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Home » Recipes » Drinks

How to Make Homemade Caramel Coffee Creamer

Published: Jan 17, 2021 · Modified: Mar 10, 2023 by Ginny · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Making your own Homemade Caramel Coffee Creamer will make every cup of Joe a coffee house copycat. You will no longer yearn to visit expensive (and delicious) drive thru when you make this delicious cup at home for a fraction of the cost. No promises on calorie savings!

container of homemade coffee creamer pouring into a glass mug with coffee.
Frugal and Delicious Homemade Caramel Coffee Creamer
Contents hide
1 ☕ Ingredients
2 🍽️ Instructions
3 💰 Cost Savings
4 💡 Recipe FAQ
5 Homemade Caramel Coffee Creamer

The idea of DIY creamer has piqued my interest for quite some time. I can easily go through multiple bottles of coffee creamer in a week, since I’m a pretty heavy coffee drinker. At about $3 a pop, that’s $24 per month just on coffee creamer alone. So I decided to make it myself to see if I could save a few dollars.

I am always on the hunt to DIY anything I can and saw this post from 365 Days of Baking and felt inspired to make my own version but using caramel!  I made a few tweaks because the tutorial was for vanilla creamer and I wanted to create a caramel coffee creamer. It was also too sweet for my taste, so I added a bit more milk.

Overall, I love making my own creamer at home. Just in case you’re wanting to try as well, I thought it would be a good idea to answer some of the most common questions that people have about making their own DIY creamer.

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☕ Ingredients

Sweetened Condensed Milk – This is typically purchased in the baking aisle at your grocery store. I have made the mistake (more than once) and bought evaporated milk instead of this. Just be careful when you are purchasing.

Torani Syrup – I find this in the coffee aisle at the grocery store. They aren’t that expensive, and best of all, a little goes a long way!

If there is another flavor you prefer, give it a shot! Torani has several flavors to try out including sugar free options. If you have a Homegoods or World Market near you, check them out for the syrups as they generally have smaller packs. You can try 3-4 different ones without committing. This also helps you make several different kinds of coffee flavorings without a huge commitment.

Torani Syrup

🍽️ Instructions

six process shots showing how to make the homemade caramel coffee creamer and pour it into a cup of coffee.
Simple Instructions to Make a Large Batch of Creamer!

Step One: Add milk to a container. I repurposed a plastic jug, but I think I would use a pitcher next time to make it easier to pour.

Step Two: Add a can of sweetened condensed milk.

Step Three: Add vanilla extract and the Torani caramel syrup.

If you have never attempted it, make your own homemade vanilla extract. It is super easy and a LOT less expensive that buying it in the store.

Step Four: Stir extremely well. The sweetened condensed milk will settle to the bottom, so stir and stir!

You’re done! Pour a little into your coffee and enjoy your own homemade creamer!

💰 Cost Savings

The biggest expense in this recipe is the sweetened condensed milk. In order to lower the cost, you can make your own.

You do save a little money by making it yourself, but if you’re only doing this from a cost-saving perspective, it’s really not worth it. With that said, I do think this tastes incredible and I love being able to customize the taste to my preference. I also like the fact that I know exactly what goes into the recipe.

💡 Recipe FAQ

Can You Use Evaporated Milk?

You can! If you want to swap out the sweetened condensed milk for evaporated milk, it can be a great way to make creamer for coffee. The taste will be a little bit different but it’s still really, really good. 

What is a Good Substitute for Creamer in Coffee?

While making your own creamer is a great choice, you can always use almond milk as a substitute. If you’re looking for a specific taste and flavor, you can pretty much substitute in a wide variety of flavors as well. Almond milk is lactose free. I don’t find it quite as creamy as milk-based creamers, but I really appreciate the lower calories.

Is Coffee Mate Creamer Bad for You?

Too much of anything is unhealthy. If you’re worried about the ingredients that you’re drinking multiple times throughout the day in your coffee, this is where making a healthy coffee creamer at home can be a great choice. 

How Do I Know if Creamer is Bad?

The simple sniff test is one way that you can easily find out if your homemade creamer is no longer good. If it smells sour, throw it out. If you’re pouring the creamer and it’s curdled, it’s no longer any good. And if you pour it into your coffee and it doesn’t mix in right away, there’s a good chance that it’s past its prime and needs to be tossed out.

pouring homemade coffee creamer into a red cup filled with coffee

Homemade Caramel Coffee Creamer

You will no longer need to visit expensive coffee shops when you make this delicious cup at home for a fraction of the cost. No promises on calorie savings! Use 2% Milk to make this WW friendly at 3 points!
4.50 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 32
Calories: 53kcal
Author: Ginny

Ingredients

  • 14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 18 oz Milk
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 tbsp Torani Caramel Syrup

Instructions

  • Pour milk into container. You can reuse an old coffee creamer bottle if you have one on hand.
  • Add can of sweetened condensed milk.
  • Add vanilla and caramel syrup.
  • Stir very well as the sweetened condensed milk will rest at the bottom if you don't. 
  • Pour into your coffee.
  • Stir, taste and adjust the ingredients to your liking.

