For many, milk is an essential ingredient that is part of any well-stocked pantry.
Milk can be used in pasta, in creamy dishes, in homemade gravy recipes, and most deliciously, as a main ingredient for your favorite milkshake!
However, if you suddenly run out of milk and need it badly, what can you use a substitute?
Good thing, there’s something we can use in replace of milk – coffee creamer!
Obviously, coffee creamer is used for coffee, but do you know that it can also be used as part of your dishes?
For this article, we’ll discuss some of the ways you can use coffee creamer as a substitute for milk other than just making your coffee taste better.
What Is Coffee Creamer?
A coffee creamer is a milk-based product that is added in your coffee.
There are various coffee creamer types available in the market – dairy, non-dairy, liquid, powdered or mini sealed cups.
Some have added flavorings to diversify their taste. Mostly, coffee creamers are made up of water, sugar, and vegetable oil.
Depending on the coffee creamer type, some should be stored in a refrigerator, while others can be kept in an air-tight glass jar at room temperature.
What is the difference between coffee creamer and milk when it comes to cooking?
So, you might be wondering, how will coffee creamer affect your dishes if used instead of regular milk?
In general, regular milk is less sweet than a coffee creamer since we mentioned earlier that one of the main components of the coffee creamer is sugar, or artificial sweetener.
Not only that, coffee creamer also has a higher quantity of fat, thus making it creamier than regular milk.
Therefore, if you’re watching your weight, you may opt to use a coffee creamer that is low in fat and calories.
You might need to consider these things before using coffee creamer instead of milk to perfectly balance the taste of your dishes – not too creamy, and not too sweet.
How to Use Coffee Creamer in Place of Milk: 9 Tips
Now that you know the difference between coffee creamer and regular milk, let’s get down to some of the ways you can use coffee creamer in place of milk.
1. Make your chocolate and coffee drinks aromatic
If you’re sick of the regular chocolate or coffee drink on a cold night, why not add an aromatic flavor to it?
Coffee creamers not only make any drink sweeter and creamier, but they also can add a variety of sweet tastes.
That is, of course, if you bought one that has a distinct flavor such as mocha, hazelnut, caramel, peppermint, or even pumpkin spice.
There are other flavors available on the market, so the next time you visit your local store, go ahead and look for something that will satisfy your taste buds.
You’ll be surprised at how coffee creamer can give new life to your regular drink.
Depending on how creamy and strong you want the flavor to be, you may add a tablespoon or two to your hot cup of coffee, or chocolate.
It’s good to try this out with children, too!
2. Make healthy biscuits
You can use dairy-free creamer to make healthy, flaky, and yummy biscuits.
You may use the unsweetened kind, or those with flavors to enhance the taste of your biscuit.
To use, add the coffee creamer of your choice to your dough before proceeding with the baking process.
3. Experiment with your own milk tea
Not only can they be added to your chocolate and coffee drinks, coffee creamers can also be used to make your own version of milk tea!
For black tea, it is suggested to use nutty flavors, such as hazelnut, toffee nut, or pecan.
Meanwhile, for peach and orange teas, it is highly recommended to add caramel-flavored coffee creamer.
Unlike milk, coffee creamer will give your milk tea a finer yet creamier texture.
4. Produce creamy soup
On a cold day, warm yourself and please your taste buds by making a hot and creamy soup.
Unflavored coffee creamer would be best to add if you want to make your soup creamier without adding unnecessary taste.
For example, rather than using regular milk to make mushroom soup, you can add coffee creamer instead.
This will make a hearty and creamy soup!
Also, if you need to make a huge amount of soup, it is also good to add coffee creamer to stretch your supply without making it bland, or less tasty.
You can use coffee creamer to make hot vegetable soup, such as broccoli, potato, and pumpkin spice soup.
Gradually add coffee creamer, whisking it until you get the desired creaminess that you want.
5. Create instant vanilla icing
If you need to make vanilla icing quickly, using coffee creamer will be a big help!
To make, use 1 tablespoon of vanilla-flavored liquid coffee creamer and mix it with a half cup of powdered sugar until you have a smooth consistency.
For a thinner texture, you may add a small amount of coffee creamer at a time.
Vanilla icing can be added to your pastries, such as doughnut, cakes, and sweet breads.
6. Combine with hot cereals for breakfast
Do you love eating cereal for breakfast? Then why not try adding coffee creamer to it?
One of the benefits of adding coffee creamer to cereal is it will make a smooth and creamier texture.
Instead of milk, use vanilla-flavored coffee creamer to your oatmeal, porridge, granola, cornflakes, or cream of wheat to add extra flavor and enhance its consistency.
Also, feel free to try out various coffee creamer flavors. Make your morning more fun and exciting with a unique breakfast!
This recipe is easy and can be served in just a few minutes, perfect for people who are in a rush but still want to eat a healthy and hearty snack.
7. Make creamy mashed potato
For a better and more flavorful version of mashed potato, use coffee creamer instead of milk.
Rather than using a powdered one, use unflavored liquid coffee creamer for a richer, creamier, and smoother texture. Make sure to heat it up so it will easily blend into your mashed potato.
Alternatively, you can also use dairy-free coffee creamer instead if you’re allergic to dairy.
This way, you can have a richer and creamier mashed potato without triggering your allergies.
8. Mix with fresh fruits
We know that fresh fruits are best served with yogurt, or cottage cheese.
However, you can also mix a refrigerated liquid coffee creamer to enhance your healthy snack.
Try experimenting until you get the taste that you prefer.
Some flavors of coffee creamer do not blend well with fresh fruits, while others taste like they’re made for each other!
9. Add to your pancake and waffle batter
If you want to be a little extra in making pancakes or waffles for breakfast, you may add liquid coffee creamer instead of milk.
If you just want to have a creamy texture, you can use the unflavored one.
If you want to add flavor, you can use the flavored coffee creamer instead, such as mocha, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, raspberry, or buttercream.
To use, add a few teaspoons up to a half cup, depending on the amount of batter you’ll make, as a substitute for milk or water.
Mix together until you make a batter, then fry it to make pancakes, or press it on the waffle maker. Easy!
And that’s it for today’s article. Now that you know the other uses of coffee creamer aside from adding it to your coffee, make sure to share it with your family and friends!