Once you try Homemade Coffee Creamer you won’t want store-bought creamer again. This recipe is so easy with just 3 ingredients, and you will feel good knowing exactly what went into your creamer (without a paragraph of ingredients you don’t recognize). Homemade creamer also keeps well in the refrigerator.
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Helpful Reader Review
“There is a reason why this has almost 200, 5 ⭐️ reviews!!! I was skeptical, because that’s just who I am. Not only was this the easiest, but •OMG• the flavor is perfect! I like vanilla, so I added an extra tablespoon of vanilla. JUST MAKE IT!!! YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!” – Rebekah Tolliver ★★★★★
It’s so easy to make your own coffee creamer and takes only 3 minutes–ok maybe 2 minutes. It makes me wonder why we ever started buying the stuff, but I can assure you that after making your own, you won’t want to. It’s rich, delicious, and totally customizable.
My husband and I look forward to our morning cup of coffee every day. It’s our ‘adulting’ treat, and I love making coffee at home more than going to a coffee shop because I can control the strength and sweetness of the coffee. This homemade coffee creamer recipe puts you in control, so you can make it as sweet, creamy, and flavorful as you like.
We love homemade condiments from Balsamic Glaze to Caramel Sauce for the same reasons. They are tastier, fresher, and have better ingredients than store-bought. If you are a coffee lover, this vanilla Coffee Creamer Recipe is a must-try!
Coffee Creamer Video Tutorial
Is it worth it to make your own coffee creamer?
- No Additives – Store-bought coffee creamers tend to have long lists of ingredients–beginning with vegetable oil (what?)–and often contain preservatives, additives, and artificial flavors
- Sweetened just right – homemade creamer is not overly sweet like store-bought creamers tend to be, and you can even add the condensed milk to your desired sweetness.
- Customized to your tastes – sweetened condensed milk and real vanilla extract taste amazing with coffee, but you can swap the ingredients; add new flavorings. It’s easy to make a creamer you love.
Ingredients for Vanilla Coffee Creamer
You’ll have this combination memorized from the first time you make it. Just remember that it’s equal parts of the first two ingredients. Easy!
- Half & Half – I like half & half because it has just the right amount of creaminess for a cup of coffee without creating an oily film. To make your own Half & Half, use equal parts of milk and heavy cream.
- Sweetened condensed milk – use a standard 14-oz can. It adds a milky sweetness without being overly sweet. To reduce the sweetness, add less.
- Vanilla extract – this is optional, but it definitely adds a nice layer of flavor to make it vanilla coffee creamer. I use Homemade vanilla extract, but store-bought works great.
Variations and Substitutions
- Dairy-Free – swap the Half & Half with your favorite Milk substitute, including almond milk, full-fat coconut milk, or oat milk, and then use dairy-free coconut sweetened condensed milk or a tablespoon of sweetener.
- Swap the Sweetener – swap the condensed milk for a tablespoon or two of maple syrup, sugar, brown sugar, or honey
- Change the flavor – swap the vanilla extract for a 1/2 Tbsp of almond extract, peppermint extract, or hazelnut extract. Try adding cinnamon or pumpkin spice. (Check the comment section for more ideas!) Add 1 Tbsp cocoa powder or hot chocolate powder for a mocha coffee creamer
How to Make Coffee Creamer
It’s so easy to make this homemade coffee creamer with just a mason jar, but you can also mix it in any bowl or pitcher.
- Combine Half and Half, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract in a quart-sized (32 oz) mason jar. Screw the lid on tightly, and shake the creamer until well combined (or whisk it up).
- Store – keep the creamer covered and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks (or go by the date on your Half & Half).
Helpful Reader Review
“Ran out of my usual French vanilla coffee creamer, but I had all these ingredients on hand. Mixed up super quickly, tastes lovely! One of the comments mentioned using 2 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract, which is what I did. A really good dupe for sweet Italian cream flavor. I’ll probably stick to mixing up my own creamer from now on. Thanks!” – Allison ★★★★★
Storage Tips
Homemade coffee creamer keeps well for about 2 weeks in an airtight container, unless the “sell by” date on your Half & Half comes first.
- To Refrigerate: as with all dairy products, store the jar on the bottom shelf in the back of your refrigerator where your refrigerator is the coldest. Do not store it on the door.
- Freezing: Dairy doesn’t freeze well, so it’s not recommended to freeze this coffee creamer
Homemade creamer is easy, quick to make, and will elevate your morning coffee. Have you tried any different flavors of homemade coffee creamer? Let me know in the comments below.
