Short answer: the best heavy cream substitute for cooking and baking is ¾ cup of whole milk whisked with ¼ cup of melted butter. It replaces 1 cup of heavy cream in sauces, soups, mashed potatoes and most baking. It won’t whip, though. For a topping you can whip, use light whipping cream or chilled full-fat coconut cream instead.
Below you’ll find a quick chart, then each swap explained, then which one to use in mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, Alfredo, soups, mac and cheese and coffee.
On this page: The chart · What heavy cream does in a recipe · The 8 swaps · If you need to whip it · Recipe by recipe · Mistakes to avoid · Quick questions
Heavy cream substitute chart: what replaces 1 cup
Every amount below replaces 1 cup of heavy cream (also sold as heavy whipping cream). Need a smaller amount? There are 16 tablespoons in a cup, and our guide to how many teaspoons are in a cup will help with the rest.
| Swap | Replaces 1 cup | Best in | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole milk + butter | ¾ cup whole milk + ¼ cup melted butter | Sauces, soups, mashed potatoes, baking | Won’t whip; use it while it’s warm |
| Half-and-half + butter | ⅞ cup half-and-half + 2 tablespoons melted butter | Cream sauces, Alfredo, scones, quiche | Won’t whip |
| Half-and-half | 1 cup, straight swap | Soups, coffee, mashed potatoes, gravy | Thinner and lighter; keep it below a boil |
| Light whipping cream | 1 cup, straight swap | Everything, including whipped cream | Whips softer and loses its shape sooner |
| Evaporated milk | 1 cup, straight swap | Soups, casseroles, pies, mac and cheese | A light cooked-milk taste; won’t whip easily |
| Greek yogurt + milk | ½ cup plain Greek yogurt + ½ cup whole milk | Creamy soups and sauces, dips, mashed potatoes | Tangy; stir in off the heat or it can split |
| Milk + cornstarch | 1 cup whole milk + 1 tablespoon cornstarch | Thickening soups, gravies and pan sauces | Not rich; it only copies the thickness |
| Coconut cream (dairy-free) | 1 cup full-fat coconut cream | Curries, soups, dairy-free pies, whipped topping | A light coconut taste |
What heavy cream does in a recipe
In the US, heavy cream has to contain at least 36% milk fat. Whole milk has about 3.25%. That big gap in fat is the whole story, and it gives cream three jobs:
- Richness. It makes a sauce feel silky and coats the spoon.
- It survives heat. All that fat protects the milk proteins, so cream can simmer, and even meet a little acid like wine or tomato, without curdling. Lower-fat swaps are more delicate.
- It whips. Cream with 30% fat or more traps air when you beat it and holds a shape. Nothing with less fat will do that.
So pick your swap by the job. If you need richness, add fat back (milk plus butter). If you need thickness, add body (cornstarch, yogurt, evaporated milk). And if you need to whip it, only a high-fat cream or coconut cream will work.
The 8 heavy cream swaps, explained
1. Whole milk + melted butter (the classic)
Melt ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) of butter and let it cool for a minute. Then whisk it into ¾ cup of whole milk. Use it straight away: as it cools, the butter firms up and floats, so give it another whisk if it sits. It brings the fat back to milk and works almost anywhere cream is cooked or baked. Unsalted butter is best, or cut back a little on the salt in the recipe.
2. Half-and-half + melted butter
Half-and-half is half milk, half cream, so it needs less help. Whisk 2 tablespoons of melted butter into ⅞ cup of half-and-half (that’s 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons). This is the closest everyday swap for a rich cream sauce, an Alfredo or a quiche.
3. Half-and-half on its own
Swap it cup for cup in soups, mashed potatoes, gravy and coffee. It’s lighter and thinner, so a sauce won’t be quite as thick. Stir it in near the end and keep it at a gentle simmer, not a boil.
4. Light whipping cream
Light whipping cream has a little less fat than heavy cream, but still enough to whip. It swaps in cup for cup for everything. Whipped, it’s a bit softer and won’t hold its peaks as long, so whip it close to serving.
5. Evaporated milk
Evaporated milk is milk with most of its water cooked off, so it’s thicker and creamier than plain milk. Swap it cup for cup in soups, casseroles, mac and cheese and custard pies. It has a gentle cooked-milk taste that works well with pumpkin and warm spices. Out of that too? Here’s our evaporated milk substitute guide.
