Discover the Best Keto-Friendly Coffee Creamers That Will Transform Your Morning Brew!

Embarking on a ketogenic diet involves significant changes to daily eating and drinking habits, primarily centered around drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and shifting the body's primary energy source to fat. This metabolic shift, known as ketosis, requires careful consideration of food and beverage choices, including what you add to your morning coffee. Traditional coffee creamers are often laden with sugars and carbohydrates, which can disrupt ketosis. Fortunately, numerous keto-friendly alternatives are available to enhance your coffee experience while aligning with your low-carb lifestyle.

Understanding the Keto Diet and Ketosis

The keto diet revolves around carbohydrate restriction. By drastically cutting carbs, you push your body into a state called ketosis. Ketosis is when your body switches its fuel source from carbohydrates to fats. Normally, our bodies rely on glucose (a type of sugar) from carbs to give us energy. When you reduce carbs, glucose levels drop, and your body needs an alternative energy source. This is where ketones come in. When your body is in ketosis, it breaks down stored fat into ketones, which are then used for energy. This switch to burning fat instead of carbs can lead to fat burning and weight loss. For many, the keto journey begins with adjusting daily habits, like what you add to your coffee. Traditional creamers are often loaded with sugars and carbs, which can quickly kick you out of ketosis.

Top Keto-Friendly Creamer Alternatives

When you’re on a keto diet, your morning coffee doesn’t have to be bland. Here are several excellent keto-friendly coffee creamer options:

Heavy Cream: A top choice for many keto followers, heavy cream is rich in fats and very low in carbs, making it perfect for maintaining ketosis. Just a splash can add a luxurious texture to your coffee. With 6 g fat and just 0.4g net carbs per tablespoon, heavy cream is an excellent low carb choice for your coffee and will be most similar to processed and flavored creamers you might be trying to transition from.
Unsweetened Almond Milk: For those seeking a lighter option, unsweetened almond milk is a great alternative. It’s low in carbs and offers a subtle nutty flavor. Make sure to choose the unsweetened variety to avoid hidden sugars that could disrupt your keto progress.
Coconut Milk: Another excellent dairy-free choice, coconut milk adds a creamy texture and a hint of tropical flavor to your coffee. Coconut milk is rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are fats that can boost energy and support ketosis. Coconut cream and milk are made from the same ingredients (coconut, water, and sometimes guar gum), but much like regular milk compared to heavy cream, coconut cream has a higher fat content and a thicker texture than coconut milk. Both are tasty low carb keto creamer options.
Nut Pods Creamers: A favorite among keto enthusiasts, these creamers are dairy-free and made from almonds and coconuts, offering a smooth texture without any added sugars. They come in a variety of flavors, like French Vanilla and Hazelnut, ensuring you never get bored.
Medium-Chain Triglyceride (MCT) Oil: A powerhouse ingredient for keto coffee lovers, MCT oil is derived from coconut oil and is known for its ability to boost energy and promote fat burning. Adding MCT oil to your coffee can help keep you feeling full and focused throughout the day. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are fatty acids typically derived from coconut and palm kernel. Too much MCT oil can be tough on your digestive system, but a high-quality MCT powder (which is made from MCT oil) is a more gentle alternative that is also easily dissolved in your coffee and will give it a creamy texture.
Ghee: Also known as clarified butter, ghee is another fantastic option. It’s rich in healthy fats and free of lactose, making it suitable for those with dairy sensitivities. Ghee adds a buttery flavor to your coffee and helps to keep you in ketosis by providing a steady source of fat. Sourced from small family farms, Pure Indian Foods makes a creamer from a unique blend of grass-fed organic cultured ghee and energizing MCT oil.
Grass-Fed Butter: A key ingredient in the popular “bulletproof coffee,” grass-fed butter is high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins, providing a nutritional boost to your morning cup. When blended with coffee, it creates a silky, satisfying drink that can help curb hunger and provide lasting energy.
Collagen Creamer: Adding more of these amino acids to your daily routine will provide extra protein and may help boost your energy levels, relieve joint pain, and strengthen your hair, skin, and nails. Collagen is good for your joints, hair, and nails-and it's keto-friendly.

DIY Keto Creamer Alternatives

Creating your own keto creamer alternatives at home is not only simple but also allows you to control the ingredients, ensuring they fit perfectly with your keto lifestyle. Heavy whipping cream is a staple for many on the keto diet. It’s high in fat and low in carbs, making it an ideal base for a homemade creamer. Coconut oil is known for its health benefits and is a great addition to your keto coffee creamer.

Homemade Vanilla Coffee Creamer Recipe:

This recipe for homemade vanilla coffee creamer is a quick and easy option you make in your blender. For 12 servings, each 2 tablespoons (30 mL), you need:

3/4 cup (175 mL) solid coconut cream
3/4 cup (175 mL) water
1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 tsp. liquid stevia with vanilla extract

This homemade creamer is not only keto-friendly but also suitable for vegans or individuals with nut, gluten, dairy, egg, or soy allergies. Two tablespoons (30 mL) of this homemade creamer provide approximately 50 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of carbs, and 0 grams of sugar and protein (39).

