Published February 7th, 2025, 9:18 PM EST
Last updated February 14th, 2025, 9:06 AM EST
When I was still just a little boy, there was no such thing as “milk substitutes.” If grandma ran out of milk, we had to wait until the milkman delivered more the following day.
Thankfully, this is no longer the case. Whether you’re fresh out of milk and the grocery store is closed or need to adjust a recipe to your diet by swapping out dairy milk for plant-based alternatives, as a home baker, you have options.
No matter your situation, the keys to success when substituting milk are to get the flavor profile and acidity of your substitute right.
For example, a recipe for mashed potatoes that calls for whole milk will be noticeably less creamy and flavorful if made with skim milk. Coconut milk may be ideal for curry, but it won’t necessarily work well as a substitute for milk in, say, béchamel sauce.
Yogurt and kefir are on the tangy side, turning them into excellent substitutes for goat’s milk or buttermilk. However, because they are fermented milk products that contain lactic acid, they can curdle when heated, so you ought to be careful when using them.
The devil, as they say, is in the details. So I wrote this guide to help you choose the right milk substitute for you.
Dairy Milk Substitutes
Below is a table listing dairy milk substitutes and their substitution ratios. Choose the milk substitute that best suits your needs.
| Ingredient | Substitutes |
|---|---|
| Milk | • Evaporated milk thinned with water (at a 1:1 ratio) • Powdered milk reconstituted with water (following the package instructions) • Heavy cream thinned with water (at a 1:3 ratio of cream to water; ideal for sauces) • Whipping cream diluted with water (at a 1:1 ratio; ideal for sauces) • Half-and-half thinned with water (at a 3:1 ratio of cream to water; ideal for sauces) • Buttermilk (fatty; tangy; excellent milk replacement in biscuits, brioche bread, and pancakes) • Plain Greek yogurt thinned with water (to a milk-like consistency; tangy; prone to curdling when heated) • Sour cream thinned with water (to a milk-like consistency; tangy and fatty; prone to curdling when heated; ideal for adding richness or replacing goat’s milk) |
| Heavy cream | • Whole milk enriched with butter (combine ¾ cup milk with ¼ cup melted unsalted butter for each cup of heavy cream) • Half-and-half enriched with butter (use 7/8 cup half-and-half and 1/8 cup melted unsalted butter for each cup of heavy cream) • Whipping cream enriched with butter (use 1 cup of light cream with 1 tablespoon of melted unsalted butter for each cup of heavy cream) • Greek yogurt mixed with whole milk (combine equal parts plain Greek yogurt and whole milk, then whisk until smooth; prone to curdling when heated) • Sour cream (at a 1:1 ratio; prone to curdling when heated) |
| Whipping cream | • Whole milk enriched with butter (combine ¾ cup milk with ¼ cup melted unsalted butter for each cup of whipping cream; will not whip) • Half-and-half enriched with butter (use 7/8 cup half-and-half and 1/8 cup melted unsalted butter for each cup of whipping cream; will not whip) • Heavy cream (use a 1:1 ratio; will whip to a greater volume and hold its shape better than whipping cream) • Chilled evaporated milk (use an equal amount of chilled evaporated milk; can be whipped, but the result will be less stable and may collapse more quickly; flavor is slightly cooked) • Mascarpone (use a 1:1 ratio; will whip, but it’s already very thick, so be careful not to over-whip; flavor is richer and slightly sweeter) • Greek yogurt mixed with whole milk (combine equal parts plain Greek yogurt and whole milk; will not whip to soft or stiff peak) |
| Half-and-half | • Whole milk enriched with butter (combine ½ cup whole milk with 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter for each cup of half-and-half) • Light cream or whipping cream (use a 1:1 ratio; slightly richer than half-and-half) • Whole milk and light cream (combine ½ cup whole milk with ½ cup light cream for each cup of half-and-half) • Whole milk and heavy cream (combine 7/8 cup whole milk and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream for each cup of half-and-half.) • Evaporated milk diluted with water (combine ¾ cup of evaporated milk and ¼ cup of water for each cup of half and half; slightly cooked flavor) • Skim milk enriched with heavy cream (for each cup of half and half, use 7/8 cup of skim milk and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream) |
| Buttermilk | • Whole milk with lemon juice (combine 1 cup whole milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice; let stand for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened) • Whole milk with white vinegar (combine 1 cup whole milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar; let stand for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened) • Whole milk with cream of tartar (combine 1 cup whole milk with 1 ¾ teaspoons cream of tartar; whisk well to avoid clumping) • Plain Greek yogurt thinned with water or skim milk (use ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt and ¼ cup water or skim milk for each cup of buttermilk; whisk until smooth) • Sour cream thinned with water or skim milk (use ¾ cup sour cream and ¼ cup water or skim milk for each cup of buttermilk; whisk until smooth) • Plain kefir (use a 1:1 ratio; kefir is a tangy fermented milk product) • Whipping cream, combined with either lemon juice or white vinegar (combine 1 cup light cream with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1 tablespoon white vinegar; let stand for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened) • Half-and-half, combined with either lemon juice or white vinegar (combine 1 cup half-and-half with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1 tablespoon white vinegar; let stand for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened) |
Plant-Based Milk Alternatives
The table below lists plant-based milk alternatives and their substitution ratios. Pick the plant-based alternative that best suits your needs.
