peppermint Archives • A Sweet Pea Chef

Love coffee creamer, but hate all the chemicals and added sugar? Here's how to make homemade coffee creamer that's healthy and free of refined sugar plus how to make flavored coffee creamer with just 5 ingredients. Enjoy a cup of your favorite flavored coffee guilt-free plus I'll share my top 5 Healthy Flavored Coffee Creamers! Are you a coffee drinker? A good cup of coffee goes a long way. There's just something so perfect about a great cup of coffee first thing in the morning, am I right? Not only does coffee help you to wake up and start off your day energized, but drinking coffee actually has a lot of health benefits, too. I consider myself somewhat of an expert when it comes to coffee (pushes up glasses). So much so that I created my very own clean coffee blend. It's organic and absolutely delicious. But for a really satisfying cup, I like to add some cream. If you asked me what food I’ve had the hardest time giving up since choosing a clean eating lifestyle, without a doubt, it would be coffee creamer. Before giving up sugar, I would indulge daily in a thick, creamy, flavored coffee. And I LOVED it. (More on that here!) In fact, I loved it so much I didn’t want to give it up. Slowly, but surely, I was able to reduce my dependence on it by learning to enjoy coffee with just a little coconut milk or some pure maple syrup. But that warm cozy feeling of watching the thick, sweet creamer swirl around gorgeously in my coffee never really goes away - it’s just less of a need. First off, caffeine increases your energy levels and is also one of the very few natural substances that aids in burning fat. If you still need convincing that enjoying a cup or two is good for you, just know that coffee is full of nutrients and antioxidants so it’s no wonder you feel better after enjoying a cup of coffee. Coffee makes you happier. It’s science. Although coffee’s great and all, many of us don't really like plain, black coffee. That's why there are tons of options, like milk, sugar, coffee creamers, syrups to add into your coffee. Unfortunately, this turns your healthy cup of coffee into a cup full of sugar, partially hydrogenated fats, and all sorts of other chemicals that are not good at all for you. Now, don't get me wrong -- I still like to enjoy my coffee with some homemade creamer, flavor, and sweetness. Sure, it adds some calories, but I believe you have to indulge yourself a bit. Still, I always try to eat (and drink) as healthy as possible, and the best way to do it is to swap the store bought stuff with homemade. Fewer ingredients, no additives or hidden sugars - sign me up! So, YES, you can still enjoy your favorite flavored coffee and stick to your healthy ways. Making coffee creamer at home is far easier than it may sound. Let me show you to make coffee creamer for yourself! Is Coffee Creamer Bad For You? Unfortunately, most store-bought coffee creamers are very unhealthy for you. They contain high amounts of sugars, fats, and chemicals. Even the sugar-free and/or fat-free options contain bad stuff so they’re no better. Ideally, you want to get yourself into a position where you're drinking clean coffee and creamer, both. What’s in (Store-Bought) Coffee Creamer? Here are the ingredients in what was my favorite brand (Coffee-Mate Hazelnut Creamer): Water Sugar Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oil Sodium Caseinate (a Milk Derivative) Phosphate Disodium Phosphate Mono- and Diglycerides Cellulose Gel Cellulose Gum Color Added Natural and Artificial Flavors Carrageenan Overall, not a very pretty picture. First off, there are waaaaay too many ingredients here for a very simple mixture (you can read more about that here). Second, there is partially hydrogenated oil which is very bad for you, along with a slew of very processed ingredients. Now, here are the ingredients for my healthy homemade creamer recipe: Almond milk (or any unsweetened milk of choice) Raisins Pure maple syrup Arrowroot starch (or tapioca starch) Pure vanilla extract All whole ingredients, all waaaaay better for you. All just as tasty as the fake stuff you’ve been used to. How to Make Homemade Coffee Creamer You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to make homemade coffee creamer. What once was a magical solution of sweet goodness is really just a few simple ingredients for coffee bliss. Here are the easy steps for how to make homemade coffee creamer: Prepare homemade condensed milk using raisins and milk Combine condensed milk with more whole milk, pure maple syrup, arrowroot starch, and vanilla extract Refrigerate Enjoy! That’s seriously it. Have it ready for your morning coffee or an afternoon iced coffee. So easy and so simple. How to Make Different Flavors of Coffee Creamer In this post, I share a base homemade coffee creamer and 5 other variations for homemade coffee creamers. If you wanted to make your own homemade coffee creamer with your fave flavors, you could replace the vanilla extract with any of the following for more