Quick Answer: What Are The Easy Cream Substitutes In Your Kitchen?

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A cream that is perfect for adding to a wide variety of dishes to give them an extra layer of flavor and richness. The different and easy Cream Substitutes come with whipped cream, heavy cream, sour cream, light cream and many different creams using different yogurt or cheese as an addition.

Whether you are baking and cooking, easy cream substitutes are one of those things that you can need when following a recipe.

Whilst that is all good and well, it is always irritating once you open the fridge and find that the exact kind of cream you need isn’t available.

Fear not! There is always cream substitutes to create on your own, meaning you don’t have to quickly run an errand to buy cream (if the store is open), or ask your partner to head out to grab some for you.

Hooray!

Easy Cream Substitutes – All the Different Types!

In this article you will see different ways you can make creams, from sour cream and half and half, to heavy cream and whipped cream, it is all here. So, without further ado, shall we get to it?

Whipped Cream Using Evaporated Milk

Whipped cream is delicious, right? In fact, who doesn’t like this tasty, sweet cream?

It goes great with fruit and with ice cream, amongst other things. Sometimes you might even need to fold it into a recipe.

So, what happens if you want to dip some strawberries into it as a naughty but good snack on a Friday night?

Fortunately, you can make your own whipped cream if you don’t have any lying around.

How To Substitute
If you have a can of evaporated milk lying around, then chill it in the fridge for around 12 hours. Pour up to 13 oz worth into a bowl, and add a tablespoon of lemon juice from fresh (or concentrate if necessary). Whip the mixture until the peaks become stiff. This isn’t the ideal choice if you need the whipped cream within the next hour as you will need to chill the evaporated milk for around 12 hours – that is half a day!

Whipped Cream Using Powdered Milk

There are other ways to create an alternative to whipped cream that are a little faster, but require more ingredients. For example, using powdered milk.

Most people have this in their pantry because it lasts a heck of a lot longer than regular milk, and , just because, right?

How To Substitute
To create whipped cream using this ingredient, you will need to add half a cup of chilled water to half a cup of dry milk (make sure it is the nonfat version). This is a quicker method to making whipped cream, although you will need a few extra ingredients. However, they are all cupboard staples, so hopefully you will have them to hand.

Whipped Cream Using Frozen Yogurt

Lastly, we will show you the most simplest method to substitute whipped cream.

If you don’t have much in the way of ingredients, then yogurt is a good second choice.

How To Substitute
Instead of using whipped cream, use one cup of creamy yogurt that has been frozen for at the very least 12 hours. Spoon it out as you would – it will be stiffer than usual. Whilst it might not have a similar texture or flavor to whipped cream, it can add some creaminess to fruit, and may even be a healthier alternative too.

Sour Cream Using Cottage Cheese

We do love sour cream. Whilst the name might put many people off, once you have tried it, it is difficult to pass it up the next time you are offered it.

However, sour cream has a habit of going bad if not stored properly.

Actually, it goes off quickly even when stored properly. That is because sour cream doesn’t last a very long time once it has been opened.

This is especially annoying when you come to use it and it smells rancid.

If you are looking to use salad cream as a dip, but realize you either haven’t got any or it has gone bad, then don’t worry, we have some substitutions for you!

How To Substitute
A really simple way to create a sourcream substitute is by adding three tablespoons of milk and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with 1 cup of cottage cheese all blended together. However, if you don’t have these to hand, or want to try something different, then we have alternatives below.

Sour Cream Using Butter

Sometimes you just don’t have cottage cheese to hand. When that is the case, you might just want to use butter or even margarine as the main sour cream ingredients.

How To Substitute
Using a third of a cup of either margarine or butter, add in three quarters of a teaspoon of lemon juice and three quarters of a cup of milk. Blend together. Whilst it might not have the same taste as using something like cottage cheese, the lemon juice will give it the tanginess, whilst the butter will make it creamy.

Sour Cream Yogurt

If you or your guest has an intolerance to some ingredients, then substituting it altogether with a different food item might be your best option.

This is especially true if you can’t even eat salad cream anyway.

How To Substitute
Instead of using different ingredients to make a salad cream alternative, just use yogurt instead. It is great with spicier meals, as it can cool down the mouth. Plus, it has that tanginess too.

Heavy Cream Using Pured Cottage Cheese

Heavy cream is ideal for adding to soups and stews, plus it is just generally very versatile, hence why a lot of us have it in our refrigerator.

However, just like with all dairy things, it never lasts! Or, you use it up so quickly that when you come to use it again, you forget you finished it a couple of days ago.

However, not to worry, because there are a few substitutions so you can still use a ‘heavy cream’ in that dish of yours.

Because cream has a tangy element to it, you can use something like cheese to add creaminess and the sourness.

How To Substitute
One of the easiest ways to create your own heavy cream is by blending half a cup of cottage cheese together so it isn’t lumpy anymore, and then mixing in half a cup of milk.Using this method produces a thick, heavy cream. You need to make sure that the cottage cheese has been pureed to avoid it being lumpy. Once added to something like a soup, having lumps will be kind of horrible – but still tasty!

