Coffee Creamers Guide: What You Need to Know

crazy by Editorial Staff | Updated on April 24th, 2023

We believe coffee is one of the drinks you must enjoy drinking. Do you think so? If yes, you may have considered adding creamer into your coffee for a vibrant and thick taste and texture. Adding creamers into your coffee brings out different flavors and gives you more tastes and better experiences.


Now, if you are concerned about the different choices of creamers that will boost the flavor of your cup of joe, we are here to help you settle on the right options. So, let’s go through the options available to pick the right one. Ready to learn more? Let’s get started.

Coffee Creamers Guide
coffee creamer

A word on nutrition

Before diving deeper, let‘s have a look at how adding cream or milk drastically alter the nutritional value of your cup of coffee. Irrespective of the amount you add, the cream impacts your cup of coffee. This is because even a small amount increases the calorie count of your cup of joe.

Although there is nothing wrong with adding cream to your coffee, keep in mind that if you try to cut weight, you will have to adjust your diet accordingly.

Have you got milk?

Adding milk to coffee works very well, and you are always assured of the best experience. But there is more to milk than meets the eye.

Type of milk you can add to your coffee

  • Cow’s milk: There is no doubt cow milk is the most common milk used in coffee. This milk is known to add the right sweetness and thickness to coffee. However, it is good to note how it impacts the thickness and taste largely depends on the freshness of the milk, the percentage of fat present, and how the cow was raised.
  • Goat’s milk: In recent years, goat milk has been gaining popularity because it is more digested than cow’s milk. It is perfect milk for coffee lovers who are a bit intolerant to lactose and adds a bit of an earthy taste. Goat milk is often used with medium roasts.
  • Buffalo milk: Another great alternative is buffalo milk. Been the fattiest of all kinds of milk, it adds a creamy texture and taste to your cup of joe. The resulting precious liquid is sweet and tangy, making it worth a try.

Type of milk fat for your coffee

The fat content in milk can significantly impact your coffee’s taste and texture.

  • Whole milk: Most baristas serve this milk unless you ask for a specific type. Whole milk is heavier than most and contains between 3.35 and 5% fat. This fat content makes your coffee both sweeter and creamier.
  • Reduced-fat milk: This type of milk has 1 to 2% fat, but sometimes you can find milk with as little as 0.5% fat. It provides a balance between thickness and sweetness in your coffee, so you can beef up your coffee a little while not overloading it with calories and fat.
  • Skim milk Are you counting calories? If yes, skim milk is the right option for you. It is fat-free. Besides, skim milk is much sweeter than other options, although its texture is not the best. In other words, it is not the best option for a creamy texture.

It’s getting thicker

coffee creamer

If you are not worried about counting calories in your cup of joe, then adding cream is one of the best options. Below are the different types of creams you can consider.

Types of cream

  • Half and half: This type of cream is half cream and half milk. It is, by far, one of the most used creams by Americans. It contains 12% fat, making it sweeter and thicker than whole milk. While it is a good option for a perfect balance between thickness and sweetness, it does not have the thickness of whipping cream or pure whole cream.
  • Light cream: If the thickness of half and half or whole milk is not enough for you, then it ok use light cream to up the fat content. This type of cream contains 20% fat. Remember that this high-fat content will add more calories to your cup of coffee.
  • Light whipping cream: This cream contains 30% fat, hence a bit heavier than light cream.
  • Heavy cream: This is the heaviest cream you can choose. It contains about 38+% fat making it the thickest option available for you. However, adding it in the right amount is recommended as too much can make your coffee too thick for you to enjoy.

Creamers

creamer

Now that we are talking about creams let’s switch to coffee creamers, which most people add to thicken their coffee. The truth is, coffee creamers are dairy-free. Therefore, they are not cream, which is why they are referred to as “coffee whiteners.”

So, what are coffee creamers? In simple words, coffee creamers contain sugar or artificial sweetener, thickener, and oil as the three main ingredients.

