For coffee lovers who are health-conscious, especially those following a ketogenic or dairy-free diet, finding the perfect coffee creamer can be a challenge. Many store-bought options are loaded with sugars, artificial flavors, and additives. Fortunately, making your own keto coconut creamer at home is a simple, satisfying way to upgrade your coffee ritual. It’s healthier, dairy-free, and brimming with natural flavor, allowing you to control exactly what goes into it!
Why Make Your Own Keto Coconut Creamer?
Store-bought creamers often contain thickeners and artificial ingredients that you might want to avoid. Making your own ensures a clean and natural product. Here’s why you should consider making your own:
- Healthier Option: Free from additives and artificial flavors.
- Dairy-Free: Suitable for those with lactose intolerance or dairy allergies.
- Customizable: Adjust sweetness, thickness, and flavor to your liking.
- Cost-Effective: Often cheaper than buying store-bought keto creamers.
Understanding the Basics
What is Keto?
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates for energy. This process leads to the production of ketones, which the body uses for fuel.
Why Coconut Milk?
Coconut milk is an excellent choice for keto and dairy-free diets. It’s creamy, rich in healthy fats, and naturally sweet. Full-fat coconut milk contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which boost energy and support metabolism.
Key Ingredients
- Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: The base of the creamer, providing creaminess and flavor.
- Keto-Friendly Sweetener: Such as monk fruit, erythritol, or stevia, for sweetness without the carbs.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a classic, comforting flavor.
Basic Keto Coconut Creamer Recipe
This recipe is crazy easy to make and requires minimal ingredients. Here's a fundamental recipe for keto coffee creamer. Take this base and add your favorite extracts and spices to it. You can play barista in your own kitchen and create some fantastic low-carb coffee drinks with it!
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Ingredients:
- 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk (refrigerated overnight)
- 1-2 tablespoons keto-friendly sweetener (such as erythritol, monk fruit sweetener, or stevia) or keto brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 tablespoon coconut oil for added creaminess
- Optional: Pinch of sea salt to enhance flavor
Instructions:
- Prepare the Coconut Milk:
- Refrigerate the can of full-fat coconut milk overnight. This will cause the cream to separate from the water.
- Scoop Out the Cream:
- Open the can and scoop out the thick coconut cream from the top, leaving the watery liquid behind (you can save the liquid for smoothies or other recipes).
- Blend the Ingredients:
- Add the coconut cream, sweetener, vanilla extract, coconut oil (if using), and sea salt to a blender.
- Blend Until Smooth:
- Blend until all ingredients are well combined and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Adjust to Taste:
- Taste the creamer and adjust the sweetness or flavor as needed. Add more sweetener for a sweeter creamer or more vanilla for a stronger vanilla flavor.
- Store:
- Pour the creamer into an airtight container or jar. Store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Shake Well Before Use:
- Coconut milk naturally separates into cream and water. Make sure to shake the creamer well before using.
Tips for the Perfect Creamer
- Use High-Quality Coconut Milk: Choose a brand that tastes good and doesn’t have any odd flavors. Some brands of coconut milk or cream do tend to have different aftertastes, so do a taste test to make sure the one you pick for your creamer is going to enhance your coffee, not make it taste weird.
- Sweetness Level: Adjust the amount of sweetener to suit your taste preferences. Start with a smaller amount and add more as needed.
- Thickness: If you prefer a thicker creamer, add more coconut cream. For a thinner consistency, add a little of the coconut water that separated in the can.
- Blending: Using room temperature or warm water is best to make sure that everything blends well. Coconut cream has a lot of fat in it that won’t blend well with cold water, so everything will blend together best when the water is warmer.
Flavor Variations
The awesome thing about this vegan coffee creamer recipe is that you can make flavor and texture adjustments to this recipe to fit your preferences! You can also play around with flavor variations, too, besides vanilla. Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, experiment with different flavors to keep your coffee exciting. Here are a few ideas:
- Cinnamon: Add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a warm, spiced flavor.
- Chocolate: Add 1-2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder for a mocha twist.
- Peppermint: Add ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract for a refreshing, minty flavor.
- Hazelnut: Add ½ teaspoon of hazelnut extract for a nutty flavor.
- Pumpkin Spice: Add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice blend for a seasonal treat.
- Caramel: Add a few drops of caramel-flavored stevia or a sugar-free caramel syrup.
- Maple: Use maple-flavored extract instead of vanilla.
- Rum Flavor: Try adding rum flavor extract instead of vanilla.
- Orange: Try adding orange flavor extract instead of vanilla.
Recipe with Heavy Whipping Cream
This 5 minute keto coconut vanilla creamer is decadently rich and creamy! It’s also amazingly delicious! The creamy base for our creamer is a combination of coconut milk and heavy whipping cream.
