Substitutions / whole milk
What to use instead of whole milk
Use 2% milk in equal amounts. Slightly less rich, but works in nearly every use case with no other adjustments.
Every option, best first
| Use instead | How much | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| 2% milk | 1:1 | Slightly less rich, but works in nearly every use case with no other adjustments. |
| Oat milk | 1:1 | Dairy-free and closest in creaminess among plant milks, though it adds a faint oat flavor. |
| Half-and-half diluted | 1:1 | Mix equal parts half-and-half and water to approximate whole milk's fat content; richer if you skip the water. |
How much is a cup of whole milk?
Substituting by volume and weighing are different problems, and the second one has an exact answer. Weigh whole milk 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.