Is Cream Keto? How Many Carbs In Cream?
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 03/25/2022 - Last updated on 09/04/2024
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On a Ketogenic diet, it’s essential to reduce the carbs we take. If you are familiar with the diet, you might know that cheese is a common keto-friendly ingredient, but is Cream Keto? How many carbs are in a cup of cream?
In this guide, you will learn if cream is a keto-friendly dairy product and how much you can safely take to stay in ketosis!
Cream is a very common ingredient on a keto diet. Not only would you find it in many recipes online, but it’s also in a myriad of ready-made items.
If you are a keto beginner, read on to learn if cream can keep your carbs within your macros!
What Are Dairy Products?
Dairy products are all products that are issued from animal milk.
Animal milk commonly comes from cows, goats, sheep, or buffalo.
As a result, the usual dairy products include milk, butter, cream, yogurt, cheese, custard, or ice cream.
Is Cream Keto?
The definition of cream varies from country to country, but they are all made by skimming the fat layer from the top of milk.
Some countries like France have 10 different official varieties of cream based on fat content and production method. In the US, there are 5 varieties based on the fat content of the cream.
From Half and Half (between 10% and 18% fat) to Manufacturer’s Cream (over 40% fat), Heavy Cream is the most common high-fat cream available.
Heavy Cream is also a good source of protein with 2 to 4 grams of protein per 100 grams. However, it can’t be the only source of your protein intake.
Cream is generally a keto-friendly ingredient. Let’s have a look at the details!
How Many Carbs In Cream?
The table below summarizes the net carbs per 100 grams of cream.
| Type of Cream | Net Carbs | Fat | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half and Half Cream | 4.3g | 11.5g | 3.1g | 131 kcal |
| Light Cream | 3.7g | 19.1g | 3g | 195 kcal |
| Whipping Cream | 3g | 31g | 2.2g | 292 kcal |
| Heavy Cream | 2.8g | 36g | 2.8g | 340 kcal |
| Whipped Cream | 12.5g | 22.2g | 3.2g | 257 kcal |
| Sour Cream | 4.6g | 19.3g | 2.4g | 198 kcal |
All data comes from the FoodCentral database.
As you can see, apart from Whipped Cream that has added sugar, all creams are relatively keto-friendly. Plus, remember that cream is generally taken in relatively small amounts.
Note that grocery-store-bought Whipped Cream is not the same as Heavy Whipping Cream. The former is made with the latter, but most of the time with sugar.
Dairy-Free Cream Alternatives
If you can’t process dairy products but you still want to make delicious keto recipes, here are a few of the common low-carb swaps for cream:
- Unsweetened Coconut Cream
- Thick Canned Coconut Milk
- Unsweetened Almond Cream
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes it is! With less than 4g of net carbs per 100g, all kinds of cream are keto-friendly, except Whipped Cream which is most of the time loaded with sugar.
Heavy Cream is the best cream to use on a keto low carb diet because it has less than 3 grams of net carbs per 100 grams.
Milk naturally contains sugar, but when cream is made, the sugar is consumed by the bacteria that curdle the milk. Leaving a high-fat, low-carb mixture.
Heavy Cream can most of the time be swapped for thick unsweetened coconut cream.
Heavy Cream is considered a healthy product when taken in relative moderation. It contains minerals such as calcium and is a source of Vitamin A. Studies have shown that cream doesn’t increase the risk of heart disease.
Keto Recipes With Cream
Below are my favorite recipes made with cream.
About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
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Is homemade heavy cream made with butter and milk still keto-friendly>
It depends on how you make it. In commercial cream making, all the sugar in the milk is transformed.
Is there a homemade recipe for making heavy cream in which the sugar is transformed?
Yes, it’s possible though that’s out of my wheelhouse 😉