Heavy cream substitutes

Best swap: Whole milk + melted butter. Use ¾ cup whole milk plus ¼ cup melted butter per 1 cup.

For sauces, soups and baking you can fake heavy cream with milk and butter. The one thing a substitute cannot always do is whip, so check the note for that.

I need cups of heavy cream Change this and every amount below updates.

What to use instead of heavy cream

1. Whole milk + melted butter

Best Pantry staple

¾ cup whole milk

¼ cup melted butter

Best for: Sauces, soups, baking

Whisk the melted butter into the milk. This will not whip into peaks, but enriches like cream.

2. Evaporated milk

Pantry staple

1 cup evaporated milk

Best for: Cooking, creamy sauces

Use straight from the can, one-to-one. Lighter and not for whipping.

3. Half-and-half

1 cup half-and-half

Best for: When you want it lighter

Less fat, so sauces are a little thinner and it will not whip.

Heavy cream substitutes: common questions

What can I use instead of heavy cream?

For cooking and baking, whisk a quarter cup of melted butter into three quarters of a cup of whole milk to make 1 cup. Evaporated milk also works one-to-one. Neither will whip, though.

Can I whip a heavy cream substitute?

Usually not. Whipping needs the high fat of real heavy cream. Milk and butter or evaporated milk enrich sauces and bakes but will not hold whipped peaks.

More ingredient swaps

🥛 Buttermilk 4 substitutes 🥚 Eggs (in baking) 4 substitutes 🧂 Baking powder 2 substitutes 🧂 Baking soda 1 substitute