Half-and-half and butter

Many recipes that call for heavy cream may be easily swapped out in a pinch with half-and-half cream and butter. Heavy cream is made from the high-fat part of fresh milk. It contains about 30-36% fat; while half-and-half is made up of whole milk and cream, it’s only 10-18% fat.

Because half-and-half has a higher fat content when butter is added, it may be used in place of heavy cream in almost any recipe, including those that call for whipping. In some recipes, such as sauces and soups, half-and-half can be used in place of heavy cream without needing the addition of butter. Mix 7/8 cup (232 grams) of half-and-half with 1/8 cup (29 grams) of melted butter to replace 1 cup (237 mL) of heavy cream.