Homemade Vanilla Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer
Homemade Vanilla Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer is super simple to make, has only 4 ingredients, and can totally replace the store-bought versions in your fridge. I love whipping up a batch of this to use all week in my coffee!
Homemade Vanilla Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer
Vanilla Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer is a simple, homemade alternative to store-bought versions, adding a rich and flavorful touch to your daily coffee. This recipe uses heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, and vanilla for a balanced sweetness and creamy texture that blends effortlessly into any coffee drink.
Whether you use vanilla extract or a whole vanilla bean, the result is a velvety creamer that enhances your coffee experience. It's easy to make and can be stored in the fridge for convenient use throughout the week.
Do you know what goes great with this coffee creamer? My homemade cold brew coffee, that's what. And when you put those two things together do you know what you get? A pretty good copycat, and my version of my new favorite Starbucks drink - my Homemade Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew.
Another great option is this Starbucks Sugar Cookie Syrup to add some more flavor to your drink!
Why you'll love it!
- Rich and Creamy: The heavy cream and whole milk create a smooth, indulgent texture.
- Customizable Flavor: Choose between vanilla extract or vanilla bean for different intensities.
- Easy to Make: With just a few basic steps, you can prepare a week's worth of creamer.
- Natural Ingredients: No artificial additives or preservatives.
- Versatile: Perfect for hot or iced coffee, lattes, or even tea.
Enjoy in our Cold Brew Coffee!
Recipe Shopping List
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here's the list of items you'll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Heavy Whipping Cream - This is necessary. Don't skip it! It adds necessary fat and creaminess to the mix.
- Sugar - Super fine sugar is going to be the best for this recipe, but regular granulated sugar works too!
- Vanilla Extract - The pure stuff, please. No imitation allowed.
- Whole Milk - This is another non-optional ingredient. You could get away with 2% instead of whole milk if that's what you have, though.
Delicious! ☕️ So happy to ditch the fake stuff and enjoy delicious coffee creamer.
Karen
Try this Copycat Reese's Coffee Creamer too!
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This is delicious! I followed the directions, and it turned out perfectly.
- Alley
How To Make This Recipe
This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Heat Cream: Warm the heavy cream over medium heat in a saucepan until it starts bubbling.
- Dissolve Sugar: Add sugar to the cream and stir constantly for about 2 minutes, ensuring it dissolves fully.
- Add Vanilla: Stir in the vanilla extract (or simmer the vanilla bean if using) and remove the pan from the heat.
- Incorporate Milk: Mix in the whole milk, stirring to combine.
- Store: Pour the creamer into a jar and refrigerate. Shake well before each use.
Try with some Homemade Kahlua!
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I've been searching for a simple creamer recipe made with whole ingredients and a good ratio of sugar/dairy, and this one is perfect! I halved the recipe and it fit perfectly into a 17oz IKEA Korken glass bottle, which is a nice bonus. Finally found my standard recipe!
- Charlene
Recipe FAQ
Store the creamer in a sealed jar or container in the fridge for up to one week. Shake well before using.
This creamer is best used cold, directly from the fridge. Reheating is not necessary but can be done on the stovetop over low heat if preferred.
Yes, you can make it up to a week ahead and keep it refrigerated. The flavor might intensify slightly over time, especially if using a vanilla bean.
You can substitute the whole milk with half-and-half for an even richer creamer, or use a non-dairy milk such as almond or oat milk for a dairy-free option. Adjust the sugar to your preferred sweetness level.
Have A Drink
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Homemade Vanilla Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer
Homemade vanilla sweet cream coffee creamer is simple and contains only 4 ingredients! Make your own and skip all the fake stuff.
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla (or ½ vanilla bean, whole*)
- 2 cups whole milk
Instructions
- Place heavy cream in a pan, and heat over medium heat until bubbling. Add sugar, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Stir in vanilla extract, and remove from heat.
- Mix in whole milk, and place in a jar in the fridge. Shake before use.
- *If using a vanilla bean, place it in the pot with the cream and let simmer during that stage for maximum flavor. Leave in creamer to continue to infuse liquid even in the fridge.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 114Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 14mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g
Nutrition data and serving sizes provided here are ONLY ESTIMATES. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Do not come at me in the comments, I'm over it. Thanks!
This is a simple way to whip up your favorite coffee creamer at home, with all real ingredients that you can actually pronounce.
Super easy and delicious when I'm craving a sweet cold brew!
Sarah
My husband and I loved this and he can be picky. I will definitely be making it again!
Mica
"This recipe is my go-to for coffee creamer and the only recipe you need for having the most delicious iced coffee at home! I make a large pitcher of it every week. I fill a cup to the top with ice, brew Green Mountain iced vanilla caramel coffee on the iced setting of my keurig, and add a good splash of this creamer…best iced coffee ever. First to get me to kick my expensive Starbucks habit!"
