Cream Substitutes
Looking for a substitute for heavy cream? Many products can substitute for heavy cream, including buttermilk and yogurt, but you will want to measure your heavy cream substitute according our table. If you need a heavy cream substitute, or any type of cream substitute for that matter, just use our table to find a cream substitute that will work in your recipe. A suitable substitute for heavy cream, sour cream, light cream and/or whipping cream can be found below.
People most often look for a substitute for sour cream because they don't use it that often and thus find some colorful mold on the top when they open the container - don't use it - check our table instead! A heavy cream substitute is needed if your heavy cream smells like sour cream.
So, check the table below to find a proper substitute for cream in your recipe. If the cream substitute is just appropriate for baking, it is noted as such.
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Cream Substitutes
| Cream | Amount | Substitute |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy Cream substitute | 1 Cup | 3/4 Cup milk +plus 1/3 Cup Butter or Margarine (*for use in baking or cooking) |
| *OR* 2/3 Cup Buttermilk +plus 1/3 Cup Oil | ||
| *OR* 1/2 Cup part skim Ricotta Cheese +plus 1/2 Cup nonfat yogurt (Blend this well) | ||
| *OR* 1 Cup Whipping Cream | ||
| Whipped Cream substitute | 1 Cup | Whip a can of completely chilled Evaporated Milk (13oz) with 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice |
| Sour Cream substitute | 1 Cup | 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice plus enough Cream to make 1 Cup |
| *OR* 1 cup Plain or Greek Yogurt | ||
| *OR* 3/4 Cup Buttermilk mixed with 1/3 Cup soft Butter | ||
| *OR* 6 ounces of Cottage Cheese blended with 1 teaspoon of Lemon juice | ||
| Light Cream substitute | 1 Cup | 3/4 Cup Milk +plus 3 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine (*for use in baking and cooking) |
| *OR* 1 cup Evaporated Milk | ||
| Half and Half substitute | 1 Cup | 1/2 Cup Whole Milk +plus 1/2 Cup Light Cream |
| *OR* 3/4 Cup Whole Milk +plus 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream | ||
| *OR* 7/8 Cup Milk +plus 1/2 Tablespoon Butter or Margarine | ||
| *OR* 1 cup Evaporated Milk |
Of course, frozen whipped topping or Cool Whip can be substituted for whipped cream at any time once thawed.
A substitute for heavy cream or other cream substitutes can result in a slightly different taste and/or texture in your final recipe results, depending on the complexity of the other ingredients involved in your recipe.
For more information on half and half substitutes, check our blog post on half and half.
A note regarding Substitutions...
Using these substitute suggestions may slightly alter the taste, texture or appearance of your resulting recipe. However, we recommend these substitutions as similar replacement ingredients when the original ingredients are unavailable.
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