RELATED: 9 Best Malt Milk Powder Substitutes

Heavy Cream Using Buttermilk

Not everybody has cottage cheese hanging around in the kitchen fridge, so when that is the case, you might want to use something else. Fortunately, there are several ways to make heavy cream.

One of those ways is by using milk. Depending on what you are using the heavy cream for, you can just replace it in a recipe by just using milk.

However, heavy cream has a creamier taste to milk which barely has a flavor, so keep that in mind.

Or, you could use buttermilk. It isn’t milk, but you still might have it available to use. So here is how:

How To Substitute
To create a cup of heavy cream, add two thirds of a cup of buttermilk to one third of a cup of oil and mix well. It still has a creamy texture and taste, and will work well as a heavy cream substitute added to a recipe. Nobody will ever know the difference!

Light Cream Using Butter

Light cream is useful to have in the home because it can be used in recipes, drinks, and dessert.

However, because you may be using it so much, you might find that once you come to use it, it has all gone.

Whilst that is annoying, you can make a substitute. In fact, the alternative will be so good that nobody will even taste the difference – hopefully!

There aren’t that many alternatives when it comes to light cream, but so long as you have some kitchen staples, you will be good to go.

How To Substitute
To create a light cream substitute, combine a three quarter cup of milk with three tablespoons of either butter or margarine. Mix well! This version has a sweeter and creamier taste than using the below method which is a lot more simple. However, both of the methods work just as well.

RELATED: 6 Substitutes For Sweetened Condensed Milk For Your Sweet Recipes

Light Cream Using Evaporated Milk

If you don’t have much in the way of alternative ingredients to create light cream, then there is an easy solution.

Instead of running out to the store to quickly grab some light cream, you could just use evaporated milk.

How To Substitute
To substitute, just follow the instructions on the packaging of the evaporated milk to create a ‘light cream’ alternative to use. This is ideal if you are making something like a hot drink, such as coffee or tea.

Half And Half Cream Using Coffee Creamer

You probably already know it already, but half and half cream is basically just light cream and whole milk. It is one of the best easy cream substitutes you can get.

Whilst you might want to get your head around that first (we know, crazy!) half and half cream is really useful in baking and recipes.

Instead of running to the store to buy more, we have some pretty good substitutions for you to try out first.

If you have a coffee creamer in the refrigerator, then you are already halfway there.

How To Substitute
One way to substitute half and half is by using a coffee creamer mixed with milk. Just add equal parts so they are indeed half and half. This is a good substitute if you are looking to add it to a recipe or maybe even a hot drink. There is always one who likes a good half and half in their coffee!

Half And Half Cream Using Oil

Whilst oil probably doesn’t come to your mind at first when you think about half and half cream, but oil is generally a good alternative when it comes to find ingredients to create a cream.

How To Substitute
To create this half and half cream, mix three tablespoons of oil with milk that amounts to a cup. Just remember to mix well! If using oil isn’t your thing, then you can also just mix light cream and milk tog ether to make a very simple half and half.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Considered A Cream?

A cream is a thick cream that has a high-fat content. It is thick and rich and has a buttery consistency. The most common types of heavy cream are a blend of butterfat and milk fat, which can be from cows, goats, or other ruminants.

What Are The Five Types Of Cream?

The cream is generally made from milk or cream, with an emulsifier, a stabilizer, and other ingredients to create a homogenous mixture. There are many different types of cream, depending on the type of cream used, the ratio of ingredients, and other factors.

Is Cream Made Of Milk?

No, the cream is not made of milk. The cream is made from milk. The cream is a by-product of milk. The cream is a mixture of milk fat and milk proteins.

How Is Cream Different From Milk?

Milk is made by extracting the cream from the milk, while the cream is just the pure fat left over after milk has been churned. The fat is mainly found on the top of milk, so it has to be skimmed before it can be used. The cream is primarily used in cooking because it adds a lot of flavor to a dish.

Is Cream Better Than Milk?

Cream and milk are two different types of dairy products. The cream is a dairy product that has been whipped until it forms a thick, white, and flaky substance. Milk is a liquid that is the product of cows being milked.

Easy Cream Substitutes – All The Different Types!

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

In this article, we take a look at various cream substitutes that you can make really easily using staple ingredients

Ingredients

Whipped Cream
Evaporated Milk
Powdered Milk
Frozen Yogurt
Sour Cream
Cottage Cheese
Butter
Yogurt
Heavy Cream
Pured Cottage Cheese
Buttermilk
Light Cream
Butter
Evaporated Milk
Half And Half Cream
Coffee Creamer
Oil

Directions

Choose your favorite substitute from the list given above
Follow the directions given in the recipe after having substituted the ingredient in the correct ratio

Recipe Video

Author
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Jess Smith

Hi, my name is Jess Smith, and I love cooking in my spare time. Around three years ago, I decided to give up my day job as a teacher to pursue my passion for food. While I have enjoyed sharing tips and tricks on Social Media, I have decided to expand my horizons through this blog.

Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.

I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!