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This healthy coffee creamer recipe is easy to make and tastes 10 times better than anything you can buy at the store. I love how creamy it makes coffee, and how it can actually make a luscious foam for lattes and cappuccinos, too.
A Good Substitute for Coffee Creamer
If you’re trying to cut back on dairy, you may try almond milk in your coffee only to discover that it doesn’t work very well as a creamer substitute. Not only is it watery in texture, it can also curdle, separate, and tastes like preservatives if you’re using a store-bought version. Not at all appealing!
The Secret to this Healthy Coffee Creamer?
This coffee creamer gets its added creaminess from the addition of coconut oil. Emulsifying a bit of coconut oil into homemade almond milk creates a thick and creamy result, that actually makes you feel like you’re drinking a traditional coffee creamer.
I like to add one or two dates to replicate traditional creamer (milk has naturally occurring sugar), and then you can add vanilla or extra sweetener if you’re trying to recreate something like a French Vanilla style creamer.
Here’s what’s included in this healthy coffee creamer:
- Almonds. A great source of antioxidants, which may protect against oxidative stress that can contribute to inflammation and premature aging, almonds are also one of the best sources of Vitamin E.
- Coconut Oil. Since it contains medium-chain fatty acids, also called MCTs, coconut oil may help to boost your metabolism and help your body use fat for energy, as opposed to storing it.
- Dates (optional). Dates are a good source of iron and are also high in antioxidants. They are thought to promote brain health, and may even help with blood sugar regulation! (source)
If you want your coffee creamer to be sugar-free, you can omit the dates. I find that the coconut flavor is slightly more noticeable without the dates for some reason, but you can also use refined coconut oil if you prefer, which is thought to have no flavor at all.
How Bad is Regular Coffee Creamer for You?
I don’t like to think of foods as “good” and “bad,” but I stopped using coffee creamer after reading about how milk may block the benefits of coffee. Casein, a protein found in dairy, can bind to antioxidants and reduce their ability to fight harmful free radicals.
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As you can see, this homemade coffee creamer foams up nicely when you use a milk frother. It’s perfect for making dairy-free lattes and pretty authentic looking cappuccinos! I like to top mine with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
How to make Healthy Coffee Creamer (1-Minute Video):
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw almonds , soaked 6-8 hours & rinsed well
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 or 2 Medjool dates (pitted; optional for sweetness)
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, and blend until very smooth and creamy.
- Position the nut milk bag over a large bowl, then pour the blender contents into the bag to strain.
- Squeeze well, until only dry almond pulp remains in the bag. (Reserve the leftover almond pulp for another recipe!)
- Transfer the almond milk to a sealed container, and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Healthy Coffee Creamer Nutrition (per 2 tablespoons): Calories: 37, Fat: 3g, Carbohyrdates: 2g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 1g
Recipe Notes:
- I prefer to use almonds that are not roasted for the most mild flavor. If you don’t mind a slightly roasted flavor in your coffee, feel free to use any type of almonds that you have on hand. I use unsalted nuts, but Alton Brown says that adding salt to your coffee cuts the bitterness!
- I have not tested this recipe using other oils. I imagine you could use another one, but your coffee will taste slightly like whatever you use. (I’m not sure I’d like coffee that tastes like olive oil.)
- For sweetening, you can use honey, maple syrup, or any other sweetener you like.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and let me know how you like it! If you make a substitution, I’d also love to hear about it. We can all benefit from your experience!
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Reader Feedback: Are you a coffee or tea drinker? Do you add cream to your morning beverage? If nothing else, I hope you’re inspired to make your own almond milk if you haven’t tried it already. It’s so easy, and so much tastier!
Thanks for the wonderful recipe. Since my husband and I became vegan about ten months ago we have been struggling to find a suitable replacement for milk in our morning coffee. I used a blender that has an attachment to make soy milk and it worked perfectly.
Another recipe I can’t wait to try! I love the bottle you store your creamer in….so cute!
Hello
Being a new mom all over again & 20 weeks pregnant how safe is Almond milk for us? Is it the best source
of calcium for an expecting mom?
Oh my God! It’s so mouth-watering! I can smell the aroma from here, haha! Well honestly, I am not drinking coffee due to palpitation but I can’t really wait to try this at home. I really love the coconut oil and almond combination. I think that it tastes so sweet, really delicious! I also love the fact that it’s healthy. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe!
Sounds absolutely delicious, will be trying this tomorrow with my black coffee!!
Cannot wait to try this recipe! What if I made homemade almond milk before hand, can I just add the coconut oil and strain all together? Thanks!
Yes, you could definitely add coconut oil to the almond milk and blend it together so it’s emulsified. No need to strain again! 🙂
Megan please help:-)
I have tried many times your almond milk creamer and it has always separate and curdle in coffee. Also coconut oil tends to separate in upper part of creamer. Please can you write me how and what to do with it.
Many thanks
Hmm… it sounds like the coconut oil isn’t emulsifying with the almond milk in your blender. If you’re using a high-powered blender, like the Vitamix or BlendTec, it should take 30 seconds to a minute for the coconut oil and almond milk to emulsify. If you’re using a less powerful blender, it may take longer than that. It’s normal for the almond milk to separate while stored in the fridge, but shaking it before adding it to your coffee should remedy that. And it definitely shouldn’t curdle in your coffee! I’ve never experienced that with homemade almond milk– just the store-bought variety– so hopefully blending it longer will do the trick.
Hope that helps!
can you use another oil? I don’t like the taste of coconut. Thanks!~
I would think any oil would probably work! Maybe almond or grapeseed oil would be worth a shot?
Try “refined” coconut oil – it is flavorless.
I was wondering if I could use this as a creamer for almond milk ice cream??
You’d probably need a bit more coconut oil for thickening, but I bet it would work with some experimenting! 🙂
How long do you think this will keep in the fridge?
I usually keep mine in the fridge up to a week (that’s as long as it lasts, for how often we use it!). I wouldn’t recommend keeping it longer than a week, since it is preservative-free…
I have been looking at this recipe for a little while, I love cream in my coffee. I made it last night 2 cups water to 1/2 cup almonds, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. I’m really disappointed my coffee went from black to dark brown no creamy text. If I did something wrong would love to know.