6. Greek yogurt + milk
Whisk ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt with ½ cup of whole milk until smooth. It’s thick and creamy with a little tang, lovely in a creamy soup, a dip or mashed potatoes. Yogurt splits if it boils, so take the pot off the heat, then stir it in. Use plain, not vanilla.
7. Whole milk + cornstarch
When a recipe only uses cream to thicken, for example a soup, a gravy or a pan sauce, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 1 cup of cold whole milk. Add it to the pot and simmer, stirring, until it thickens. It copies the body of cream, not the richness, so it’s the lightest swap on the list.
8. Dairy-free: coconut cream
Full-fat coconut cream (or the thick layer from the top of a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk) swaps in cup for cup. It’s rich enough to cook with and, chilled, it whips. It brings a light coconut flavor, which is lovely in curries, pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie.
If you need to whip it
This is where most swaps fail. Milk and butter, half-and-half, evaporated milk and yogurt will not whip into soft peaks, however long you beat them, because they don’t have enough fat. Your two real options:
- Light whipping cream. It whips a little softer. Chill the bowl and beaters first.
- Chilled coconut cream. Refrigerate a can of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream overnight, scoop off the thick top layer and whip it like cream. Save the thin liquid for a smoothie or a curry.
Which swap to use, recipe by recipe
- Mashed potatoes: milk plus butter, or half-and-half. Warm it first so the potatoes stay hot and fluffy. Greek yogurt adds a nice tang. Try it in our creamy mashed potatoes or garlic mashed potatoes with sour cream.
- Pumpkin pie: evaporated milk or half-and-half, cup for cup. Coconut cream makes a good dairy-free pie. Here’s our classic pumpkin pie, with a step-by-step picture guide.
- Alfredo and cream sauces: half-and-half plus butter is the closest. Keep the heat low once it’s in. Good in a one-pot garlic chicken Alfredo or a chicken Alfredo pasta bake.
- Soups and chowders: half-and-half, evaporated milk, or milk plus cornstarch if you just want it thicker. Stir it in near the end. Try a slow cooker potato soup or a roasted pumpkin soup.
- Mac and cheese: evaporated milk keeps the cheese sauce smooth, and milk plus butter works too. Try a creamy homemade mac and cheese or a baked mac and cheese.
- Gravy: half-and-half, or milk plus cornstarch, whisked in over low heat.
- Baking (scones, biscuits, cakes): milk plus butter, cup for cup. It’s the swap that changes the least.
- Coffee: half-and-half is the obvious one. It’s also what makes a breve coffee.
- Dairy-free cooking: coconut cream. If the recipe also calls for eggs, here’s what to use instead of eggs.
Mistakes to avoid
- Trying to whip milk and butter. It won’t happen. Use light whipping cream or chilled coconut cream.
- Boiling a lower-fat swap. Half-and-half, milk and yogurt can split at a hard boil, especially with tomato, wine or lemon in the pot. Add them near the end and keep the heat gentle.
- Pouring cold yogurt into a hot soup. Take the pot off the heat first, or stir a ladle of the hot soup into the yogurt before adding it.
- Using skim milk. Whole milk only. Skim makes a thin, watery sauce.
- Grabbing sweetened condensed milk. It’s full of sugar and is not a cream swap.
- Using sweetened or vanilla yogurt or plant milk in a savory dish.
Quick questions
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?
On its own, only in a soup or mashed potatoes, where a thinner result is fine. For a sauce or baking, whisk ¾ cup of whole milk with ¼ cup of melted butter to replace 1 cup of heavy cream.
Is heavy whipping cream the same as heavy cream?
Yes, for cooking they’re the same thing. Both have at least 36% milk fat and swap cup for cup. Light whipping cream has a little less fat but still whips.
Can I use half-and-half instead of heavy cream?
Yes, cup for cup in soups, coffee, mashed potatoes and gravy. For a richer sauce, whisk 2 tablespoons of melted butter into ⅞ cup of half-and-half. It won’t whip.
What can I use instead of heavy cream if I’m dairy-free?
Full-fat coconut cream, cup for cup. Chilled overnight, it whips into a dairy-free topping.
Can I make whipped cream without heavy cream?
Only with light whipping cream or chilled coconut cream. Milk, half-and-half and milk with butter don’t have enough fat to hold air.
Kitchen Kit
- Full-fat coconut cream, to keep in the pantry for a dairy-free swap that whips
- A good balloon whisk, to blend the milk and butter smoothly
- A glass measuring cup, to measure the milk and melted butter
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