How to Make Your Own Healthy (non-dairy) Coffee Creamer
This self-care tip is for all the coffee lovers out there – especially for those who love it creamy:
Make your own (easy, healthy & tasty) milk/creamer to boost the health benefits.
In follow-up to my article from a couple of weeks ago (How to Enjoy Your Comfort Foods Without Feeling Guilty), I realize that I’m in good company with my love of coffee 🙂 And if you enjoy drinking your coffee black, good for you!
I, unfortunately, prefer mine a very, very light brown…which is what has spurred this week’s tip.
Coffee – Good for you or not?
As a nutritionist, I feel it’s important to first address the health aspects of drinking coffee: there’s been plenty of research over the years to support both the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ sides of regular coffee consumption.
Fortunately, a lot more has come out recently on the pro-coffee side which of course, as a coffee lover, I’m super happy to hear.
But even more important than following the expert’s findings, is tuning in to your own body to learn how it responds – because we’re all different, and research can’t tell us exactly what our bodies need or how they will react, either positively or negatively (a topic I passionately address in my book Finding Your Forever Body.)
As for the negative aspects, they can generally linked to 3 things:
1) Quality
2) Quantity
3) What gets put into it
Here are a few tips you can use to turn your coffee-drinking experience into a more positive one.
Quality…
Make sure to choose organic, high quality beans. This helps to reduce exposure to toxins – like pesticides and other chemicals used in the growing and processing of the beans.
And if you’re a decaf coffee drinker, make sure to choose Swiss Water decaf, as most other decaffeinating processes increase the chemicals in your coffee (rendering it not quite as healthy as you may have thought!).
Quantity…
Most positive research supports moderate consumption of 2-4 cups (even up to 6 cups) per day. Negative effects are mostly associated with overconsumption (or when caffeine is contraindicated for specific health concerns).
But again, only you can be the expert here. Tune in and notice: at which point does it no longer feel like a beneficial boost and instead send you into an anxiety-ridden spin?
What gets put into it…
The addition of cream, sugar, syrup and other toppings, as is the case with specialty coffee drinks, can turn coffee from a health-supportive supplement into a sugar-crash-waiting-to-happen very quickly!
But this doesn’t mean you have to have all the joy sucked out of your morning coffee ritual. There are ways to increase the health-supportive benefits without sacrificing the pleasure– including using substitutes like the one I’m suggesting here.
How do you like your coffee?
Personally, like many others (maybe even you), I love my coffee creamy – and if faced with a choice of black coffee, coffee with a little cream, or no coffee at all…I choose the cream.
But I don’t do terribly well consuming dairy products (I love cream, but cream doesn’t love me), which is also a common scenario, so whenever possible, I try to avoid the milk-based products.
The only problem is that I’ve been challenged in finding healthy non-dairy coffee creamers that I actually like!
My coffee is the one area that, until recently, kept me from avoiding dairy altogether.
I find the store-bought varieties of non-dairy creamers to be either too watery, too sweet, or too “healthy” tasting – and this takes all the pleasure away from my most treasured morning ritual.
Organic soy milk is the only thing I’ve found that remotely tastes good, but now the jury’s really leaning towards the anti-soy side, so I try to keep that one to a minimum.
Frustrated with lack of success in the grocery stores, I’ve had to take it to the kitchen to see what I could create on my own.
I’ve tried several recipes, and with a few modifications, I’ve found one that’s become my go-to as a suitable and tasty substitute for coffee cream, especially when I’m drinking more of it.
Healthy Homemade Hemp Milk (a.k.a. yummy coffee creamer)
I never liked hemp milk until I made it myself. But this recipe beats the store-bought stuff by a long shot!
Though I call it hemp “coffee creamer”, since most of mine goes into coffee, it also tastes great in cereals and smoothies and can be used in baking as milk substitute too.
Made with hemp seeds, I also know that it’s giving me a boost of nutrients, including protein, calcium, and omega-3 and -6 fats (vs. the saturated fat in cream). It also has a naturally sweet-nutty flavour, and doesn’t need to be sweetened much – though I personally like it slightly sweetened.
My daughter Eve and I made a video to show you how we make it 🙂
If you’re trying to make the switch from dairy too, watch and give it a try (recipe below), and vary it up to suit your own tastes.
Just don’t expect it to taste like milk – it’s a very different (yet yummy) taste.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup hemp seeds
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Natural sweetener to taste (stevia, honey, maple syrup, agave – the liquids mix well)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)
- 1 tsp cocoa powder (optional)
- 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
The last 3 ingredients are what makes it great for coffee – the little extra flavouring makes it almost like a specialty coffee beverage, without the high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavours.
Instructions
- Blend all ingredient in a blender on high until creamy (I use a Vitamix, but regular blender will work well).
- Store in refrigerator in a sealed container – and use within 5 days.
Note: some sediment will settle at the bottom of your container as it sits. Shake it up before pouring to ensure you get all the good stuff – or you can also strain it out before storing, with a nut milk bag, and use it in a smoothie or oatmeal, so nothing goes to waste!
Did you like this tip and recipe?
Please pass it on to the women (and coffee lovers!) in your life who want to simplify their self-care and amplify their energy and confidence!
Want personalized support to build your energy and confidence through self-care habits that stick?
Book a free 45-minute Confidence Kickstart Call with me to get clarity on your individual needs and see if you’re a fit for my signature program The Self-Care Success Formula (an intuitive meal-plan-free method that helps women stick to their wellness habits–even when life gets busy or hard).
To your most vibrant and fulfilling life,
