milk together, as shown by Onyx Food Hill. Once mixed, cook to activate the cornstarch. The mixture will then thicken and can be used in cooking or whipped with butter and sugar to make a sweet whipped topping similar to whipped cream or frosting.
5. Milk and yogurt or sour cream
The dairy aisle is practically overflowing with options. So, if you are in a pinch and find that there is no heavy cream available, you may be wondering if you can use any of these as a substitute. The good news is, you can. There are two main cultured dairy products that work as substitutes for heavy cream: yogurt and sour cream.
Yogurt, particularly Greek yogurt, can be a rich and creamy substitute for heavy cream. A simple one-to-one ratio with your choice of milk is all you need. Just make sure the yogurt isn't sweetened or flavored.
Sour cream also works as a substitute for heavy cream, particularly in sauces, baked goods, and as a whipped cream alternative, per Blogchef. Similarly, creme fraîche, a thick, cream-based product similar to sour cream, can be used as an alternative.
It should be noted that all the above options will give you a distinctive tangy flavor. If you are looking to get a consistency closer to that of heavy cream, add a little milk and mix it in until you reach the desired consistency.
6. Cheese alternatives
The dairy aisle serves up a number of cheeses that, much like their thick fermented relatives sour cream and yogurt, also act as palatable heavy cream alternatives.
Mascarpone is an Italian cheese that is smooth and has a soft creamy taste. It is used in savory dishes but is well-known for its use in the dessert tiramisu. Mascarpone is made using heavy cream, which is then treated with enzymes, so it is no wonder it works well as a substitute. It does contain 60 to 75% fat, though, which should be taken into consideration when cooking.
On the other hand, cream cheese has a lower fat percentage, closer to that of heavy cream at 33% (via Real Simple). So while cream cheese is much tangier than mascarpone, it will do as a substitution.
Finally, there is cottage cheese. While many may not consider cottage cheese due to its texture, with one simple change, it makes a fantastic substitute. Simply purée it, or as Foods Guy recommends, melt the curds. This will result in a smooth and thick liquid perfect for subbing in a recipe that requires heavy cream. Plus, cottage cheese has added health benefits (via Healthline).
7. Cashew cream
Finding an ultra-creamy plant-based heavy cream substitute that does not have a distinctive flavor can be complicated. Luckily, though, there is an option available, and it's vegan too.
Cashew cream is a thick and creamy, cashew paste that can be used as a great alternative to heavy cream in some recipes. While this nut cream is available for purchase from online stores like Naturitas, it is easy enough to make at home and will likely provide you with better creamy results.
According to the vegan blog, Minimalist Baker, cashew cream can be made at home with just two simple ingredients: cashews and water. The two are boiled and then blended together. Minimalist Baker recommends using a higher cashew-to-water ratio to achieve a thicker consistency depending on your recipe. The resulting cashew cream will be the perfect substitute in baked desserts and savory dishes that call for heavy cream.
8. Non-dairy milk and oil
As previously discussed, one of the critical components of heavy cream is its high fat content. So if you are making a dish that requires fat, you may be hesitant to use some of the other options, especially if you are looking for a dairy-free substitution. Rest assured, though, there is a good substitute — plant-based milks.
To make this heavy cream substitution, simply combine a non-dairy milk, such as oat or soy milk, with an oil, such as coconut or olive oil. Stir as you pour in enough oil to reach the desired consistency. The ratio will be about ⅓ cup oil to ⅔ cup non-dairy milk (via The Taste of Kosher and Leaf).
The Taste of Kosher recommends using oat milk as the non-dairy milk and using a flavorless oil such as safflower oil to keep a neutral flavor that will work in any dish. Leaf, on the other hand, recommends soy milk and olive oil. Whatever your preference, this simple hassle-free cream can be used in most recipes, but cannot be whipped.
9. Silken tofu and soy milk
Another vegan option is a little different than the others. Instead of using a plant-based milk or cream as the base and perhaps adding oil, this option mixes silken tofu with soy milk.
Unlike other types of tofu, silken tofu is unpressed. Because of this, it is softer and more watery than other kinds of tofu. Because it has a thick pudding or custard-like consistency, it perfectly lends itself to making creamy dishes.
To use it as a heavy cream substitute, Big Oven suggests blending equal parts of silken tofu and soy milk until a smooth consistency is reached. Not only is this combination relatively mild — as tofu does not contain the distinct tang of some of the other fermented options — but it is also able to be whipped and used as a substitute for recipes that require the extra holding ability of heavy cream.
10. Evaporated milk
Many of us are guilty of harboring many canned goods in our cabinets and pantries. This can end up being useful, though, if you find yourself without a carton of heavy cream but with a can of evaporated milk.
Evaporated milk is milk that has had at least half of the water taken out of it (via Gourmet Sleuth). This leaves you with a more concentrated milk product, making it a suitable choice as a heavy cream substitute and one of the easiest to make. It is a simple one-to-one evaporated milk-to-heavy cream ratio.
While evaporated milk will not whip up like heavy cream, it can be used in other ways. Blog Gotta-Eat found in their tests that evaporated milk and heavy cream could be utilized interchangeably in pies and savory dishes. Both Amazon Alexa and crowdsource question site Quora agreed with these finds. If you rarely use heavy cream, it may be worth stocking up on a few cans of evaporated milk instead.
11. Powdered cream
If you need a shelf-stable heavy cream alternative, the easiest option is to invest in powdered heavy cream. Brands such as Anthony's make a heavy cream powder that is simply powdered and dried cream solids. The brand's powdered cream comes in at a whopping 72% butterfat solids.
To use as a heavy cream substitute, mix 1 cup of water with ½ cup of milk solids, and you have a fresh heavy cream substitute. Reviewers of the product say that it is a good substitute for making things such as rice pudding, and others mentioned it makes an excellent coffee creamer.
The major downside to powdered heavy cream is that it can not be used as a substitute when making whipped cream, as one reviewer noted. That means you can not expect it to be whipped and hold its shape for any recipe. However, if you are looking for flavor and richness, powdered heavy cream may be the way to go.