Out of Heavy cream, one case
Heavy cream substitute for 1 cup, 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Half-and-half + butter
Per cup of heavy cream
¾ cup half-and-half + ¼ cup butter
For 1 cup heavy cream in a cooked recipe, use ¾ cup half-and-half plus ¼ cup melted butter. For ½ cup, use 6 tablespoons half-and-half plus 2 tablespoons butter; for ¼ cup, use 3 tablespoons half-and-half plus 1 tablespoon butter. Whole milk works in the same amounts but comes out thinner. None of these will whip.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Melt the butter, let it cool for a minute so it is warm and not hot, then whisk it into the half-and-half.
- Best for —
- pan sauces and cream soups
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full heavy cream card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup heavy cream | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Half-and-half + butterpan sauces and cream soups | ¾ cup half-and-half + ¼ cup butterTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Whole milk + butterwhen milk and butter are all you have | ¾ cup whole milk + ¼ cup butterYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 3 | Evaporated milkbatters, custards and baked dishes | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 4 | Coconut cream (chilled)whipped topping | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Milk | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Half-and-half + butter
very close, with a faint cooked-butter note
The closest stand-in for cream that is cooked. Three parts half-and-half to one part melted butter, at any size: 6 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons for ½ cup, 3 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon for ¼ cup.
- Best for
- pan sauces and cream soups, quiche and custard bases, baked dishes and batters
- Prep
- Melt the butter, let it cool for a minute so it is warm and not hot, then whisk it into the half-and-half.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Whipped cream, ganache that has to set firm and no-bake fillings. The mix is about 27% fat, under the roughly 30% that whipping needs.
Salted butter adds about 1/8 teaspoon of salt per ¼ cup, so taste before you salt the dish.
Whole milk + butter
thinner and milkier
The same three-to-one measure with milk. It lands near 21% fat, closer to light cream than heavy cream, so sauces come out thinner.
- Best for
- when milk and butter are all you have, baked dishes where cream is one liquid among several, gravies and chowders you can thicken separately
- Prep
- Whisk the warm melted butter into the milk in a thin stream, and whisk again just before you pour.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Anything whipped or set, and sauces with lemon, wine or tomato held at a simmer, where it curdles far more readily than cream.
To thicken, whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch into 1 tablespoon cold milk per cup of the mix, stir it in and simmer for 1 minute.
Evaporated milk
slightly cooked and sweetish
The swap with no arithmetic: the same measure, straight from the can. A 12 fl oz can holds 1 ½ cups and a 5 fl oz can holds ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons.
- Best for
- batters, custards and baked dishes, creamy soups and casseroles, when you need an odd amount such as 1/3 or 2/3 cup
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- It is about 6 to 7% fat, so it adds no richness to a reduced sauce and will not hold whipped peaks.
Coconut cream (chilled)
clearly coconut
The one common swap that whips, measured the same as the cream. One chilled 13.5 oz can of full-fat coconut milk gives about ½ cup of the thick layer, so allow two cans per cup.
- Best for
- whipped topping, dairy-free desserts, curries and soups where coconut fits
- Prep
- Chill the can upright overnight, open it without shaking, and spoon off only the solid layer.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Dishes where coconut flavor is out of place. Light coconut milk will not whip.
Milk
No measure of plain milk stands in for heavy cream.
Whole milk is 3.25% fat against at least 36%, so add butter as in the row above.
- Best for
- replacing a tablespoon or two in a large recipe
- Where it fails
- Sauces stay watery and curdle with acid, and it never whips.
Tips for substituting heavy cream
5 tips- 1 cup heavy cream: ¾ cup half-and-half or whole milk plus ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) melted butter.
- ¾ cup heavy cream: 9 tablespoons (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) half-and-half or milk plus 3 tablespoons butter. 2/3 cup: ½ cup liquid plus 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons butter.
- ½ cup heavy cream: 6 tablespoons half-and-half or milk plus 2 tablespoons butter. 1/3 cup: ¼ cup liquid plus 4 teaspoons butter.
- ¼ cup heavy cream: 3 tablespoons half-and-half or milk plus 1 tablespoon butter. 2 tablespoons: 1 ½ tablespoons liquid plus 1 ½ teaspoons butter.
- 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream: 1 ½ cups half-and-half or milk plus ½ cup (1 stick) butter.
Questions
5 questionsWhat can I substitute for ½ cup of heavy cream?
In a cooked or baked recipe, 6 tablespoons half-and-half plus 2 tablespoons melted butter. Whole milk works in the same amounts but is thinner. You can also use ½ cup evaporated milk straight from the can. If the ½ cup is going to be whipped, only chilled coconut cream will do it: the thick layer from one 13.5 oz can.
What can I substitute for ¼ cup of heavy cream?
3 tablespoons half-and-half or whole milk plus 1 tablespoon melted butter, or ¼ cup evaporated milk. At this size, in a soup or a batter, plain half-and-half on its own is usually close enough.
What can I substitute for 2 tablespoons of heavy cream?
For an amount this small in a sauce, soup or batter, use 2 tablespoons of half-and-half or evaporated milk, or 1 ½ tablespoons milk plus 1 ½ teaspoons melted butter. The difference is hard to notice at this quantity.
Do these amounts work for whipped cream?
No. The half-and-half mix is about 27% fat and the milk mix about 21%, and whipping needs roughly 30%. For whipped cream, use chilled full-fat coconut cream in the same measure as the heavy cream. One cup of real heavy cream whips to about 2 cups, so if a recipe asks for 2 cups of whipped cream it means 1 cup of liquid cream.
How much is 1 cup of heavy cream in other units?
1 cup is 8 fluid ounces, 16 tablespoons, 240 ml, or about 238 g. A half-pint carton holds 1 cup and a pint carton holds 2 cups.