Coconut Cream Substitutes

Out of coconut cream? These are the swaps that actually work, with conversion ratios for any recipe size and notes on how each one changes the result.

Need to convert coconut cream between cups, grams, or ounces first? Open the coconut cream converter.

What to use instead of coconut cream

  • Coconut Milk

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup coconut cream = 1 cup coconut milk (chill and scoop the thick top layer, or reduce by simmering)

    Coconut milk is the thinner blended liquid, close in weight (240 g vs 245 g per cup) but far less concentrated. For a true coconut-cream body, chill a tin and lift off the solid layer, or simmer the milk down; use it straight only where a looser curry or sauce is fine.

  • Heavy Cream

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup coconut cream = 1 cup heavy cream (1:1 by volume)

    The dairy swap when coconut flavour is unwanted: heavy cream is richer milk fat at around 36% versus coconut's 24%, and almost the same weight (240 g vs 245 g per cup). It whips firmer and tastes neutral, so it suits ganache, sauces, and toppings where a plain cream reads better.

    See heavy cream substitutes →

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I substitute for coconut cream?
There are 2 workable substitutes for coconut cream, depending on what you have on hand and which property of coconut cream matters most for your recipe. The closest swap is usually 1 cup coconut cream = 1 cup coconut milk (chill and scoop the thick top layer, or reduce by simmering). Each option below lists the conversion ratio for any recipe size, plus notes on how the swap changes the texture, flavour, rise, or browning.
Will substituting coconut cream change how my recipe turns out?
Yes, every swap trades one property for another: fat content, moisture, acidity, or protein. The notes on each substitute describe what changes in texture, flavour, rise, or browning, so you can choose the swap that matters least for your recipe. Open the coconut cream converter
How do I measure coconut cream accurately?
Weighing in grams is more reliable than scooping cups, especially when a substitute has a different density from what the recipe expects. The coconut cream converter on this site converts between cups, grams, ounces, millilitres, fluid ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons, so you can scale a recipe up or down without losing the ratio. Open the coconut cream converter

Other ingredient and produce substitutes

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