Substitutions / heavy cream
What to use instead of heavy cream
Use half-and-half in equal amounts. Lower fat means sauces and soups will be thinner and won't whip.
Every option, best first
| Use instead | How much | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Half-and-half | 1:1 | Lower fat means sauces and soups will be thinner and won't whip. |
| Coconut cream | 1:1 | Adds a mild coconut flavor; works well in both sweet and savory dishes but may taste distinct. |
| Whole milk butter blend | ¾ cup milk + ¼ cup melted butter / 1 cup | Closer fat content than milk alone, but use it in cooked dishes only — it won't whip. |
How much is a cup of heavy cream?
Substituting by volume and weighing are different problems, and the second one has an exact answer. Weigh heavy cream in grams →
A word on how to read these
A substitution is a trade, not an equivalence. The ratio gets the quantity right; the third column is the part worth reading, because it tells you what you are giving up. In a stew, most of these are invisible. In a cake — where flour, liquid, fat and leavening are in a fixed relationship — the same swap can change the crumb.
Why baking notices and stew doesn't →
Where these came from
These substitutions were written by Gather's own kitchen model — the same one the app uses when you tap an ingredient and ask what else would work — then checked and saved as a fixed list in July 2026. Nothing on this page is generated while you read it. They are a good starting point and not a substitute for tasting as you go.