Heavy Cream substitutes

1:1

Keeps the fat, liquid, texture and emulsifier roles.

Richer at about 48 percent fat versus 36, so it whips in half the time and can turn grainy if you walk away from the mixer.

3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup melted butter, whisked, per 1 cup cream

Keeps the fat, liquid and texture roles; loses emulsifier.

Will not whip. The butterfat is melted and dispersed rather than held in intact globules, and whipping needs those globules to clump. Sauces and bakes are fine.

7/8 cup half and half + 2 tbsp melted butter per 1 cup cream

Keeps the fat, liquid and texture roles; loses emulsifier.

Still short of whipping fat, and it can split if you boil it hard. Keep the pan at a simmer.

1:1

Keeps the fat, liquid, texture and emulsifier roles.

Tangy, which changes the taste of a delicate or sweet sauce. It will not whip to stiff peaks, but it is the most boil-proof option here.

Chill a tin of full-fat coconut milk overnight, scoop off the solid cream and use 1:1

Keeps the fat, liquid, texture and emulsifier roles.

One of the few dairy-free options that genuinely whips, but it tastes unmistakably of coconut and can seize in a very acidic sauce.

Soak 1 cup raw cashews 4 hours, drain, blend with 3/4 cup fresh water until completely smooth

Keeps the fat, liquid, texture and emulsifier roles.

Neutral and creamy but it will not whip, and it keeps thickening as it heats, so thin it as you go. Not nut-free.

1:1

Keeps the liquid and texture roles; loses fat and emulsifier.

Far less fat, so sauces stay thin and there is a faint cooked-milk taste. It can be whipped if it is ice cold, but the foam collapses within minutes.