Eggs and dairy
Substitutes for heavy cream
Heavy cream is about 36 percent fat. That fat is why it whips, why it doesn't curdle in hot sauces and why it makes soups silky. Lighter swaps work for cooking but not for whipping.
-
Half-and-half
- How much
- The same amount
- What changes
- Thinner and less rich. It won't whip and can curdle if boiled or mixed with lots of acid, so keep sauces at a simmer.
- Best in
- Soups, pan sauces, quiche, coffee.
-
Milk + melted butter
- How much
- ¾ cup whole milk + ¼ cup melted butter for each cup
- What changes
- Close in richness for cooking and baking, but it won't whip.
- Best in
- Soups, sauces, mashed potatoes, scones.
-
Full-fat coconut milk
- How much
- The same amount
- How
- For whipping, chill a can overnight and whip only the thick cream on top.
- What changes
- Rich and silky with a coconut taste. Chilled coconut cream whips softer than dairy cream.
- Best in
- Curries, soups, whipped topping.
-
Evaporated milk
- How much
- The same amount
- What changes
- Lighter, with a light caramel note. Doesn't whip.
- Best in
- Soups, pumpkin pie, creamy pasta.
Good to know
- Only cream with at least 30 percent fat (heavy or whipping cream) or chilled coconut cream will whip.
Simmerbee recipes with heavy cream (18)
- Classic Cream Scones
- Classic Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
- Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo
- Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken with Spinach
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- From-Scratch Green Bean Casserole
- Glazed Blueberry Lemon Scones
- New England Clam Chowder
- No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
- Penne alla Vodka
- Pressure Cooker Butter Chicken
- Quiche Lorraine with Bacon and Gruyère
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Sage
- Silky Potato Leek Soup
- Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
- Swedish-Style Meatballs in Creamy Gravy
- Weeknight Chicken Tikka Masala
- Yellow Birthday Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting
On those recipes, tap Swaps next to the ingredient for the short version.
More eggs and dairy swaps
EggsButterMilkButtermilkHalf-and-halfSour creamYogurt and Greek yogurtCream cheeseParmesanCheddarRicotta
Ingredient guide: Heavy cream: pick, store and measure