Heavy cream simmered until enough water has evaporated to concentrate its fat and protein into a thick, coating sauce. It thickens through concentration rather than through any added agent.
What it does in a recipe: Thickening that arrives as richness — body, gloss and flavour together. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Reduced cream, Cream reduction
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Quick answer
Crème fraîche or mascarpone stirred in
1 cup cream reduced to 1/2 cup = 1/3 cup crème fraîche or mascarpone whisked into the hot sauce
All substitutes, best first
4 ways to replace heavy cream reduction
Crème fraîche or mascarpone stirred in
Closest match
1 cup cream reduced to 1/2 cup = 1/3 cup crème fraîche or mascarpone whisked into the hot sauce
Both are already concentrated dairy with a high fat content, so they thicken on contact rather than needing 15 minutes of simmering, and their fat is stable enough not to split.
MethodWhisk it in off the heat or at a bare simmer; a hard boil can still break crème fraîche.
Trade-offCrème fraîche adds a distinct tang that a plain cream reduction does not have. Mascarpone is sweeter and much richer.
Allergen checkBoth are dairy, as the original is. Neither helps anyone avoiding milk.
Evaporated milk, reduced
Reliable
1 cup heavy cream = 1 cup evaporated milk, reduced by about a third
Evaporated milk is already concentrated by evaporation, so its higher protein and solids content lets it thicken a sauce without the fat load of cream.
Trade-offMuch less rich and with a slightly cooked, caramelised milk flavour. It is also lower in fat, so it can curdle in an acidic sauce where cream would hold.
Allergen checkCoconut is botanically a fruit, but it is classed as a tree nut for allergen labelling in the United States, so anyone with a tree nut allergy should treat it with caution and check with their clinician. Some tinned coconut milk also contains sulphites as a preservative.
Milk + cornstarch
In a pinch
1 cup heavy cream = 1 cup whole milk + 1 tbsp cornstarch, slurried
The starch supplies the viscosity that reducing the cream would have concentrated, which gets you thickness in a couple of minutes rather than fifteen.
MethodSlurry the cornstarch in a little cold milk first, then whisk it into the rest and simmer for a minute.
Trade-offThick but not rich, and the mouthfeel is noticeably different — starch coats the tongue where fat lubricates it. The sauce also has none of cream's flavour.
Allergen checkStill contains dairy. For a fully dairy-free version, use an unsweetened plant milk and check its base for soy or nut content.
Worth knowing
Cream reduces well because its fat protects the milk proteins from curdling — lower-fat dairy will split under the same treatment. Reduce at a steady simmer rather than a boil, and salt at the end, since everything concentrates along with the cream.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.