One of my goals is to eat less dairy and sugar during the week (and then indulge a little on the weekends if I want). And I’ve had a hard time finding a store-bought coffee creamer that fits both of these criteria for those mornings when I do want to add just a little something to my morning (or afternoon) cup of coffee.
Lately I’ve been making my own coffee creamer, and I thought I’d share. It’s only two ingredients, and although it does not taste the same as something filled with “real” cream and laced with sugar, it definitely hits the spot. So it’s a great everyday alternative.
It also uses one of my new favorite locally made ingredients…
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
1/4 cup pure date syrup
Simply whisk or blend these two ingredients together until well mixed and no lumps (from the coconut milk) remain. If your can of coconut milk is very cold, you may want to whisk these in a small pot over low/medium heat so they will mix well.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. It would probably last longer, but that’s generally how long mine will last me until I’ve used it all. The mixture will settle some as it sits, so give it a shake the next day before you use it.
Also, it kind of looks like chocolate milk. Ha! It looks like I have a small container of chocolate milk in my refrigerator all the time, but it’s actually this homemade creamer.
And one more side note: do you see my nails in the above photo (with the spoon)? I have struggled with nail-biting for basically as long as I can remember, but I made it a personal goal in March to not bite them (by changing my mindset about it), and I had one slip up with my right thumbnail, but other than that, I did it!!!! I’m sure I will mess up again sometime and have to start over, but I’m still really proud of my progress in March. I haven’t gone this long without biting my nails since before my wedding almost three years ago.
Anyway, enough about fingernails! I’m just excited to see actual nails in that photo, so I had to share. 🙂
That’s it! Easy, peasy homemade coffee creamer. You could probably use well-blended (with a little hot water) dates instead of pure date syrup, but I just LOVE this product if you like using dates to sweeten things. Just makes it so much easier/faster.
Note: Keep in mind that you can use full-fat or lite coconut milk for this. Or full-fat but skim off some or all of the thick, white part from the can to reduce the amount of fat if you like/need.
What about you? Are you a cream and sugar person or an all-black-all-the-time kind of coffee drinker? xx. Emma
Coconut Coffee Creamer
Instructions
-
Simply whisk or blend these two ingredients together until well mixed and no lumps (from the coconut milk) remain. If your can of coconut milk is very cold, you may want to whisk these in a small pot over low/medium heat so they will mix well.
-
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. It would probably last longer, but that’s generally how long mine will last me until I’ve used it all. The mixture will settle some as it sits, so give it a shake the next day before you use it.
Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
44 Comments
That sounds amazing and so easy. I had coconut chai the other day and it was SO GOOD….sign me up for coconut anything.
P.S. Your nails look lovely <3
yummy this looks great! I want to try
xo
http://www.laurajaneatelier.com
Such a good idea! I love having (super fake!) hazelnut creamer with my coffee but have been feeling the need to try something healthier.
Also-thanks for the nail biting update! I, too, have struggled all my life with nail biting. I managed to grow them out for my wedding last summer but haven’t been able to this year yet. It’s definitely takes a lot of mental effort! What do you find helps?
We make lattes at home most days, but otherwise I’m strictly a half-and-half coffee drinker. Never ever just milk! I’d rather not have any. The creamy texture is what I’m craving when I have coffee…but I haven’t put sugar in it for four years. (And this makes me miss living in Dubai, where you can get crazy cheap date syrup!)
Love this! I am lactose intolerant and use Traders Joe’so coconut creamer when I don’t want black coffee. I would love to make my own though! I can’t wait to try this.
I love half and half, unless it’s excellent coffee, then I drink it black. I eat vegan about half of the year for various liturgical fasts, so I sometimes use Trader Joe’s coconut drink then. I don’t like sweet coffee, and since there’s not a huge nutritional difference between date syrup and corn syrup, I wouldn’t add any…. but definitely on board with the coconut milk! 🙂
Black coffee all the time. But I am married to a coffee scientist, aka Dr. Coffee, so the stakes are a little different than in normal households, and I get free coffee, essentially, so I am not assuming anything about other people’s preferences. And as the husband would say, you should drink what *you* like, not what other people tell you to like. He’s a total third wave coffee nerd so his conviction is legit.
Plus, coconut milk is the best thing on earth tying with coffee. Dates are a close runner up.
Sounds so good!! 🙂
Looks good! http://www.hannamarielei.com
Why have I never realized that date syrup existed?!? Thank you for this revelation and recipe
I am totally trying this!! Also, I am an avid nail picker… but I realized that if I get a gel manicure a). they are too hard to pick at and b). they are too expensive to pick at! My nails havent been longer since I’ve started getting a gel manicure… I’ve actually had to TRIM my nails with NAIL TRIMMERS (!!!) which is huge for me!
I am going vegan this year in phases and cutting out dairy drinks and dairy cooking products has been the first step, and it’s been super successful! I thank God every day for making yummy coconut milk! I find it’s better than cow milk!
Looks yummy!
http://www.petiteandhungry.com
I am transitioning to coconut coffee creamer, and I had no idea that it is so easy to make! Thanks for the recipe!
<3
http://messyhairandpinkpajamas.com
Thank you for being so candid about your nail biting. I bite mine, and am very self conscious about how my hands look, so I bet it feels good to photograph something in your hands!
Thank you for being so candid about your nail biting. I bite mine, and am very self conscious about how my hands look, so I bet it feels good to photograph something in your hands!