| Ingredient | Substitutes |
|---|---|
| Milk | • Unsweetened soy milk (neutral flavor; high in protein; good all-around milk substitute, especially in baking) • Unsweetened almond milk (slightly nutty flavor; lower in protein; be mindful of nut allergies) • Oat milk (mildly sweet, “oaty” flavor; creamy texture, especially “barista” blends; good for sauces and coffee drinks) • Coconut milk (distinct coconut flavor; best for recipes where that flavor complements the dish such as curry) • Rice milk (very mild, slightly sweet flavor; thin consistency; low in protein; best for those with multiple allergies) • Cashew milk (creamy texture; subtly sweet, slightly nutty flavor; good for sauces and smoothies) • Hemp milk (slightly nutty, “earthy” flavor) • Flax milk (slightly nutty flavor) • Unsweetened pea milk (“beany” flavor, as well as creamy) |
| Heavy cream | • Soy milk enriched with oil (combine 1 cup unsweetened soy milk with 2-3 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil, like canola or vegetable oil; whisk thoroughly; will not whip) • Silken tofu blended with plant-based milk (blend silken tofu with unsweetened soy milk or other plant milk until completely smooth; adds body and creaminess; will not whip) |
| Whipping cream | • Aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas or other legumes; can be whipped to stiff peaks, similar to egg whites; relatively flavorless but with the aroma of chickpeas; can also substitute eggs) • Chilled coconut cream (use the thick, solid part from a refrigerated can of full-fat coconut milk; coconutty flavor) • Store-bought plant-based whipping cream (formulated to mimic dairy whipping cream; can be whipped; check ingredients for allergens) |
| Half-and-half | • Unsweetened soy milk enriched with plant-based oil (combine 1 cup unsweetened soy milk with 1-2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil, like canola or vegetable; whisk well) • Unsweetened almond milk enriched with plant-based oil (combine 1 cup unsweetened almond milk with 2-3 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil, like canola or vegetable; whisk well) • Oat milk (use a 1:1 ratio; sweet, “oaty” flavor; “barista” blends will be richer and closer to half-and-half’s texture) • Unsweetened cashew milk (use a 1:1 ratio, and pick a variety that’s closer to the consistency you’re after) • Plant-based coffee creamer (use a 1:1 ratio; formulated to mimic half-and-half in coffee, but can also be used in cooking) • Coconut milk (use a 1:1 ratio; choose “original” rather than “unsweetened” for a closer fat content; coconutty flavor) • Homemade blend of plant milk and plant cream (for each cup of half and half combine ½ cup of plant milk with ½ cup of plant cream such as cashew cream or coconut cream) |
| Buttermilk | • Unsweetened soy milk with lemon juice or white vinegar (combine 1 cup unsweetened soy milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar; let stand for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened) • Unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk with lemon juice or white vinegar (combine 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar; let stand for 5-10 minutes; may not thicken as much as soy milk; be mindful of nut allergies) • Unsweetened oat milk with lemon juice (combine 1 cup unsweetened oat milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice; let stand for 5-10 minutes; may not thicken as much as soy milk; “oaty” flavor) • Plant-based plain yogurt thinned with water or plant-based milk (use ¾ cup plain, unsweetened plant-based yogurt and ¼ cup water or plant milk; whisk until smooth) • Silken tofu blended with water, and lemon juice or vinegar (blend ¼ cup of silken tofu, ½ cup of water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar) |