4. Oil and dairy-free milk. Here’s another non-dairy alternative to heavy cream: Use ⅔ cup of your favorite non-dairy milk (like rice, oat or soy) mixed with ⅓ cup extra-light olive oil or melted dairy-free margarine. Easy peasy.
5. Cream cheese. Got a tub left over from brunch yesterday? Swap in equal amounts for heavy cream in your recipe—it will even whip up (although the texture will be more dense). The flavor isn’t the exact same, however, so the finished product might be slightly tangier.
6. Tofu. It sounds weird but it totally works, especially in savory recipes (although tofu doesn’t have a distinct flavor so you can use it in desserts, too). To replace 1 cup heavy cream, puree 1 cup tofu until smooth. Use in sauces, soups and more the same way you would cream.
7. Cashew cream. Another vegan alternative? Cashew cream. To replace 1 cup of the dairy ingredient, soak 1 cup unsalted cashews in water for a couple of hours. Drain the nuts and then add to a blender with ¾ cup water and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth and refrigerate overnight. Use in sauces or whipped up in desserts.