Homemade Healthy Coffee Creamer

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Homemade Healthy Coffee Creamer Recipe (Paleo & Vegan)! A 4 ingredient, easy recipe that’s healthier than store-bought creamers!

Front view of healthy coffee creamer being poured into a mug of coffee


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 though (sorry to all you black coffee purists)! That’s where this Homemade Healthy Coffee Creamer comes in!

I used to use store-bought non-dairy creamer. However,  one morning I went to pour some into my cup and it “glopped” into my coffee. Yes, I used the word glopped because I can’t think of a better way to describe it!  I was totally freaked out.

The creamer wasn’t expired (I bought it the day before!) and it didn’t have a funky odor. But it was thick and gelatinous and….so not natural! That was the final straw! I was determined to make my own dairy-free creamer that tasted amazing but had no chemicals or weird “gloppy” properties.

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!

Front view of a glass jar full of healthy coffee creamer.

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: For an even creamier result, use full-fat coconut cream. I do not recommend replacing the coconut milk with any other non-dairy milks, because it has the highest fat content and is an important component of this recipe!
  • Almond milk. The almond milk is added to this recipe to ensure that it doesn’t solidify when stored and to keep it nice and smooth. 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: I have a thing for vanilla beans. When I want to make something that isn’t chocolate (gasp) I still want it to have a rich flavor. I think vanilla beans impart a depth of flavor that can’t be achieved with regular vanilla extract. I make vanilla bean cheesecake, vanilla bean ice cream, and now…vanilla bean coconut milk coffee creamer.
    • Readers have reported using 1 tsp pure vanilla extract with great results! However I highly recommend the beans! 😉
healthy coffee creamer being stirred into a mug of coffee

How to make healthy 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.

two photos showing how to make healthy coffee creamer - combining coconut cream and almond milk

 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!

two photos showing how to make healthy coffee creamer -whisking in coconut sugar

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.

two photos showing how to make healthy coffee creamer - adding vanilla beans and straining

How to remove the seeds from a vanilla bean pod

To remove the seeds from a vanilla bean, follow these instructions:

  1. 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.

photo showing how to cut a vanilla bean

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!

photo showing how to cut a vanilla bean

What if I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla beans? 

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!

healthy coffee creamer being poured into a cup of coffee

To store/freeze:

  1. Store in the refrigerator. If you plan on using it within 1 week, store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator.
  2. In the freezer. I often freeze this healthy coffee creamer so it lasts even longer. To do this, I recommend pouring the coffee creamer into an ice cube tray and freezing it into cubes. Then you can simply remove one or two cubes at a time to use in your morning coffee! I do recommend warming the frozen vanilla coffee creamer in the microwave in your coffee mug before adding the coffee so that it doesn’t cool it off too much!
overhead view of a hand holding a spoon stirring the healthy coffee creamer into a mug of coffee

Recipe FAQs

Is coffee creamer bad for you? 

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!

Can you use coconut milk as coffee creamer? 

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!

front view of a glass jar of healthy coffee creamer

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Homemade Healthy Coffee Creamer Recipe (Paleo & Vegan)

Laura
Homemade Healthy Coffee Creamer recipe (Paleo & vegan)! A 4 ingredient, easy recipe that's healthier than store-bought creamers!
4.96 from 105 votes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 15 servings
Calories 51.4
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Resting time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Shake up a can of coconut milk then pour it into a small saucepan.
  • Add almond milk and stir to combine. 
  • Add 3 TBS 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

Ingredient Substitutions 
  • Coconut milk: For an even creamier result, use full-fat coconut cream. I do not recommend replacing the coconut milk with any other non-dairy milks, because it has the highest fat content and is an important component of this recipe!
  • Almond milk. The almond milk is added to this recipe to ensure that it doesn’t solidify when stored and to keep it nice and smooth. 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: Readers have reported using 1 tsp pure vanilla extract with great results! However I highly recommend the beans! 

To store/freeze:

  1. Store in the refrigerator. If you plan on using it within 1 week, store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator.
  2. In the freezer. I often freeze this healthy coffee creamer so it lasts even longer. To do this, I recommend pouring the coffee creamer into an ice cube tray and freezing it into cubes. Then you can simply remove one or two cubes at a time to use in your morning coffee! I do recommend warming the frozen vanilla coffee creamer in the microwave in your coffee mug before adding the coffee so that it doesn’t cool it off too much!

Nutrition

Serving: 2TBS | Calories: 51.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.3g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 4.2g | Sugar: 2.7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!
side view of a glass jar of homemade healthy coffee creamer

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190 Comments

      1. Great! Thank you. I can’t have maple syrup either. Only sweetener I’m allowed is honey soooo honey it is! I might try making it without honey since I love vanilla flavor and usually drink my coffee black. Thanks! 🙂

  1. I want to try this for my hubby who drink so much coffe with creamer. However, I don’t have any coconut sugar, can I use any other kind, until I know if he likes it or not?

    1. Yes! you absolutely can use a different kind of sugar! You can try honey or maple syrup, or another granulated sugar!

    1. Hello Tony!! I am honestly not a huge fan of sweeteners…even natural varieties like Stevia…so I couldn’t vouch for the result! However, if you do want to give Stevia a whirl, I would definitely recommend a variety that is made to be a 1:1 substitute for sugar (please report back and let me know if you do)! I haven’t made a hazelnut version but I LOVE that challenge! 🙂

  2. It was definitely coconut milk. But my coconut milk always has that cream later on the top, even when it’s not cooked, if you don’t shake it up. So I shook it before putting into the pot but when I put it in the fridge it separated again. I may try the carton kind. Thank you for responding! 🙂

  3. I just pulled my creamer out of the fridge after making it yesterday and it has that coconut cream ‘layer’ on the top. Is that normal? I can’t even shake it up to use it 🙁 lol

    1. Hey Blythe! I have never had that happen to me before! Did you use coconut cream or coconut milk? The only thing I can think of is that you either used cream instead of milk…which would make it much thicker. Or maybe you let the mixture get to a boil and a lot of the water evaporated out? Did you keep the creamer covered while the vanilla beans were infusing? I am so sorry! I wish I could be in your kitchen and help you figure out what went wrong!

      1. Maybe one of you used a reg an of coconut milk and one used the lite version? The reg will have the thick layer while the lite doesn’t.

      2. I use regular coconut milk without the thick layer! Make sure the mixture does not come to a boil!

    1. I have had it keep for up to 1 week (that’s the longest it’s lasted before I used it all)! 😉 I’ve recently cut back on my coffee intake (sad, I know) so I made some, poured it into this pan (you could just use an ice cube tray), and popped it into the freezer! Once they were frozen into cubes, I removed them from the tray and transferred to a plastic bag! Now whenever I drink coffee, I take a cube out of the freezer and put it in my mug while the coffee brews (to thaw)!

    1. LOL Piper! I have never had this creamer curdle….but you might want to pour it into your cup while your brewing the coffee so it can come to room temperature if you don’t want the cold creamer to interfere with your sun-hott coffee! 🙂

    1. Hey Kalin! I do not recommend using sweeteners like stevia. Sine this is made with coconut milk changing the sweetener will not take away from the coconut flavor! If you do choose to use stevia…I recommend using a variety that is made to be a 1:1 replacement for sugar.