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Cream, heavy cream, half-and-half and whole milk differ in the amount of butterfat they contain, though they all come from cow's milk. Heavy cream, also labeled whipping cream, has a minimum of 30 to 40 percent butterfat. Half-and-half is 10.5 percent butterfat, while whole milk is 3.5 percent and butter is nearly 100 percent. There is also a scant amount of water in the butter. The good news is that you can make half-and-half with whole milk, you just need some additional butterfat.

Add Butter

Measure 7/8 cup of whole milk.

Measure 1/2 tbsp. melted butter

Mix together to make 1 cup of half-and-half. Use in recipes such as sauces and baking where it doesn't matter if the butter separates from the milk.

Heavy Cream

Measure 1/4 cup heavy cream.

Measure 3/4 cup whole milk.

Combine to make 1 cup of half-and-half.

Tip

Adjust the amounts of milk and butter or cream and milk, for more or less half-and-half.