There are so many delicious pasta dishes that include heavy cream.
Heavy cream turns a bowl of pasta into true comfort food. But every so often, you might run out or want to lighten up a pasta dish. Vegan? No problem!
Below, we have some heavy cream alternatives you can try.
Regardless of what you are making, the following are the best heavy cream substitutes for cooking, baking or whipping into desserts.
Greek yoghurt
Yoghurt is something you probably will not consider as a heavy cream substitute. However, if you want to make creamy sauces, a bowl of Greek yoghurt is a suitable replacement.
It is packed with proteins, too. Plain Greek yoghurt is a good substitute for heavy cream in pasta.
You can prepare creamy and rich pasta with Greek yoghurt instead of heavy cream and reduce the fat and calories of your dish.
Yoghurt has a tangy flavour and can help neutralise the other flavours in your pasta white sauce.
Milk and cornstarch
If you are looking for a thickening agent, try mixing milk and cornstarch. Make a slurry by dissolving cornstarch in a small amount of cold milk, and then add it to your simmering sauce. This will give your sauce the thickness and creaminess you desire.
Silken tofu and plant-based milk
If you do not want to use dairy products or want a healthy option to heavy cream in pasta, try silken tofu. Silken tofu is nothing like the regular tofu you use for stir-fries.
It has a creamy texture and is a good substitute for heavy cream in pasta dishes. It is also a good vegan alternative to heavy cream.
Créme fraîche or sour cream
For a deliciously thick pasta sauce without heavy cream, you can also use crème fraîche. Thanks to its high-fat content, it will add a rich and creamy taste to your dish. In case you are wondering, crème fraîche means fresh cream in French.
It is a thick, cultured cream that has about a 30% fat content, similar to heavy cream. The difference between the two is that crème fraîche is cultured, so it has a slightly soured taste to it, like sour cream.
However, crème fraîche is fattier and thicker and sour cream is tangier and lower in fat. Either would work as a substitute for heavy cream, if you do not mind the added tanginess.
Coconut milk
Another excellent non-dairy alternative to heavy cream is coconut milk. Although there is a slight coconut flavour, it can be a wonderful substitute in pasta dishes.