Notes

Substitutions: Swap out the condensed milk for evaporated milk, it can be a great way to make creamer for coffee. The taste will be a little bit different but it’s still really, really good. 
Is Creamer Still Good: The simple sniff test is one way that you can easily find out if your homemade creamer is no longer good. If it smells sour, throw it out. If you’re pouring the creamer and it’s curdled, it’s no longer any good. And if you pour it into your coffee and it doesn’t mix in right away, there’s a good chance that it’s past its prime and needs to be tossed out.
Inspiration: Thanks to 365 Days of Baking for the inspiration on your Vanilla Creamer. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1oz | Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 67mg | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 54mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @savorandsavvy or tag #savorandsavvy!
Ginny
Ginny

Hi!

Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.

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How to Make Homemade Caramel Coffee Creamer
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About Ginny

Hi!

Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bindi U says

    December 11, 2023 at 12:35 pm

    5 stars
    I love that you can control how sweet you want it

    Reply
  2. Frankie crooks says

    October 10, 2023 at 1:19 pm

    1 star
    I can’t taste the Carmel I used 18ounces milk 14 oz cond,sweetener 2/ cans. Iran vanilla 1/2 cup carmel taste very sweet but not like a carmel taste

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      October 11, 2023 at 12:33 pm

      Yes, ours is not a dominate “in your face” caramel coffee creamer. I know most recipes call for almost ½ caramel to ½ milk product and we just think that is too much for our taste buds. That’s what’s so great with so many recipes, try them to find out what makes you happy! Cheers!

      Reply
  3. CarolAnn says

    January 19, 2016 at 1:06 pm

    Love the idea of freezing I freeze left over coffee in ice cube trays so I can drink my coffee without burning my mouth. Will start saving my empty creamer containers

    Reply
  4. Nickib says

    August 28, 2014 at 9:50 am

    I’ve been making my own coffee creamer for about a year now, initially trying to recreate the Italian Cream flavor. I don’t think it’s actually any cheaper (my recipe), but I know it’s better without all of the chemicals! I use a simple recipe of equal quantities of Sweetened Condensed Milk and Evaporated Canned Milk. I usually use 2 cans of each, heat it on the stove to mix well and shake in some powdered vanilla coffee creamer. Even though there is still “milk” in the ingredients, I think it stays fresh longer than using “regular” milk. Be careful when heating because if you don’t keep the heat on low and stir constantly the Sweetened Condensed Milk will start to caramelize and you will have little bits of dark stuff in your creamer. It doesn’t hurt it, but it’s not as appealing as smooth, bit-free creamer. At first my homemade version didn’t taste as sweet as the brand name, but now we are used to it and it is yummy, especially on cold mornings.

    Reply
  5. BKay says

    May 05, 2014 at 2:40 am

    Do you have a dairy free version?

    Reply
    • Jazmin Rode says

      May 05, 2014 at 1:56 pm

      I don’t at this time. Sorry about that!

      Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    May 02, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    How long will this keep in the frig?

    Reply
    • Jazmin Rode says

      May 05, 2014 at 1:58 pm

      I’d recommend using the expiration date of your milk as a guideline, since it is the only perishable thing in this recipe.

      Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    February 09, 2014 at 2:26 pm

    If you like the cinnamon/vanilla, instead of making the special creamer you can add a dash of cinnamon and 1/2 t. of vanilla to the top of your ground and brew. Yummm

    Reply
    • Jazmin Rode says

      May 05, 2014 at 1:58 pm

      That is a great tip!

      Reply
  8. The Shabby Farm Chick says

    January 30, 2014 at 11:29 pm

    did you ever do a price comparison on this? how much are you saving?

    Reply
    • Jazmin Rode says

      May 05, 2014 at 2:00 pm

      I haven’t yet (I am so forgetful!) but I will price it out next time I make this. My gut instinct tells me I’m not saving an incredible amount of money since milk is over $4 per gallon in my area. But if you live in a lower cost of living area, I do think there would be considerable savings.

      Reply
  9. Anonymous says

    January 15, 2014 at 12:13 pm

    I think I will try this,it look so easy! I’m just wondering …how much do you think this cost to make?

    Reply
    • Jazmin Rode says

      May 05, 2014 at 2:00 pm

      Due to the cost of living in my area, I’m not saving an incredible amount of money since milk is over $4 per gallon here. But if you live in a lower cost of living area, I do think there would be considerable savings.

      Reply
  10. Katie @ Addicted 2 DIY says

    January 09, 2014 at 4:17 pm

    This looks so yummy! I usually just put skim milk in my coffee, but I may have to try this. I bet it would be great in an iced coffee as well. Thanks for linking up to the Thursday STYLE link party! Hope to see you at the party again this week!

    Reply
  11. Sarah E @ theteacherswife.com says

    January 09, 2014 at 8:06 pm

    Great idea! I am drinking more coffee since it’s winter so I’ll have to give this a try! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
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Family Photo Hi! I'm Ginny and for over 30 years, I've been creating simple and easy recipes without sacrificing on taste for our family on the go. I can't wait to show you how to do the same for your family. Read More...

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