Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer That's Worth Using

My hub got me started on coffee; my parents think I've lost my mind and my taste buds. It must be said that I don't drink coffee black, I drink frilly coffee - once hub was in the kitchen when I made myself a mug of coffee and he said "Um... why does yours smell and look like hot chocolate?" Well, it was because there was so much creamer and sugar in mine.

So one reason my most recent decision to drop dairy until M is weaned made me sad was that I had just made some of that 3 ingredient coffee creamer from pinterest. If you pinterest much, you've probably seen it; it's not a good link it's just a picture showing supposed homemade creamer with 3 ingredients next to some Coffee Mate. I made mine with 2 cups of milk, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, and caramel syrup; it was fabulously yummy (but how can you ever go wrong with sweetened condensed milk!)

I tried store bough coconut coffee creamer last time I went dairy free and it left me wanting, a LOT. I really didn't want to go back to that again. I didn't find it really worth using. Plus those non-dairy powder creamers, that are nothing short of yuck. 

I got to thinking "there has got to be a way to make something similar to the pinterest recipe, but with non-dairy ingredients." I did a google search for "vegan substitute sweetened condensed milk" and I got hits recommending "cream of coconut." I decided I could mix that with soy milk. Tonight I tried this mix... and it was amazing!

At first I was worried because the cream of coconut looked like solid coconut oil on the top and I didn't know how I would get this solid mass to mix into my soymilk. But hub was smart and suggested that it might not be solid under. I started stirring and it was definitely just separated. If I were to do something different I would pour it into a bowl and wisk it really good - I had a few lumps left in the final produce :(

So do what I didn't, wisk your cream of coconut til smooth, then mix in 2 cups soymilk (or whatever milk you choose, I just have soy in the house). Next the next step is to enjoy and dry not to drool over it to much. I really think I could drink this straight, or eat it by the spoon-full. I cannot wait to make coffee in the morning!

** Just in case, I feel I should say... I am definitely not a nutritionist. I doubt this is a healthy alternative to other coffee creamers; this is just me sharing a recipe for something that is dairy-free. I didn't look how much sugar is in this cream of coconut but I bet it's not worse than sweetened condensed milk.

8/11/14 Update! I had this in my coffee and it was YUMMY! I think I would do one thing differently next time, instead of mixing in the coconut oil on the top of the can, I might try just taking it out. The oil separates after mixed with the milk too and then floats. I don't mind having a little coconut oil in my coffee, but it was a little much. I also tried this in my oatmeal and that was a win as well! (I have to divulge that I have been previously known to put international delight creamer in my oatmeal, so this wasn't a new thing for me, just different).