Out of half and half? These easy half and half substitutes can be lifesavers!
What is Half and Half?
Half and half is a dairy product that is made from equal parts of cream and whole milk. If you’ve always thought it was an odd name, now you know why it’s called that!
Because of the milk added to the cream, it has a lower fat content than heavy cream. Half and half has about 10-12% fat, as opposed to the 30-36% fat in whipping cream and more than 36% in heavy whipping cream.
Half and half is often used to add a touch of the richness of cream without the higher fat content. While you can’t whip it like cream, it certainly has its uses in baking.
How to Make Half and Half Substitutes
I often have both milk and cream on-hand, but I rarely have half and half. Luckily, it’s easy to make a DIY half and half when you need it.
These are the most common substitutes that will make something the same as or close to half and half.
To make 1 cup of half and half:
- 1/2 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream This is the easiest substitute using the most common ingredients in the simplest way. This mixture will have a slightly higher fat content than half and half, but it’s pretty close.
- 1/2 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup light cream Technically, this is truly half and half, but light cream isn’t the easiest product to find.
- 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream This is a more accurate duplication of half and half.
- 2/3 cup low-fat or skim milk and 1/3 cup heavy cream The extra cream will add the needed fat to make something similar to the fat content of half and half.
- 1 tablespoon water and enough heavy cream to make 1 cup This can be a lifesaver if you’re out of milk.
- 1 or 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter and enough whole milk to make 1 cup And this one is great when you’re out of cream. Cool the butter a bit, and make sure the milk isn’t cold or you’ll get a blobby mess. Be sure to whisk the mixture well.
Other Half and Half Substitutes
- Heavy Cream Powder I’ve never tried this, but there are powdered heavy cream products that can be reconstituted to be used as half and half or cream. Think of it like powdered milk. Heavy Cream Powder at Amazon
- Evaporated Milk While there is usually sugar added to evaporated milk, it can be used as a 1:1 substitute for half and half.
More Baking Ingredient Substitutes
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