Best Substitutes for Cream
Out of Cream? Here are the best alternatives that work in cocktail recipes.
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Original Ingredient
Cream
Other
Rich, unctuous dairy nose with clean butterfat sweetness and velvet texture. Thick, luxurious palate that coats and smooths with luscious dairy depth. Long, rounded finish that tempers spirits.
Recommended Substitutes
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Heavy cream
Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.
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Half-and-half
Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.
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Light cream
Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.
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Whipping cream
Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.
General Substitution Tips
- → Match the alcohol level: a 40% spirit needs a similarly strong replacement or adjust volume.
- → For liqueurs, dilute spirits + simple syrup can replicate sweetness and proof.
- → Citrus substitutions: lemon and lime are mostly interchangeable at a 1:1 ratio.
- → For bitters, Angostura is the most neutral substitute for most other aromatic bitters.