Homemade Keto Creamer Recipe:

This recipe for a homemade creamer takes just 15 minutes to cook, but it does need to be refrigerated overnight to thicken. To make 6 servings, each 1/4 cup (60 mL), you need:

2/3 cups (160 mL) heavy cream
2/3 cups (160 mL) water
2 egg yolks
4-6 tbsp. erythritol
2 tsp. (10 mL) vanilla extract

While erythritol is generally considered safe and well tolerated - except in large amounts - you can leave it out of the recipe or use stevia in its place if you prefer (36, 37). The egg yolks in this keto-friendly creamer contribute fat and protein and are one of the best dietary sources of choline (32). While choline is only needed in small amounts, it’s an essential nutrient that supports many important functions, including brain health, nervous system function, and fat metabolism (33, 34). The serving size of this homemade creamer is a generous 1/4 cup (60 mL) and has 114 calories, 11 grams of fat, less than 1 gram of carbs, and 1 gram of protein (35).

Store-Bought Keto Coffee Creamer Options

Navigating the grocery store for keto-compliant coffee creamers can be simplified by knowing which brands and products align with the diet's macronutrient requirements.

Here are some of the best store-bought keto coffee creamers:

Left Coast Keto Creamer With MCT Oil: This popular keto-friendly creamer is made with medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, ghee, coconut oil, cacao butter, and sunflower lecithin to create a creamy, high fat creamer to help promote ketosis. One tablespoon (15 mL) of this creamer has 120 calories, 14 grams of fat, and 0 grams of carbs, sugar, and protein (9).
Grasso Foods Coffee Booster Organic High Fat Coffee Creamer: Available in four flavors, the original flavor of this keto coffee creamer is made with just three ingredients: virgin coconut oil, grass-fed ghee, and raw cacao powder. One tablespoon (15 mL) of the mocha flavor has 120 calories, 12 grams of fat, 0 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbs, and 0 grams of sugar (15).
Califia Farms Unsweetened Better Half Coffee Creamer: Soy-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free, this plant-based coffee creamer is a good option for individuals with allergies or those who prefer to avoid dairy products. This creamer doesn’t contain any sugar or carbs, so you don’t have to worry about it kicking you out of ketosis (16).
Laird Superfood Unsweetened Original Coffee Creamer: This powdered keto creamer comes in 7 different flavors, including unsweetened, and doesn’t have to be refrigerated. One tablespoon (6 grams) of the powder provides 40 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of carbs, 1 gram of sugar, and 0 grams of protein (18).
Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream: While not technically a coffee creamer, heavy whipping cream is high fat and low carb and can add a delicious richness to your morning cup of coffee. One tablespoon (15 mL) provides 50 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 0 grams of carbs and sugar (22).
360 Nutrition Keto Creamer with MCT Oil: For those who prefer coconut sugar, this keto-friendly coffee creamer contains just 1 gram of sugar. One 2-teaspoon (5-gram) serving of the unsweetened flavor contains just 25 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of carbs, and 0 grams of sugar (24).
KITU SUPER COFFEE Keto Coffee Creamer: This keto creamer is sugar-free, lactose-free, and gluten-free. One 3-tablespoon (44-mL) serving of the original flavor contains 40 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs and sugar, and 2 grams of protein (25).
Bulletproof Original Creamer: Bulletproof Original Creamer is made with grass-fed butter, which has a better ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids than regular butter (30). One 1-scoop (14-gram) serving of the original flavor contains 100 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 3 grams of carbs (31).

Sweetening Your Keto Coffee

Sweetening your coffee on a keto diet doesn’t mean sacrificing taste. Natural, zero-calorie sweeteners like monk fruit, stevia, and erythritol are excellent choices. They add sweetness without the sugar spike, helping you maintain ketosis.

Atkins-approved keto coffee sweeteners include:

Sucralose
Saccharine
Stevia
Allulose

Ingredients to Avoid

While Coffee Mate is a popular creamer choice, it’s not ideal for a keto diet. Many varieties contain high carbs and added sugars, which can disrupt ketosis. If you’re aiming to stay low-carb, it’s best to avoid traditional Coffee Mate and opt for keto-friendly alternatives like coconut milk creamer or Nut Pods Creamers.

Additional Keto-Friendly Options

Almond milk and creamers: Unsweetened almond milk and other nut milks are a great low carb alternative to regular milk. There are also plenty of almond milk creamers available at most supermarkets. Just make sure to read the labels to look for any hidden carbs in flavored varieties.
Atkins shakes: Specially designed to be part of your low carb lifestyle, high in calcium and other essential nutrients, a bit of Atkins shakes or protein powders (we like vanilla or chocolate best for coffee) will add a pop of protein and flavor to your cup.
Light cream and half and half: Light cream and half and half are great choices as well, though they tend to have slightly higher carb counts.

Considerations for Choosing a Keto Coffee Creamer

When choosing a coffee creamer for the keto diet, it’s important to look for products that meet the diet’s macronutrient requirements, as well as ones that have minimal added ingredients. There are several ways to follow a keto diet, but it generally calls for limiting carbs to no more than 50 grams per day (1). Ideally, this would mean looking for a high fat, low carb coffee creamer. You also want to look for coffee creamers with a short ingredient list consisting mostly of whole ingredients. The creamer should also be free of added sugars and artificial ingredients.

Balancing Coffee Consumption

Per Atkins guidelines, one to two cups of caffeinated coffee (or tea) is allowed. Excessive caffeine has been shown to cause low blood sugar, which can make you crave sugar. So whether or not you’re using keto creamers in your cup, try to keep your consumption of coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks to a minimum.

tags: #keto #friendly #coffee #creamer #options