Out of Heavy cream, one case

Heavy cream substitute for cheesecake

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Sour cream

1 cup for every cup of heavy cream

In a baked cheesecake, replace heavy cream with the same amount of full-fat sour cream; the eggs set the cake, so the swap is forgiving. In a no-bake cheesecake the cream is whipped to hold the filling up, so only something already whipped works: use 2 cups thawed whipped topping per cup of heavy cream, or chilled coconut cream whipped in the same measure as the cream.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Use full-fat sour cream at room temperature and mix it in on low speed, only until the batter is smooth.
Best for —: baked New York-style cheesecake
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	Sour creambaked New York-style cheesecake	1 cupTweak it	Tweak it
2	Whipped topping (Cool Whip)no-bake cheesecake	2 cupsTweak it	Tweak it
3	Half-and-halfbaked cheesecake with 1/2 cup of cream or less	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
4	Full-fat Greek yogurtbaked cheesecake	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
5	Coconut cream (chilled)no-bake cheesecake	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
Not a swap	Milk	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Sour cream

slightly tangier

Many New York-style cheesecakes are written with sour cream in the first place. It gives the same creamy, dense texture as heavy cream with a mild tang that suits the cream cheese.

Best for: baked New York-style cheesecake, cheesecake bars, baked mini cheesecakes
Prep: Use full-fat sour cream at room temperature and mix it in on low speed, only until the batter is smooth.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: No-bake cheesecake that relies on whipped cream: sour cream does not whip, so the filling stays soft. Low-fat and fat-free sour cream bake up looser.

Whipped topping (Cool Whip)

sweeter and lighter, with less dairy flavor

For a no-bake filling. One cup of heavy cream whips to about 2 cups, so 2 cups of thawed whipped topping replaces it. It is already whipped, sweetened and stabilized.

Best for: no-bake cheesecake, cheesecake dips and parfaits, icebox pies
Prep: Thaw it in the refrigerator, fold it into the beaten cream cheese mixture by hand, and leave out the sugar the recipe whips into the cream.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Baked cheesecake: it melts in the oven and the filling turns thin and oily.

An 8 oz tub holds about 3 cups.

Half-and-half

lighter, less rich

In a baked batter, half-and-half replaces the liquid and part of the fat. The cheesecake sets normally because the eggs do the setting, and it comes out a little lighter and less rich.

Best for: baked cheesecake with ½ cup of cream or less, lighter baked cheesecakes
Prep: For a richer batter, use ¾ cup half-and-half plus ¼ cup melted butter per cup of cream.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: No-bake cheesecake: it will not whip, and the filling stays runny.

Full-fat Greek yogurt

noticeably tangy

Thick, strained yogurt behaves much like sour cream in a baked batter: it adds body and tang. It is lower in fat, so the cheesecake is a little firmer and less silky.

Best for: baked cheesecake, cheesecake bars
Prep: Use plain, full-fat Greek yogurt at room temperature and pour off any liquid sitting on top.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: No-bake fillings, and flavored or sweetened yogurt in any cheesecake.

Coconut cream (chilled)

clearly coconut

The one unwhipped ingredient that whips like cream, for a no-bake filling when there is no whipped topping in the freezer.

Best for: no-bake cheesecake, coconut, lime or chocolate cheesecakes
Prep: Chill a can of full-fat coconut milk upright overnight, spoon off only the thick layer, and whip it cold. Two 13.5 oz cans give about 1 cup.
Where it fails: A plain vanilla cheesecake, where the coconut flavor stands out.

Milk

Milk is 3.25% fat or less.

It thins a baked batter without adding richness and it cannot be whipped for a no-bake filling.

Best for: replacing 1 or 2 tablespoons of cream in a baked batter
Where it fails: A no-bake cheesecake made with milk in place of whipped cream does not set. A baked one with a full cup of milk is wetter and more likely to crack.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeHeavy cream

Heavy cream does different jobs in the two kinds of cheesecake. In a baked one it is a small amount of liquid and fat that loosens the cream cheese, and the eggs set the cake, so most thick dairy works. In a no-bake one it is whipped first, and that whipped cream is the structure. Read the recipe: if the cream is beaten to peaks, only a swap that is whipped can replace it.

Tips for substituting heavy cream

5 tips

Check the method before you choose. If the recipe says to whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold it in, it is a no-bake structure and needs whipped topping or whipped coconut cream.
Baked cheesecake with ¼ cup of cream or less: leave it out or use the same amount of sour cream. The difference is small.
Have sour cream, yogurt and cream cheese at room temperature and mix on low speed. Cold dairy leaves lumps, and beating in air makes a baked cheesecake puff and crack.
No-bake with whipped topping: 2 cups per cup of heavy cream, folded in by hand, and chill the cheesecake at least 6 hours before slicing.
A no-bake filling that seems loose is firmer after a night in the refrigerator. Do not add more liquid to fix it.

Questions

4 questions

Can I leave heavy cream out of a baked cheesecake?

If the recipe uses ¼ cup or less, yes: the cheesecake is slightly denser. For larger amounts, replace it with the same measure of full-fat sour cream so the batter keeps its moisture and fat.

Can I use sour cream instead of heavy cream in a no-bake cheesecake?

Not as the replacement for whipped cream. Sour cream does not whip, so the filling has nothing holding it up and stays soft. Use 2 cups of thawed whipped topping per cup of heavy cream, or whipped chilled coconut cream.

Can I use milk or half-and-half instead of heavy cream in cheesecake?

Half-and-half works in a baked cheesecake in the same amount; the cake is a little lighter. Milk thins the batter and is only suitable for a tablespoon or two. Neither works in a no-bake cheesecake, because neither can be whipped.

How much Cool Whip replaces 1 cup of heavy whipping cream in cheesecake?

2 cups, thawed. One cup of heavy cream whips to about 2 cups. An 8 oz tub holds about 3 cups, enough to replace 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Cut or leave out the sugar that the recipe adds to the cream, because whipped topping is already sweetened.