Homemade Coffee Creamer
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups Half & half, or equal parts milk and heavy cream
- 14 oz Sweetened condensed milk, or add to desired sweetness
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to a quart-sized mason jar, cover with the lid, and shake up (or you can whisk together until combined).
- Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator (or until the ‘sell by’ date on your half and half or milk carton)
Notes
- For Dairy-Free Creamer– Use dairy-free milk instead of Half & Half (oat, almond, coconut) and Dairy-free sweetened condensed milk or 1 Tbsp sweetener (sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup)
- Flavors – Swap vanilla extract for your favorite flavor (peppermint, hazelnut, almond, etc)
- Less calories – swap Half & Half for any type of milk (from skim to heavy cream will work)
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Homemade Condiments
- Mayonnaise
- BBQ Sauce
- Homemade Whipped Cream
- Strawberry Sauce
- Cherry Sauce
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Tartar Sauce Recipe
- Pesto Sauce
- Homemade Hummus
Whyyyy do brown flakes constantly float to the top of my coffee when making this? I’ve tried stirring more, shaking jar, heating up creamer a little. Nothing works. I always end up
With a brown gross film at the top. Help! Thank you!
Hi Courtney! It’s quite a common issue,you can try these tips next time – make sure your ingredients are mixed thoroughly, you can use a blender or immersion blender can help achieve a smooth consistency. If you’re heating the creamer, make sure to use low heat and stir it continuosly. Before storing, strain the creamer through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove any undissolved particles.
I’m wondering if you or one of the other readers have found a way to use your basic recipe to create the “Irish cream” flavor as of yet.
Hi Wanda! I have not experimented with that. I checked the comments, but I don’t see that anyone has left feedback regarding this.
This sounds like a recipe I will have to try. I use milk, caramel syrup, vanilla and a pinch of salt in a canning jar and shake. No more processed creamer for me. I even carry a 3 oz bottle in my purse when we go out to dine and have coffee.
I have made this in both vanilla and hazelnut and both were delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe with everyone!
Glad I found this limited ingredients creamer recipe. I used whole milk…sooo creamy! Thanks for sharing.
Has anyone made this with Fat-free Sweetened Condensed Milk?
Hi Penny! That should work just fine.
So easy and so good! I use almond milk instead of half and half/regular milk. No, I will probably not buy creamer again!
Half and half used says good for 7 days after opening, so I’ll assume my creamer is good for 7 days after I made it.
I just made this using maple extract and a generous dash of cinnamon. Absolutely delicious, thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome! That sounds delicious!
Good morning Natasha, what brand of hazelnut extract do you recommend for making coffee creamer?
Hi Janet! I don’t have a specific brand to recommend. If you can’t find one in your local grocery store, I would look online/Amazon and look at the specifications and reviews.
I just made this. So yummy! Ingredients list is simple enough. Now searching for organic ingredients for next go around.
Homemade creamer is the best. Thank you for the recipe and all your others. Thank you for sharing your talents.
Thank you for your wonderful review, Karen. I’m so glad you loved it!
Homemade creamer is the best. Thank you for the recipe and all your others. I’ve tried several different dishes.
Homemade truly is best. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I love Dunkin brownie batter but cannot find it now. I used your recipe and added 2 heaping tablespoons of black cocoa and a generous 2 teaspoons of real cocoa extract. Thanks for your delicious recipe.
Can this be frozen like store bought? I don’t think I can use a quart in 2 weeks
I haven’t tried freezing it to know how it affects the texture when thawed. Let us know if you experiment.
This is sooo much better than store bought coffee creamer in terms of flavor and no additives or preservatives!! Thanks so much Natasha:)
Yes, thank you. My lil sis’s favorite coffee creamer is made of soybean oil — cheap low quality ingredient, is right. She got the skinny genes so full on heavy cream for her, milk for me.
I’m glad you both found qhat works for you! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I was in a pinch for coffee creamer, super jet lagged after returning home from a vacation and found this recipe! Thankfully I had a can of sweetened condensed milk leftover from when I make Baileys during the holidays. I used that along with 2% milk that I had in the fridge and vanilla and it turned out great! I will probably stop buying creamer from the store after making this- so easy and tasty!
I added some bourbon vanilla flavored salt and cinnamon and it was perfect! Ditching the nasty store bought creamers!! Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Best ever. Ditching my chemical coffee creamer. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