When it comes to coffee enthusiasts, coffee is a way of life rather than just an addictive beverage that they can’t do without.
Whether it be the first thing in the morning, during brunch time, along with the evening snacks or even at night to keep sleep away while they complete important work - coffee lovers can enjoy a cup of coffee at any given time of the day.
Additionally, almost every coffee-loving person has his own taste and preference when it comes to the various types of coffee drinks that are available in the market nowadays.
There is only a small section of people who prefer to drink the low-calorie and healthful espresso shots or black coffee, with the vast majority of people opting for a cup of coffee that is made by combining it with one or many of the various ingredients that are commonly added to coffee these days.
These ingredients include sugar, milk, cream, cocoa powder, caramel, ice cream, various types of spices, syrups and more.
Besides the traditional coffee drinks like cappuccino, latte, macchiato, mocha, Americano, etc. there are a number of appetizing flavored coffee drinks that have come up in recent years.
Some of the most popular ones include pumpkin spice latte, french vanilla, caramel macchiato, peppermint mocha and caramel brulée.
Most of these flavored coffee drinks are found in modern coffee shops these days wherein people savor their preferred coffee drink while indulging in donuts, croissants, cakes and other delicious treats.
But for those people who would like to enjoy these delectable coffee beverages at home instead of paying a premium for them at reputed coffee shops, coffee creamers are the only way to do it.
Coffee creamer
Coffee creamers are flavored cream-like liquids that are free of dairy and are available in numerous types of flavors in the market, with coffee-mate by Nestle being one of the most popular ones.
But despite the authentic taste and convenience that these coffee creamers afford, it is suggested to avoid them completely as they are heavily processed and are made up of extremely harmful ingredients like partially hydrogenated oils, massive amounts of added sugar, artificial flavors, preservatives, thickeners, emulsifiers, etc.
So the best thing that you can do for yourself is to take out some time and prepare a homemade coffee creamer that is made up of natural and healthy ingredients, providing the same delightful taste and flavor that you would expect to get from a coffee served in a premium coffee shop.
Keeping that in mind, here are detailed instructions on how to make a coffee creamer at home.
How to make a homemade coffee creamer
Conjuring up a homemade coffee creamer requires just a few simple readily available ingredients
These include condensed milk, whole milk/cream, sugar and flavoring substances (vanilla extract, peppermint extract, caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, cocoa powder, cinnamon powder, etc.).
Prepare the base of the coffee creamer
As far as making a homemade coffee creamer is concerned, the first step that you need to do is to prepare the base of the coffee creamer by combining condensed milk with whole milk/cream.
If you want to avoid the full-of-sugar varieties of condensed milk that are a common sight in the market, then you can make up your own condensed milk in a short period of time by following these few steps:
- Heat milk (1L) in a heavy-based saucepan on a low flame.
- Once the milk gets hot, add ½ cup sugar and a pinch of baking soda to it.
- Keep on stirring the milk until it thickens.
- Continue stirring until the milk acquires a very thick consistency.
- Remove from heat and let it cool.
Now that you have your own condensed milk, it’s time to create the base of your coffee creamer
All you need to do is combine equal amounts (1:1 ratio) of condensed milk with whole milk/cream and stir vigorously until they are mixed completely.
This is the base of your coffee creamer, to which you can add any number of flavoring ingredients to come up with the taste and flavor of your favorite coffee creamer.
You can substitute whole milk with 2 percent or skim milk and if you want to avoid dairy, then you can also opt for soy or almond milk.
Combine the base with flavoring ingredients
Once your base is ready, you can add the flavoring substances to it to create your desired coffee creamer.
Here are some of the most popular flavors:
- French Vanilla coffee creamer: Add 1 teaspoon each of vanilla extract and hazelnut extract.
- Caramel macchiato coffee creamer: Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of caramel syrup.
- Pumpkin spice coffee creamer: Add 75/25 mix of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon powder. Add pumpkin puree to taste.
- Peppermint bark coffee creamer: Add 50/50 vanilla extract and peppermint along with 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder.
Once you are done with adding the flavoring ingredients and have your coffee creamer ready, you need to store it in a mason jar and keep it in a refrigerator.
Your coffee creamer should be good to use for up to a week in the refrigerator.
That’s all you need to do to have your delicious flavored coffee for a whole week.
And to say the least, this entire preparation process shouldn’t take a whole lot of your time and effort.
Additional ways to use your coffee creamer
Besides creating your desired cup of coffee, you can also put your coffee creamer to good use by making use of it in the following ways:
- Add to tea, hot chocolate, and smoothies.
- Mix it with your cake or cookie batter.
- Add it to your morning oatmeal or cereals.
- Splash over a bowl of yogurt or fresh fruits.
- Add to cream-based soups.
Conclusion
Coffee creamers are a great way to rev up the taste & flavor of your daily cup of coffee and they can also be utilized in a number of ways other than just as an addition to coffee.
Moreover, preparing them at home is quite easy and doesn’t necessitate a whole lot of effort.
So instead of buying commercial coffee creamers that are made up of a whole lot of damaging ingredients, it is recommended to prepare your desired coffee creamer at home, so that your daily coffee experience turns out to be a truly healthy and memorable one!