flavor options: Hazelnut extract Chocolate extract Peppermint extract Maple extract Coconut extract Almond extract I think you get the idea - add any flavor you like or even combine flavors, like almond and chocolate or chocolate and peppermint. You can also not add any extract for a plain flavor, if you’d prefer. Check out below for some great options to get you started! HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE CREAMER LAST? Homemade coffee creamers can last up to a week in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. I store mine in reusable milk bottles and mason jars and always make sure they’re properly tightened. Then, I just grab them, give them a shake to mix all the flavors together, and then pour a little into my coffee. Perfect, right? So, let's get to the homemade coffee creamer recipes, shall we? Homemade Coffee Creamer Recipes 1. FRENCH VANILLA CREAMER Nothing goes better together than coffee and vanilla. It’s a good thing that making Healthy Homemade French Vanilla Creamer is super easy! (See recipe below!) 2. PEPPERMINT MOCHA CREAMER Once you try this Homemade Peppermint Mocha Creamer, you’ll never put another store-bought creamer in your coffee again! (See recipe below!) 3. HAZELNUT CREAMER The rich flavor of hazelnut will make any cup of coffee taste like a treat. Good thing making Homemade Hazelnut Creamer is crazy simple! (See recipe below!). I love LOVE this recipe with my Better Than Yesterday coffee blend, which strikes a balance between bright, sparkling fruit and deep, roasted flavor. 4. CHOCOLATE CREAMER How is it possible that your favorite chocolate flavored coffee drink tastes amazing and is also actually good for you? This healthy Homemade Chocolate Creamer is so rich and chocolately! (See recipe below!) 5. CINNAMON CREAMER Spice up your coffee by adding some Homemade Cinnamon Coffee Creamer to your coffee. Yum! (See recipe below!) How to Make Coffee Creamer + 5 Easy Flavors | Recipe Video Homemade Coffee Creamers Enjoy a cup of your favorite flavored coffee guilt-free! Making homemade coffee creamers is easier than you think. Let me show you how to make coffee creamer plus I’ll share my top 5 Healthy Flavored Coffee Creamers! For the Homemade Condensed Milk:2 cups milk of choice ((I prefer almond milk, whole milk or coconut milk))1 cup raisinsFor the Homemade Coffee Creamer:1 1/2 cups condensed milk ((see recipe above))1 cup milk of choice1 tbsp pure maple syrup1 tsp arrowroot starch1 tbsp pure vanilla extractFor French Vanilla Creamer:1 tbsp pure vanilla extract For Peppermint Mocha Creamer:1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder1/8 tsp espresso powder1 tsp peppermint extractFor Hazelnut Creamer:2 tsp hazelnut extract ((can also use almond extract))For Chocolate Creamer:2 tsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder1/2 tsp pure vanilla extractFor Cinnamon Creamer:1 tsp pure vanilla extract1 tsp ground cinnamon (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon extract) For the Homemade Healthy Condensed Milk:In a sealable container or mixing bowl, combine the milk and raisins, and then place in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4-5 hours. (You can also cook over medium-low heat on the stove-top, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes). Note: this process will work to naturally thicken and sweeten the milk. You can use soaked raisins as a topping for oatmeal or to sweeten smoothies so as not to waste, if you'd like).Strain the raisins from the milk using a fine mesh strainer; discard the raisins.In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 1/2 cups of the homemade condensed milk, additional milk, pure maple syrup, and arrowroot starch.Cook the mixture for 6-8 minutes, or until the mixture stars to thicken and almost begins to bubble.Remove from heat and add in the pure vanilla extract, and stir to combine.You can transfer this base creamer recipe to a sealable container and store in the fridge until ready to use. As is, it keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. French Vanilla Creamer:Add additional vanilla extract to base creamer recipe and stir to combine.Transfer this to a sealable container and store in the fridge until ready to use.For Peppermint Mocha Creamer:Add cocoa powder, espresso powder, and peppermint extract to base creamer recipe and stir to combine.Transfer this to a sealable container and store in the fridge until ready to use.For Hazelnut Creamer:Add hazelnut extract to base creamer recipe and stir to combine.Transfer this to a sealable container and store in the fridge until ready to use.For Chocolate Creamer:Add vanilla extract and cocoa powder to base creamer recipe and stir to combine.Transfer this to a sealable container and store in the fridge until ready to use.For Cinnamon Creamer:Add vanilla extract and cinnamon to base creamer recipe and stir to combine.Transfer this to a sealable container and store in the fridge until ready to use. 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