-Brittany (from Pinterest)
This sounds great!!! How long will it keep in the fridge?
As long as the expiration date on your milk and cream, for sure. It usually doesn't last that long at my house though!
I found this to be much too sweet and very much too high fat for me. I have adjusted the recipe to my taste: using regular whipping cream instead of heavy cream and 2% milk instead of whole milk, lowered the amount of sugar added to 1/3 cup. It's still delicious!
That's great! So glad your adjustments were to your liking. We definitely were going for a concentrate here, similar to the creamer you get in the grocery stores - so less is more! 😀
Just an FYI - heavy cream actually is heavy (whipping) cream and has 36% fat. Whipping cream generally has 30% (but can be up to 36%), so...you may want to switch back if you are going for a lower fat version.
Sorry, I was going to leave this for your reference and forgot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cream#United_States
FYI: it makes more than I use in a week, so instead of making a half batch, I tried freezing it. It worked, and now I only have to make it every other week 🙂
@Amber, THANK YOU.I WAS ABOUT TO KAKE IT AFTER COMMENTS AND THEN I THOUGHT GREAT IDEA I CAN FREEZE SOME!!!!!
Can I use it right away, or even still slightly warm, or does it have to cool all the way in the fridge first?
You can definitely use this while it is still warm. Yummmmm.
Does it hurt to use a sugar substitute instead of the regular sugar. Or do you know? Trying to cut the carbs! It sounds delicious! ?
Hey Lori,
I haven't tried it with any substitutes yet, but I can't see why it wouldn't work. Let me know if you try it! This is one of my favorites!
@Nicole Johnson, Hi, I make it with Heavy Whipping Cream, can of Sweetened Condensed Milk and a Tbsp. of Vanilla.A little different but just as good.
This is amazing just by itself! I did substitute 2Tbsp of sugar free "fasweet" brand liquid sweetener. I needed it to be lower carb.
@Sarah Vroman, where can u get the sf liquid sweetener from?
This creamer is very good, I also like the minor list of ingredients after I've cooked a large meal for a group the last thing I need is a complicated to make coffee creamer. On Thanksgiving I will celebrate my 45'th year as a certified gourmet chef, I don't own a restaurant, although I may perhaps do that later on, but I've made thousands of dishes for family friends, and party's, I just love cooking, it's so creative. Thank you
I am just curious as to why it has to be cooked. Is there some scientific reason for that, because the creams and milk is already pasteurized?
Nope! It is only cooked to fully incorporate the sugar into the cream. You can skip it if you'd like to, but you'll have to shake the bottle several times to make sure it dissolves.
@Nicole Johnson,
Bakers sugar (or caster sugar) is great for recipes like this where you need the sugar to dissolve but don’t want to cook it, although I use bakers sugar in almost all my recipes. (C&H sells bakers sugar in the supermarket here in the midwest.)
I will be making this this week and although I’m afraid to ask, lol, and it can’t be worse than the crap sold in stores, do you have the nutrition facts of this by any chance?
I don't off-hand, but I'll try and put those in there shortly!
what is the serving size? I see that it servers 24 and it's one serving, but one serving of what? Tablespoons, teaspoons, cups. How many of each? 114 calories for 2 tablespoons or 1 or 114 calories for 1 cup?
I haven't measured the final volume that this makes. If the nutrition information is ultra important to you, I might just go with a commercially prepared coffee creamer. 😀 The final count also depends on if you use cream or half-and-half. Hope that helps!
@Nicole Johnson,
That is not what the question was. The question was "What is the serving size" Nutrition info is not "ultra important" to me but I do wonder how you calculated the nutritional data "per serving" if you are not aware of what the actual serving size is. By posting the recipe along with the nutritional data I think you have a responsibility to ensure that it is accurate. Especially since as you noted you are an "Amazon Associate" that earns from "qualifying purchases"
Rude.
I'm glad you think you know what my "responsibility" is, on my site, that I own. Thanks for that. 😉
Nutrition data is only an estimate. I don't have a lab that can calculate this, so I use a tool to do that. Again, it is ONLY AN ESTIMATE. I also didn't measure out what 1/24th of the recipe is, either. Also - an estimate.
If you want exact numbers please just buy your coffee creamer from the store. If you are overly worried about sugar or calories, this likely isn't the site for you.
I hope your day gets better though so you can stop leaving rude comments on random food blogs.
@Nicole Johnson, Agreed. The rudeness was unnecessary from Omega. Don’t like what you see? MOVE IT ALONG PLEASE and and take your snark with you!
