Coffee Creamer

I love coffee-flavored things. That might be a boozy espresso martini, tiramisu for dessert or coffee whipped cream. Ironically enough, when I have a mug in hand, I want flavored things in my coffee. I have dabbled with the best coffee creamer brands, including flavors such as French vanilla and sweet cream, even once venturing out into creme brulee and Rice Krispies creamer. But when I discovered how simple and cost effective it is to make a coffee creamer recipe, I officially wrote off the store-bought stuff.

Making homemade coffee creamer means you can add any fun flavor you want. (Yes, you could have your birthday cake-flavored creamer and eat it too!) Just use this recipe as a jumping-off point. I’ll offer some suggestions in the variations section to get you started, but feel free to have some fun and experiment with different additions to create your own recipes for homemade coffee creamers.

Why make homemade coffee creamer?

Aside from the fact that homemade coffee creamer tastes really dang good, the homemade version is also much healthier than what you’re getting from leading brands. You may have noticed that most creamers are labeled as nondairy products and thought, Huh? Creamer for coffee is often made with water and vegetable oil instead of milk or cream.

The high-oleic oils in store-bought creamers contain a fair amount of saturated fat. And that’s not to mention all the sugar (often in the form of corn syrup), the emulsifiers to hold the oil in suspension and the artificial flavorings in these products.

Ingredients for Coffee Creamer

• Sweetened condensed milk: This canned milk product is regular milk that’s been reduced to remove excess water and sweetened to create a thick, sweet liquid. There are several sweetened condensed milk substitutes, but you’ll want to add sugar if you use an unsweetened alternative like coconut cream or evaporated milk.
• Milk or cream: Heavy cream or whipping cream, half-and-half cream or 2% milk all work for this homemade coffee creamer recipe. The higher the milk fat content, the thicker and richer the coffee creamer will be. We like half-and-half cream for a good balance.
• Vanilla bean: The whole bean creates the purest and most flavorful creamer, but you can make homemade creamer for coffee with vanilla bean paste or extract. Just swap in 3 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste.
• Salt: A dash of salt adds balance to this coffee creamer recipe. Without it, the creamer can taste too rich.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the vanilla bean

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Split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape the seeds from the center into a small saucepan. Then, add the bean to the pan.

Step 2: Cook the coffee creamer

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Add the sweetened condensed milk, cream and salt to the pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through, five to seven minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t let the mixture come to a boil. It just needs to get hot enough to help the milk products and vanilla flavoring blend together.

Step 3: Let stand

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Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand, covered, for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Editor’s Tip: If you’re using extract instead of a whole vanilla bean, add it now. Heating an extract will dull its flavor.

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Discard the vanilla bean.

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Coffee Creamer Variations

• Make it nutty: Instead of vanilla bean, use a nut-flavored extract like almond or hazelnut. You can also add nut butters or peanut butter powder for a punchier nuttiness.
• Get seasonal: Add canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice to make pumpkin spice creamer, or try peppermint extract and cocoa powder for peppermint mocha.
• Indulge in chocolate: Whisk in chocolate syrup or cocoa powder before heating the creamer on the stovetop. To accentuate the chocolaty flavor (and insert a caffeine boost), add instant coffee or espresso granules.
• Tone down the sweetness: Use evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk. Add sugar, maple syrup, agave syrup or honey to sweeten the mixture to your liking.
• Go dairy-free: Swap in sweetened condensed coconut milk or unsweetened coconut cream and your favorite dairy-free milk alternative. We find that oat milk is a particularly good choice for making a dairy-free coffee creamer that tastes less coconuty.

How to Store Coffee Creamer

Our preferred way to store homemade coffee creamer is in a swing-top glass bottle or a Mason jar fitted with a pourable spout. These keep the creamer fresh, allow for easy access and prevent spillage. Once your creamer has cooled, transfer it to the jar and store it in the fridge for up to four days. Stir or shake it before serving.

Can you freeze homemade coffee creamer?

Dairy doesn’t freeze well, so we don’t recommend freezing homemade coffee creamer. It can become gritty and grainy when thawed.

Coffee Creamer Tips

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How can you use homemade coffee creamer?

Homemade coffee creamer tastes fantastic swirled into your morning cup of joe, but it’s equally well-suited for black tea or hot chocolate. If you want to get fancy, shake it in a Mason jar with ice and a few shots of espresso to make a shaken espresso. Or, froth it in a blender to make a flavorful twist on copycat Starbucks cold foam.

Is it cheaper to make your own coffee creamer?

Homemade coffee creamers can be pretty thrifty. Most people purchase store-bought creamers for coffee in addition to dairy products for cooking. If you make your creamer at home, you can put a portion of the dairy products that are already on your list toward making this sweetened coffee essential.

Do you have to heat homemade coffee creamer?

If you make this creamer for coffee recipe with vanilla extract instead of a whole vanilla bean, you don’t have to heat the ingredients. Simply combine them in a jar and shake until well combined. However, heating the condensed milk and half-and-half cream with a whole vanilla bean helps the flavors come together. If you have the time, heating is the way to go to create a richer, more robust creamer.