Homemade Coffee Creamer
My sister sent me this quick little recipe one day and after repeatedly losing it in my text messages I realized it needed a home on my website! This is such a simple creamer, but it’s really just perfect. It’s only 4 ingredients and you can mix it up in just a few minutes and store it in the fridge.
As my kiddos have gotten older, we’ve added a lot to our plate! Between working and homeschooling and the futile attempts at keeping my house clean, I almost always need a little coffee in the morning.
I’m constantly adjusting my coffee routine both for convenience and frugality. Starbucks left the building a long time ago (hi, what are these $6 lattes??) and I’ve experimented with cold brew, instant coffees, French press, and more.
Currently I’m doing a glass of cold brew with ice and I always add a little cream and sometimes something sweet. This creamer does it all in one recipe. I just quick mix up a batch and add a little (or sometimes more than a little) to my morning glass of coffee.
The recipe is basically just whole milk, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. You can riff on it however you want. One of the best parts is that the powdered sugar just dissolves with shaking (use a securely lidded mason jar) or stirring. So you won’t need to make a separate simple syrup.
You could do this same thing with half-and-half. Thin it down a bit with milk or make it more rich by adding a little heavy cream. Then just mix in the sugar and vanilla.
Saving Money by Making Coffee Drinks at Home
I’ve always loved the experience of purchasing a real espresso drink at a coffee shop. However, these fancy drinks are quite expensive. I buy a few drinks every year so it’s always a special treat, but primarily I make coffee at home!
My homemade drinks don’t have to up to the standards of my neighborhood coffee shop (at least in my book!), but they do have to taste really good. It’s gotta be worth the effort after all!
In addition to making my own creamer, another little extra I love to include for homemade drinks is whipped cream. I have a variety of whipped cream recipes on this website, but my favorites for topping off homemade coffee drinks are typically cinnamon whipped cream, brown sugar whipped cream, and stabilized whipped cream (particularly great on blended drinks).
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Ingredients You’ll Need
This is a very simple recipe. It uses whole milk, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Because the powdered sugar dissolves when you stir it, the recipe does not require heating a simple syrup on the stove to dissolve the sugar.
It’s a very quick recipe. Simply shake or stir together the ingredients and store in the fridge. Great for when you don’t have access to a full kitchen.
Use the best vanilla extract you have. Sometimes in baking you can get away with the imitation vanilla extract, but in ultra-simple recipes like this it’ll make a big difference to have a higher quality product.
How to Use It
The creamer works great in hot coffee, homemade espresso, and cold press. This week I was trying the Wandering Bear Cold Brew I found at Costco.
I filled a glass with ice and added the cold brew.
Then, I just pour in the creamer until it’s about a 50/50 mix with coffee. Use the amount you prefer.
A perfect start to the day!
Homemade Coffee Creamer
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon good vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large (1 quart) mason jar. Stir to dissolve sugar or securely add the lid and shake gently until sugar is dissolved. Store in the fridge. Shake again as needed.This recipe is handy because you don't need to make a simple syrup (no cooking required) and it stored right in the jar you make it. It's excellent for when you are without a full kitchen (but still need the coffee!!).
