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How to Use Coffee Creamer Instead of Milk
Coffee creaming has become increasingly popular in recent times, and all you need is a tablespoon - check the article to know all about coffee cream.
Published November 30, 2021
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Erik Hedlund
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
Milk has always been a handy option when you need to add a little sweetness and creaminess to your tea or coffee. However, coffee creaming has become increasingly popular in recent times, and all you need is a tablespoon to add some flavor to your delicious coffee. But, how else can you use coffee creamer rather than milk? You may not be aware that there are various ways that you can use coffee creamer instead of milk in things other than your coffee. Keep reading for more tips on how to use cream instead of milk in coffee and how to use coffee creamer in place of milk.
Using Coffee Creamer in Other Drinks
While coffee creamer was obviously made for coffee, there are plenty of other drinks that you can use it in too. Can you use coffee mate in tea, for example? You may be pleasantly surprised to find that while a drop of milk is nice in tea, coffee creamer can be even better. And you can even mix and match coffee creamers to different flavors of tea to find the best match. You can also add some flavored coffee creamer to a cup of hot chocolate to make it even more creamy and indulgent.
Using Coffee Creamer in Cooking
You might have already used coffee creamer to add some flavor while baking, but did you know that if you run out of milk that’s needed for a recipe when cooking, you can use your coffee creamer instead? Not only can you use cream instead of milk in coffee, but it can also be a great substitute for milk in a wide range of surprising cooking recipes.
Flavored coffee creamer, for example, can be a great choice for cooking breakfast. For example, if you’re making oatmeal and want a splash of creaminess and flavor, a coffee creamer with vanilla or cinnamon, for example, might be an ideal choice. You can also use coffee creamer with various flavors for a wide range of other breakfast items like waffles or pancakes, by adding some to your batter.
Unflavored coffee creamer, for example, can be even more versatile. It’s great when you run out of milk that you need for any kind of recipe. For example, if you’re making soup and it’s a little bit too thick, unflavored coffee creamer works fine instead of milk. You can also use it to add creaminess to things like mashed potatoes.
Coffee Creamer for Allergies
Another great reason to use coffee creamer instead of milk is if you are cooking for somebody with a dairy allergy, as many coffee creamers are dairy-free. Along with this, lots of coffee creamers are also gluten-free, making them an ideal choice for somebody with a gluten allergy. If you have a guest with a dairy allergy but have forgotten to buy special milk for them, your coffee creamer might be able to save you a trip to the store.
Is Adding Creamer to Coffee Bad?
Coffee creamer is best viewed as an indulgent treat rather than something that you use in coffee all the time. While it’s good to know how to make coffee with cream instead of milk, it’s worth bearing in mind that regular consumption of coffee creamer can increase your risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart disease due to the high fat content. It’s recommended to consume no more than two grams of trans fat per day, and some coffee creamer brands will contain one gram in just one tablespoon. So, it’s important to know the ingredients and adjust your diet to suit.
Can Coffee Creamer Be Whipped?
Yes – you can whip coffee creamer either by hand or by using an electric mixer. If you want to whip coffee creamer, you should bear in mind that the colder the liquid, the easier it will be to whip it up. When whipping, you probably won’t need to add any sugar to coffee creamer.
Can You Add Coffee Creamer to Green Tea?
You can certainly add coffee creamer to green tea if you like; however, this will be down to personal preference. Bear in mind that along with altering the taste of the green tea, adding creamer is also likely to change some of the benefits, which is important to note if you mainly drink green tea for the health benefits. Namely, it will reduce the benefit of the catechins that are found in green tea, which are beneficial for the heart and blood vessels.
Can Creamer Be Healthier Than Milk?
While some coffee creamers are high in fat and can increase your risk of certain diseases, the good news is that you can find coffee creamers that are low in fat and sugar to suit your diet. If you want a healthier choice, 1% milk or half and half milk is a better choice than a coffee creamer for your health, since they are less processed and have more minerals and vitamins.
What Else Can I Use Instead of Milk?
If you are looking for a milk replacement and have no coffee creamer, you can also use sour cream or plain yogurt as an alternative to milk. These are especially good in cakes and other baked goods. All you need to do is mix an equal amount of either to the amount of milk that is needed for the recipe.
What is Coffee Creamer Made From?
Coffee creamers such as Coffee-Mate are mostly made of three main ingredients. These are hydrogenated vegetable oil, corn syrup solids, and sodium caseinate. Sodium caseinate is a form of casein and a milk derivative. However, it is considered to be non-dairy due to the lack of lactose. Since it is lactose free, it will not usually affect anybody with a milk allergy.
Recipes with Coffee Creamer Instead of Milk
Breakfast Bowls
If you like making Insta-worthy breakfast bowls, adding creamer will enhance the texture of the bowl along with adding more flavor to your oatmeal. You can easily add coffee creamer to oatmeal and breakfast cereals to enhance the flavor. Simply reduce the milk that you would normally add and replace it with creamer instead. For some additional taste, choose a flavored creamer such as cinnamon or vanilla.
Waffles and Pancakes
To make pancakes or waffles with coffee creamer, replace some water or milk in your mixture with half a cup of coffee creamer. This adds a stunning flavor to the mix, and you can add flavored coffee creamers such as cinnamon or mocha for an even better flavor. All you need to do is mix up the batter as normal and place it in your waffle machine or a frying pan to flip your pancakes.
Mashed Potatoes
Coffee creamer isn’t just for desserts! You can add half a cup of unflavored coffee creamer to your mashed potatoes to give them a gorgeous creamy texture. This can be an ideal alternative for creamy mashed potatoes if you are lactose intolerant since most creamers are lactose-free.
Creamy Soups
A creamy soup can be another way that you can use unflavored coffee creamer in a savory recipe. If you’re making soup but need to thin it out or make it creamier, you can add coffee creamer. Bear in mind that this will only usually work in creamy soups like mushroom, broccoli, or potato soup, for example. Simply add half a cup to two cups of coffee creamer depending on how much soup you have. Slowly add the creamer while mixing it in. You can even use spiced creamer in some soups for even more flavorful results.
Cake Icing
A great way to use coffee creamer while baking is to put it in cake icing mix. All you need to do is whip up some creamer – choose any flavor that you like – and add some icing sugar to it, to result in a sweet, simple icing for cupcakes and more. You can make a thinner ganache by adding more sugar and reducing the amount of creamer, which achieves a nice drizzle.
Smoothies
Milkshakes or smoothies can also be instantly improved by adding some coffee creamer. Instead of using water or milk, try using coffee creamer instead - either flavored or unflavored depending on what you’re going for.
Fruit Salad Dressing
Coffee creamer can also be used to add more sweetness and indulgence to a healthier dessert, fruit salad. All you need to do is cut up some fruits of your choice and drizzle it with some coffee creamer. You can drizzle it on as it is, whip it up, or even soak up the fruit in the coffee creamer before refrigerating it for a while. Sour fruits like strawberries work amazingly with sweet creamer.
Coffee creamer can be used for much more than simply adding to your coffee! Whether you’re baking, cooking, or want to add something to tea or hot chocolate, you can use coffee creamer instead of milk. Coffee creamer is also typically lactose-free, making it great for people with milk allergies.
About the author
Erik Hedlund
With Era of We and The Coffee Lab, I hope to share knowledge, increase the value of coffee – and secure the future of coffee.
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