Out of Half-and-half, one case

How to substitute heavy cream for half-and-half

3 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 3 options

Use Heavy cream + whole milk

Per 1 cup of half-and-half

¾ cup whole milk + ¼ cup heavy cream

Thin the cream. For 1 cup of half-and-half, mix ¾ cup whole milk with ¼ cup heavy cream. With no milk in the house, mix 1/3 cup heavy cream with 2/3 cup water. Heavy cream is about 36% fat and half-and-half is 10 to 12%, so a full cup of cream in place of a cup of half-and-half triples the fat and changes how the recipe bakes and sets.

Verdict —: Works
The tweak —: Stir the two together. No heating is needed.
Best for —: coffee
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full half and half card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Half-and-half substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup half-and-half	Verdict
1	Heavy cream + whole milkcoffee	¾ cup whole milk + ¼ cup heavy creamWorks	Works
2	Heavy cream + low-fat or skim milkcoffee	2/3 cup milk + 1/3 cup heavy creamWorks	Works
3	Heavy cream + watersoups and pan sauces	1/3 cup heavy cream + 2/3 cup waterTweak it	Tweak it
Not a swap	Heavy cream, undiluted	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option3 options

Heavy cream + whole milk

the same as half-and-half

Half-and-half is milk and cream blended, so this rebuilds it. The mix comes out at about 11% fat and behaves the same in every recipe.

Best for: coffee, baking, custards and quiche, soups and sauces, ice cream bases
Prep: Stir the two together. No heating is needed.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Nowhere. This is the swap to use whenever you have milk.

For ½ cup: 6 tbsp milk + 2 tbsp cream. For ¼ cup: 3 tbsp milk + 1 tbsp cream.

Heavy cream + low-fat or skim milk

the same as half-and-half

With skim, 1% or 2% milk, use a little more cream to reach the same fat level. The result is close to 12% fat.

Best for: coffee, baking and custards, soups and sauces
Prep: Stir together and use as half-and-half.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Nowhere in ordinary cooking.

Heavy cream + water

rich but slightly flat; less sweet than half-and-half

Water brings the fat down to about 12% but adds none of the milk protein or milk sugar, so the mix is right for richness and a little thin in flavor.

Best for: soups and pan sauces, mashed potatoes and casseroles, scrambled eggs and quiche
Prep: Stir together just before using.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Coffee, where it tastes watery, and baked goods that count on milk sugar for browning: they come out a little paler.

For ½ cup: 2 tbsp + 2 tsp cream, topped up with water to the ½ cup line.

Heavy cream, undiluted

A cup of cream is not a cup of half-and-half.

It carries about three times the fat and much less water.

Best for: nothing as a measured cup: dilute it first
Where it fails: Cakes and muffins turn heavy and greasy, custards and quiche set dense, and a cream soup becomes very rich and thick. A splash in a cup of coffee or a spoonful in a pan sauce is fine; a measured cup in a recipe is not.

Tips for substituting half-and-half

5 tips

Measure the cream first, then fill the cup to the line with milk or water. For 1 cup, that is ¼ cup cream topped up with whole milk.
Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the same thing for this swap. Whipping cream, at 30 to 35% fat, uses the same amounts.
In soup, the cream-and-water mix works well, and it is less likely to curdle than milk because of the fat. Add it at the end and keep it below a boil.
For baking and custards, use the milk version. Milk protein and sugar help with browning and setting, and water supplies neither.
The mix keeps in the fridge as long as the older of the two cartons would have. Shake before using.

Questions

4 questions

Can I use heavy cream instead of half-and-half without diluting it?

In a splash for coffee or a spoonful to finish a sauce, yes. For a measured amount in a recipe, dilute it: ¼ cup cream plus ¾ cup whole milk per cup, or 1/3 cup cream plus 2/3 cup water. Straight cream triples the fat and makes baked goods heavy and custards dense.

How much heavy cream and water makes 1 cup of half-and-half?

Mix 1/3 cup heavy cream with 2/3 cup water. That brings the fat down to about 12%, the same as half-and-half. It suits soups, sauces and egg dishes; for coffee and baking, thin the cream with milk instead.

Can I use heavy whipping cream to replace half-and-half in coffee?

Yes. Either use less of it, about a third of your usual pour, or mix 1 part cream with 3 parts whole milk and keep that in a jar in the fridge. Cream thinned with water tastes watery in coffee.

How do I substitute heavy cream for half-and-half in soup?

For each cup of half-and-half, use ¼ cup heavy cream with ¾ cup milk, or 1/3 cup cream with 2/3 cup water or broth. Stir it in at the end and heat through without boiling.