7 Heavy Cream Substitutes You Can Use

Heavy cream is an ingredient needed to prepare hundreds of different recipes, including pasta dishes, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and even baked goods. Its creamy consistency helps create the perfect taste and texture in different foods. No matter what you are making, if you need to use heavy cream but do not have it or do not want to use it in your recipe, there are some substitutes that you can try.

Why Does It Help to Use a Substitute For Heavy Cream?

While heavy cream can add flavor and texture to different recipes, you might not always have it on hand. If it goes bad without your knowledge and you go to use it, you might feel discouraged to see that it is chunky and has a foul odor to it. When that happens, and you are in a bit of a tight jam because you plan to make a recipe that requires heavy cream, it helps to know of the different substitutes you could use. Instead of switching to a different recipe, you can still make what you want by swapping heavy cream with one of the following seven heavy cream substitutes.

#1. Evaporated Milk

Evaporated milk is an excellent alternative for heavy cream. You might already have this at home if you like to add it to your coffee, hot tea, and other recipes. If the recipe calls for a cup of heavy cream, replace it with a cup of evaporated milk. You will not even notice a difference when it comes to creaminess, texture, or taste because the evaporated milk is such an ideal replacement. You can also mix the evaporated milk with butter to create a heavy cream alternative too.

#2. Melted Butter With Half-and-Half

If you have half-and-half because you drink coffee, you can use it to replace your heavy cream. Sometimes, the half-and-half is the perfect replacement without anything else. However, in some recipes, you will need to combine melted butter with the half-and-half to make sure that the recipe turns out correctly. For example, if you are trying to make a sauce to add to pasta, you do not need to add butter to it. However, if you are using the half-and-half to replace heavy cream in other dishes, such as mashed potatoes, you should add some melted butter to it for flavor.

#3. Whipping Cream

Most people do not realize it, but whipping cream and heavy cream are similar to one another. They both have a similar milk fat content, making whipping cream an excellent substitute for heavy cream. If you happen to have some whipping cream at home because you usually use it when baking, you can use it in any recipe that you are making that call for heavy cream as an ingredient. You would use the same measurements when switching to whipping cream from heavy cream.

#4. Soy Milk and Olive Oil

When you need a vegan alternative because you do not consume dairy products, combining soy milk and olive oil will help you create an excellent substitute for heavy cream. You would need to mix olive oil with soy milk instead of just using soy milk because this type of milk is not nearly as thick as heavy cream. By adding the olive oil to it, you are thickening it up before adding it to your recipe. Depending on what you are making, you might be able to replace the olive oil with coconut oil to make the dish even healthier.

#5. Coconut Cream

Coconut cream is a great substitute for heavy cream in baked good recipes. While it does not work for all recipes, especially the more savory options, it can work great when you want to make sweets and treats to prepare for your loved ones. Coconut cream has a thick consistency, just like heavy cream. It is slightly sweeter than heavy cream, but it is also naturally good for you. If you have it in the cabinet, do not hesitate to pull it out and use it in place of the heavy cream.

#6. Plain Yogurt With Cornstarch

Another simple and healthier alternative to heavy cream is plain yogurt with cornstarch. The purpose of adding cornstarch to the yogurt is to make it thicker for the recipes that you will make with it. You do not need to use too much cornstarch. 

The exact amount added to the yogurt will depend on how much of the yogurt you need to use based on what you are making and how much of it you are making. Make sure to use plain yogurt to avoid adding any unwanted flavors to recipes. Plain Greek yogurt is also a great choice. You might not mind if the yogurt has a hint of honey or other sweet flavors if you add it to some of your favorite baked goods recipes.

#7. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese works well as a healthy alternative to heavy cream. It offers the same type of consistency that the heavy cream provides when added to a dish. You will need to use a blender to get rid of the chunks you would typically find in a bowl of cottage cheese before using it as a heavy cream replacement. As long as you get rid of those chunks beforehand, you can successfully use cottage cheese to prepare just about anything that requires heavy cream as a component.

Substitutes in Cooking Can Be Great!

When you need to make something delicious, and the recipe calls for heavy cream, or you cannot or do not want to use it, you can always use one of these heavy cream substitutes. The specific replacement you decide to use will depend on a few factors, including your personal preference and any dietary restrictions you might have. 

For example, if you are making a vegan dish, you might want to use the soy milk with olive oil blend instead of any of the dairy substitutes to avoid consuming dairy. Now that you know you have plenty of options, you never have to worry when a recipe calls for the use of heavy cream.

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