Powdered vs. Liquid coffee creamers

The main difference between powdered and liquid creamer is how you store them. Liquid creamers need to be refrigerated after opening, while powdered creamers are stored in cupboards. However, they don’t need any form of refrigeration.

Note there are other shelf-stable options in the market. These options are ideal in more high-volume environments because they last less than a month after opening.

Best coffee creamers

coffee

CoffeeMate Liquid

This classic creamer comes in 19 flavors, including Vanilla Caramel, Hazelnut, and French Vanilla. Its silky smooth texture and cooler temperature make it an excellent option for your morning cup of coffee. CoffeeMate is lactose-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, and non-dairy and comes out to about 20 calories per tablespoon. This cream is also offered as flavored, singles, shelf-stable liquid, and powder.

Ingredients

  • Water
  • Coconut Oil
  • Sugar
  • Sodium Caseinate
  • Dipotassium phosphate
  • Mono-and Diglycerides
  • Artificial Flavor
  • Beta-Carotene (Color)

Want more non-dairy coffee options?

Califia Farms Almondmilk Coffee Creamer

Califia Farms Almondmilk Coffee Creamer

This unsweetened creamer is soy-free, carrageenan-free, non-GMO, soy-free, vegan, and kosher. You can also get it in vanilla, pecan caramel, and hazelnut. In addition, Califia Farms Almondmilk Coffee Creamer is a healthier option than your standard creamer. So if looking for a healthier option, this is a sure bet.

Ingredients

  • Almondmilk
  • Coconut Cream
  • Sunflower lecithin
  • Natural flavors
  • Calcium Carbonate
  • Sea Salt
  • Potassium citrate
  • Locust Bean Gum
  • Gellan Gum

Check out more Almond milk for your coffee.

Catching Ketones Keto Coffee Creamer

Catching Ketones Keto Coffee Creamer

Are you trying to remain keto without sacrificing your morning cup of joe? This creamer is a sure bet. It is an MCT oil-powder-based Keto coffee creamer that does not leave behind an oily residue. And remember to blend it.

This creamer is gluten-free, lab-tested, non-GMO, soy-free, and made in the USA. It also contains no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and artificial colors. Plus, you are guaranteed to get your money back if you are not happy.

Ingredients

  • Hydrolyzed Bovine Collagen
  • MCT Oil Powder
  • Vegan Coconut Milk Powder
  • Erythritol
  • Natural Vanilla Flavor
  • Himalayan Pink Salt
  • Xanthum Gum
  • Luo Han Gum

Rather go with vegan coffee creamer options?

How to make homemade coffee creamer

homemade coffee creamer

Ready to prepare your creamer. It is so simple. You will be surprised by how easy it is to prepare your creamer when you finish reading this article.

The first step is gathering the high-quality ingredients you need. Next, you need a milk base of some type to get started. Here are a few options:

  • Soy or Almond Milk – The perfect choice for lactose intolerant individuals and anyone wanting to go healthier with their creamer.
  • Milk – A much healthier option if you choose 2 percent or whole milk. But not as rich as half and half.
  • Half and Half – An excellent option for thicker and richer coffee creamer.

Note that you have the freedom to use any milk. After choosing your milk, all other subsequent steps are similar.

1. Grab a sweetener

Making a flavored creamer? If yes, there are various sweeteners you can add. For example, natural sweeteners like brown sugar, honey, or white sugar can be used. You can as well use artificial sweeteners. Luckily there are many of them in the market.

