Homemade Coffee Creamer
This page contains affiliate links. For more information please read my Disclosure Policy.
Homemade coffee creamer is easy to make and insanely delicious! With just two key ingredients and flavorings of choice, you can make your own homemade coffee creamer with sweetened condensed milk. Once you’ve tried out a homemade coffee creamer recipe, the store stuff won’t compare!
There are days I wish I liked my coffee black like my husband does. No fuss, just pour and go. Buuuut…sipping a cup of coffee black is just not going to happen.
I’ve tasted and sampled my way through so many store bought variations. The powdered stuff, the sugar free (and oddly sweet?) stuff, the dairy free, the pure and natural cream based, all of it. Some of it’s been okay, but truth be told, the BEST coffee creamer I’ve ever had is the one I make at home.
It’s smooth, sweet, and flavored just the way I like it. Heck I can even change the flavor week to week! The best part is that I know exactly what’s in it. I even make my own condensed milk, so from start to finish, it’s completely made from scratch. Trust me on this one, if you give homemade coffee creamer a try, you’ll be a convert too.
Homemade Coffee Creamer with Sweetened condensed Milk
There are lots of ways to make creamer out there. Evaporated milk, coconut cream, simple syrups are all potential options. But the best combo in my opinion that requires minimal effort for biggest, most satisfying flavor pay off is milk and sweetened condensed milk.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is the sweetening agent in your homemade creamer. You’re more than welcome to use the canned stuff, either traditional or non-dairy. Or, you can whip up your own with my easy recipe for Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk (also can be made vegan/non-dairy!)
- Milk: The second major ingredient, necessary to thin out the sweetened condensed milk and tame the sweetness. You can choose whatever milk you please, cow, coconut, nut, or soy.
- Flavoring: Now this is where you can get really wild. Add cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla, maple, whatever makes you happy!
Two Methods to Homemade Coffee Creamer
Depending on the flavors you choose to add to your coffee creamer, and how you choose to add them, the way you mix up your creamer will differ.
The Cold, Shake it Up Method
This easy, no fuss method works best for flavoring agents that blend easily. Extracts, powdered spices, or syrups.
- Place condensed milk, milk, and desired flavorings in a mason jar or storage jar of choice.
- Shake vigorously until combined. Enjoy!
- Refrigerate and shake again before using.
Heat Infusion Method
This method is ideal for enriching your homemade creamer with deep flavor. It also opens up your flavoring options to things like whole spices, cocoa powder, tea packets, or espresso powder. These ingredients incorporate best with some heat applied, and result in a decadent creamer!
- If using whole spices, place them in a pot over medium high heat first. Toast lightly, gently shaking the pan every minute or so.
- If you’re not using whole spices, skip step one!
- When they’re fragrant and toasty (2 to 3 minutes), pour in your milk and condensed milk into the pan.
- Heat milks until just steaming.
- If adding cocoa powder, espresso powder, or any other ingredients stir in now, continuing to stir over heat until there are no clumps and everything is smooth and delicious. Remove from heat and pour into storage jar and let cool before refrigerating.
- If using whole spices or tea, turn off heat and cover the pan. Let it steep until the mixture has cooled enough to touch then pour into a storage jar and refrigerate.
Bonus Tip: If you want to strain out any spices before storing, do so. Otherwise, let them stay in with the creamer. The flavors will strengthen slowly in the fridge, your best cup may even be the last one in the jar!
Coffee Creamer REcipe Ratios
How sweet and thick you like your creamer is going to affect the ratio you prefer of sweetened condensed milk to regular milk. Personally I like a ratio of 1:1.
Depending on your flavor preferences, here are some suggestions on how much to add:
- Ground spices: I’d start with 1 tsp and work your way up. I found cinnamon and ginger I needed a touch more, but for cloves, nutmeg, and allspice less. Feel free to mix them! I also recommend a splash of vanilla extract for these too!
- Cocoa powder: I like 2 tablespoons for that much creamer.
- Whole spices: One cinnamon stick, 4 allspice berries, or 4 cloves were perfect!
- Vanilla Extract: 1.5 to 2 tablespoons was perfect!
- Maple, Peppermint, Hazelnut, or Almond Extract: 2 teaspoons was just enough!
- Chocolate syrup: 2 Tablespoons
- Tea: Steep one to two tea bags of your preferred flavor (lavender, ginger, cinnamon apple, chai), remove when desired flavor is reached!
Feel free to experiment! I’m still learning and tasting what goes well, and would love to hear what flavors you come up with. I’m considering a tumeric ginger flavor next, yum!
Give your creamer a good shake before using, regardless of the flavors you choose, and you’re good to go!
FAQ’S
This depends on the milk you’ve added. Your coffee creamer is best consumed by the expiration date of your earliest expiring ingredient. For example if you use milk expiring in two days, your creamer won’t last very long.
I make my creamer as I buy milk, and find that 1 cup of condensed milk and 1 cup of milk lasts me a week or two, long enough to last without any waste.
Non-dairy milks usually expire less quickly, and coconut milk is an excellent alternative that has a longer shelf life (the cartons. Using canned coconut milk has a LOT of fat that you will taste)
Certainly. Condensed milk freezes well, so it’s ideal for this. However regular milk may have some separation. Mix up your creamer, freeze, then thaw as needed (up to 3 months in the freezer is fine). Be sure to vigorously shake before each use, and you’re good to go!
