Skip the store-bought coffee creamer and make Homemade Coffee Creamer instead with only 3 ingredients. Not only will you save money but it tastes so rich and creamy in your morning coffee. We love it! Skip the additives and make this in under 5 minutes.
This homemade coffee creamer takes just three ingredients you probably already have: a can of sweetened condensed milk, your favorite milk, and vanilla extract. Shake it all together in a mason jar and you have a rich French vanilla creamer in about 5 minutes.
This recipe is so easy! I won’t buy coffee creamer again! I use half and half and flavor with vanilla and it reminds me of sweet cream. Thank you for the recipe!
-Keri
If you prefer a different flavor, scroll down for six easy flavor ideas, plus a version made with heavy cream instead of condensed milk. Want a shelf-stable option? Try our homemade powdered coffee creamer. If you’re pouring a cup now, it pairs perfectly with our easy coffee cake recipe.
Ingredients
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – This is both the sweetener and what makes the creamer thick and silky. One 14-ounce can is all you need. Out of it? Make our homemade sweetened condensed milk, or try the heavy cream version below that skips it.
- Milk – We use unsweetened almond milk, but any milk works. Whole milk, 2%, oat milk, half-and-half, and heavy cream are all great. The richer the milk, the thicker and creamier your creamer will be. Half-and-half tastes closest to store-bought sweet cream creamer.
- Flavoring – Add in Extract of your choice. We personally love vanilla extract for a delicious homemade French vanilla coffee creamer.
Scroll to the recipe card for the full recipe details.
How to Make Homemade Coffee Creamer
Follow along with my simple instructions to learn how you can make your own homemade coffee creamer.
Step 1 – Add the sweetened condensed milk, milk, and vanilla to a bowl or quart-size mason jar. Whisk everything together if a bowl or put the lid on the jar and shake it for about 30 seconds.
Step 2 – Store the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The creamer will last about a week.
Step 3 – Enjoy! Shake the jar before each use. The condensed milk can settle to the bottom as it sits.
Flavoring Variations
Start with the base recipe (condensed milk, milk, and vanilla), then make these easy swaps or additions:
- French Vanilla – The base recipe as written. For an even richer vanilla flavor, use half-and-half as your milk.
- Caramel – Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of caramel sauce or syrup.
- Amaretto – Reduce the vanilla to 1 teaspoon and add 1 teaspoon almond extract.
- Coconut – Swap the vanilla for 1 to 2 teaspoon coconut extract. One of our readers tried this and loved it.
- Pumpkin Spice – Add 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree and ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Shake well before each use, and use within a few days since the pumpkin shortens the shelf life.
- Peppermint Mocha – Whisk in 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract.
Chocolate shortcut: Another reader swapped ¼ cup of the milk for chocolate milk. It’s an easy way to make a lighter mocha creamer with no extra ingredients.
No Condensed Milk? Try This Heavy Cream Version
If you don’t have sweetened condensed milk, you can still make a rich, sweet creamer with heavy whipping cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add everything to a jar, shake well, and refrigerate for up to a week. It’s a little less sweet and a little thinner than the condensed milk version, with a nice maple flavor. All of the flavor variations above work with this version too.
Is Homemade Coffee Creamer Cheaper?
We love saving money, so we ran the numbers. One batch of our creamer costs about $3.53 and makes about 18 ounces or roughly 20 cents an ounce. A 32-ounce bottle of store-bought creamer at $6.24 works out to about 19 cents an ounce.
So is it cheaper? Here’s our honest answer:
- Homemade wins when you compare it to smaller bottles, seasonal or speciality flavors, or coffee shop drinks, and when you want to make several flavors from one base instead of buying a different bottle for each.
- Store-bought can win on price per ounce if you buy large bottles of a basic flavor on sale or a generic brand.
- What you get with homemade: real milk and sugar instead of the oil, corn syrup, and thickeners in many store-bought creamers.
How to make it even cheaper:
- Use whole milk instead of almond milk.
- Buy store-brand sweetened condensed milk.
- Make your own Sweetened Condensed Milk
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be, but it depends on what you compare it to and which milk you use. See our cost breakdown above for the real numbers and our tips for making it even cheaper.
Use it within about a week. Keep it in a sealed jar in the back of the fridge, where it’s coldest, and give it a sniff before using. If it smells sour or looks curdled, toss it.
Yes! Use our heave cream version above, made with heavy whipping cream, whole milk, maple syrup and vanilla.
The thick condensed milk settles to the bottom as it sits. Just shake the jar well before each use.
Absolutely! Because it’s already liquid and sweetened, it mixes right into ice coffee without any grainy sugar.
We don’t recommend it. Dairy tends to separate and turn grainy after thawing.
Storing Creamer Tips
- Storing – Keep your creamer in a mason jar or bottle with a tight lid in the back of the fridge, where it stays coldest. Use it within about a week, and shake before each use.
- Freezing – We do not recommend freezing homemade creamer as the dairy does not freeze well.
More Homemade Recipes
If you make this Homemade Coffee Creamer Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review. We love to hear from you.
Homemade Coffee Creamer
Ingredients
- 1 can sweetened Condensed Milk 14 oz.
- 1 cup Almond Milk
- 1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, almond milk, and pure vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
- Pour the creamer into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
- The homemade creamer will stay fresh until the expiration date listed on the almond milk used.
- Serve in coffee as desired and enjoy.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Milk options:Â Any milk works. Half-and-half or heavy cream makes it richer; almond or oat milk makes it lighter.Â
- Shake before using:Â The condensed milk settles to the bottom as it sits.Â
Could I use regular 2% milk instead of almond milk?
Yes, you can! The flavor will be slightly different but will still taste great!
Store it turning the container upside down and it will last months! This was an awesome recipe
Oh great tip! Thank you for sharing Diana and thank you for the positive review!
Made it with whole milk sure is great and easy.
So glad you loved it!
I made this and used Coconut extract! Amazing!
This recipe is so easy! I won’t buy coffee creamer again! I use half and half and flavor with vanilla and it reminds me of sweet cream. Thank you for the recipe!
Very good. I made it with chocolate whole milk 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup 1 percent white milk. Definitely keeping this recipe.
Just made the French Vanilla and it is very good! I’d rather have this than ready made:)
Thank you for your recipe. You have made my recipe hunt so simple. I haven’t tried this yet but I will as soon as I get sweetened condensed milk. I love maple syrup in my coffee, so I am going to make maple coffee creamer. I will also use oat milk instead of almond milk 🙂
Do you use unsweetened almond milk?
Yes, but any will work for this recipe!
Can this be made without the condensed milk? Thanks!
I haven’t tried that before. You can substitute with a homemade sweetened condensed milk. However, I do find that the condensed milk add the sweetness and thickness to this coffee creamer. If you find a great substitute or use the homemade version let us know how it turns out!