@Nicole Johnson, agreed! If your that serious about portion control but from store. This is homemade to save money and enjoy your own, not to worry about weight loss. Thanks for the recipe I’m excited to try it. I ran out of id creamer this morning
@Omega, seems there is always an OMEGA in the crowd..
@Omega, sheesh Karen.
Can I half this recipe? Does it turn out the same deliciousness?
Yup! You sure can!
Can you offer your idea or opinion on adding chocolate to this? I was thinking of offering vanilla cream and mocha cream at a breakfast.
I think that would be awesome! Personally, I'd use something like ovaltine or nesquick and then omit some of the sugar in the recipe. Great idea!
@Nicole Johnson, I just found your website and all I can say is OSG. Tried the coffee creamer and my daughter and I are in love. We just were talking about the incredibly high price actor International Delight coffee creamers at all of our local stores and voila we discovered you. I agree this is a cooking website not a nutrition site. If you are not happy with what you see, then move along. You have made lifelong fans from 2 coffee-addicted recipe lovers. Many thanks???
YUM! I made this with skim instead of whole milk because that's what I had on hand, and it is *still* delicious. Can't imagine how it'd taste with whole. <3 I think I've just developed a very bad coffee habit. XD
Hi. How long does this stay good in the refrigerator? What is the expiration date?
Hi Roze! It'll keep as long as the cream would normally keep. So check the expiration dates on the dairy you are using, and use that as a guideline. It'll likely keep a bit longer than that because it is cooked, but use your best judgment. I don't make more than we can use up in a week, personally.
Can you use Almond Milk?
I haven't tried that, but I imagine it would work just fine!
Excited to try this! I’m trying to cut out highly processed foods, white sugar is one of those items, along with my powdered creamer which I love(I know, weird, I’m cool with it). Soo hard to do. I shall try real organic maple syrup as my sweetener. Love ice coffee as well!! Thank you for your recipe and your spirit ❣️
Thank you for this recipe. I was looking for a simple recipe to replace my store bought creamer. I did use a sugar substitute and coconut milk, because that’s what I had, and it’s so delicious. Thank you!!
That's so awesome, Stephanie. I'm glad you liked it, and could adapt it to fit your needs!
This was a great recipe. Exactly what I was looking for. Taste just like what I buy at the store and was easy to make.
Thanks so much for letting us know! I'm so glad you liked it!
I’m going to try it today. How would I make a chocolate one like the Oreo id has?
I'd just add some chocolate syrup to the mix for a chocolate version. Sounds amazing!
this was SOOO good!! i only put like 1 1/4 cup of milk in it and 1 1/2 cups sugar.. i put it in my milk hot and it tasted yum
Amazing! Thanks for sharing. I'm so glad you liked it!
This sounds delish. Does it taste like the International Delite Cold Stone Creamery flavor?
I'm not sure! I haven't tried that one. It tastes like most of the vanilla varieties that are made with real milk and cream though. The International Delight creamers tend to be SUPER sweet and concentrated.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I don’t drink coffee, actually I’ve never had a cup in my life because I don’t like it. But I recently discovered Crio Bru and I’m addicted. So I had to find a creamer. The creamers in the store were expensive and had a lot of ingredients that were unhealthy. I love that with your recipe I can control the amount of sugar, type of milk and flavor all at the same time! I now have another use for my homemade vanilla. It’s an all around win!
So I totally missed reading the instructions and just combined all the ingredients. Gonna try it tomorrow in my coffee to see how it tastes. Will make the next batch correctly. ???
Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm just extra careful with milk. Sometimes if you boil it too aggressively it'll separate, and I hate that! If yours looks fine I'm sure it is going to taste awesome.
If I choose to not add the vanilla it any flavoring at all to this, would it taste like the sweet cream Creamer? Does it taste good?
Thank you!
I prefer the vanilla, but if you omit it should taste very similar to the sweet cream creamer.
@Ginger, I didn't add the vanilla, I'm not a fan of it but it's delicious with out it. A comment earlier about nutrition I myself are on a very strict Heart Healthy diet and u can pretty much make it healthy in your own recipes ( skim milk, less sugar, etc..
Could you actually can and process this?
I'm not sure. I'm not experienced canning dairy products. I'd consult a trusted source like a university that does testing on canning recipes before trying that. We just make as much as we can use before the cream we buy expires. It is quick and easy and then you know it'll be good.
This is fantastic! I'm so glad there was a recipe for my "can't live without " coffee creamer!! I did alter, simply to make more and clean out my fridge at the same time. I used all of the ingredients listed in the recipe but also added a can of sweetened condensed milk, pint of 1/2 & half and added an extra tsp vanilla as well as a tsp almond extract. AMAZING!!! Full of flavor and if it weren't for the glass jar, noone would know it was homemade. Bonus, my fridge is no longer full of dairy liquids that will expire next week.... coffee creamer doesn't last that long in my home.
