Half-and-Half Substitution Ratios
How to make a quick DIY half-and-half using whole milk and heavy cream, and its fat percentage.
1 Cup Half-and-Half = 3/4 Cup Whole Milk + 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream • Fat content: ~12%
Half-and-half is a blend of equal parts whole milk and light cream. It typically contains between 10.5% and 18% milk fat. In baking, it adds richness without the heavy density of pure whipping cream. If you don't have it on hand, you can easily make it by combining 3/4 cup of whole milk with 1/4 cup of heavy cream, or 2/3 cup of skim milk with 1/3 cup of heavy cream.
Chemically, the fat content of half-and-half provides structural tenderness by preventing gluten formation while maintaining a relatively high water content. This balance makes it excellent for custards, quiches, bread puddings, and morning scones. When substituting, avoid using skim milk alone, as the lack of fat will make custards watery and cause scones to bake dry and tough.
Substituting skim milk 1:1 for half-and-half in custards or quiches. Custards need the fat in half-and-half to coagulate and set into a velvety texture skim milk will make them watery and loose.
Half-and-half is primarily a North American dairy product. In the UK, the closest equivalent is 'single cream' (18% fat), while in Europe you blend light cream and milk.
Scones, rich biscuits, custards, quiche fillings, and coffee creamers.
Replace 1 cup of half-and-half with 1/2 cup whole milk + 1/2 cup light cream.
Refrigerate at 34-38°F (1-3°C) and use within 5 days of opening due to its moderate fat content.