Healthy Homemade Coffee Creamer
Posted Mar 17, 2019, Updated May 12, 2024
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This Healthy Homemade Coffee Creamer Recipe is easy to make with 4 ingredients, and it’s even more delicious than store-bought creamers!
A good friend once said to me, “drinking tea is like getting a friendly handshake, but drinking coffee is like getting a warm hug.” It’s so so true.
I look forward to the warm embrace of a good cup ‘o joe every morning with my breakfast. I do like a touch of sweetness and creaminess in my coffee, which is why I created this homemade coffee creamer recipe.
It tastes amazing but has no artificial ingredients, preservatives, etc.
If you’re a creamer user like me, you will love that this Paleo Vanilla Coffee Creamer is just slightly sweet but adds a wonderful, deep, complex, vanilla flavor to your coffee!
Healthy Coffee Creamer: Ingredients & Substitutions
As always, I recommend making this recipe exactly as written! But here are a few substitutions that are possible.
- Coconut milk: lite works well, but full-fat is best.
- Almond milk. The almond milk is added to this recipe to ensure that it doesn’t solidify when stored. In this case, any other nondairy milk can be used in place of almond milk.
- Coconut sugar: Maple syrup or honey may be used in place of some (or all) of the coconut sugar.
- Vanilla beans: If you want to make this quicker and easier, substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the vanilla bean. Add the extract once the sugar is dissolved and you remove the mixture from the heat.
How to Make Coffee Creamer
Let’s walk through the steps in making this healthy vanilla coffee creamer and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by putting the ingredients (except for vanilla beans) into a small saucepan and whisking to combine.
Next, warm the mixture until it just begins to boil then remove the pan from the heat. Be very careful not to actually let it boil, because it will result in a big mess!
Next, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and stir them into the warm paleo coffee creamer mixture. Then add the whole vanilla bean pods.
After the vanilla beans and pods are added, cover the pot, and let it sit for 30 minutes for the vanilla bean flavor to really infuse into the healthy coffee creamer.
Choose a large glass jar and place a fine mesh metal sieve over it. Strain the vanilla coffee creamer into the jar and discard the vanilla bean pods.
How to Deseed a Vanilla Bean
To remove the seeds from a vanilla bean, follow these instructions:
- Cut the bean in half (as pictured below).
2. Carefully slice each piece of the vanilla bean lengthwise with a very sharp knife. Make shallow cuts that do not go all the way through the pod.
3. Use a small spoon and scrape out the seeds on the inside of the bean.
4. Stir the spoon with the vanilla seeds into the coffee creamer mixture and repeat with the remaining pod pieces!
Using Vanilla Extract
If you use vanilla extract instead of vanilla beans, I still recommend gently warming the ingredients on the stovetop and whisking them until the mixture is smooth.
However, if you use vanilla extract you do not need to use a strainer or let the mixture sit on the stovetop for 30 minutes to infuse! Simply whisk it in!
Store
Store the homemade creamer in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze
Pour the healthy coffee creamer into an ice cube tray and freeze until hardened.
Transfer the frozen cubes of creamer to an airtight container or bag. Remove one or two cubes at a time to use in your morning coffee. I do recommend warming the frozen homemade coffee creamer in the microwave in your coffee mug before adding the coffee so that it doesn’t cool it off.
Homemade Coffee Creamer Recipe FAQs
If you’re curious about the benefits of making your own coffee creamer, check out this article from Prevention Magazine, where this very recipe was featured, “5 Worst Things in your Coffee Creamer – And What You Should Use Instead.”
While some store bought varieties are not good (at all), this homemade paleo coffee creamer IS totally healthy! It’s dairy-free, refined-sugar free, vegan and paleo! It adds the perfect flavor and creaminess to your coffee without sacrificing health or taste! PLUS it is only 4 ingredients and is crazy easy!
Absolutely! We use coconut milk or coconut cream in this recipe and it turns out amazingly creamy and ultra delicious! Coconut milk is my favorite base for coffee creamer!
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Homemade Healthy Coffee Creamer Recipe
Ingredients
- 13.5 ounces coconut milk
- 2 Tablespoons Almond Milk (unsweetened, vanilla)
- 3 Tablespoons coconut sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ vanilla bean
Instructions
- Shake up a can of coconut milk then pour it into a small saucepan.