2. Add your flavor of choice

You have a base and sweetener of your choice; it is now time to pick a flavor to make a custom creamer. The good news is that almost all flavors work well, so feel free to experiment. For the best results, when picking flavors, try your best to get high-quality extracts. Below are a few flavor suggestions you can try:

  • Chocolate Hazelnut – Add 4 tablespoons of Nutella or other types of chocolate hazelnut spread.
  • Chocolate Mint – Blend in two tablespoons of cocoa powder with ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract and four tablespoons of sugar.
  • Hazelnut – Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and hazelnut extract along with 4 tablespoons of sugar.
  • Mocha – Place 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the mixture with 4 tablespoons of brown sugar. For added effect, add a dash of syrup on top of the coffee.
  • Vanilla – Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and four tablespoons of sugar.
  • Caramel Macchiato – Include 1 tablespoon of cocoa, 6 tablespoons of brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a dash of salt.
  • Chai Latte – Add 3 chai tea bags during the simmering process, along with four tablespoons of brown sugar.
  • Pumpkin Spice – Mix 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, one tablespoon of vanilla extract, 4 tablespoons of maple syrup to your base.
  • Salted Caramel – Include a dash of salt along with 6 tablespoons of brown sugar.
  • Almond Toffee – Add one teaspoon of almond extract and four tablespoons of sugar.

3. Prepare your creamer

While you can prepare your creamer at any time, we recommend you prepare it at night. Why at night? So, it will be chilled and ready to serve the following day.

  1. Add 2 cups of your milk of choice to a small pot on your stove.
  2. Add your sweetener of choice. Experiment with the amounts, but somewhere between one and two tablespoons should do the trick.
  3. Add your flavor. Again, this is usually done to taste, so feel free to experiment. The amount you need will vary based on your flavoring as well. Usually, somewhere in the neighborhood of two tablespoons will satisfy your taste buds.
  4. Bring the mixture to a simmer on the stove, whisking it constantly to ensure the ingredients mix together.
  5. When your creamer begins to steam slightly, remove it from the heat.
  6. All your homemade coffee creamer to cool, then place it in the refrigerator overnight.
  7. Serve your coffee creamer with your favorite cup of coffee the following day.

Non-dairy creamers

not in the mooooood coffee cup

So far, we have talked more about natural products. Let’s now shift to non-dairy creamers. These are an excellent option when you don’t want to spend time whipping up your recipes using cream.

Store-bought creamer

A good number of coffee creamers come premixed and can be bought at any grocery store. They come in different flavors, such as vanilla, Irish cream, hazelnut, and many more. International Delight and Coffee-Mate are excellent examples of brands you find in the market.

Other non-dairy options

Here are other options suitable if looking to cut calories but add a creamier and richer taste to that cup of java. Most of these options come in a variety of flavors. Not to mention that there are also available in a heavier, creamier form that you could equate to half and half in thickness. Below are some of the common kinds of milk that are used:

  • Soy milk
  • Almond Milk
  • Cashew Milk
  • Coconut Milk

Note that these types of milk are made from coconuts or almonds and are much healthier than the dairy-based alternative. There are also excellent for anyone who is lactose intolerant. Though they don’t taste like the dairy varieties, they bring their spin to your cup of coffee. In other words, there are excellent if you love trying something extra in your coffee.

They also come in different flavors, such as coconut milk, French vanilla, hazelnut, and many more.

Bailey’s Irish cream

Adding Bailey’s Irish Cream to your cup of coffee is brilliant if you want to give it an adult spin. It mixes well with coffee giving you a truly unique taste. Note Bailey’s Irish cream is an alcoholic, so you may want to be careful how much you drink.

Conclusion

There are many cream options to consider for your coffee. While all these options exist, it is prudent to consider your fat and calorie content when using creamers to avoid going overboard.

Again, note that you have the freedom to experiment will all the options we have talked about until you are sure of what works for you and what does not. Honestly, we can tell you all the options will work for you.

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Disclosure: No compensation or free products were received in exchange for writing this review.

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Editorial Staff

The editorial staff at Crazy Coffee Crave is a team of coffee enthusiasts & Baristas who enjoy the one thing we all think about as soon as we get up in the morning. Trusted by thousands of readers worldwide.