Buttermilk vs. Whipping Cream
Nutrition comparison of Buttermilk and Whipping Cream
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
buttermilk
versus
whipping cream
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in buttermilk and whipping cream:
- Both whipping cream and buttermilk are high in calcium.
- Buttermilk has 5.9 times less cholesterol than whipping cream.
- Buttermilk has 61% less carbohydrates than whipping cream.
- Buttermilk has more riboflavin.
- Whipping cream is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Whipping Cream (Cream, whipped, cream topping, pressurized) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Whipping cream is high in calories and buttermilk has 76% less calories than whipping cream - whipping cream has 257 calories per 100 grams and buttermilk has 62 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, buttermilk is heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to whipping cream per calorie. Buttermilk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for whipping cream, 5:19:76 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Buttermilk | Whipping Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 19% |
| Fat | 48% | 76% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Buttermilk has 61% less carbohydrates than whipping cream - whipping cream has 12.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Whipping cream and buttermilk contain similar amounts of sugar - whipping cream has 8g of sugar per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Whipping cream and buttermilk contain similar amounts of protein - whipping cream has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and buttermilk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Whipping cream is high in saturated fat and buttermilk has 86% less saturated fat than whipping cream - whipping cream has 13.8g of saturated fat per 100 grams and buttermilk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Buttermilk has 5.9 times less cholesterol than whipping cream - whipping cream has 76mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and buttermilk has 11mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Whipping cream is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 300% more Vitamin A than buttermilk - whipping cream has 188ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and buttermilk has 47ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Buttermilk has 225% more Vitamin D than whipping cream - whipping cream has 16iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and buttermilk has 52iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Whipping cream and buttermilk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whipping cream has 0.64mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whipping cream and buttermilk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whipping cream has 1.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Buttermilk has more riboflavin. Both buttermilk and whipping cream contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Buttermilk | Whipping Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.047 MG | 0.037 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.172 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Niacin | 0.09 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.38 MG | 0.305 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036 MG | 0.041 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 3 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.46 UG | 0.29 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both whipping cream and buttermilk are high in calcium. Buttermilk has 14% more calcium than whipping cream - whipping cream has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.
iron
Whipping cream and buttermilk contain similar amounts of iron - whipping cream has 0.05mg of iron per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Whipping cream and buttermilk contain similar amounts of potassium - whipping cream has 147mg of potassium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 135mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, whipping cream has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than buttermilk per 100 grams.
| Buttermilk | Whipping Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.076 G | 0.323 G |
| Total | 0.076 G | 0.323 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, whipping cream has more linoleic acid than buttermilk per 100 grams.
| Buttermilk | Whipping Cream | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.122 G | 0.502 G |
| Total | 0.122 G | 0.502 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Whipping Cream (Cream, whipped, cream topping, pressurized) .
Buttermilk g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Whipping Cream g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does whipping cream or buttermilk contain more calories in 100 grams?Whipping cream is high in calories and buttermilk has 80% less calories than whipping cream - whipping cream has 257 calories in 100g and buttermilk has 62 calories.
Does whipping cream or buttermilk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, buttermilk has 60% fewer carbohydrates than whipping cream - whipping cream has 12.5g of carbs for 100g and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.
Does whipping cream or buttermilk contain more calcium?
Both whipping cream and buttermilk are high in calcium. Buttermilk has 10% more calcium than whipping cream - whipping cream has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.