Regardless of how religiously coffee connoisseurs might swear by simple black coffee, most of us need something extra to suit our palate. One can add a variety of ingredients to enhance the taste of their morning cup of coffee, such as milk, cream, syrups, sugar, sweeteners, etc. The subject of this article is one such ingredient: Homemade coffee creamer.
Coffee creamers sweeten the beverage and add a layer of thickness to your coffee as well. However, they can also be abundant in calories. Adding too much, too often can cause one to gain weight fairly rapidly. Thankfully, we’re about to show you how to make coffee creamer at home that tastes delicious for your coffee without compromising on your health.
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Why Should I Avoid Buying Coffee Creamers at the Local Store?
Because they aren’t very good for your health.
It is ironic that most commercial coffee creamers do not actually contain any dairy, and are mostly made up of oils, sugars, and other ingredients. If you’re lactose intolerant, you might be tempted to just purchase creamer, but the ‘non-dairy’ label can be slightly misleading. This is because while it doesn’t contain lactose per se, some creamers do contain a protein called casein, a milk protein that triggers the same allergies as milk.
Additionally, some creamers contain trans fats, which raises your bad cholesterol levels, and could put you at risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney problems, etc.
The popular Nestle Coffee Mate creamer is a particularly bad offender since it contains trans fats, “natural and artificial flavors” which could well be harmful ingredients like MSG (monosodium glutamate), and even a potential carcinogen. One of the main reasons people prefer non-dairy creamers to milk or cream is that they usually last for very long periods of time, but making your own coffee creamer takes very little time, and they can last up to a week in the fridge. You can also experiment with different flavors to discover new ways of drinking your coffee.
How to Make Coffee Creamer at Home
Step 1: First of all, you will need a creamy base for your coffee creamer. You can use either milk of your choice or combine milk with sweetened condensed milk in a 1:1 ratio if you prefer thicker bases. You can also experiment with the quantities a little by adding between 1 and a half cup of either, or a total of three cups of milk. Be wary of making your base too thick though, since that means more calories.
Step 2: If you chose to go with milk, add one or two tablespoons of a sweetener. This can be maple syrup, honey, sugar, etc. Heat the mixture at a simmer, and whisk rigorously throughout. Turn off the heat once the creamer starts steaming.
Step 3: That’s it? Yeah that’s pretty much it! You can stop right here and store your fresh homemade coffee creamer for up to two weeks in your fridge. But there are some more ingredients you can add to customize the texture and taste of your creamer (continue reading). You can also make flavored creamer, and these steps will be outlined below.
For a French Vanilla Flavor
Step 4: Add 1-2 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract.
For a Pumpkin Spice Flavor
Step 5(a): Add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.
Step 5(b): Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Step 5(c): Add 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, along with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and mix well.
For a Hazelnut Flavor
Step 6(a): For this, you can use either 2 teaspoons of hazelnut extract, or toast a cup of hazelnuts over medium heat.
Step 6(b): If you are toasting hazelnuts, wait until you can smell the familiar aroma and the exterior starts browning. Cool the nuts until they reach room temperature, and fold them in a towel or tissue.
Step 6(c): Shake the nuts to remove the husk off of them. Take the mixture, sweetener, hazelnuts, and a tablespoon of vanilla extract(optional), and blend together for around 20 seconds. Try to stop blending before the nuts completely churn for the ideal texture.
For a Peppermint Mocha Flavor
Step 7(a): Add 1-1 1/2 teaspoons of cocoa powder. You can add dark cocoa powder if you prefer a stronger flavor.
Step 7(b): Add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract
Step 7(c): Depending on how strong you like your creamer, you can either add an eighth of a teaspoon of espresso powder, or a tablespoon of cocoa powder. Proportion the espresso powder according to what combination of milk you use in your mixture. Use up to a teaspoon for thicker combinations, while an eighth for thinner mixtures.
Making Coffee Creamer is Healthier and Tastier
Coffee creamer can be the perfect addition to your coffee that balances its bitterness with flavor, while still giving you the caffeine rush you’re seeking (or coffee taste).
Feel free to experiment with the different combinations of milk while making your creamer base. You can choose half and half, skim milk, condensed milk, heavy cream, whipping cream, and many others like oat milk. While home-made creamers are much healthier than non-dairy commercial creamers, making your creamer too heavy isn’t advisable, and a little goes a long way. While we discussed only four flavors, there are tens of others you can opt for depending on your preferences.
Making a creamer is unbelievably simple, and even if it doesn’t become a part of your routine, it is definitely worth a try.
