Potatoes Are The Heavy Cream Substitute You Didn't Know You Needed

So you’re ogling a creamy soup or fancy dessert recipe, but dun, dun, dun, it calls for heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream, which is basically the same thing). Whether you just don't keep the stuff on-hand (honestly, who does?), want to keep your eats a little lighter, or don't do dairy (hello, vegans!) , you need a good heavy cream substitute, stat.

According to the USDA FoodData Central Database, just a single (!) tablespoon of heavy cream contains 60 calories and six grams of fat (four of which are saturated fat). Depending how heavy a pour you add to your recipe, that adds up fast.

To support cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association recommends limiting sat fat to just 5 to 6 percent of your total calories.

For people who eat 2,000 calories a day, that’s just 13 grams total—so a few splashes of heavy cream can push you over the edge.

“Heavy cream is basically pure fat," says chef and nutritionist Michelle Dudash, RDN, author of Clean Eating for Busy Families. "It’s emulsified, so it makes your food smooth and gives it body and thickness.”

Luckily, you can save on fat and calories in your cooking without sacrificing the stupid-good creamy richness that heavy cream brings to the table. You've even got a few solid vegan cream substitutes to pick from if dairy bothers your stomach or you eat a plant-based diet.

You just have to use the right subs in the right recipes. “You can certainly get the same results by substituting cream, but it depends on the recipe and application,” she says.

Next time you need to get creative in the kitchen, any one of these vegan or non-vegan heavy cream substitutes will get the job done.