Half-and-half
Half-and-half is a mix of whole milk and cream, about 10 to 18 percent fat, sold in the US and Canada. Here is what to use where you cannot buy it.
Also called Half and half, Cereal cream, Half cream, Kaffegrädde.
Half-and-half is a dairy product made of roughly equal parts whole milk and cream. In the US it must hold between 10.5 and 18 percent milk fat, and most cartons are around 10 to 12 percent. It is richer than milk and lighter than cream. Americans pour it into coffee, and recipes use it in custards, quiche, creamy soups, mashed potatoes and ice cream bases.
Why it works
Fat gives cream its body and stops it curdling when hot. Half-and-half has enough fat to make sauces and custards taste rich but not enough to whip, and not enough to stay smooth if you boil it hard with acid or salt. Below about 25 percent fat, dairy is more likely to curdle.
How to use it
Half-and-half is mostly a North American product:
- Half-and-half in the US and Canada. In Canada, 10 percent cream is also sold as cereal cream.
- In the UK, half cream (about 12 percent fat) is the closest product. Single cream, at about 18 percent, also works.
- In Sweden, kaffegrädde (coffee cream, 10 to 12 percent) is a near match. Matlagningsgrädde, at about 15 percent, also works in cooking.
Use it where a recipe wants richness without heavy cream, such as a quiche filling or a creamy tomato soup.
Substitutes
- Mix equal amounts of whole milk and light cream, or single cream in the UK.
- Mix 3 parts whole milk with 1 part heavy cream. For 240 ml (1 cup), use 180 ml milk and 60 ml cream.
- In a pinch, use whole milk with 1 tablespoon melted butter per 240 ml. It works for cooking, not for coffee.
How to store it
Keep it in the fridge and use it within about a week of opening, or by the date on the carton. It does not freeze well. It separates when thawed.
Common mistakes
- Trying to whip it. It never thickens.
- Boiling a sauce made with it, especially with wine, lemon or tomato. Add it at the end over low heat, or temper it with a little hot liquid first.
- Buying "fat-free half-and-half", which is thickened skim milk and behaves differently in cooking.
In recipes
You will see "1 cup half-and-half", "½ cup half-and-half or light cream" and "half-and-half, for serving" with coffee or berries.
Recipes that use it
37 recipes from the sites we collect.
Spinach & Cheese Strata
www.onceuponachef.com · 105 min
Chicken Shahi Korma
pinchofyum.com · 30 min
Asparagus and Feta Tartlet with Phyllo Crust
www.skinnytaste.com · 50 min
Sweet Noodle Kugel
www.onceuponachef.com · 85 min
Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup
pinchofyum.com · 90 min
Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup
pinchofyum.com · 525 min
Lemon Ice
www.onceuponachef.com · 15 min
5 Ingredient Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Kale Pesto
pinchofyum.com · 50 min
Beer Cheese Dip
www.onceuponachef.com · 25 min
Spinach Artichoke Dip (Restaurant-Style)
www.onceuponachef.com · 40 min
One-Pot Creamy Spinach Lentils
pinchofyum.com · 60 min
Mushroom Shallot Frittata
www.skinnytaste.com · 30 min
Related terms
- Light creamLight cream is a pourable cream with about 18 to 30 percent fat, for coffee and finishing sauces. In the UK it is single cream. It will not whip.
- Heavy creamHeavy cream is rich cream with at least 36 percent fat that whips well and can boil without curdling. Here are its UK, Swedish and Australian names.
- Whipping creamWhipping cream has about 30 to 36 percent fat in the US, enough to whip into soft, light peaks. Here is how it differs from heavy and double cream.
- CurdleCurdling is when milk, cream or egg sauces separate into lumps and thin liquid. It happens from too much heat or acid. Here is how to stop and fix it.
- MatlagningsgräddeMatlagningsgrädde is Swedish cooking cream, a lighter cream that does not split when boiled. What it is and what to use instead outside Sweden.
- QuicheQuiche is a savory tart of eggs and cream baked in a pastry crust with bacon, cheese or vegetables. See the ratio and how to avoid a soggy base.