What Can You Substitute For Milk?: Milk is a staple ingredient in the kitchen. It is the most commonly used dairy product in everyone's house. All chai lovers, coffee lovers, and milkshake lovers can't live without having a cup of their favorite milk drink.
Not only drinks you can even use milk in baking and cooking so if you run out of milk at times then the possible way to finish that recipe is by substituting it with other alternatives.
You can find various best and healthy milk substitutes for cooking, baking, and drinking but choosing the right alternative enhances the taste of the recipe like milk.
So, look at our guide ie., what can you substitute for milk, and understand which milk substitute is right for your recipe along with the list of non-dairy and dairy milk alternatives, and the purpose of using milk in baking.
List of Top-Best Milk Substitutes That You Need For Any Recipe
- Sour Cream
- Half and Half
- Heavy Cream
- Yogurt
- Water With Butter
- Coconut Milk
- Almond Milk
- Oat Milk
- Soy Milk
- Rice Milk
The best substitutes for milk are listed above which include dairy and non-dairy alternatives that can work well in baking and cooking recipes. For detailed information on what can you use for milk in recipes, simply continue your read.
Best & Healthy Dairy Substitutes For Milk in Cooking & Baking
Are you a milk lover and worried about running out of milk while cooking or baking? Don't fret, just gain some knowledge on the type of cuisine and the purpose of milk in the recipe.
With this information, you can easily check which substitute is right for your recipe. Before selecting the right milk substitute for baking or cooking, study what are the best alternatives for milk from the below explanation.
Without going to the store, just check these dairy-based substitutes for milk available or not at home. If yes, then replace milk with the best substitute in the correct amounts and have the yummy food.
Sour Cream
Sour cream is a creamy and tangy milk substitute that benefits some baked goods like bread, muffins, cakes, etc. You can substitute sour cream for milk in baking mostly.
You use this same as yogurt in recipes. If you want to know what can you substitute for sour cream in baking brownies and other baked goods or cooking recipes simply click the link available here.
Half and Half
Half and Half is also the best alternative for milk. You can easily replace milk with half and half by adding water to it.
Just check the guide on How Can You Substitute Half and Half for Milk and understand completely about half-half and milk substitution. To replace 1 cup of milk in the recipe, substitute the mixture of ½ cup half-and-half and ½ cup water.
Heavy Cream
A good substitute for milk is heavy cream. It has a rich texture and higher fat content so diluting it with water is the best way to use it as a milk alternative.
For the replacement of 1 cup of milk, you have to add half heavy cream and half heavy cream in a recipe. Can You Substitute Heavy Cream for Milk? is one of the most repetitive queries by people.
The explanation given about this question is provided in the link available here so check it out.
Yogurt
Plain Yogurt and Greek Yogurt can also be substituted for milk in savory and sweet food dishes. If you want to use plain yogurt in place of milk then you can substitute it in a 1:1 ratio.
But greek yogurt substitution is different from regular yogurt substitution for milk in the recipe. For replacing milk with greek yogurt, you need to dilute it with water to make it thin like milk and then add it to the recipe. Related Yogurt Substitution Posts:
- Can You Substitute Greek Yogurt For Sour Cream
- Can You Substitute Yogurt for Sour Cream
- Can You Substitute Evaporated Milk for Milk
Water With Butter
Water in a pinch can also be replaceable in some recipes that call for milk. This substitute can work great when it calls milk in small amounts like 1/4 cup or even less.
For adding more fat content to the recipe along with moisture, use 1 tbsp of melted butter for 1 cup of water. Also, remember that the taste and texture will be quite different when you use water for milk in the recipes.
Non-Dairy Milk Alternatives for Baked Goods & Other Dishes
There are so many reasons to opt for non-dairy alternatives for milk like vegan, lactose intolerance, milk allergy, high-fat, dairy-free diet plans, etc.
To avoid such issues and enjoy the same taste and consistency as the original recipe made with milk, we have curated some useful non-dairy substitutes for milk to swap. Read the qualities of these substitutes and then decide to replace milk with it in particular recipes.
Coconut Milk
Both canned and light coconut milk can be a good plant-based milk substitute that replaces milk in almost all recipes. If the recipe needs to be more creamy then using canned coconut milk works great in place of milk.
Coconut milk has a strong flavor with differs from milk so your dish can taste differently. If you are okay with the change of flavor with the original recipe then using coconut milk as a substitute is the best and also you can replace it in equal quantities.
Almond Milk
Almond milk is the healthiest vegan and dairy-free alternative for milk in cooking and baking recipes. But the downside of using almond milk in recipes is its thin texture. It doesn't add the creamy body like milk to the recipe so be sure to substitute instead of milk or not.
Almond milk is the best alternative for milk in cooking recipes but not much in baked goods. Do check Can You Substitute Almond Milk for Milk and clear all your doubts on the same.
Oat Milk
When you are thinking to cut down the fat content in your food items then using oat milk for milk is an excellent substitute as it is a fat-free and light creamy textured milk that has a bit of sweet flavor.
You can add this substitute in both savory and sweet recipes like cereal, baked goods, smoothies, mashed potatoes, curries, lighter cream soups & sauces, and also in lattes. You can substitute oat milk for milk in a 1:1 ratio.
Soy Milk
Soy milk is almost similar to cow's milk in texture and taste so it can be used interchangeably when it's plain. Also, it perfectly works in all baked goods, morning cereal recipes, etc.
Unflavored soy milk can be substituted for milk in savory recipes. You can use soy milk instead of milk in the same amounts while baking or cooking.
Rice Milk
Rice milk is the best substitute for milk in sweet dishes and baked goods. As it has a natural sweetness like “true milk flavor” and delicate texture.
So it can also work well for light cream-based soups and sauces or curries. It can be replaceable as a cup-for-cup substitution in the recipes.
What is the Purpose of Milk in Baking?
Mainly, the purpose of the milk in baking is to blend all dry ingredients and add the required moisture to the baked good as it is a liquid product.
Milk is one of the important ingredients in baking recipes as it includes fat content that results in rich & moist baked goods. By using whole milk, you can increase the fat percentage in baked goods and enjoy the fluffy & moist ones.
In case, your kitchen counter and the fridge is having low-fat content milk like 2% or 1% skim milk then take it into consideration for baking because it can also work great in your recipe. Do Refer:
FAQs on What Are The Best Alternative For Milk?
Key Takeaways
We discover that milk substitutes are very huge and they can be dairy and non-dairy to pick as per the taste and texture of the recipe.
Also, there are so many healthy alternatives for milk so utilize the opportunity of learning what can you substitute for milk in cooking and baking recipes.
If you need extra information on milk alternatives or other food substitutes then visit or bookmark our website @canyousubstitute.com in no time you can clear all your queries by referring to our various food articles.