From Mother’s notebook · Three-page kitchen reference
Mother’s Heavy Cream Substitutions
Ingredients
- ⅞ cup half-and-half + ⅛ cup butter
- Equal parts Greek yogurt and whole milk (not for whipping)
- 1 cup evaporated milk for 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup melted butter + ¾ cup milk (makes 1 cup); optionally 1 Tbsp flour to thicken
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch + 1 cup whole milk (stir and cook until thickened)
- Equal parts cottage cheese and milk, blended smooth
- Chilled full-fat coconut milk: use the firm cream in an equal amount
Directions
- For half-and-half, combine ⅞ cup half-and-half with ⅛ cup butter.
- For the yogurt option, blend equal parts Greek yogurt and whole milk. Mother notes: “don’t whip.”
- Replace one cup of heavy cream with one cup of evaporated milk for cooking applications.
- For the butter-and-milk option, mix ¼ cup melted butter with ¾ cup milk. The notes say adding a tablespoon of flour makes it thicker.
- For a thickened milk option, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1 cup whole milk; stir and heat until thickened.
- For cottage cheese, blend equal parts cottage cheese and milk until the lumps are gone.
- For coconut cream, chill a can of coconut milk until the cream firms up; use the thick cream as a substitute in an equal amount.
Family notebook notes
These substitutes were written across three neighboring notebook pages. The earlier page lists blended cottage cheese and chilled coconut cream; the following pages are headed “sub for heavy creme.” Measurements and the “don’t whip” instruction have been preserved. The notebook does not identify the specific dishes for which Mother used each method.
How to use
These are generally alternatives for cooked sauces, soups, fillings, and other recipes where cream contributes richness or thickness. They do not all behave like heavy cream, and most will not whip into stable whipped cream. Flour and cornstarch need proper heating to thicken; dairy mixtures should be refrigerated.