Substitution guide

Thickened Cream

Thickened cream ↔ heavy cream:

1:1by volume

Swap cup for cup for whipping, piping or pouring into sauces. Swapping in UK double cream also works 1:1, but expect a richer, firmer result because of its higher fat content.

In Australia, "cream" sold without any other label must be at least 35% milk fat by law. "Thickened cream" is that same cream with gelatine (or another thickener) and a stabiliser added — commonly carrageenan (407a) and an emulsifier (471) — so it whips into a stable foam and holds its shape without weeping. It is the default whipping cream on Australian supermarket shelves, not a different, lower-fat product.

Thickened cream (AU) and heavy cream (US) are close enough to use interchangeably. Double cream (UK) is a different, richer product — at 48%+ fat it is nearly half as fat again, so it whips faster, is more prone to turning to butter if over-beaten, and sets noticeably thicker when poured over a dessert unwhipped.

Compare

Substitutes at a glance

US heavy creamWhips1:1 by volume
UK double creamWhips1:1 by volume (richer result)
Milk + butter (DIY)Doesn't whip3/4 cup milk + 1/3 cup melted butter per cup
Coconut cream (dairy-free)Whips1:1 by volume
  • US heavy cream: At 36%+ fat (US FDA minimum) against thickened cream’s 35–36.5%, it is close enough to swap directly. It has no added gelatine or stabiliser, so it can weep sooner once whipped — use it a little fresher.
  • UK double cream: At 48%+ fat — well above thickened cream’s 35–36.5% — it whips faster and over-whips into butter more easily. Watch it closely rather than whipping on a timer.
  • Milk + butter (DIY): King Arthur tested this combination and found it "isn’t stable enough to trap and hold air, and won’t whip into peaks" — fine for cooking into a sauce or soup, never for whipping or piping.
  • Coconut cream (dairy-free): An unsweetened canned coconut cream "mimics dairy cream in both thickness and whippability" (King Arthur) — the one dairy-free option here that genuinely whips.

Converter

Scale this swap to your recipe

Scale this swap

Enter how much thickened cream your recipe calls for.

= 1 cup US heavy cream

At 36%+ fat (US FDA minimum) against thickened cream’s 35–36.5%, it is close enough to swap directly. It has no added gelatine or stabiliser, so it can weep sooner once whipped — use it a little fresher.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is thickened cream?
Thickened cream is Australian dairy cream (35%+ milk fat under the Food Standards Code) with gelatine and usually a stabiliser and emulsifier added, so it whips into a stable foam that holds its shape and resists weeping. It’s the standard whipping cream sold in Australian supermarkets, not a separate lower-fat product.
Is thickened cream the same as heavy cream?
Close enough to use interchangeably. US heavy cream is at least 36% milk fat with no added thickener; Australian thickened cream is 35–36.5% fat with gelatine and a stabiliser added. Both whip reliably; thickened cream holds its whipped shape a little longer because of the added gelatine.
Can I use double cream instead of thickened cream?
Yes, 1:1 by volume, but expect a richer result — UK double cream is at least 48% milk fat, well above thickened cream’s 35–36.5%. It whips faster, can turn to butter if over-beaten, and sets thicker when poured over desserts unwhipped.
Can I make thickened cream with milk and butter?
You can make a cooking substitute (about 3/4 cup milk plus 1/3 cup melted butter per cup of cream), but it will not whip — King Arthur’s own test found it can’t trap air into stable peaks. Use it in a sauce or soup, not for whipped cream or piping.
Is there a dairy-free substitute for thickened cream that whips?
Yes — chilled, unsweetened canned coconut cream whips up close to the thickness and stability of dairy cream, and is the dairy-free option most likely to hold peaks.

More conversions

Glucose Syrup vs Corn SyrupCups to grams guideml to cups guide

Sources: Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code — Standard 2.5.2 Cream (legislation.gov.au); Pauls Thickened Cream 300mL — ingredients & fat content (Lion Dairy, Australian retail); US FDA — 21 CFR 131.150, Heavy cream ("not less than 36 percent milkfat"); The Cheese and Cream Regulations 1995 (UK SI 1995/3240), Reg 6(2) — double/whipping/single cream fat minimums; King Arthur Baking — heavy cream substitute (milk+butter test result; coconut cream for dairy-free)