Ingredients
- 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup keto brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until smooth and combined.
Using a saucepan
- Add the creamer ingredients to a small saucepan.
- On medium heat, bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Place a lid on the pan and let sit for 40 minutes or until room temperature.
How to Use Coconut Creamer
Coconut milk creamer isn’t just a substitute for dairy-it’s a flavor enhancer that adds richness to every sip. This coconut milk coffee creamer is perfect for dairy-free dark roast recipes, adding richness without the sugar spikes.
- Coffee: The most obvious use! Pour a teaspoon or two of the mixture into your coffee or tea. Pairing Roast28 dark and medium roast coffee with this coconut milk coffee creamer creates a rich, flavorful experience for coffee recipes without dairy.
- Tea: Adds a creamy texture and subtle coconut flavor to your favorite teas.
- Smoothies: Incorporate it into smoothies for added creaminess and healthy fats.
- Desserts: Drizzle over keto-friendly desserts like brownies, cakes, or ice cream.
- Savory Dishes: Use in small amounts to add richness to sauces or soups.
Addressing Common Concerns
Coconut Flavor
Some people are concerned that coconut creamer will make their coffee taste too much like coconut. While there is a subtle coconut flavor, it is generally mild and complements the coffee rather than overpowering it. If you’re particularly sensitive to the taste of coconut, start with a small amount and adjust to your preference.
Consistency
Coconut milk naturally separates into cream and water. This is normal and easily remedied by shaking the creamer well before each use. If you find the consistency too thick, you can add a little coconut water or almond milk to thin it out.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Storage
Store your coconut milk coffee creamer in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to one week. Shake well before each use, as it may naturally separate.
Is Coconut Creamer Good in Coffee?
Um, yes. Coconut creamer is AWESOME in coffee because it’s just so creamy and flavorful. Try this recipe just once, and you’ll be a convert.
What is the Creamiest Non-Dairy Milk?
Coconut milk is the creamiest non-dairy milk, hands-down, no question. It’s not even close - because it has a higher saturated fat content than other non-dairy milks (and higher than dairy milk, too), it delivers the creamiest taste.
Keto and Low-Carb Considerations
Sweeteners
Monk fruit sweetener is perfect for coconut milk coffee creamer, offering low-glycemic coffee options without raising blood sugar. Unlike honey and maple syrup, monk fruit contains zero calories and no carbohydrates. It’s a natural sweetener, making it healthier than artificial alternatives like aspartame. Compared to stevia, monk fruit has a milder aftertaste and is often more pleasant for sensitive palates.
Can I have cream in my coffee on keto?
Yes, you can have cream in your coffee on the keto diet. Just make sure you do not use any types of creamers that have added sugar in them. Full-fat cream is okay on the keto diet!
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Can I have coffee with milk on keto?
It's best to stay away from dairy milk on the keto diet. One cup of whole milk has almost 13 grams of carbs.
Are sugar-free creamers from the store keto-friendly?
My biggest tip would be to take a good look at the ingredients before you buy the creamer. Can you understand what they are? If the sugar-free coffee creamer is made with whole ingredients, then it's probably okay to buy and use. One of my favorite creamers from the store is NutPods. Even so, I prefer to make my own creamer because I know exactly what is in it. It's always healthier to consume whole ingredients like coconut milk and almond milk than processed ingredients.
Can I add this creamer to Bulletproof coffee?
Bulletproof coffee is another popular way to drink coffee on a low-carb or keto diet. A cup of bulletproof coffee is made with butter (or ghee) and/or MCT oil instead of creamer. My homemade creamer is not to be served with bulletproof coffee.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Freezing Coconut Creamer
Freezing: Pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. When you store and freeze the coffee creamer in an ice cube tray, you can use them to keep your iced coffee cold without worrying about the ice cubes watering your coffee down. In the summer when ice coffee is a must, I like to freeze the coconut creamer in ice cube trays and add them to my coffee. Yum!
Frothing Coconut Creamer
A couple years ago, I changed up my coffee regimen and added a milk frother to the mix. This little machine has been a game-changer! I now pour coconut milk into my frother, add a few drops of my sweetener and vanilla and turn it on. It froths my coconut milk and heats it. It pours perfectly over my coffee and tastes delicious! Plus, you can get a great one for cheap. The Secura frother (pictured below) is inexpensive and delivers awesome results. Use it to make sugar-free lattes. Before you add the creamer to your coffee, heat ¼ cup of the creamer and then use a milk frother to create some foam.
Using Coconut Powder
Yes! Mix coconut powder with warm water to create a creamy base.
Whole30 Considerations
Finding a good Whole30 compliant almond milk or coconut milk can be tricky. Finding a good Whole30 compliant low carb almond milk or coconut milk can be tricky.