- Add almond milk and stir to combine.
- Add the coconut sugar & a pinch of salt, whisk to combine.
- Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture just starts bubbling and sugar is dissolved (don’t let it boil or you’ll have a coconutty mess all over your stove)!
- Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add seeds to the milk mixture and stir.
- Put the whole vanilla bean into the pot and cover with a lid.
- Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, strain your creamer as you pour it into a glass jar. Discard beans.
- Store in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator! Give it a shake before adding it to your favorite coffee!
Video
Notes
- Coconut milk: lite works well, but full-fat is best.
- Almond milk. The almond milk is added to this recipe to ensure that it doesn’t solidify when stored. In this case, any other nondairy milk can be used in place of almond milk.
- Coconut sugar: Maple syrup or honey may be used in place of some (or all) of the coconut sugar.
- Vanilla beans: If you want to make this quicker and easier, substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the vanilla bean. Add the extract once the sugar is dissolved and you remove the mixture from the heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sounds good I’m going to try this and then get back to you. I’ve tried multiple make your own coffee creamers and so far I’ve been disappointed. But I am on a quest to find a great tasting, creamy healthy creamer
Hey Kay!! I really hope you find a winner in this one! Everyone has such strong (and unique) opinions about exactly what a great cup of coffee should be…I love this creamer because it’s slightly sweet and ultra creamy! Perfect for adding a nice depth of flavor to your morning cup o joe! 🙂
I don’t use any type of sugar that raises the glycemic index, only stevia, would I be able to use that instead?
Hey Mindy! I don’t use sweeteners like Stevia so I am not sure if it works or not! You can always experiment and report back. My only advice would be to use a 1:1 sugar replacement sweetener.
OH YES I WILL BE TRYING THIS!!! Thank you so much for sharing with us at #MMBH. 🙂
I cannot wait to give this a try.
XXOO
Thank you! 🙂 It’s such a great way to keep your morning coffee healthy but sweet! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe at the #RecipeSharingParty! I hope to see you next week. Pinned and Yummed. Please visit #OverTheMoon on Sunday or #WonderfulWednesday for more sharing fun! Don’t forget to Comment your link #’s so I can be sure to visit and you get a chance to be featured! Stumbled as a bonus today!
hank you so much Marilyn! 🙂 I will definitely stop by!
This looks like a great creamer that we will be trying. Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a very special weekend!
Come Back Soon,
Miz Helen
Thanks Miz Helen! I love it and put it in my coffee every morning!
I’m assuming this needs to be refrigerated? Also, how long does it usually last?
Good Morning! Yes! It does need to be refrigerated! The longest it has lasted in my house has been 1 week (because we used it all by then)! 🙂
I just made this and I’m not sure if I can wait to put it in my coffee tomorrow!! It is delicious!! I didn’t have vanilla beans so I just put a tsp. real vanilla in and it is great!!
Oooooh Tami I’m SO EXCITED you loved this!!! 🙂 I agree…I usually sneak little tastes at random times in the day because I can’t resist!! Thank you for letting me know that vanilla extract works too! What a great substitution for anyone who might not have the beans on hand! 🙂 Yay!
Thanks for sharing about vanilla extract!
This looks fantastic! I love that it uses real ingredients and I think the
picture you show of using a little on some fruit is a great idea!
A simple way to add a little something special to some ordinary strawberries. I’ll definitely be trying this.
Thank you so much! I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! 🙂
I love coconut milk creamer and this looks easy enough to make. Great recipe!
I agree! There’s something so yummy about coconut milk in coffee…. 🙂
Can this be use by diabetics? Looks delicious to me.
Hello! I am not sure about that. Coconut sugar is still sugar. Even though there is a small amount it could still effect your blood sugar. I would definitely check with your doctor! You could always omit the sugar and just use vanilla infused coconut milk to add creaminess without sweetness.
Also…from what I understand date paste may be a great option as a sweetener that won’t spike your insulin. Throw 15 or so pitted Medjool dates into your food processor and blend up..then slowly add tablespoons of hot water until it becomes a paste. Store in the fridge.
You can also put the dates in a small glass jar, packed them in. Then add water to fill in the cracks. Cover and let sit overnight on the counter and blend the next day.