By Samantha Cassetty, RD
In moderation, there is room for coffee creamer in a healthy diet. Here are the 8 healthiest brands to reach for.
Coffee itself is a healthy beverage, but what you add to it might change that. And these days, there are more coffee creamers than ever before. Do you want sweetened or unsweetened? Flavored or plain? Dairy creamer or a plant-based alternative? With all these options, choosing the healthiest coffee creamer can be a difficult task. As a registered dietitian, I dissected dozens of coffee creamer labels to find the healthiest coffee creamers to add to your morning brew.
Is coffee creamer healthy?
In reality, most coffee creamers are heavily processed foods, and diets high in ultra-processed foods are associated with numerous health problems. Coffee creamers may also contain some mix of saturated fats and added sugars. Too much of either is also associated with health issues, so it’s helpful to limit these substances and choose coffee creamers with less added sugar and/or saturated fat.
While coffee creamers can fit within a healthy diet, keep in mind that the information on a food label is tied to a certain serving amount. For coffee creamers, that’s typically a tablespoon. If you stir more into your coffee, you could be getting unhealthy amounts of added sugar, saturated fat and other ingredients in your creamer. This is particularly true if you’re drinking several cups of coffee per day.
Coffee creamer ingredients
The ingredients in coffee creamers depend on which type of creamer you’re choosing. Dairy-based cream is the most natural coffee creamer, with nothing but real milk and cream. Dairy-based flavored creamers may contain milk, cream (or derivatives of them), oils, flavors, sweeteners (whether artificial or natural), preservatives, thickening agents and emulsifiers. Plant-based creamers contain some mix of a plant-based milk (such as almond, oat, or coconut milk or cream), gums to thicken and mimic dairy’s creamy texture, emulsifiers, flavors and sweeteners. Coffee creamer powders may contain dehydrated milk, plant-based milk or a derivative of these ingredients. They may also contain sugars, oils, flavors, sweeteners and other additives.
How to choose the healthiest coffee creamer
When shopping for coffee creamers, consider the saturated fat and added sugars and scan the ingredients for additives. Here are some guidelines used to create the list of healthiest coffee creamers:
- No more than 2 grams of saturated fat.
- No more than 4 grams added sugar (the amount in one teaspoon).
- No carrageenan (a thickening agent that may be particularly harmful).
- No artificial sweeteners.
No. 1 healthiest coffee creamer
Organic Valley Grassmilk Organic Half and Half
This creamer contains nothing but organic milk and cream from grass-fed cows. While other creamers may have various additives, this one has no added sugar, flavors, thickeners or emulsifiers. Plus, grass-fed milk contains more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional milk, making this a better choice than ordinary half and half.
Worth noting: Half and half has a fair amount of saturated fat, with 2 grams per 2-tablespoon serving. This can certainly fit within a nutritious and balanced diet, but if you use more than the suggested amount (in all the coffee you drink daily) or eat a diet that contains a lot of red meat and other full-fat dairy foods, you may be consuming an unhealthy amount of saturated fat.
Healthiest coffee creamers
- Organic Lavender Almond Creamer
- Natural Bliss Sweet Cream Flavored Coffee Creamer
- Elmhurst Pistachio Creme Oat Creamer
- Nutpods Almond and Coconut Creamer
- Laird Superfood Tumeric Coffee Creamer
- Oatly Sweet & Creamy Oatmilk Creamer
- Silk Sweet Oat Latte Oat Creamer
Is coffee creamer powder healthy?
Traditional powdered coffee creamer is a blend of unhealthy ingredients, including corn syrup solids and hydrogenated vegetable oils. If you’re stuck somewhere, like a plane or hotel room, and it’s the only thing you can get your hands on, I wouldn’t worry about it, but I wouldn’t make it a daily habit. Several newer coffee creamers on the market are made with powder derived from coconut milk or cream. These tend to have fewer unhealthy ingredients, but because of their coconut origins, they can contain more than our cap of 2 grams of saturated fat per serving. I found several products that had natural ingredient lists and a reasonable amount of added sugar, but contained more than our upper target for saturated fat, so they were excluded for this reason.
Is non-dairy coffee creamer better for you?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a straightforward answer to this question. Non-dairy creamers may have less saturated fat than traditional half-and-half, but they also tend to have more added sugar and other food additives.
Healthy coffee creamer alternatives
In reality, it’s healthiest to lighten your coffee with low- or reduced-fat milk or unsweetened plant-based milk made with no or few additives. These options avoid or limit unwanted substances, like additives, added sugar and saturated fat. If you love flavored creamers, try adding a sprinkle of cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder or pumpkin pie spice. You can also add a splash of vanilla extract. These additions will trick your tastebuds into thinking you’re having something sweet without adding any sweeteners.
Healthy homemade coffee creamer
If you want to make coffee creamer at home, try this simple idea: Blend ¼ cup hemp seeds, ¼ cup milk, a splash of vanilla extract, and some cinnamon together in a blender. This recipe makes four servings. You can store it in the fridge for up to five days. The mixture may thicken when stored, but you can thin it with some warm water to your desired consistency before stirring it into coffee. Hemp seeds are rich in healthful fats, including the plant-based omega-3 ALA. You can also feel good about the fact that it contains no added sugar and no saturated fat.
Takeaways
There are a lot of coffee creamers on the market and some are healthier than others. In general, it’s healthiest to limit saturated fat and added sugars — substances that may be high in creamers. It’s also a good idea to limit food additives, which are present in heavily processed foods, like plant-based coffee creamers. That’s why the healthiest way to lighten your coffee is plain, low- or reduced-fat milk or unsweetened plant-based milk with the fewest additives. However, if these options don’t provide the creaminess you’re looking for, our list of healthiest creamers is a great guide.
