14 Of The Best Heavy Cream Substitutions For Pasta Sauce

Half-and-half is half cream and half milk. Since the milk in it is usually whole milk, which is also quite creamy, it serves as a great substitute for heavy cream.

The mixture tends to curdle when boiled, so add it at the end of your pasta sauce recipe. If you're meant to simmer the sauce for a while, make sure you cook it over low heat.

Heavy cream is essentially milk with more fat. If combined in a 1:3 ratio, melted butter and milk can replicate heavy cream really well when cooked into a warm sauce.

Whole milk works best, as it is high in fat. However, if you only have skim or part-skim milk, you can stir in 1 tablespoon of flour to compensate for that missing thickness.

Greek yogurt works well as a nicely tangy heavy-cream substitute in all kinds of dishes. It also pairs well with tomatoes, olives, and aged cheeses in pasta recipes.

Note that using more yogurt will yield a thicker sauce. Some suggest mixing equal parts Greek yogurt and milk to make the swap work, but some recommend a 1:1 substitution ratio.

When swapped in for heavy cream, milk and cornstarch tighten up pasta sauces and make them creamy. The ideal ratio is 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 1 cup of milk.

To avoid clumps, add the milk to the cornstarch slowly while whisking continuously. To kick off the gelatinization, ensure the mixture comes to a high simmer — at least 203° F.

Evaporated milk is milk that is heated until it loses about 60% of its water content. To swap it in for heavy cream in pasta recipes, use a 1:1 substitution ratio.

Make sure you're using evaporated milk, not condensed milk. While both options are thickened milk products, condensed milk contains added sweeteners, which you do not need.