It comes down to fat.
Well explain what sets half-and-half and heavy cream apart, and when it’s best to use each.
Half-and-Half Vs. That means, at minimum,heavy creamcontains double the fat content of the fattiest half-and-half on the market.
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Seeing as half-and-half is a blend of milk and cream, it makes sense that it contains less fat.
Another key difference between the two isviscosity, as heavy cream is naturally thicker.
Heavy cream also doesnt have to be tempered when added to hot sauces and soups.
Credit: Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist Christine Keely
You might be thinking:But I dont temper half-and-half into my morning coffee.That’s because half-and-half is homogenized.
What is fat-free half-and-half?
Fat-free half-and-half is a lower fat (not zero fat, somewhat confusingly) half-and-half.
It contains about a tenth the amount of fat as regular half-and-half.
Can You Use Half-and-Half and Heavy Cream Interchangeably?
The answer is highly recipe dependentalthough there are some hard and fast rules.
In coffee ormashed potatoes,feel free to use whichever you have on hand.
Learn more on how to use each below.
Its often heated and used in mashed potatoes or used to create creamy pasta sauces orsoups.
Many of the uses above are also things heavy cream can do.
Butif there’s one technique where half-and-half is not a suitable swap, its in whipped cream.
Substitutions
Heres how to substitute heavy cream for half-and-half (and vice versa) when applicable.
Be warned: Because this substitute isnt homogenized, it might separate in your morningcoffee.
Youll need to use melted butter to up the fat content of the half-and-half to match that of cream.
In this case, three parts half-and-half to one part melted unsalted butter.
Mix the two together and allow the mixture to cool.
This will work in place of heavy cream in most uses, just notwhipped cream.
