Is Half and Half Keto? Can You Have Half and Half on the Keto Diet?

Most people find half and half to be a great creamer for their coffee and tea because it’s not too high in calories or sugar. Plus, it’s not as thick as something higher fat like heavy cream may be.

However, like most dairy products on keto it’s important to double check and make sure your cup of joes is low carb approved. So then we must ask, is half and half keto? Or, is it an overhyped creamer leftover from the US low fat fad.

Is Half and Half the Same as Heavy Cream?

KetoConnect verdict: We give half and half a keto-friendly rating of ⭐⭐⭐⭐(out of 5)

Half and half is in no way, shape or form, the same as heavy cream. While they may both be dairy products, they have quite different nutrition profiles.

Half and half is exactly what you think — half milk and half cream. Heavy cream on the other hand, is just cream. Thankfully they make it simple without any sneaky hidden ingredients.

The difference largely lies in the percentage of fat content and carbs that’s found in them. Just go through the nutrition facts on the product’s package, and you’ll learn that the healthy fats percentage in heavy cream is significantly higher than that of half and half, while the carbs are significantly lower. Aka a fantastic keto friendly option.

That’s what makes half and half less desirable in the keto diet community. And yes, we know we said we’ll answer that question at the end of this post, but we were just itching to get it out.

People who have decided to take the keto diet route are always hesitant to consume it because it has milk, which constitutes a higher-carb/sugar ratio. A ratio that’s high enough to impact ketosis.

So to answer the question is half and half keto, technically no but with a small enough serving you may not notice an impact on blood glucose.

Does Half and Half have Sugar?

Yes, and No.

Every milk, cream, and dairy product will have sugar listed as one of the items on the nutrition fact’s list. 

In this case, a 30 ml serving of half and half has one gram of total carbs and one gram of sugar. 

Now, the reason why we said ‘yes and no’ is because some half and halfs have natural sugars, while others have both natural and added sugar.

There are large differences between these two types of sugar. While natural sugars are —as you’d expect— naturally occurring, added sugars are processed, and barely have any nutritional value.

And we don’t know why, but if you check the net carbs in some of them, you’ll realize that they are ridiculously high. No one on a keto diet wants to see half of their net carbs used in one cup of coffee.

The Medical Expert’s Take

The American Heart Association recommends consuming at most 36.9 grams of processed sugar per day, but we all know keeping count of our carb intake is impossible when our main diets consist of cupcakes, granola bars, ice cream, and even half and half that has high grams of carbs per serving.

If you really have to take milk with your morning coffee (and you’re new to a keto community that’s asking “Is half and half keto”) try some of the keto diet friendly milk that is readily available in different stores.

We’re talking about coconut milk, almond whole milk, macadamia milk, cashew whole milk, and walnut milk, which also has a considerable fat content.

What Can I Put in my Coffee while on a Keto Diet?

The worst thing that you could ask of a heavy coffee drinker is to stop drinking coffee. The caffeine withdrawal symptoms are just as lethal as the lifestyle diseases that we’re trying to avoid.

We understand that the keto friendly diet is a restrictive diet, but there’s a way to make the process less challenging. Going cold turkey is not a solution, and our community doesn’t treat new members as labor camp recruits.

Some of the products that you could use as sugar and coffee creamer alternatives while on keto, include:

MCT Oil

For those of you who’ve never heard or seen an MCT oil before, it’s essentially a dietary component that constitutes MCT fats. MCT as an abbreviation, stands for medium-chain triglycerides, and these fats are present in all dairy products, palm kernel oil, and even coconut oil.

The MCT oil won’t change the flavor of your coffee, and it’s been known to offer so many potential health benefits. Health experts believe it’s responsible for the weight loss, low cholesterol, and low blood sugar levels reported among heart disease patients.

Grass-Fed Butter

It’s no secret that butter is probably the healthiest fats on earth. We are all appreciative of the nutritional content it provides, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be wary of what you consume.

Not all butter is good butter, as their nutritional values vary. In our opinion, the best keto butter is this butter right here.

Apart from the fact that it contains higher amounts of vitamin K2 and Omega-3 fatty acids in comparison to the grain-fed butter, it also has five times more Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). Thus giving you more energy, and brainpower.

By the way, if you add MCT Oil to coffee that already has this kind of butter, you’ll be drinking bulletproof keto coffee.

Heavy Whipping Cream

The fact that heavy whipping cream has high fat and low carb content can only mean one thing — It’s keto friendly. Two tablespoons will only give you less than 2 grams of carbs, and that’s what keto is all about.

Keto Coffee Creamer

You could make keto coffee creamer at home using your own recipe, or buy one from the stores. If you think buying is easier than making, we would recommend these products:

Omega Power Coffee Creamer Butter Blend

The target audience here are the people who love a little flavor to go with their coffee. The Omega PowerCreamer comes in a variety of flavors, including salted caramel, cinnamon, and vanilla.

The main recipe ingredients used in the making of this product include Stevia, grass-fed ghee, MCT oil, and coconut oil. One tablespoon is all you need to get zero grams of carbs to accompany the 14 grams of fat.

Laird Superfood Unsweetened Original

What makes the Laird Superfood Unsweetened Original so popular in our community is not just the fact that it’s keto-friendly. This particular creamer is also dairy-, soy- and gluten-free. Furthermore, it’s a nutritional vegan diet supplement.

According to the recipe, it’s made using extra virgin coconut oil, Aquamin, coconut milk, and almond milk, without having to add any artificial color, sweetener, or sugar additive. Aquamin is a derivative of sea algae, and it’s said to improve bone health.

One tablespoon (6 grams) is all you need to get 3.5 grams of fat and 2 grams of carbs per serving, and you’ll be certain that you are on a low carb half on keto diet.

Califia Farms Unsweetened Better Half

Califia Farms’ creamer is the best alternative for consumers affected by different allergies, and those prefer staying away from dairy products. It also doesn’t have any artificial sweeteners, or additives, and is made using coconut cream and almond milk.   

Left Coast Keto

To facilitate ketosis, this creamer comes with high fat extracted from MCT oil, sunflower lecithin, cacao butter, coconut oil, and ghee. Unfortunately, because of the higher melting point of these fats, you’ll have to use a blender to mix it with coffee.

Sugar Free Sweeteners

These products are perfect for your keto friendly diet, and the best store bought sweeteners that would help you consume less carbs per day include:

Erythritol

Consuming large amounts of Erythritol will definitely make you experience bouts of nausea, so stick to 1 tablespoon max.

You’ll also be surprised to learn that Erythritol has never been pigeonholed as a high-potency sweetener, even though it’s low in carbs.  

Xylitol

You can find it in birch, and a few other plants. It’s also just as sweet as sugar, but the problem with consuming too much of it is the gastrointestinal distress produced right after.

Stevia leaf extracts

The Japanese made these leaves popular, as they’ve consumed it for generations. They are safe to consume if you’re on a keto friendly diet, or if you’re trying out plant based diets.

Neotame

Neotame is safe as well, but the taste is horrible.

Wrapping up

Many people have questions about whether or not individual items are keto friendly. Read our comprehensive guides to some of the most asked about items like popcorn, honey, rice, beets, and pumpkin, as well as our complete guide to the keto diet.

Keep in mind what we’ve just talked about, and your net carbs per serving will always be low. Until next, bye bye!

Written by

Expert Fact Checker