Out of Heavy cream, one case

Heavy cream substitute for scones

6 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 6 options

Use Half-and-half

1 cup for every cup of heavy cream

For scones, use half-and-half in the same amount as the heavy cream, holding back 2 tablespoons until you see the dough. Whole milk works if the recipe also has butter: start with ¾ cup per cup of cream, because milk is wetter. If cream is the only fat in the recipe, use ¾ cup milk plus ¼ cup butter instead, or the scones bake up tough and dry.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Hold back 2 tbsp per cup and add it only if dry flour is left in the bowl.
Best for —: scones made with butter and cream
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	Half-and-halfscones made with butter and cream	1 cupTweak it	Tweak it
2	Whole milk + buttercream scones that have no butter of their own	¾ cup whole milk + ¼ cup butterTweak it	Tweak it
3	Buttermilkscones that already contain butter	¾ cupTweak it	Tweak it
4	Whole milkscones with at least 4 tbsp butter per 2 cups flour	¾ cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
5	Evaporated milkscones that already contain butter	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
6	Canned coconut creamdairy-free and vegan scones	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it

What changesWhat changes, option by option6 options

Half-and-half

a little less rich; hard to tell in a scone with butter in it

The closest thing in the fridge. It has about a third of the fat of heavy cream and more water, so the scones are slightly less rich and the dough comes together with a little less liquid.

Best for: scones made with butter and cream, brushing the tops before baking, glazes
Prep: Hold back 2 tbsp per cup and add it only if dry flour is left in the bowl.
Where it fails: Cream scones with no butter, where the cream is the only fat. They come out leaner and firmer; use the milk and butter row there.

Whole milk + butter

close, with a clear butter flavor

This puts back the fat that milk alone is missing. In scones the butter does not have to be melted into the milk.

Best for: cream scones that have no butter of their own, any scone recipe when milk and butter are all you have, drop scones
Prep: Cut the extra ¼ cup cold butter into the flour along with any butter the recipe already uses, then add the cold milk, holding back 2 tbsp until you see the dough.
Where it fails: Melted butter stirred into cold milk sets into flecks and the dough bakes greasy. Keep the butter cold and cut it in.

Buttermilk

tangy, and less rich

A standard scone liquid in its own right. Its acid makes a tender, soft crumb, though it has almost no fat.

Best for: scones that already contain butter, fruit and savory cheese scones, a softer, more biscuit-like scone
Prep: Start with ¾ cup per cup of cream and add more by the tablespoon until the dough holds together.
Where it fails: Cream scones with no butter: there is no fat left in the dough.

For a better rise, swap 2 tsp of the baking powder for ½ tsp baking soda per cup of buttermilk used.

Whole milk

plainer and less rich

Milk is mostly water, so it wets the flour faster than cream does and adds almost no fat. The scones are lighter, drier and closer to a biscuit.

Best for: scones with at least 4 tbsp butter per 2 cups flour, brushing the tops, glazes
Prep: Start with ¾ cup per cup of cream and add more by the tablespoon. Stop as soon as the dough holds together.
Where it fails: Cream scones with no butter. With milk alone they are tough and bready, and they stale by the evening.

Evaporated milk

a faint cooked-milk note

Thicker than fresh milk, with about 7% fat. It handles like cream in the bowl and browns well on top.

Best for: scones that already contain butter, brushing the tops for a deep golden color, when the fridge is empty
Prep: Use it undiluted and cold, straight from the can.
Where it fails: Plain cream scones served with only butter or jam, where the canned flavor comes through.

Canned coconut cream

a mild coconut flavor

The dairy-free option, and the only one here with fat close to heavy cream. It makes a tender, rich scone.

Best for: dairy-free and vegan scones, coconut, lemon, berry and chocolate scones
Prep: Stir the can smooth and chill it before measuring. Full-fat canned coconut milk, shaken, also works in the same amount.
Suits: vegan, dairy-free
Where it fails: Savory cheese scones, where the coconut is out of place. Carton coconut milk is too thin.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeHeavy cream

Heavy cream does two jobs in a scone: it is the liquid that binds the dough and a large part of the fat that keeps it tender. In a cream scone with no butter it is all of the fat. So the right swap depends on the recipe. If butter is cut into the flour, a leaner liquid still works. If the recipe is only flour, sugar, baking powder and cream, the fat has to come from somewhere else.

Tips for substituting heavy cream

5 tips

Thinner liquids wet the flour faster. Add ¾ of the amount, mix, and add the rest a tablespoon at a time only if dry flour remains.
Keep everything cold. Chill the shaped scones 15 minutes before baking; a leaner dough spreads and toughens more easily than a cream one.
Mix until the dough barely holds together. With less fat to protect the flour, extra stirring makes tough scones.
For the tops, brush with milk, half-and-half or evaporated milk. Any of them browns the scones; cream is not required.
Scones made with milk stale faster. Eat them the day they are baked or freeze them.

Questions

4 questions

Can you use milk in place of heavy cream in scones?

Yes, if the recipe also has butter. Start with ¾ cup whole milk per cup of cream and add more by the tablespoon until the dough holds. If the recipe is a cream scone with no butter, add ¼ cup cold butter per cup of cream replaced and cut it into the flour.

Can I use half-and-half in place of heavy cream in scones?

Yes, in the same amount. Hold back 2 tablespoons per cup and add it only if the dough is dry. The scones are slightly less rich. In a cream scone with no butter the difference is easier to notice.

Can I use sour cream or yogurt in scones?

Yes. Whisk ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt with ½ cup milk for each cup of heavy cream. The scones are tender and slightly tangy. Add the liquid gradually, since the mix is thicker than cream.

Why are my scones dry without cream?

The dough lost fat. Heavy cream is at least 36% fat and whole milk about 3%. Add butter to make up the difference, ¼ cup per cup of cream replaced, and take the scones out as soon as they are golden.