Out of Heavy cream, one case

Can you substitute buttermilk for heavy cream?

4 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 4 options

Use Buttermilk + butter

¾ cup buttermilk + ¼ cup butter for every cup of heavy cream

Only in some recipes. Buttermilk is sour and low in fat, usually about 1%, so it does not stand in for heavy cream in a hot sauce, in whipped cream or in anything that has to set. In scones, biscuits, pancakes and quick breads, use ¾ cup buttermilk plus ¼ cup melted butter per cup of heavy cream and expect a tangier result.

Verdict —: You'll taste it
The tweak —: Whisk the cooled melted butter into the buttermilk. The butter sets into small flecks in the cold liquid, which is fine in a batter. If the recipe is raised by baking powder only, add ½ teaspoon baking soda per cup of buttermilk and take out 2 teaspoons of the baking powder.
Best for —: scones and biscuits
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full heavy cream card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Heavy cream substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup heavy cream	Verdict
1	Buttermilk + butterscones and biscuits	¾ cup buttermilk + ¼ cup butterYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
2	Buttermilk, stirred in off the heatmashed potatoes	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
3	Half-and-half + butterpan sauces and cream soups	¾ cup half-and-half + ¼ cup butterTweak it	Tweak it
4	Evaporated milkcustards and pie fillings	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
Not a swap	Buttermilk in hot sauces or whipped cream	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option4 options

Buttermilk + butter

tangy, like a buttermilk biscuit, and less rich

Buttermilk supplies the liquid and a tang, and the melted butter replaces some of the fat it lacks. The acid also makes a tender crumb, which is why this works in baking and nowhere near a simmer.

Best for: scones and biscuits, pancakes, waffles and quick breads, cakes where cream is one liquid among several
Prep: Whisk the cooled melted butter into the buttermilk. The butter sets into small flecks in the cold liquid, which is fine in a batter. If the recipe is raised by baking powder only, add ½ teaspoon baking soda per cup of buttermilk and take out 2 teaspoons of the baking powder.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Sweet custards, ganache, caramel and any recipe where the cream is whipped. Without the baking soda adjustment the bake can taste sour and rise less.

Buttermilk, stirred in off the heat

sour and light where cream was mild and rich

Where cream is stirred into something already cooked, or the dish is served cold, plain buttermilk works in the same measure. The dish is thinner and sharper.

Best for: mashed potatoes, cold dressings, dips and slaws, chilled soups
Prep: Start with ¾ of the amount, because buttermilk is thinner than cream, and add the rest if the dish needs it. Stir it in after the pan is off the heat.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Anything that returns to a simmer: buttermilk curdles when it boils.

A tablespoon or two of butter stirred into mashed potatoes makes up for the missing fat.

Half-and-half + butter

very close to cream

The swap to use when the cream is cooked into a sauce or soup, which is where buttermilk cannot go. It is neutral in flavor and far less likely to curdle.

Best for: pan sauces and cream soups, pasta sauces, quiche and custard bases
Prep: Melt the butter, let it cool for a minute, then whisk it into the half-and-half. Add it off the boil.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Whipped cream: at about 27% fat it stays liquid.

Evaporated milk

slightly cooked and sweetish

A neutral, shelf-stable swap for baked and cooked dishes, used straight from the can. It has none of the sourness of buttermilk and takes heat better.

Best for: custards and pie fillings, creamy soups and casseroles, batters
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Reduced sauces that count on fat to coat a spoon, and whipped toppings that have to hold.

Buttermilk in hot sauces or whipped cream

Buttermilk has neither the fat to survive a simmer nor the fat to hold air.

In these two jobs it does not work in any amount.

Best for: baking and cold dishes only, as in the rows above
Where it fails: In a simmering sauce or soup it separates into curds and thin liquid. Beaten, it stays liquid: whipping needs about 30% fat.

Use half-and-half plus butter for a sauce, and real cream or chilled coconut cream for whipping.

Tips for substituting heavy cream

5 tips

Baking: ¾ cup buttermilk plus ¼ cup melted butter per cup of cream. For ½ cup, use 6 tablespoons buttermilk plus 2 tablespoons butter.
If the recipe uses baking powder and no baking soda, add ½ teaspoon baking soda per cup of buttermilk and cut the baking powder by 2 teaspoons, so the acid is neutralized and the bake still rises.
Mashed potatoes: warm the buttermilk gently, do not boil it, and stir it in at the end with an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter.
Never add buttermilk to a pan that is boiling. If a soup needs it, take the pot off the heat, let it stop bubbling, and stir the buttermilk in just before serving.
Cream scones made with buttermilk need the butter. A cream scone gets all its fat from the cream, so plain buttermilk gives a dry, bready scone.

Questions

4 questions

Can I use buttermilk instead of heavy cream in scones or biscuits?

Yes, with butter added: ¾ cup buttermilk plus ¼ cup melted butter per cup of cream. If the recipe has no baking soda, add ½ teaspoon per cup of buttermilk and take out 2 teaspoons of baking powder. The scones come out tangier and a little less rich, closer to a buttermilk biscuit.

Can I use buttermilk instead of heavy cream in pasta sauce or soup?

Not if the sauce or soup simmers after the dairy goes in. Buttermilk curdles when it boils and its sourness takes over a cream sauce. Use ¾ cup half-and-half plus ¼ cup melted butter per cup of cream instead. In a soup, buttermilk can be stirred in off the heat just before serving if you want the tang.

Can you whip buttermilk like heavy cream?

No. Whipping needs about 30% fat, and buttermilk is usually about 1%. It stays liquid however long you beat it.

Is buttermilk the same as heavy cream?

No. Despite the name, buttermilk has almost no butterfat. The carton sold in stores is low-fat milk that has been cultured until it is sour and slightly thick. Heavy cream is at least 36% fat and is not sour. They behave differently in almost every recipe.