Heavy cream substitute

What to use

Milk and butter, blended

Gluten-free
Nut-free
Egg-free

½ cup 120 g milk
¼ cup 57 g butter, melted

How: Melt the butter into the milk, cool 10 to 15 minutes, then blend on high for 2 minutes. This is already the 25 percent reduction: it replaces 1 cup of cream.
Best for: Scones, biscuits, quiche filling, bread pudding, cooked sauces and puddings, caramel, hot fudge.
What changes: Browns and rises almost like cream. Thinner, so it has less body in fillings.
Skip it when: Whipped toppings, mousse and ice cream. It will not whip.

Milk and butter, the quick mix

Gluten-free
Nut-free
Egg-free

¾ cup 185 g milk
⅓ cup 76 g butter, melted

How: Stir the melted butter into the milk and use right away.
Best for: Cooking and baking where the cream is a supporting ingredient.
What changes: Works, but it can separate if it sits. Extension charts limit it to cooking and baking.
Skip it when: Anything you whip.

Canned coconut cream

Vegan
Dairy-free
Gluten-free
Egg-free

1 cup 235 ml unsweetened coconut cream

How: Use as is. For whipping, chill the can first and use the thick part.
Best for: Vegan and dairy-free cooking. Whips, which the milk-and-butter mix does not.
What changes: Tastes faintly of coconut. Thick, so thin it with water for soups.
Skip it when: Delicate savory sauces where coconut would stand out.

Diet labels describe the ingredients as normally made. Check packages for gluten and allergens. Some refined sugar is filtered with bone char, which matters if you eat vegan.

Which swap for which job

Use	Pick	Why
Baking (scones, quiche, custard filling)	Milk and butter, blended	King Arthur found browning and rise nearly identical to cream.
Cooked sauces and soups	Milk and butter, either mix	Heat tolerates the thinner body.
Ganache and glazes	Keep the full cream amount, add about 30 percent more chocolate	King Arthur's fix when the blended mix is 25 percent thinner.
Whipping	Chilled coconut cream, or buy cream	Milk-and-butter blends cannot hold air.

Do not substitute here

Whipped cream, mousse, ice cream. Milk and butter in any form. It will not reach stiff peaks, and churning adds air the same way whipping does.

Questions

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?

In a pinch, for soups or cooked sauces. Add butter, or the dish comes out thin and less rich.

Can I use half-and-half?

Yes, in cooked dishes. It is leaner, so sauces are thinner. It will not whip.

Why reduce the blended mix by 25 percent?

Blended milk and butter has less fat per cup than cream. Using a little less keeps the liquid balance, and King Arthur found the results held up.