Most people have both half-and-half and heavy cream in their refrigerator, but have you ever swapped one for the other and found it didn't quite work? There's a reason for that. As it turns out, half-and-half has about half the milkfat as heavy cream does, which means it's a lighter product that won't result in as creamy or decadent of a dish. Show
While both half-and-half and heavy cream work well in beverages like coffee, tea, or smoothies, and as a creamy add-in for some recipes, they won't always work as a substitute for one another. Below, we break down the unique qualities of heavy cream vs. half-and-half, and how to cook with each. We also unpack exactly what fat-free half-and-half is and the differences between half-and-half and light cream. You Need to Know This Difference Between Heavy Cream and Whipping Cream 01 of 03 Half-and-Half vs. Heavy CreamThe main difference between half-and-half vs. heavy cream is the milkfat content. Half-and-half is made with equal parts heavy cream and milk. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that half-and-half contains between 10.5 and 18 percent milkfat. To make half-and-half at home, mix together a 1:1 ratio of heavy cream and milk and use in any recipe (or your daily cup of joe) that calls for half-and-half. Heavy cream, on the other hand, is a thicker and richer cream that contains at least 36 percent milkfat, nearly double that of half-and-half. If you're trying to cut back on fat, half-and-half is a suitable substitute. However, don't try to whip half-and-half for whipped cream; the product simply doesn't contain enough milkfat to form luscious stiff peaks. If you're cooking savory recipes like Joanna Gaines's asparagus & fontina quiche, or mashed potatoes, heavy cream and half-and-half can be used interchangeably, generally. Just know that the consistency and richness of these dishes may vary based on which type of cream you use. Beyond that, you must temper half-and-half when adding it to hot liquid, otherwise it will separate and curdle. To temper half-and-half, add a little bit of hot liquid to a bowl with half-and-half and slowly whisk together. Repeat two more times, then slowly stir the tempered half-and-half back into the original mixture. By doing this process, you are gently raising the temperature of the half-and-half, which prevents curdling. RELATED: This Heavy Cream Substitute Is So Good You Won't Notice the Difference 02 of 03 Light Cream vs. Half-and-HalfThere's even less of a difference between light cream and half-and-half than there is between heavy cream and half-and-half. The FDA requires products labeled as light cream contain between 18 and 30 percent milkfat, which means it is fattier than half-and-half but not as rich and creamy as heavy cream. Light cream is a perfect coffee add-in, as well as a drizzle over mixed berries, as a substitute for milk in glazed cake donuts. Don't overdo the cream is recipes that will be heated for long periods of time, as the cream could curdle. Like half-and-half, the low milkfat content in light cream also means that it cannot be whisked into fluffy whipped cream. 03 of 03 What Is Fat-Free Half-and-Half?While fat-free half-and-half may seem like a healthy alternative, its name is deceiving. Fat-free half-and-half usually contains fat-free milk, corn syrup, cream, artificial colors, and a handful of chemicals that are not normally found in regular half-and-half. Fat-free half-and-half only has about half the calories of regular half-and-half and one less gram of sugar per serving. While the fewer calories and fat-free may leave you feeling guilt free, the half dozen additives make us feel inclined to use the real deal. Close up shot of an anonymous young Caucasian woman making whipped cream on a kitchen counter at home Photo by: miniseries/Getty Images miniseries/Getty Images By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributor at Food Network. You might prefer half-and-half in your coffee and reserve heavy cream for making homemade whipped cream, only to find yourself wondering, what exactly is the difference between the two? You might also have discovered that you have one in your fridge but not the other and wondered if you can substitute them in recipes. Here, we break down the differences between half-and-half and heavy cream, and when you can use them interchangeably.
Half-and-half is a mixture of equal parts whole milk and cream. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), half-and-half contains between 10.5 percent and 18 percent milk fat (it varies because heavy cream’s milk fat content ranges from 36 percent to 40 percent, but anything you buy at the store labelled half-and-half will work in recipes). Half-and-half is often used in cream-based desserts with a light richness, such as panna cotta. Half-and-half also lends extra creaminess to dishes calling for milk, including cream sauces, mac ‘n’ cheese, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs and baked goods. To learn more about half-and-half and its substitutes, check out our story What is Half and Half?.
Heavy cream is a high-fat cream. It is made from the milk fat that collects on top of fresh milk that hasn’t been homogenized (homogenization is the process that turns the fat in milk into miniscule droplets that stay suspended in the milk). Per the FDA, heavy cream contains at least 36 percent milk fat (what you’ll typically find at the grocery store) and up to 40 percent milk fat (which is more often sourced by restaurants). Heavy cream can also be labelled as heavy whipping cream—they are exactly the same product but with different names. For a more detailed look at heavy cream and its substitutes, check out our story What Is Heavy Cream? And What Is a Heavy Cream Substitute?.
Both half-and-half and heavy cream are cream-based products and, according to the FDA, both are pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized, and can also be homogenized. The biggest difference between half-and-half and heavy cream is the milk fat content. According to the FDA, half-and-half contains between 10.5 percent to 18 percent milk fat, while heavy cream contains between 36 percent and 40 percent milk fat. Because heavy cream contains more fat, it is thicker and has a richer taste and a creamier mouthfeel than half-and-half. Because half-and-half contains milk as well as cream, it has a thinner consistency, is less rich in taste and doesn’t have as creamy a mouthfeel compared to heavy cream, but the milk imparts more flavor. 
It depends. If you’re making custard or custard-based fillings, as with this Lime-Coconut Custard Pie, you can use half-and-half and heavy cream interchangeably, though using heavy cream will result in a richer end product. Other examples where you can use half-and-half and heavy cream interchangeably include mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, chicken pot pie and bread pudding (keep in mind that heavy cream will yield a richer dish whereas half-and-half will create an end product that’s not as rich, which may be desirable in some cases). You can swap in half-and-half for heavy cream when making ice cream, but it won’t taste as rich and will have a less creamy mouthfeel. If your goal is to make whipped cream to use as topping, say, for a Waffled Brownie Sundae (pictured above) or slice of Pumpkin Pie, you’ll need to stick with heavy cream because half-and-half doesn’t have enough fat in it to whip and hold stiff peaks. The same holds true for making homemade butter : you can’t swap in half-and-half for heavy cream because there isn’t enough fat content to hold stiff peaks, which eventually turn into butter the more they are churned. |
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