Sounds so delicious, I will definitely try it (I’m a huge coconut lover)! Thanks for sharing!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
This sounds so delicious, I need to try it! I am usually not the biggest fan of coffee and its taste, but this sounds amazing!
xx, Sophie
Sophienderella
I’ve been looking for something exactly like this! Lately I’ve been using just straight coconut milk in my coffee, but this sounds tastier 🙂 will try.
I am not even sure what I’d do without coconut cream and milk. 99% of my baking / drinks 🙂
The fact that I drink my coffee black is the badassest thing about me. This does sound good though; I may have to give it a try.
I have never tried date-sweeting but the packaging alone makes me interested.
This sounds delicious! I love coconut coffee creamer, but haven’t tried making it on my own. I’ll certainly have to give this a try!
Emma, Where did you buy date syrup and what else have you used it for? Can it be used as a sweetener in recipes? Thanks, Pat S
I found it on Amazon for $7.99 for a 12 oz. bottle. http://www.amazon.com/Date-Lady-Organic-Syrup-Squeeze/dp/B00MWDAQFW
I’m the same, I drink black coffee but every once in awhile I want something creamy and/or sweet. This sounds so good, and so simple!
-Jen
http://www.asipofbliss.com
I’m the same, I drink black coffee but every once in awhile I want something creamy and/or sweet. This sounds so good, and so simple!
-Jen
http://www.asipofbliss.com
This looks so good! I’ve had black coffee before, but only because the creamer ran out. I can’t drink dairy and usually use non-dairy coffee creamer, but this mix sounds amazing!
Sounds yum! I live in Israel and date syrup is a very popular local product here. It’s called silan and is used a lot as a sweetener, a bit like honey. My kids like it on toast with peanut butter and it’s also amazing on greek yoghurt, maybe with a little raw tahini. Also, because its unrefined, it feels a bit more virtuous than eating sugar, even though it’s super sweet!
Oh my gosh this looks so good, I am trying it next weekend for sure!! Thanks guys!
Adelle
http://www.wherethestyledthingsare.com
Congrats on the nail biting win!
I’m not so sure about the date syrup as it would (I’m pretty sure) be full of fructose which is the sugar that we should ideally avoid so not much better than regular sugar if at all. In Australia we have rice malt syrup which is a good alternative in small doses… 🙂
This is delicious and I now use it with almost every cuppa!
Just get fake nails, Emma. (even short-ish length looks great). It allows your real nails to grow under the acrylic/silk/gel ones and you can’t bite them. Then eventually u remove the fakies and want to keep nice nails. It worked for me 30 years ago. I stopped biting them at that point.
I am 100% a cream and sugar person. I always like to joke and say, ‘I like my coffee how I like my men; weak, pale and sickly sweet.’ But I have been trying to cut back on drinks loaded with sugar so when I saw this recipe I was all about it! I checked for a date syrup locally and wasn’t able to hunt any down, so I made my own today! It was pretty easy and I think I now have a new go-to creamer! Thanks for the idea!!
Looks very yummy!
Stella
While the coffee creamer is SUCH a great alternative, I more resonated with the nail biting! Ah! MY WHOLE LIFE! I stopped while I was pregnant with my son, eventually started up again, and then stopped again to have cute nails for our daughter’s adoption shower in January and have been fairly good.. and for the first time ever on Friday had a gel manicure at a salon. Keep up the good work, and thanks for all the fun posts!
Cheers!
Looks really yummy and I would like to try.
http://www.fashiondenis.com
This is actually quite a brilliant idea – I never heard of date syrup before but it sounds absolutely delicious.
Love this! My recipe is a can of coconut milk (full-fat), 1 egg, grade B maple syrup and vanilla extract (and/or almond extract). You can add pumpkin pie filling in the Fall to make it pumpkin, too! I toss everything in the blender to mix.
It looks so yummy
http://soldenochedecocrochet.blogspot.com.ar/
I drink mine black or with a little bit of milk or cream. However, I’m trying to cut back on dairy and eventually become a vegan. Since it’s warming up here in Illinois, I’ve started making cold brew concentrate and mixing it with coconut milk and a little agave because it’s so strong. Just ordered this date syrup on Amazon. I can’t wait to try it!
I made this over the weekend and it was so delicious! I made my own date syrup too since I couldn’t find any. It came out amazing! I’m so excited that my coffee is now dairy and sugar free 🙂
I definitely understand not liking sweet coffee (my morning coffee has to be freshly ground and unflavored), but when I want something different for a pick me up in the afternoon, coffee sweetened with date syrup is the best!
It’s possible not all date syrups are alike but according to the nutritional facts on the date lady website, it actually beats honey and maple syrup in nutritional value (corn syrup is a concoction made from corn stalks through a chemical enzymatic process that you do not only have to be a scientist to understand, but delivers an unnatural combination of sugars to your liver and blood stream. Not to mention the fact that it is most always GMO).
Date syrup is dates heated in water and filtered.
https://ilovedatelady.com/nutrition-info/
wait, more about the nail biting please! i have a horrible nail biting/cuticle picking habit and i would really love to kick it. what do you mean by “changing your mindset?” any other tips? maybe a post about this? 🙂
This looks so delicious! And paleo friendly 🙂 I’m going to try it.
You can flavor any homemade creamer with Torino’s/ Skinny Girl sugar free syrups. Then you can have any flavor you prefer, just use syrup and coconut milk. I use homemade creamer because of the preservatives in the store bought brands. But using syrups really boosts flavor and cuts your sugar intake.