I don’t think for a moment that just because I choose to be frugal, 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 flavored. I don’t 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!
Here’s my recipe for homemade flavored coffee cream (Vanilla):
- 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 flavor 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
Is there a way to make the hersheys Carmel chocolate creamer?
How do u make it sugar-free
Thank you so much for this recipe! I used 1 teaspoon hazelnut extract with 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder for a Nutella flavored creamer. My morning coffee never tasted so good!
I also use powdered milk in all my baking and cooking. (Reconstituted) it adds the protein with out the fat. Works great for cream based soups believe it or not! I’m happy to see a recipe for condensed milk, I’ll be sure to try that probably soon!
How do you make the French vanilla creamer. What type of milk are you using. Whole, 2% ,1% or skim milk?
We usually have 1% milk on hand so that is what I use. But I think any milk would work just fine.
I buy International Delights because it is Dairy free.
This recipe isn’t and would work for me with a milk allergy. 🙁
@Rachel
I know there is a condensed coconut milk you could try instead to make it dairy free 🙂
How long does this last?
I’d say it lasts as long as the milk does. So if you write the expiry of the milk on the coffee creamer bottle, you should be able to tell when it’s getting close to going bad. Hope this helps!
I found this while looking on the web to find a homemade version of my husband’s treasured International Delight Amaretto. We ran out this morning and the closest grocery store is over 30 minutes away. Thanks for a homemade fix!
This might be a dumb question but is the condensed milk can equivalent to a cup?
If not, what do you do with the leftover?
Not a dumb question! I think the can is more than 1 cup, but you could just do 1 part condensed milk to 1 part regular milk so that you use the whole can. Hope that helps!
I use the extra sweetened condensed milk in my coffee…its just a sweetener, but so much better than sugar. About 1 tsp in your hot coffee…
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!
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.
If you have a Dollar Tree near you, they actually sell hazelnut and caramel and vanilla coffee syrups! The caramel is a great addition to my coffee and would suggest looking there, also, the syrups in the coffee isle would go a long way just as a bottle of raspberry syrup 🙂
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!
So ifI wanted to make hazelnut flavoured cream I would just add about 2 tsp of flavouring?
Hi Filomena, I would suggest you try less to start, then add more if you want more flavour 🙂 Hope that helps!
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.
And that is why I don’t buy the flavored coffee creamers! That ingredient list is a bit scary. I would try this recipe though. Usually I just use whipping cream.
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!
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!
This sounds delish! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
Thanks for another great blog post!
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!!
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?
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!
Have you looked with the maple syrup? That is where it is at my store.
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
Tasty! I love the variations and will have to try the Amaretto one in some Amaretto tea!
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!
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!
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.
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.
Thanks so much for the condensed milk recipe, Karen!
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! 🙂
For those that are lactose intolerant you can sometimes find sweetened condensed coconut milk.
Also interested in how much it costs to make this vs. buy!
How much do you save making it yourself vs purchasing the cream?
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. 🙂