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!
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.
☕ 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.
🍽️ Instructions
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Homemade Caramel Coffee Creamer
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
Nutrition
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
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.
Do you have a dairy free version?
I don’t at this time. Sorry about that!
How long will this keep in the frig?
I’d recommend using the expiration date of your milk as a guideline, since it is the only perishable thing in this recipe.
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
That is a great tip!
did you ever do a price comparison on this? how much are you saving?
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.
I think I will try this,it look so easy! I’m just wondering …how much do you think this cost to make?
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.
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!
Great idea! I am drinking more coffee since it’s winter so I’ll have to give this a try! Thanks for sharing!