For 1 cup heavy cream in cooking or baking, combine 3/4 cup milk with 1/3 cup melted butter. It won't whip, so don't use it for whipped cream or mousse.
Ratios from university extension services and King Arthur Baking. Checked .
Heavy cream substitutes, best first
- For 1 cup heavy cream3/4 cup milk + 1/3 cup melted butterBest for: sauces, soups, baking
Mississippi State, Purdue, Colorado State, NMSU; for cooking and baking only—won't whip.
- For 1 cup heavy creamA generous 3/4 cup (170 g) of a blend of 1 cup milk + 8 Tbsp butter, heated and blended 2 minutesBest for: scones, ganache, quiche
King Arthur: heat until butter melts, rest 10-15 minutes, blend on high; use 25% less by weight than the cream called for.
- For 1 cup heavy creamUnsweetened canned coconut creamBest for: dairy-free cooking
King Arthur's easiest vegan option; no ratio given.
What not to use
Whipping: milk-and-butter blends won't whip into peaks, and King Arthur found thickening them with cornstarch tricky and unsatisfactory. Avoid for mousse, whipped toppings or ice cream.
Why the swaps work
Heavy cream's high butterfat thickens sauces and lets it whip; adding butter to milk rebuilds the fat but not the stabilizers that hold whipped air.
Questions people ask
Can I whip a milk-and-butter cream substitute?
No. It won't form peaks or even mounds (King Arthur).
Can I use half-and-half instead of heavy cream?
No ratio was found in the sources checked; it's thinner and won't whip.
Sources
- Ingredient Substitutions and Equivalents, P1690 (Mississippi State University Extension)
- Substitutions and Equivalents in Food Ingredients, CFS-145-W (Purdue Extension)
- Ingredient Substitutions, Fact Sheet 9.329 (Colorado State University Extension)
- Heavy cream substitute (King Arthur Baking)
- In a Pinch: Ingredient Substitution, Guide E-131 (New Mexico State University Extension)