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Make your own vegan coffee creamer! This dairy-free almond milk creamer adds the perfect amount of creaminess, doesn’t curdle, and works great for coffee, matcha, and iced coffee as well!
If you’re missing a splash of cream in your morning coffee, I have something for you.
This 2-ingredient coffee creamer, or half and half if you prefer, is rich, silky smooth, and super easy to make! Ready?
📘 What is a Creamer
A creamer, sometimes called coffee whitener, is a liquid stirred into coffee, tea, or matcha to add creaminess and enhance the taste.
Unlike this sweet condensed milk, this creamer is unsweetened.
🥛 How to Make Almond Milk Creamer
Here is what you will need to make a delicious dairy-free creamer at home:
- Raw almonds – You can use regular raw almonds or blanched almonds. It doesn’t really matter.
- Coconut cream – The hard part on top of a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk. Coconut cream brings the fat and creaminess.
- Optional: Maple syrup, sugar, or agave syrup, to sweeten.
The base of this creamer is homemade almond milk combined with some coconut cream for a creamier and thicker texture. I used to stir coconut cream in my coffee, but the downside is that it tastes too much like coconut, and the cream becomes very hard if stored in the fridge.
By using a mix of almond milk and coconut cream, this creamer has a more subtle flavor and stays liquid in the fridge. Plus it’s lower in calories and fat.
You probably know by now how to make your own almond milk, just soak some almonds overnight, blend with water, and strain. The recommended ratio is usually 1:3, but I went with a ratio of one part almonds for two parts water to get a richer milk.
Once your almond milk is ready, all you need to do is stir in the coconut cream and mix well. At this point, you can add your favorite flavorings: vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, almond extract, etc. I usually prefer to keep mine unflavored so it doesn’t cover the taste of coffee, but it’s up to you.
While traditional creamers are usually sweetened, I decided to keep this creamer sugar-free, so you can adjust the sweetness to your liking.
☕️ Where to Use Almond Milk Creamer
- Coffee: It works for both hot and iced coffee! I personally go with 2 tablespoons of creamer per 1/2 cup of coffee. Feel free to adjust if you want a creamier and less strong coffee. You can then sweeten it to taste.
- Matcha: Add about 1/4 cup of almond milk creamer to your matcha for a decadent treat!
💬 FAQ
This almond milk creamer will stay in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
I found it doesn’t separate a lot. If using the bottle a couple of times per day, you probably won’t notice any separation. However, if you let it sit for 1-2 days, some separation might appear; just give it a good shake.
While I haven’t tried it, I believe this recipe will also work with raw cashews.
Take your morning coffee to the next level by stirring in a couple of tablespoons of this creamer! It has the perfect texture: incredibly smooth, thick but pourable, and mixes very well in coffee. I love to stir it in iced coffee or cold brew.
📔 More Dairy-Free Alternatives
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Updated February 2022: New step-by-step photos and a more comprehensive article.
Easy Almond Milk Creamer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup coconut cream (from one can coconut milk)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 2 tbsp maple syrup optional
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place the almonds in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak the almonds overnight or for at least 6 hours.
- Rinse the almonds and drain. Place them into a blender with the 2 cups water. Blend on high speed for about 1 minute.
- Place a nut milk bag over a large bowl. Pour the almond milk into the bag and gently squeeze to release the almond milk. Discard the almond pulp, or keep it for other uses.
- Transfer the almond milk to a saucepan, and set aside. Open a refrigerated can of full-fat coconut milk and scoop out 1/2 cup of solid coconut cream, leaving out the coconut water. Add it to the saucepan. At this point, you can add a pinch of salt, some maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, or your favorite spices.
- Heat over low-medium heat, whisking constantly until the coconut cream has melted. Do not heat too much or bring to a boil, you just want the coconut cream to melt.
- Transfer to a clean glass bottle or small bowl and refrigerate. Stir into coffee, tea, or even cold brew. The creamer will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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