Half and Half Substitutes

A perfect addition to coffee, garlic mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, if you use it instead of evaporated milk, half and half, is an extremely good item which can replace heavy cream in multiple dishes, being slightly more rounded than milk is. However, what does one do if the stocks of half and half are running dry? Simple, make your own half and half substitute, with the following recipes.

Half and half basically is what the English in the United Kingdom call half cream. It is indeed a rather light variety of cream that cannot be whisked, and has a butterfat content standing anywhere between 10 to 12.5%. Half and half gets its name from the concept that it is a homogenized mixture of separately pasteurized milk and cream, in equal parts.

Given that a single fluid ounce of half and half has only 39 calories (31 coming from fat), it naturally is a low in calorie cream option as a coffee additive. It also has about 3.5 grams of total fats, 39 mg of potassium, and 12 mg of sodium in a serving of 1 fluid ounce, along with 0.9 grams of protein and 1.3 grams of carbohydrates.

Half and half can be used in the making of some creamy scrambled eggs, cocktails such as White Russian, some yummy pasta sauce, some good French pastry ganache, and of course, ice cream. But instances wherein one tends to run out of half and half will naturally force an individual to look up a viable substitute which will work just fine, without tampering with the flavors or taste of whatever it is that you are concocting. So, here are some substitutes that you can use in times of need.

Half and Half Alternatives

Say, you couldn’t find any of the individual serving containers of half and half that are available in the market, and do not want to buy one of those ½ gallon packs, as using up that much before the thing expires can be a little dicey. Then, suddenly you need a little bit of it for this recipe. That is when these substitutes will prove handy.

• Substitute a cup of half and half cream with an equal amount of evaporated milk.
• Commingle 120 ml of whole milk with the same amount of 5% butterfat light cream, to equal a 1 cup half and half requirement.
• Take 25 grams (2 tablespoons like) of the unsalted variety of butter, and heat it until it melts. To this, add 210 ml (almost ⅞ of a cup) of whole milk, and voila! The best part about this recipe is that you can store it in the fridge for like 2 weeks, and just reheat the concoction before using it the next time.

• Another variation of the butter-milk mixture in mixing together ⅞ cup of milk and 4½ teaspoons of molten normal butter that has been allowed to cool for about a minute. Whisk the two together to mix very well, and use it to replace a cup of half and half for dishes that need baking. Works great if your making some Polish babka with icing. Some people say that a single tablespoon of molten butter is enough. So, try both and see what suits your purpose better.
• If you are using margarine instead of butter, then mix a tablespoon of molten margarine with ¾ cup and 2 tablespoons of milk.
• Take ½ a cup of heavy whipping cream with 35% butterfat, and whip it with an equal part of partly skimmed milk, which would be about 120 ml.

It is said that one can refrigerate and package half and half for up to 10 days. The above options are indeed very viable substitutes, that can be used in any recipe that you may be making. Of course, if you are looking for a more instant choice, then just thoroughly combine ½ cup milk and ½ cup cream, and use it instantaneously, before the two have an opportunity to carve up. Do let me know of any other substitute that you may happen to discover while experimenting in your own laboratory at home, popularly known as the kitchen!

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