Adding milk to your cup of coffee gives it a lighter taste by taking away the bitterness. It also makes your beverage thicker and creamier for a more indulgent experience in your coffee routine.
Most people are used to the coffee shop classic latte made using milk. But what they don’t know is that it’s possible to make a latte with coffee creamer.
In fact, many people have turned to coffee creamers in place of milk for their customized coffee drinks. No doubt there are several reasons, including the many flavors that creamers come in, triggering the new practice.
Have you ever tried a coffee creamer latte?
Read on as we discuss in detail everything you need to know before you can try making a cup of coffee creamer latte and why this decadent coffee treat is so exciting to try it out.
What Is a Latte?
A latte is a unique coffee drink typically made with espresso, steamed milk, and milk froth.
The term “latte” originates from the Italian phrase “Caffe e latte,” which in English means “coffee and milk.” This type of coffee is well-loved in the US, and out of the over 400 million cups of coffee Americans consume every day, most of them are latte variants.
What Is Coffee Creamer?
Coffee creamer is a milk-based product added to coffee in place of milk to modify its flavor. The creamer may be in liquid or powder form.
Coffee creamers are a mixture of sweetened condensed milk and milk or cream. They are enhanced with spices or different flavors, including almond, vanilla, and chocolate.
There are also dairy-free coffee creamers. They are made using oil, sugar, or sugar substitutes, and thickeners in place of milk. Compared to other milk products, this type of creamer has a longer shelf life. This is especially the case with creamer in powder form.
How to Make a Coffee Creamer Latte
A coffee creamer latte is made using a creamer instead of milk, and the process of making it is pretty straightforward.
You follow the same procedure as with a standard latte, only using a creamer instead of milk.
What You Need
The ingredients you require to make a coffee creamer latte are very few. In fact, it’s less of a hassle to prepare this coffee than a standard milk latte.
Here’s all you need:
- Espresso
- Coffee creamer
Procedure
Here’s the process:
- Put your freshly prepared espresso in a jar.
- To the espresso, add your liquid or powder coffee creamer and stir until fully dissolved.
- Serve your coffee creamer latte and enjoy.
Coffee creamer comes in a ready-to-use form. Therefore, you need to add or do nothing to the creamer before adding it to your espresso, whether in liquid or powder form.
Some coffee creamers have a sweeter taste than others. So it’s best to start with a bit of creamer and then keep adding until you achieve the taste of your choice.
For iced coffee, we recommend using a liquid form of your favorite coffee creamer. However, if you only have powdered creamer in your kitchen, don’t worry. Just add it to your iced coffee as you usually do, only you may need to stir more for it to dissolve fully.
What Does a Coffee Creamer Latte Taste Like?
A typical coffee creamer latte should have a taste similar to that of a latte made from milk. That’s because the rich texture and flavor of regular coffee creamer are no different than that of whole milk or half-and-half.
However, coffee creamer gives latte lovers a different experience than they get from a milk latte. It’s flavored and sweetened to provide you with a different and better taste.
The most common coffee creamer flavors used in coffee shop drinks include chocolate, vanilla, pumpkin spice, almond, caramel, and hazelnut. Remember, you can’t enjoy creamer by itself. But in a latte, you’re in for a real treat.
Where to Get Coffee Creamer for Your Latte
You can obtain coffee creamer for your latte in two primary ways. These include:
- Buying from various places
- Making your coffee creamer
Where to Buy Coffee Creamer for Latte
You’ll find coffee creamer stocked in most American supermarkets, convenience stores, and grocery stores.
Liquid coffee creamer is available in the refrigerated dairy section packaged in glass or plastic bottles of 8, 16, or 32 ounces. You can find powdered creamer in plastic containers or paper boxes of various sizes stocked next to the coffee beans. If you want both options in bulk, you can find them in large stores packaged in big boxes.
Consider the flavor, sugar, fat, and ingredients to get a coffee creamer latte that fits your dietary needs and taste.
Making Your Own Coffee Creamer for a Latte
Homemade coffee creamer is as good as purchased creamers. Just gather all the ingredients you need and mix them. It’s the same process you’ll use for any flavor you desire.