Amazing!! Thanks for sharing your tweaks. I love it when people play with my recipes! Happy holidays!
This is excellent! I cut the recipe in half and used unsweetened almond milk instead of whole milk and it still comes out wonderful.
Can this be made with honey and oatmilk? Tx
I'm not sure, I haven't tried making it with those substitutions. I can't imagine why it wouldn't work though!
I used plant based milk, organic cane sugar, natural vanilla bean and NEW plant based heavy whipping cream and then froth it and make a makeshift starbs cold foam. Delicious!!! Also fantastic over hot coffee. ?
Really good recipe. Calorie count to proportion is comparable to store bought but has no ingredients I can’t pronounce. By ounce I estimated with all ingredients to be about 70 per ounce. Score 1 for homemade! I will never go back to store bought since I can flavor it with whatever the season calls for. Thank you so much ?
I guess if anyone needed nutrition content, they should look at the ingredients and figure it out. Its just not that hard. Think for yourself.? I am going to make this for my coffee! Thank you for sharing!
First off, I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I did want to ask, however, if I'm possibly doing something wrong. Once it's cooled and placed in my fridge, a thick, butter-like layer forms at the top of the mason jars I use for storage. Is that normal? Thank you!
That sounds pretty normal to me. Does it incorporate back into the mix when you shake the jar? What kind of cream are you using? You might consider stepping down a bit if you use that ulta-heavy 36% version! So glad you like it!
@Nicole Johnson, I usually just use the Great Value heavy whipping cream from Walmart. It will incorporate to a point, but there will be little chunks kind of after shaking to mix it. If it's put in hot coffee, it's hot enough to melt the butter-like chunks, but if it goes into iced coffee, they stay present. I'm going to try making it with half and half tonight to see if it still forms that layer and see how it tastes! I usually drink iced coffee, so if it still tastes great this way and doesn't form that layer, this way may end up being my go-to! ?
Delicious! In an effort to cut some calories/fat, I used 1 cup heavy cream + 1 cup half 'n half instead of all heavy cream [plus the 1 cup sugar and 2 cups whole (raw) milk]. My coffee was delicious this morning -- thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Sounds like a good substitute! So glad you liked it!
This is really tasty! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! We love it too.
Why do I heat up the whipping cream.. is it to melt the sugar ?
Yup! It makes the sugar dissolve faster. You can just combine it all and shake it and wait a while, but the heating method ensures you won't have any grainy sugar left.
Can you use 1% or non fat milk?
You can, but I wouldn't simmer it if you use 1% or non fat. Just mix it together and let it sit for a few hours and shake it here and there to get the sugar to dissolve.
This was amazing! My whole family loves it
Yay! I'm so glad you like it!
Hi thank you so very much for this wonderful opportunity to make my own Coffee creamers this is a great gift for me and everyone else thanks again ur awesome ?
Do I put it in the fridge while it’s still warm?
Yup!
I love this recipe. I hated that store brand had vegetable or soybean oil in them. I double the recipe and add extra vanilla flavoring just cause I love the flavor. I also use 2% milk instead of whole milk. It maybe on a bit fattier side due to the milk fat content but I’d rather have cow fat than the oils from the store brand. My husband actually likes it bette too!
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know!
Hello! Any idea of how to make this a bit creamier? Maybe increasing the cream by 1/2 or so? It’s delicious, but I like a bit more of a creamy texture if that makes sense?
This is pretty creamy already, but if you prefer creamier you can increase the cream or even use all cream if you want to get crazy. 😉
OMG! I was literally just telling my husband that I needed him to go to the store to get creamer and instead I looked up this recipe and, my word! 😲 All I can say is EXCELLENT! 👌 I had everything on hand which was so convenient! Thank you so much! 🤌🫶☕
Yay! I'm really glad you liked it. Thanks for letting me know!
Why does the cream need to be heated.
It doesn't necessarily "need" to be heated. But I prefer to do it this way. It helps the sugar dissolve fully.
Really a question: Can 1 qt of half & half be substituted for the 2 cps each of milk and heavy cream?
Yup!
I made the vanilla with vanilla paste it was really good but I prefer a hazelnut creamer. I tried using a hazelnut emulsion and it's just all wrong. If anybody knows a good hazelnut flavoring please let me know. Every extract I look at there's always somebody that says that it's wrong, and I understand that with the wrong flavor I already had. 😟 Thanks
Could you use honey in this instead of the sugar?
Probably! I've never tried it but you could give it a shot.
Bravo, coffee never taste better
Delicious and appreciated the share. My new go to. Tastes better than all the ones I have tried. I can’t really tell difference between it and ID sweet cream. Appreciate your sharing it.