This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
The key to lighter cream sauces and decadent desserts, half and half is my secret weapon to shaving off calories without sacrificing flavor or texture.
Half and Half can be found in between the milk and the heavy cream at your local grocery store but have you ever grabbed it to use in your favorite recipes? It goes beyond a “creamer” substitute for your morning coffee and I LOVE it for lightening up some of my favorite rich cream sauces or desserts.
I have had NUMEROUS fans and followers message me asking “What is Half and Half?” It has been a staple in my kitchen for so many years, I kinda thought everyone was using it on the regular. I had taken my beloved cream substitute for granted and now…I’m sharing with all of you everything you wanted to know about Half and Half.
What Exactly is Half and Half
Half and Half, also know as half cream in the United Kingdom, is a blend of equal parts whole milk and light cream. It averages about 10% – 12% milk fat, which is more than milk and less than cream. Because it has a lighter fat content than cream, it can not be whipped into whipped cream.
Can you make Half and Half?
Making your own at home is super easy to do. To make your own DIY Half and Half recipe, simply stir together 1 cup whole milk with 1 cup light cream. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Don’t have cream? No worries, simply stir together 1 3/4 cups milk with 1/4 cup UNSALTED melted, cooled butter and you have your own homemade Half and Half.
One more recipe for Half and Half, stir together 1 3/4 cup milk with 1/4 cup heavy cream for my FAVORITE version of half and half. This version is a bit heavier than the others.
You can easily halve any of these recipes for just one cup of half and half. We use a lot here for so many things during the week that two cups is my go to when I have to make it from scratch.
What is Half and Half used for?
I like to pour a splash in my morning coffee as a substitute for cream but it’s also wonderful in so many recipes.
Half and half is great in recipes where you want something creamier than milk but less heavy than cream. I like to use it as a substitute for heavy cream in a lot of recipes where I want to shave off some calories and lighten up a favorite recipe.
Using half and half in cocktails, ice cream recipes and your favorite quiche can add richness without adding unnecessary calories and fat. I like to stir it into cream sauces at the end to amp up the flavor but be sure to only add it at the end because it can cause the sauce to curdle if added too early.
It is also a good substitute for recipes that call for both milk and cream which have a tendency to separate. Because the fat in half and half has been homogenized, it will create a smoother, creamier result in desserts like pudding and panna cotta.
Our Favorite Recipes Using Half and Half
- Creamy White Chicken Chili
- BEST EVER Vanilla Pudding Recipe
- Easy Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Chicken and Dumplings Skillet
- Creamy Chicken Soup with Artichokes
- BEST EVER Chocolate Pudding
- Quick Chocolate Ganache
For more easy recipes, follow us over on Instagram!
How to Make Half and Half
Equipment
- measuring cup
- whisk or spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup light cream
Instructions
- Stir together the milk and cream to combine.
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks to use in your favorite recipes or coffee.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I can’t believe someone needed a receipt for ‘half and half.’ The name is kind of descriptive. smh
If you can’t find half and half, as many have written me, this just provides the ratio so they can make a recipe calling for half and half. You didn’t need to click on the recipe if you had to shake your head at it.
To the commenter INCREDOULOUSME:
I agree if you already know why waste your time on the article? Guess you have already learned everything in the whole entire world and will never be surprised by what you haven’t learned yet. And because the name IS very descriptive (I agree) why you wouldn’t assume that, perhaps, in some world other than your own, someone may not have learned yet. Also, I very much knew that 1/2& 1/2 was half milk and half cream. BUT I also know that there is fat free, 1%, 2%, whole milk. Which is best? Had other people already tried and taken the issue of experimentation off my hands? Oh! And there’s multiple types of cream as well. Light, heavy, extra heavy (40%~give this a go if you can find it for whipped cream y’all). Anyways, think before you speak, consider other’s life experience before pressing post, be open to being wrong, consider if you would like the person your opinion makes you appear as.
To the author of the post KELLIE:
Thank you! I wanted to make sure I was using the percentages of milk and cream that had been tried and “risen to the top” (knuck knuck knuck).
Thank you so much, Sue. Yes, I do have items on this site for the inexperienced cook, as well as, the experienced. Some people think I write just for them and only them. 🙂
I can’t believe that some people don’t know how to spell recipe by the time they become adults. There’s a big difference between a receipt and a recipe. SMH!!!
They were probably autocorrected…your sarcasm is obvious but was there any value added? Let’s start a movement of critical kindness. Fighting fire with fire has not worked and only divided us. After my previous comment to this thread I have decided that I am only going to leave posts if I have something nice to say or if my criticism isn’t based on fallacy. Let’s learn about fallacies so we have more coherent and critically relevant debates!
Thank you. 🙂
In the UK Half and Half is “Single Cream” Not Half Cream
Thank you…..that’s not what my British grandmother called it so maybe a regional thing.
“also know as half cream in the United Kingdom, “
I’ve lived in the U.K. for 39 years and have never heard of “half cream”.
I googled to check it wasn’t just me and this website is the top result for half cream U.K.
Have you got a source?
The source is me. 🙂 Maybe not everyone in the UK calls it that but my grandmother was from Axminster and called it half cream. She said that’s what it was called. I’ve also heard it called single cream but that wasn’t what I grew up with.