Out of Heavy cream, one case

Keto heavy cream substitute

4 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 4 options

Use Coconut cream (unsweetened)

1 cup for every cup of heavy cream

Heavy cream is already low in carbohydrate, about 0.4 g per tablespoon, so the swap only has to stay in that range. Use unsweetened full-fat coconut cream in the same amount as the heavy cream; it also whips when chilled. For a cooked sauce, ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk plus ¼ cup melted butter per cup works. Evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk carry far more carbohydrate and do not fit.

Verdict —: You'll taste it
The tweak —: For whipping, chill a can of full-fat coconut milk upright overnight, open it without shaking and spoon off only the thick layer. Two 13.5 oz cans give about 1 cup.
Best for —: whipped topping

One casethe full heavy cream card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Heavy cream substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup heavy cream	Verdict
1	Coconut cream (unsweetened)whipped topping	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
2	Unsweetened almond milk + buttercream soups	¾ cup almond milk + ¼ cup butterYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
3	Cream cheese + waterAlfredo-style sauces	4 oz cream cheese + ½ cup waterTweak it	Tweak it
4	Half-and-half + butterpan sauces	¾ cup half-and-half + ¼ cup butterTweak it	Tweak it
Not a swap	Evaporated milk	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option4 options

Coconut cream (unsweetened)

clearly coconut

High in fat and low in carbohydrate, in the same range as heavy cream, though brands vary. It is the only common swap here that whips.

Best for: whipped topping, curries, soups and rich sauces, dairy-free keto desserts and coffee
Prep: For whipping, chill a can of full-fat coconut milk upright overnight, open it without shaking and spoon off only the thick layer. Two 13.5 oz cans give about 1 cup.
Suits: vegan, keto
Where it fails: Dishes where coconut flavor does not belong. Light coconut milk is diluted and will not whip.

Read the label. Cream of coconut, sold for cocktails, is sweetened and is not the same product.

Unsweetened almond milk + butter

thinner and faintly nutty

Unsweetened almond milk has about 1 g of carbohydrate per cup and butter has almost none, so this mix is lower in carbohydrate than the cream it replaces. It is also much thinner.

Best for: cream soups, casseroles and baked dishes, sauces you thicken separately
Prep: Melt the butter, let it cool for a minute, then whisk it into room-temperature almond milk. Whisk again before pouring, because the butter rises as it stands.
Suits: keto
Contains: dairy, tree nuts
Where it fails: It will not whip, set or reduce to a coating sauce, and it can separate if boiled with lemon, wine or tomato.

Check that the carton says unsweetened. Sweetened and vanilla almond milks have added sugar.

Cream cheese + water

tangier and slightly salty

Full-fat cream cheese melts into a thick, rich sauce and lists about 1 to 2 g of carbohydrate per ounce. Thinned with water or unsweetened almond milk, it stands in for cream where the cream is cooked.

Best for: Alfredo-style sauces, cream soups and chowders, creamed spinach and casseroles
Prep: Soften the cream cheese, whisk in the liquid a little at a time until smooth, and stir it into the dish over low heat. Add more liquid by the tablespoon until it is as loose as you want.
Suits: keto
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Whipped cream and sweet custards. It turns grainy if the sauce boils hard.

Half-and-half + butter

very close to cream

The closest in taste for a cooked recipe. Half-and-half has about 1 g of carbohydrate per 2 tablespoons, so the ¾ cup in this mix carries roughly the same carbohydrate as the cup of heavy cream it replaces.

Best for: pan sauces, cream soups, quiche and egg bakes
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. Fat-free half-and-half is thickened with corn syrup or starches and does not fit.

Evaporated milk

A standard swap for heavy cream that does not suit a low-carbohydrate recipe.

Concentrating milk concentrates its lactose: the label lists about 3 g of carbohydrate per 2 tablespoons, about 24 g per cup, against about 7 g for a cup of heavy cream.

Best for: recipes where carbohydrate is not being counted
Where it fails: It more than triples the carbohydrate of the cream it replaces. Sweetened condensed milk is far higher again, at about 22 g of sugar per 2 tablespoons.

Tips for substituting heavy cream

5 tips

Count the cream itself. Heavy cream has about 0.4 g of carbohydrate per tablespoon, about 7 g per cup; the label can show 0 g per tablespoon because amounts under ½ g are rounded down.
Thicken a thin swap without flour or cornstarch: simmer it down, or whisk in 1 to 2 oz of cream cheese per cup of sauce.
For whipped topping, whip the thick layer of chilled coconut cream in a chilled bowl and stop as soon as it holds a peak. Sweeten it with the sugar-free sweetener you already use.
Read every label for the word unsweetened. Coconut cream, almond milk and coffee creamers are all sold in sweetened versions that look the same on the shelf.
Keep sauces made with almond milk or cream cheese below a hard boil so they stay smooth.

Questions

4 questions

Is heavy cream keto?

Heavy cream is high in fat and low in carbohydrate: about 0.4 g of carbohydrate per tablespoon and about 7 g per cup. Whether that fits depends on how much you use and your own daily count. The carbohydrate adds up when a recipe uses a full cup.

What is a dairy-free keto substitute for heavy cream?

Unsweetened full-fat coconut cream, in the same amount as the heavy cream. It is high in fat, low in carbohydrate, and the chilled thick layer whips. For a thinner cooking liquid, use unsweetened almond milk with a dairy-free fat such as coconut oil in place of the butter.

Can I use half-and-half instead of heavy cream on keto?

In small amounts. Half-and-half has about 1 g of carbohydrate per 2 tablespoons, a little more than heavy cream, and much less fat. In a cooked recipe, ¾ cup half-and-half plus ¼ cup melted butter per cup of cream keeps the carbohydrate about the same as the cream. It will not whip.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream on keto?

Milk has more carbohydrate and far less fat than cream: about 12 g of carbohydrate per cup for whole milk. A tablespoon or two makes little difference. As a cup-for-cup replacement it raises the carbohydrate and thins the dish, so unsweetened almond milk plus butter is the closer fit.