I don’t think for a moment that just because I choose to be frugal, that I have to miss out on life’s simple pleasures. As a matter of fact, I think that being frugal makes me appreciate life’s simple pleasures even more! Or maybe frugality forces me to look for those things in life that can be a pleasure?
One of my simple pleasures is International Delight coffee cream, French Vanilla flavoured. I quite often buy it, but I’ve been wanting to challenge myself by attempting to make things from scratch at home. In return for my efforts, I’ll cut down on cost as well as create something that is better for my health without all the additives!
I’d also like to make this a somewhat regular feature at Simply Frugal. I’ll be writing up semi regular (bi-weekly?) posts on items that can be bought at a store but can also be made at home! It’s going to be fun!
First up is my version of homemade flavoured coffee cream! Here’s my recipe for vanilla flavoured cream:
- 1 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 cup Milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
Combine all three of those ingredients in a jar (or even your old coffee cream container), shake it up, then enjoy! It should last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. (You’ll see all the ingredients and the jar I used in the above picture)
Here are some other flavour combinations you might enjoy:
Chocolate Raspberry: 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, 2 Tablespoons raspberry syrup
Chocolate Almond: 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon almond extract
Strudel: 1 Tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon almond extract
Amaretto: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon almond extract
What are some of the simple pleasures in your life?
*Linked to Frugal Friday at Life as Mom!
LOVE coffee creamers!
A true simple pleasure!
I look forward to seeing your other “make at home” recipes. Sometimes, besides saving $$, it’s also nice to know what you’re consuming.
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How much do you save making it yourself vs purchasing the cream?
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Also interested in how much it costs to make this vs. buy!
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A little simple math as I was in the grocery store this morning.
Firstly, though I actually think the best thing about this recipe is its ability to be modified and the lack of chemicals, preservatives, etc it has.
As for cost – in B.C. a can of condensed milk is about a dollar, 1 cup of milk is about 25 cents and two tsp of vanilla is less than 10 cents.
That adds up to about $1.50 and I’m being on the conservative side.
I just bought my coffee cream and took note of the price of the coffee sweetened creamers – $2.89 for about 340 ml.
Great post! Love it!
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Simply Frugal Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Thanks for doing the math Wendy! It is definitely cheaper doing it this way, but I also really like the fact that I know exactly what the ingredients are!
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Janet Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:06 am
Evaporated milk is $1.49 but sweetened condensed milk is in the range of $3.29 not a dollar. Milk would work out to about 50 cents a cup. The large container of creamer is $3.79 which is equivalent in size. So the only advantage I see is that there are no artificial flavours or preservatives or petroleum based artificial cream.
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Karen @ Abundance on a Dime Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:00 am
You can reduce the cost significantly by making your own condensed milk; it’s very simple! Take 1 cup skim milk powder, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup boiling water, and 3 tbsp melted butter and blend together well. I find the consistency’s a bit better if I let it sit for a day in the fridge before using. I have subbed this in many recipes calling for condensed milk and they’ve all turned out fine! I always have skim milk powder around as I use it (reconstituted) in all my cooking and baking as it’s cheaper than fluid milk.
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Simply Frugal Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Thanks so much for the condensed milk recipe, Karen!
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Simply Frugal Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 3:46 pm
I looked at my reciept again. I paid $3.19 for the condensed milk and about $0.23 per cup on milk as the 4L jug was $3.97 and there are about 17 cup in a 4L jug. I don’t mind that the cost is not much less if any, I just really like the more healthy ingredients. And it was fun!
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Tasty! I love the variations and will have to try the Amaretto one in some Amaretto tea!
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I just made some of the french vanilla and I’m having it with my coffee right now! It’s great!
Thank you so much.
Sherri
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I’ve looked for raspberry syrup (and cherry-flavoured) to add to my coffee, but haven’t had luck in local grocery stores. Any ideas about where to find them?
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Simply Frugal Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Dee, although on the pricier side, you might want to try your local coffee shops. Mind you, the big bottles of syrup go a long way!
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I gave up the french vanilla about 2 months ago and I really miss it.
I am so making this!!
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This sounds delish! Can’t wait to try it
Thanks for another great blog post!
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Thanks, this is awesome! I don’t care as much about the monetary cost as the cost to my body, and I definitely have a soft spot for creamer!
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this is the best thing i have read, possibly ever! I love coffee creamer soooooooo much, but never buy it because it is just too expensive. I think I will have to add this to my list of homemade coffee house type drinks!
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IN case anyone was wondering what the ingredients are in international delight coffee creamer:
Nutrition Facts
Calories and Nutrition Facts Label for International Delight Coffee Creamer, French Vanilla flavored – Fat, Carbohydrate, Protein, Fiber Points, Vitamins and Minerals
INGREDIENTS:
(Non-Dairy Product) Water, sugar, palm oil, corn syrup, contains 2% or less of each of the following: Sodium caseinate* (a milk derivative), dipotassium phosphate, natural and artificial flavors, mono and diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate, carrageenan, salt.
*Sodium caseinate is not a source of lactose.
Contains: Milk.
Needs No Refrigeration.
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So ifI wanted to make hazelnut flavoured cream I would just add about 2 tsp of flavouring?
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Simply Frugal Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 10:20 pm
Hi Filomena, I would suggest you try less to start, then add more if you want more flavour
Hope that helps!
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Thanks for the recipe! I made this this morning. I live in Alaska and we have very high food prices, so this did save me money over my purchased creamer; cans of sweetened condensed milk were $1.98 on sale and my normal creamer (International Delight) was $3.94 on sale, normally $4.29. Thank you for the idea!
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Any ideas on how to make caramel creamer? I was thinking of using caramel ice cream topping, but that would be just as expensive as buying the creamer itself.
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I have to say that when I saw this recipe a year or so ago, I thought there is no way I could be bothered to make it. Now we have moved to a place where they do not stock International Delights and I am really missing my creamer. Thank you for this recipe. I will definitely be trying it soon!
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