Out of Heavy cream, one case
Can you substitute Cool Whip for heavy cream?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Cool Whip (thawed)
2 cups for every cup of heavy cream
Yes, but only where the heavy cream is whipped and the dessert is served cold. Use 2 cups thawed Cool Whip for each cup of heavy cream the recipe whips, because 1 cup of cream whips to about 2 cups, and leave out the sugar added to the cream. It does not work in anything cooked: Cool Whip melts into a thin, sweet liquid in a sauce, a soup or the oven.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Thaw it in the refrigerator, about 4 hours for an 8 oz tub. Fold it in by hand and do not beat it. Leave out the sugar and vanilla the recipe adds to the cream.
- Best for —
- no-bake pies and no-bake cheesecake
- 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 | Cool Whip (thawed)no-bake pies and no-bake cheesecake | 2 cupsTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Coconut cream (chilled)whipped topping from scratch | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 3 | Half-and-half + butterpan sauces and pasta sauces | ¾ cup half-and-half + ¼ cup butterTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Evaporated milkbatters, custards and pie fillings | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Cool Whip in cooked recipes | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Cool Whip (thawed)
sweeter and lighter than whipped cream, with less dairy flavor
A whipped topping made mostly from water, vegetable oil and sweeteners, sold frozen and already whipped. It is sweeter than whipped cream and holds its shape longer in the refrigerator.
- Best for
- no-bake pies and no-bake cheesecake, trifles, icebox cakes and fruit salads, topping pies, cakes and hot chocolate
- Prep
- Thaw it in the refrigerator, about 4 hours for an 8 oz tub. Fold it in by hand and do not beat it. Leave out the sugar and vanilla the recipe adds to the cream.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Any recipe that heats the cream or uses it as a liquid: sauces, soups, ganache, caramel, custard, scones and cake batter.
If the recipe asks for a measure of cream that is already whipped, such as 2 cups whipped cream, use the same 2 cups of Cool Whip.
Coconut cream (chilled)
clearly coconut
The pantry ingredient that whips like cream, measured the same as the liquid cream. It is unsweetened, so you control the sugar.
- Best for
- whipped topping from scratch, dairy-free desserts, no-bake fillings where coconut fits
- 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.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Desserts where coconut flavor does not belong.
Half-and-half + butter
very close to cream
For the recipes where Cool Whip cannot go: the cream is cooked into a sauce, a soup or a custard.
- Best for
- pan sauces and pasta sauces, cream soups, 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 shelf-stable swap for baked and cooked recipes, used straight from the can.
- Best for
- batters, custards and pie fillings, creamy soups and casseroles
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Rich reduced sauces, and whipped toppings that have to hold.
Cool Whip in cooked recipes
Cool Whip is a foam of oil, water and sweeteners.
Heat collapses the foam, and what is left is not cream.
- Best for
- cold desserts only, as in the first row
- Where it fails
- It melts and turns thin and oily in a hot pan or the oven, it sweetens a savory dish, and it does not set a ganache or a custard.
Tips for substituting heavy cream
5 tips- Count in whipped cups. 1 cup of heavy cream whips to about 2 cups, so 1 cup cream is 2 cups Cool Whip, and ½ cup cream is 1 cup Cool Whip.
- An 8 oz tub holds about 3 cups, which replaces 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. A 16 oz tub replaces about 3 cups.
- Thaw it in the refrigerator, not on the counter or in the microwave. Warm Cool Whip turns loose and does not firm up again.
- Fold with a spatula in two or three additions. Beating it with a mixer knocks the air out.
- Cut the sugar. Cool Whip is already sweetened, so leave out the 2 to 4 tablespoons of sugar a recipe usually whips into the cream.
Questions
5 questionsHow much Cool Whip equals 1 cup of heavy whipping cream?
2 cups of thawed Cool Whip, when the recipe whips the cream. One cup of liquid heavy cream whips to about 2 cups. If the recipe lists the cream as already whipped, such as 2 cups whipped cream, use the same measure of Cool Whip.
Can I use Cool Whip instead of heavy cream in a sauce, soup or ganache?
No. Cool Whip is not a liquid cream. It melts into a thin, sweet, oily liquid when heated, and it does not thicken a sauce or set a ganache. For cooked recipes use ¾ cup half-and-half plus ¼ cup melted butter per cup of heavy cream, or the same amount of evaporated milk.
Can I use Cool Whip instead of heavy cream in frosting or mousse?
In recipes that fold in whipped cream, yes: 2 cups Cool Whip per cup of cream. A Cool Whip frosting is softer than buttercream and needs to stay refrigerated. In a frosting where liquid cream is beaten in a tablespoon at a time to thin it, use milk instead; Cool Whip is the wrong tool there.
Is Cool Whip dairy-free?
No. Original Cool Whip lists skim milk, light cream and sodium caseinate, a milk protein, among its ingredients. It is not suitable for a milk allergy or a vegan diet. Check the tub, because formulas vary.
Can you whip Cool Whip to make it thicker?
No. It is already whipped, and beating it deflates it. For a firmer filling, fold it in gently and chill the dessert for several hours.