We love you heavy cream, but you don’t always do what we need. Sometimes your high fat content is just too thick and luscious to be used as a coffee creamer or an ingredient for pudding pie. That’s where half-and-half comes into play. Where heavy cream is too rich, half-and-half is there. But sometimes, it fails too. Half-and-half will never turn into whipped cream and no amount of churning will turn it into butter. We know they’re not the same, but what really is the difference between heavy cream and half-and-half? From Our Shop
To understand how to cook and bake with half-and-half, it’s important to understand exactly what it is. According to my bedtime reading aka the FDA’s Code of Federal Regulations, “Half-and-half is the food consisting of a mixture of cream and milk which contains not less than 10.5 percent but less than 18 percent milkfat. It is pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized, and may be homogenized.”
No, there is no suitable substitute for heavy cream. You cannot make butter from milk or from half-and-half. This is because those dairy products do not have enough fat in them. Heavy cream butter is a fantastic texture and flavor due to its fat content.
What Is Heavy Cream?
Heavy cream is a high-fat cream that contains at least 36 percent fat. It, too, is either pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized, and may be homogenized, according to the FDA. Heavy cream may also be labeled as heavy whipping cream; different names, same product!
Can You Substitute Them?
Most of the time you can use half-and-half in a recipe that calls for heavy cream, and vice versa. Low stakes examples are mashed potatoes, chicken pot pie, macaroni and cheese, and bread pudding. Keep in mind that, depending on which one you choose, your recipe may be richer or a little less so.
You can also use half-and-half for ice cream recipes that call for equal parts of whole milk and heavy cream because essentially, half-and-half is a combination of the two.
You can’t use half-and-half in place of heavy cream for whipped cream or homemade butter. The fat content in heavy cream is what allows the dairy product to form stiff peaks for a sweetened whipped topping; keep whipping and those peaks will turn into butter.
How to Make Half and Half
FAQ
Can you make butter from half-and-half milk?
What happens if you whip half-and-half?
Can I add butter to half-and-half to make cream?
How long to shake half-and-half into butter?
How to make butter with half and half cream?
Making butter with half and half cream is a surprisingly simple process. It requires only a few ingredients and a bit of elbow grease. First, you’ll need to gather your tools: a pint of half and half cream, a clean jar or container with a tight-fitting lid, and a sieve or cheesecloth. You can also add a pinch of salt if you prefer salted butter.
What are the best substitutes for butter?
The substitute that you might want to use depends on what you are using butter for. In baking you can use any fat such as olive oil, nut butters, or even avocados. In baking you can also substitute non-fats for butter such as Greek yogurt, mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, or even applesauce. For replacing butter as a spread, you can use any fat, hummus, avocado, nut butter, or cheese. For cooking, canola oil can be a great sub, or avocado oil is also good because it has a high smoke point.
Can you substitute milk for half and half in butter?
Yes, you can use different types of milk as substitutes for half and half when making butter. However, it’s important to note that the taste and texture of the butter may vary depending on the milk used. How Long Does It Take to Separate the Cream From the Half and Half?
How long does half and half butter last?
The shelf life of homemade butter made from half and half depends on storage conditions. To ensure freshness, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it can last for about 1-2 weeks. Can I Use Heavy Cream Instead of Half and Half to Make Butter? Yes, heavy cream can be used instead of half and half to make butter.