Out of Heavy cream, one case
Can you substitute milk for heavy cream?
3 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Whole milk + butter
¾ cup milk + ¼ cup butter for every cup of heavy cream
Not on its own, but milk plus butter works in cooking and baking: melt ¼ cup butter and whisk in ¾ cup whole milk to replace 1 cup of heavy cream. It will not whip. Plain milk by itself is too thin and too low in fat, and it can curdle in a hot, acidic sauce.
- Verdict —
- You'll taste it
- The tweak —
- Melt the butter, let it cool slightly, and whisk in room-temperature milk so the butter does not seize into flecks.
- Best for —
- cream soups and pan 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 | Whole milk + buttercream soups and pan sauces | ¾ cup milk + ¼ cup butterYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 2 | Milk + cornstarchcreamy soups and chowders | 1 cup milk + 2 tbsp cornstarchYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 3 | Evaporated milksoups and sauces | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Plain milk alone | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Whole milk + butter
close in richness, thinner in body
Butter brings the fat that milk lacks. Whisked together they come close to the richness of cream in a cooked dish.
- Best for
- cream soups and pan sauces, mashed potatoes and casseroles, scones, biscuits and cake batters
- Prep
- Melt the butter, let it cool slightly, and whisk in room-temperature milk so the butter does not seize into flecks.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Whipped cream, ganache that must set firm, ice cream and caramel candies. The mix is not an emulsion and will not whip or hold.
Milk + cornstarch
lighter and less rich
Thickens like cream without the fat. Use it when body matters more than richness.
- Best for
- creamy soups and chowders, gravy and casseroles, lighter pasta sauces
- Prep
- Whisk the cornstarch into cold milk, add to the pot, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes until it thickens.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Baking, where it changes the batter, and anything that needs to whip.
Evaporated milk
slightly cooked, caramel note
Milk with about 60% of the water removed. It is thicker than milk and holds up to heat without the butter step.
- Best for
- soups and sauces, quiche and custard pies, mac and cheese
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Whipping, unless it is chilled until icy, and even then the foam collapses within about half an hour.
Plain milk alone
Whole milk is about 3.25% fat; heavy cream is at least 36%.
- Best for
- nothing by itself: add butter or cornstarch as above
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- The sauce stays thin, it can split when boiled or mixed with acid such as wine, tomato or lemon, and it cannot whip.
Tips for substituting heavy cream
4 tips- Smaller batches: ½ cup cream = 6 tbsp milk + 2 tbsp butter; ¼ cup cream = 3 tbsp milk + 1 tbsp butter.
- Lower-fat milk works with the butter method but gives a thinner result. With skim or 1%, add 1 tbsp flour to the melted butter first.
- Add milk-based swaps off the boil and do not let the sauce boil hard afterward. Milk proteins curdle more easily than cream.
- For an acidic sauce such as vodka sauce or lemon cream, use the cornstarch version; starch protects the milk from splitting.
Questions
4 questionsCan I use milk instead of heavy cream in pasta sauce?
Yes, with help. Use ¾ cup whole milk plus ¼ cup melted butter per cup of cream, or thicken 1 cup of milk with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Keep the sauce below a boil once the milk is in.
Can I whip milk and butter like heavy cream?
No. The mixture has the fat but not the structure, so it will not hold air. For whipped topping, use chilled coconut cream or buy cream.
Can I use 2% milk instead of heavy cream?
With butter, yes, in cooked dishes. Use the same ¾ cup milk to ¼ cup butter. The result is a little thinner than with whole milk.
Can I substitute milk for heavy cream in soup?
Yes. Stir in the milk and butter mix, or the cornstarch-thickened milk, at the end of cooking over low heat. Do not boil the soup after it goes in.