It involves heating all the ingredients together in a saucepan and letting it simmer at a low temperature. This technique mainly applies to pumpkin spice, French vanilla, and Bailey’s flavor.
At the end of the process, you’ll have a heavy, flavorful, and rich coffee creamer.
Are you feeling too lazy to go to the stores for a coffee creamer to make a latte? Go ahead and make yours using this perfect technique.
How to Froth Coffee Creamer for a Perfect Home Latte
What can you use to froth coffee creamer? Most people use a milk frother, which, no surprise, works just perfectly.
However, the results are somewhat different, just as is the case with different types of milk. For example, when you froth whole milk, it forms a thicker and denser foam. On the other hand, frothing skim milk creates foam with plenty of air and a lighter flavor.
For coffee creamer, the foam is less dense and not as thick as that of whole milk. In addition, when you froth it, the foam evaporates fast.
Here’s a simple coffee recipe for a straightforward latte:
- Add one-third coffee
- two-thirds hot coffee creamer
- Top up with a coffee creamer foam.
Remember, you can froth coffee creamer either in liquid or powder form using a milk frother.
During hot weather, you may consider frothing creamer for your latte using a no-heat method. Electric frothers are good for this method. Then, you can add a layer of coffee creamer to cold coffee or espresso.
Other Ways to Froth Coffee Creamer
Besides an electric milk frother, you can use many other milk frother types to froth creamer for a latte. Some of these must-have kitchen tools include:
- A mason jar
- A French press
- A handheld frothing wand
- An immersion blender
- An espresso steam wand
Coffee Creamer vs. Milk in a Latte
Coffee creamers are used in a latte in place of milk. And although they mainly serve the same purpose in coffee, they differ in some ways.
While regular milk is rich in lactose, coffee creamers are lactose-free. For this reason, creamers are ideal for coffee lovers who don’t tolerate lactose. That said, most coffee creamers are rich in casein, a protein derived from milk.
We can compare coffee creamer to milk in a latte in terms of:
- Flavor: While milk can only add its natural flavor to your latte, creamers are available in a wide variety of flavors that complement the coffee’s taste. These include hazelnut, chocolate, vanilla, etc.
- Shelf life: Coffee creamers have a longer shelf life than milk. In fact, you don’t need to refrigerate creamers.
- Calorie count: A serving of coffee creamer latte has a higher calorie count than a serving of latte made with milk. That’s because one serving of milk contains fewer calories compared to one serving of creamer.
- Health risks: Consuming a lot of coffee creamer latte poses more health risks than milk latte. For example, creamers are made using hydrogenated oils, which can cause obesity and heart disease. On the other hand, milk has no ingredients that pose extreme health risks. A milk latte is healthier since milk has more vitamins and minerals.
- Weight gain/loss: Regular consumption of coffee creamer latte may result in weight gain. Similarly, a milk latte might promote weight gain. Both add fat and increased calories to your coffee, and the result is obvious-adding weight.
FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions about coffee creamer latte:
Is a Coffee Creamer Latte Healthier than a Milk Latte?
When consumed in equal quantities, milk is healthier than coffee creamers.
Milk is better than non-dairy creamers because it’s less processed and contains more minerals and vitamins.
Equally, dairy milk is better than dairy coffee creamers because it has fewer fats and cholesterol.
That said, for people who are lactose intolerant, a coffee creamer latte is better because it has no lactose.
How Much Coffee Creamer Should You Add to Your Espresso?
There’s no specific quantity of creamer that you should add to your coffee for a creamer latte. What we recommend is that you add creamer until you achieve the taste you desire.
Remember, coffee creamers differ in sweetness, and some require you to add more creamer than others.
For How Long Can You Use Homemade Coffee Creamer for a Latte?
Homemade coffee creamer doesn’t last long. Its limited lifespan is due to the absence of preservatives and artificial ingredients. Therefore, you’ll need to frequently prepare a coffee creamer latte to ensure your creamer doesn’t go to waste.
Your homemade creamer can last up to a week in a plastic can or airtight jar, allowing you to enjoy the coffee creamer latte longer.
Happy Caffeinating!
