You are halfway through a batch of alfredo sauce for a dinner party and the heavy cream carton in the fridge is empty. Or you are lactose intolerant and need a swap that still makes a soup taste rich and finished. Or you are just trying to avoid a grocery run for one ingredient. Heavy cream is one of the more forgiving ingredients to substitute, since its two main jobs can both be replicated with things you likely already have: enriching and thickening food, and whipping into a stable foam.
What can you use instead of heavy cream?
The Short Answer: Milk and butter, half and half, evaporated milk, coconut milk or coconut cream, cashew cream, Greek yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, blended silken tofu, and a milk and cornstarch slurry all work as heavy cream substitutes depending on whether you need to cook, bake, thicken, or whip. Most substitute at close to a 1:1 ratio in sauces and soups, though not every option will whip into peaks. The best choice depends on whether the cream needs to hold its shape, thicken a sauce, or simply add richness.
For full storage guidance on heavy cream itself, see our companion post: does heavy cream go bad and does heavy cream need to be refrigerated. For related dairy swaps, see does half and half go bad and does buttermilk go bad.
Heavy Cream Substitutes: At a Glance
Quick Reference Table
Milk and butter
3/4 cup milk plus 1/4 cup butter, cooking and baking
Half and half
1:1 ratio, lighter sauces and soups only
Evaporated milk
1:1 ratio, pantry staple, cooking and baking
Coconut milk or coconut cream
1:1 ratio, dairy-free, whips when chilled
Cashew cream
1:1 ratio, dairy-free, neutral flavor
Greek yogurt
1:1 ratio, tangy, stir in off heat
Cream cheese
1:1 ratio thinned with milk, thick sauces and dips
Sour cream
1:1 ratio, stirred in at the end
Silken tofu, blended
1:1 ratio, vegan, sauces and soups
Milk and cornstarch slurry
1 cup milk plus 1 to 2 tsp cornstarch, thickening only
Soy milk and olive oil
2/3 cup soy milk plus 1/3 cup olive oil, vegan cooking and baking
Light cream or light whipping cream
1:1 ratio, sauces and soups, whips only if near 30 percent fat
Cottage cheese, blended
1:1 ratio, higher protein, best in blended sauces and dips
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
Heavy cream serves two distinct functions in cooking: enriching and thickening (sauces, soups, baked goods) and whipping into a stable foam (toppings, frostings, mousse). The best substitute depends on which function you need.
Cooking and thickening call for something with enough fat or starch to add body without curdling under heat. Milk and butter, half and half, evaporated milk, and a cornstarch slurry all work, each at a slightly different fat level.
Whipping requires enough fat to trap air and hold a stable structure. Only well-chilled full-fat coconut cream reliably whips among the dairy-free options. Most of the other substitutes on this list will not whip into peaks.
Anyone after a dairy-
