What Can I Substitute for Thickened Cream?

You're whipping cream to pile on a pavlova, fill a sponge or serve with scones.

• pure cream — 250 ml for every 250 ml thickened cream
• double cream — 185 ml double cream plus 65 ml milk for every 250 ml thickened cream

Aeration needs at least about 30% fat, and only these two have it, so pure cream whips straight in, though it weeps sooner without thickened cream's gelatine or gums, and double cream whips well once thinned with milk to stop it turning grainy.

You're simmering a pan sauce, creamy pasta sauce or chicken dish, often with wine, lemon or tomato in it.

• pure cream — 250 ml for every 250 ml thickened cream
• crème fraîche — 250 ml for every 250 ml thickened cream
• double cream — 185 ml double cream plus 65 ml milk for every 250 ml thickened cream

Here the cream has to reduce to a coating body and survive a boil with acid, and these three carry enough fat and little enough protein to do both, with crème fraîche adding a mild tang you will notice.

You're stirring cream into scone dough, a cake batter or a quiche filling.

• milk and melted butter — 175 ml milk plus 75 g melted butter for every 250 ml thickened cream
• pure cream — 250 ml for every 250 ml thickened cream
• Greek yoghurt — 250 g for every 250 ml thickened cream

In baking the cream only supplies liquid and fat for a tender crumb or soft set, so milk with melted butter rebuilds both from what is in most fridges, and Greek yoghurt works in cakes and muffins if you accept a tangier, slightly denser result.

You're finishing a soup, curry or casserole with a pour of cream for body.

• evaporated milk — 250 ml for every 250 ml thickened cream
• coconut cream — 250 ml for every 250 ml thickened cream
• milk and melted butter — 175 ml milk plus 75 g melted butter for every 250 ml thickened cream

A soup or curry already has plenty of flavour and body, so evaporated milk's concentrated milk solids or coconut cream's fat are enough to round it out, and coconut cream suits curries where its flavour belongs.

You're cooking for someone who can't have dairy and the recipe calls for cream.

• coconut cream — 250 ml for every 250 ml thickened cream

Coconut cream is the only listed option that is dairy-free and still covers fat, sauce body and, when chilled overnight and drained, a soft whip, but it will taste of coconut wherever you use it.

Your whipped cream looks grainy or curdled instead of smooth.

Why: It was beaten past stiff peaks, so the fat started clumping towards butter, which happens fastest with double cream.

Fix: Stop the mixer and gently fold in a splash of unwhipped cream or cold milk by hand until it smooths out, and if it has fully separated into butter and liquid, use the butter for baking and start again.

Your cream won't thicken however long you beat it.

Why: The cream is too warm, it is lite cream with too little fat to whip, or coconut cream was not chilled long enough to firm up.

Fix: Chill the cream, bowl and beaters for 30 minutes and beat again, but if it is lite cream it will never whip, so buy thickened or pure cream.

Your sauce has gone oily, with pools of fat on the surface.

Why: A milk-and-butter mix or reduced cream was boiled too hard and the emulsion broke.

Fix: Take the pan off the heat and whisk in a splash of cold cream, milk or water a little at a time until the sauce comes back together, then keep it at a gentle simmer.

Your sauce has broken into small grainy curds.

Why: Greek yoghurt, sour cream or lite cream was boiled, especially with wine, lemon or tomato, and its proteins tightened into curds.

Can't be fixed — next time: It cannot be made smooth again, so serve it as it is or blend it if the dish allows, and next time stir yoghurt in off the heat or use pure cream or crème fraîche for anything that boils.

Is thickened cream the same as heavy cream?

Nearly, but not quite. Both have about 35–36% milk fat, so they whip, reduce and handle a boil the same way, but Australian thickened cream has added gelatine or gums that help whipped cream hold its shape for longer, while US heavy cream usually has none.

What is the difference between thickened cream and pure cream?

The only real difference is the added thickener. Both have at least 35% fat, but thickened cream contains gelatine or vegetable gums so it whips faster and weeps less, while pure cream is just cream and tastes slightly cleaner.

Is thickened cream vegetarian?

Not always, because some brands thicken it with gelatine, which comes from animals. Others use vegetable gums instead, so check the ingredient list, or buy pure cream if you want to avoid thickeners altogether.

Can I use thickened cream for a pasta sauce?

Yes, thickened cream works well in pasta and pan sauces. Its 35% fat lets it boil and reduce without curdling, even with wine, lemon or tomato, and the small amount of thickener does not noticeably change the finished sauce.

Is thickened cream the same as double cream?

No, double cream is much richer, with at least 48% fat compared with about 35% for thickened cream. It whips faster and turns grainy sooner, so thin it with milk at about one part milk to three parts double cream when a recipe asks for thickened cream.

How much is 300 ml of thickened cream in cups?

A 300 ml carton of thickened cream is about 1¼ US cups, or 1.2 Australian metric cups of 250 ml. Whipped, it roughly doubles in volume, so one carton gives about 600 ml of whipped cream.