Question: Is half-and-half the same as evaporated milk?
Answer: Half-and-half and evaporated milk are quite different dairy products. Let’s take a look at the ingredients of each product.
What is half-and-half?
Half-and-half is a combination of half milk and half cream. It may also contain a stabilizing ingredient to prevent separation when it mixes with a hot liquid like coffee. It is found in the refrigerated dairy section adjacent to the cream and milk. The nutrition facts are as follows:
Half & Half Nutrition Facts
| Half & Half Type | Serving Size | Calories | Total Fat | Saturated Fat | Cholesterol | Sodium | Carbohydrates | Dietary Fiber | Sugars | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half & Half - Regular | 2 tbsp | 37 g | 3.12 g | 2.11 g | 10 mg | 18 g | 1.42 g | 0 | 1.24 g | .94 g |
| Half & Half - Fat Free | 2 tbsp | 17 g | .41 g | .24 g | 1 mg | 29 mg | 2.61 g | 0 | 1.45 g | .75 g |
What is evaporated milk?
Approximately 88 percent of milk is made of water. Evaporated milk is created by removing about 60 percent of the water in milk. This leaves a concentrated portion of milk that is mildly caramelized from the heating process that is used to evaporate the water. Evaporated milk is canned and is shelf stable. It can be reconstituted back into regular milk by adding equal parts water.
Evaporated milk should not be confused with sweetened condensed milk, which has a large portion of sugar added as an ingredient. You can read about the difference between evaporated milk vs condensed milk here.
The nutrition facts of evaporated milk are as follows:
Evaporated Milk Nutrition Facts
| Evaporated Milk Type | Serving Size | Calories | Total Fat | Saturated Fat | Cholesterol | Sodium | Carbohydrates | Dietary Fiber | Sugars | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evaporated Milk, Canned | 2 tbsp | 42 | 2.38 g | 1.45 g | 9 mg | 33 mg | 3.16 g | 0 | 3.16 g | 2.15 g |
| Evaporated Milk, Canned, Nonfat | 2tbsp | 25 | .06 g | .039 g | 1 mg | 37 mg | 3.63 g | 0 | 3.63 g | 2.42 g |
In summary, half-and-half is equal parts cream and milk. Evaporated milk is regular milk that has had a large portion of its water removed to create a concentrated milk. Half-and-half is slightly higher in calories and fat because of the cream it contains.