How to Use Coffee Creamer in Place of Milk

There’s lots of reasons why you might want to know how to use coffee creamer in place of milk in your coffee.  Maybe you have a dairy allergy or maybe you just don’t like milk.  Maybe you don’t drink enough milky coffee and it always ends up going off.

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Whatever the reason, there are a few tips to make the best use of using coffee creamer place of milk.  Let’s dive into what they are.

What is coffee creamer?

Now I’ll admit, being in the UK, that the idea of a coffee creamer was a little alien.  It isn’t something that we really have or if we do, it is called something different.  But some research made it easy to understand what was going on!

Coffee creamers can be made from a range of things but the most common ingredients are water, sugar and vegetable oil.  Sometimes there are additives such as vanilla extract added to enhance the flavour.

These products tend to come in one of two forms – liquids or powders.  Liquids need to be kept in the fridge like milk while powders can be stored in airtight containers in the pantry or cupboard.

You might also like The Best Coffee Syrups: Top Brands and How to Use Them by The Coffee Chef

How is coffee creamer different from milk?

The obvious difference between coffee creamer and milk is that there are no dairy products involved.  So if you are lactose intolerant, it is a great way to make your coffee different from plain black coffee.

Coffee creamer is usually sweeter than milk because it contains sugar.  It also tends to have a higher fat content which can make for a creamier drink.  It also might mean that it isn’t ideal if you are on a diet and watching your fat intake – although there are low-fat and low-calorie options available.

The other difference is that you can get different flavours in coffee creamers.  Milk tastes of, well, milk.  And while you can get things like banana milk, they aren’t really flavoured milk but drinks with additions to them.  Flavoured coffee creamers also have additions but the whole drink is a created one, so that’s no surprise.

How to use coffee creamer in place of milk

Using coffee creamer in place of milk is very much a personal preference.  So really, the best way to use it is to try it in your favourite drinks in place of the milk and see how you get on.  

Try adding a smaller amount of creamer to the drink than you would milk at first.  You can always add a little more if you need it.  Also, wait to add any sugar until after the creamer when testing, as it is sweeter too.

If you like a nice definition of how much creamer you should put in coffee, then here’s an idea from Nestle

Add 1-3 liquid creamer singles to an 8 ounce cup of coffee to whiten and flavour itNestle

How to use coffee creamer in iced coffee

You can also use coffee creamer in iced coffee.  The trick is to get the temperature difference between the creamer and the ice cubes to be as minimal as possible.  Liquid creamer is best for this, so leave it in the fridge right up until you are ready to use it.  Also, let the coffee cool a little before adding the creamer.

How long does coffee creamer last?

Any product has a shelf life and coffee creamer is no different but the different types have different lengths of time you can use them.  Always check the packaging and follow what it says with regard to where to store it and how long to keep it.  

But here are a few ideas to help you get an idea of how long coffee creamer lasts:

Creamer	Condition sold	Where and how long
Dairy creamer	Sold unopened in fridge	Fridge + use by date (usually 1-2 weeks)
Dairy creamer	Sold open in fridge	Fridge + 1-2 weeks
Non-dairy creamer	Sold unopened on shelf	Pantry + best by date (usually 1 month)
Non-dairy creamer	Sold open on shelf	Fridge + 1-2 weeks
Mini coffee creamer cups		Pantry + best by date (usually 1 month)
Powdered coffee creamer		Pantry + best by date (usually 3-6 months)

How to tell if coffee creamer is bad

The other important thing to spot is when a coffee creamer is bad.  With a liquid creamer, it is quite easy to spot – look for texture changes, such as becoming clumpy or changes in smell.  

If you are unsure, taste a small amount on a spoon, and if in doubt, don’t put it in your coffee.  Always keep an eye on the date on the bottle too.

Powdered creamers are a little harder to check.  You can see signs of texture change, such as clumping together, and any signs of mould is a big warning sign.  But otherwise, you may have to make up a coffee and try a little to make sure it tastes okay.

How to make homemade coffee creamer

If you have tested a few coffee creamers and not found the right one for you, a great option can be to make your own.

To start making a creamer, you need a base.  A few options are:

• Half and half (single cream) – ideal for thicker and richer coffee creamer
• Milk – I know the point isn’t to use milk but you can use something like 2% milk and add ingredients if you want to test or just dive in with whole milk
• Soy milk or almond milk – great for lactose intolerance or a healthier creamer option

Next, you need a sweetener.  Regular white or brown sugar will do the job and honey is a great natural sweetener.  Something like monk fruit is a good sweetener and if you don’t mind the taste, any of the artificial sweeteners will work.

Lastly, add a flavour if you want to include one.  This is a great way to enhance a drink and makes it easy to do things like flavoured lattes or some of the fancier drinks you see in Starbucks and other coffee shops.

A few ideas for flavour suggestions to add to your chosen base include:

• Hazelnut – 1tsp hazelnut extract, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 4 tbsp sugar
• Mocha – 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 4 tbsp brown sugar
• Chocolate hazelnut – 4tbsp nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread
• Vanilla – 2 tsp vanilla extract, 4tbsp sugar
• Chocolate mint – 2tbsp cocoa powder, ½ tsp peppermint extract, 4 tbsp sugar
• Pumpkin spice – 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 4 tbsp maple syrup
• Almond toffee – 1 tsp almond extract, 4 tbsp sugar
• Salted caramel – dash of salt, 6 tbsp brown sugar

Making the creamer

Once you have decided on your ingredients, you can make the creamer:

1. Add 2 cups of the base to a small pan 
2. Add the sweetener, usually 1-2 tbsp
3. Add any flavour ingredients
4. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly to mix everything together
5. When it starts to steam a little, remove it from the heat
6. Allow to cool, then place in the fridge overnight

The next morning, you can use your creamer in your favourite coffee.

The perfect coffee creamer

Getting the perfect coffee cream to use in place of milk is about experimentation and testing.  But if you want to broaden away from just coffee with milk, it is an experiment worth trying.