I can't have much in the way of dairy. And I don't like the chemically stuff in products like Coffee-Mate. I've tried the soy creamer from Trader Joe's, and it's not very rich and creamy, IMO. But I sometimes like a little creaminess to my coffee. Sooooo . . .
This is what I've been making and using all summer. A concoction of heavy whipping cream, soy milk, vanilla sugar and a drop or two of vanilla extract.
In a small pitcher, I combine:
- 1 ounce heavy whipping cream
- 3 ounces soy milk
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla sugar, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
I cover and store in the fridge.
4 ounces of my reduced-dairy, vanilla coffee creamer costs me less than 35 cents. The local Cash & Carry carries 32-oz containers of Coffee-Mate French Vanilla Creamer for $4.00 (or 50 cents per 4 ounces). So, I'm coming out ahead, in cost, and enjoying a more natural product. Your savings would be dependent on the cost of your ingredients.
With my lactose issues, I can't have milk at all, but I can have small amounts of heavy whipping cream. Heavy whipping cream has about half of the lactose of milk. So, when I use about 2 tablespoons of my less-dairy creamer, I'm getting the equivalent lactose of the amount in 3/4 of a teaspoon of milk. And I can just handle about that much at a time.
I realize that I'm probably the only one, here, who happens to keep a half-gallon carton of heavy whipping cream hanging around in the fridge. I do have unique circumstances right now, which are benefitting from the use of heavy whipping cream. But if you're inclined towards buying those flavored coffee creamers, keep this in mind for just after Thanksgiving, when you do happen to have some heavy whipping cream leftover. A 4-oz batch of this will only take about 1 ounce of heavy whipping cream, to add to 3 ounces of milk (any kind of milk, not just non-dairy). This will keep, refrigerated, for about 5-7 days (the soy version seemed to last longer than the all-dairy).