I’m not going to claim that drinking anything with sweetened condensed milk is necessarily healthy. BUT, there are no strange ingredients, no preservatives, and you can flavor is as desired. In my book, that’s better every time.
Enjoy!
I hope this homemade coffee creamer recipe makes you as happy as it does me. I sincerely enjoy my morning (and evening, shhh) cups so much more now. It’s easy, even if you’re just using it in a pinch or to test it out. Have fun!
If you liked this, you may also enjoy these beverage recipes:
- Easy Vanilla Cupcake Latte Recipe
- Maple Latte
- Caffé Mocha
- Frappé & Frappé Cold Coffee Variations
- Copycat Cinnamon Dolce Latte
- Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
- Homemade Chocolate Syrup
- Easy Cardamom Latte
- Simple Coconut Cold Brew
Homemade Coffee Creamer
Ingredients
- 14 Ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 14 Ounces Milk of your choice Or, 7 ounces milk, 7 ounces cream
- 2 Tbs Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a jar or bottle and shake until combined.
- Store in fridge. Will last as long as the earliest expiring ingredient.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published 3/19/2019, Updated 3/15/2020
Nutrition information and cooking times are provided as a best estimate. Values may vary based upon ingredients and equipment.
I tried out this recipe today with store bought sweetened condensed milk and unsweetened coconut milk (both canned). It is on the thinner side, but that’s okay I can get used to it; however, I’m torn that I literally found out today that the sweetened condensed milk contained a bioengineered ingredient! I hope to make your version of it one day.
Hi Cymone, thanks for letting me know how it went! If you want to have a thicker creamer, you can always increase the ratio of sweetened condensed milk to coconut milk, but of course…that makes it sweeter too! I’m curious which sweetened condensed coconut milk you used? I prefer to make my own…well everything 🙂 but I’ve checked those cans out and I’ve only seen cane sugar and coconut milk on the ingredient lists. I’d love to learn more! I hope you can enjoy your new creamer in the meantime!
I hate storebought creamers, so happy to find this recipe. This homemade version is so simple to make and tastes way better than the bottled stuff!
Heather, it does taste so much better, I’m thrilled you like it so much!
This was such a great idea and tasted amazing in my coffee. Tried adding cocoa powder to one of the batches, YUM!!
I hadn’t thought to add cocoa powder, I’ll have to give that a try! Glad the creamer was amazing in your coffee. It also adds a nice creamy touch to hot cocoa for the kiddos.
I’ve never tried to make my own homemade creamier but this was super easy. And tasty! I’ve been using it in my morning coffee and it tastes so much better than store bought. Great recipe!
Amanda, I’m glad you like it so much and that it was so easy to make. I does truly taste better than store bought and I keep a supply in my fridge all the time!
This blog post was so cool Thanks for sharing it. You got a fan with this guy!
You’re welcome and thank you. I enjoy being able to share what I love with so many people.
I’m in love! This was super easy no fancy heating no special tools, just wow. I have a couple of goats in my back yard so I’m always looking for stuff to make with their milk and wow this is perfect. No goaty flavor and it doesn’t separate, just clean creamer thank you so much for the recipe!!!
You’re so welcome Valerie! I love that you’re using your goat milk and it tastes great, thank you so much for sharing that with me and future readers!
I don’t drink coffee but my husband loves it. I was out of creamer for him and had forgot to pick some up at the store, so I found this recipe and gave it a try and he loved it!! I used the bottle his last creamer came in. Thank you for helping a gal in a pinch♡
I’m so glad your husband liked it Bev! I can’t have my coffee without it anymore!
This is a good recipe if you are trying to save since coffee creamer is expensive. My husband is one that has a little coffee with his creamer so we are always having to buy more. I followed the directions (super easy). I look forward to trying different flavors maybe different types of milk like almond or coconut.
I hope you (or rather your husband!) enjoy it, it’s definitely fun to experiment with the different flavors and milks, I hope you find your perfect blend soon 🙂
Homemade coffee creamer is such an awesome idea! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy!
Love that you can add all your own flavorings to this recipe!
Definitely, I love changing it up every few weeks 🙂
This is such a fabulous one, would love to have the cold version of course. Lovely share and gonna try it soon.
Thanks Jayashree! This creamer would blend beautifully into your cold coffee drinks as well!
This is fabulous! We don’t get many coffee creamers over here, it’s just not a thing, but I’ve always been very interested in trying coffee creamer. Now I can have a homemade version!!
It’s better than any store version I’ve tried anyway! Makes my morning cup feel a little bit indulgent!
This is so clever –
I love the idea! I will definitely be trying this soon, sounds superb!
Great! I hope you enjoy!
This is amazing! I made this by doing the following: made your homemade sweetened condensed milk recipe, but in the last couple of minutes added 4 ounces of very concentrated honey lavender tea (made double strength). Simmered for an extra 20 minutes to thicken things back up. Then followed this recipe. No more $5 honey lavender lattes for me! (Ok, admittedly I’m still going to buy them sometimes). <3
I’m so glad you had success with these recipes! Honey lavender sounds like an amazing idea, love the tea suggestion! Thanks for sharing with me Lauren!