Out of Heavy cream, one case
Can you substitute cream cheese for heavy cream?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Cream cheese + milk
4 oz cream cheese + ½ cup milk for every cup of heavy cream
Yes in sauces, soups and mashed potatoes, thinned first: whisk 4 oz (½ cup) softened cream cheese with ½ cup milk for each cup of heavy cream, and add more milk until it pours like cream. The dish is thicker and tangier. Cream cheese will not whip into whipped cream, and it does not replace cream in ganache, caramel or most baking.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Soften the cream cheese, whisk in the milk a little at a time until smooth, then stir it into the dish over low heat. Treat the ½ cup of milk as a starting point and add more by the tablespoon until the sauce is as loose as you want.
- Best for —
- Alfredo and other creamy pasta sauces
- 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 | Cream cheese + milkAlfredo and other creamy pasta sauces | 4 oz cream cheese + ½ cup milkTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Half-and-half + butterpan sauces | ¾ cup half-and-half + ¼ cup butterTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Whole milk + buttercakes, muffins and quick breads | ¾ cup whole milk + ¼ cup butterYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 4 | Evaporated milkcustards and pie fillings | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Cream cheese as whipped cream | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Cream cheese + milk
tangier and slightly salty, like a mild cheese sauce
Cream cheese is high in fat, at least 33%, but it is a solid with a tang. Thinned with milk it melts into a hot liquid and gives a sauce the body and richness of cream.
- Best for
- Alfredo and other creamy pasta sauces, cream soups and chowders, mashed potatoes and casseroles
- Prep
- Soften the cream cheese, whisk in the milk a little at a time until smooth, then stir it into the dish over low heat. Treat the ½ cup of milk as a starting point and add more by the tablespoon until the sauce is as loose as you want.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- It turns grainy if the sauce boils hard, and it thickens further as it cools. The tang is out of place in a sweet custard or a delicate dessert.
Use full-fat brick cream cheese. Whipped tubs and fat-free versions melt less smoothly.
Half-and-half + butter
very close to cream
The closest neutral stand-in for cream in cooked recipes, with no tang and no cheese flavor.
- Best for
- pan sauces, quiche and custard bases, baked dishes and batters
- 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.
Whole milk + butter
thinner and milkier
For baking and cooked dishes when the tang of cream cheese would show. Thinner than cream.
- Best for
- cakes, muffins and quick breads, gravies and chowders you can thicken separately
- Prep
- Whisk the warm melted butter into the milk in a thin stream, and whisk again before pouring.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Anything whipped or set, and sauces simmered with lemon, wine or tomato.
Evaporated milk
slightly cooked and sweetish
A neutral, pourable swap straight from the can, for custards, batters and soups.
- Best for
- custards and pie fillings, creamy soups and casseroles
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Rich reduced sauces, where cream cheese and milk does better, and whipped toppings.
Cream cheese as whipped cream
Beaten cream cheese turns smooth and spreadable, not light.
It makes a frosting or a cheesecake filling, which is a different thing from whipped cream.
- Best for
- cream cheese frosting, as its own recipe
- Where it fails
- It does not double in volume or hold airy peaks, and thinned with milk it stays a liquid when beaten.
For a topping that pipes, real cream or chilled coconut cream is needed.
Tips for substituting heavy cream
5 tips- For 1 cup heavy cream in a sauce: 4 oz (half a standard 8 oz brick) cream cheese plus ½ cup milk. For ½ cup: 2 oz (¼ cup) cream cheese plus ¼ cup milk.
- Soften the cream cheese first, about 30 minutes on the counter, and cut it into cubes. Cold cream cheese leaves white lumps in a hot sauce.
- Keep the heat low once it is in the pan. A hard boil makes the sauce grainy.
- Taste before salting. Cream cheese carries salt that heavy cream does not.
- Loosen leftovers with a splash of milk when you reheat them, because a cream cheese sauce sets thick in the refrigerator.
Questions
4 questionsCan I use cream cheese instead of heavy cream in Alfredo or pasta sauce?
Yes. Whisk 4 oz softened cream cheese with ½ cup milk per cup of heavy cream, then stir it into the pan over low heat with a little pasta water. The sauce is thicker and tangier than one made with cream, and it tightens as it cools, so serve it right away.
Can I use cream cheese instead of whipping cream for a whipped topping?
No. Cream cheese does not whip into a light foam. Beaten with powdered sugar it makes a dense, smooth frosting, which works on a cake but is not whipped cream. For a topping that holds peaks, use real cream or the thick layer from a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk.
Can I use cream cheese instead of heavy cream in soup?
Yes. Use about half the amount of the cream called for, in cubes of softened cream cheese, and thin with milk or broth until the soup is the thickness you want. Whisk it in at the end over low heat until it melts, and do not let the soup boil afterward.
Does cream cheese work in place of heavy cream in baking?
Rarely. Cream in a batter is a liquid, and cream cheese is a solid with a tang and added salt. For cakes, scones and quick breads use ¾ cup half-and-half or whole milk plus ¼ cup melted butter per cup of cream instead.