What are the Best Coffee Creamers in UK?
Coffee creamer is an excellent alternative to milk or half-and-half if you don’t like to take your morning coffee black. As well as whitening your coffee, it adds creamy texture, sweetness, and even additional flavours. Coffee creamer is also a good option for anyone who is lactose intolerant.
You do have to be wary of the additional calories in creamer and any artificial additives. Read on for the Home Grounds guide to the best creamers for coffee.
At A Glance:
- OUR TOP PICK: Café Maid Luxury Coffee Creamer
- BEST FLAVOURED: Coffee Mate Liquid Hazelnut Sugar Free
- BEST VALUE FOR MONEY: Morrisons Reduced Fat Coffee Whitener
The Best Creamer for Coffee in 2023
As well as the wide variety of coffee creamer brands available, each brand has a multitude of flavours and options for different diets. Here are the best coffee creamer options in 2023.
Café Maid Luxury Coffee Creamer
- Liquid
- Non-GMO, gluten-free, nut-free.
- Boxes of single serves
Laird Superfood Turmeric Superfood Creamer
- Powder
- Dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, non-GMO, keto friendly.
- 227g, 454g bags
Coffee-Mate Liquid Hazelnut Sugar-Free
- Liquid
- Sugar-free, lactose-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free
- 946ml bottle
Coffee-Mate Coffee Whitener
- Liquid
- Non-dairy, lactose-free, gluten-free.
- 200g, 500g or 1kg tin, 2.5kg bag
1. Café Maid Luxury Coffee Creamer – Best Overall
Specifications
Liquid or powder: Liquid
- Dietary advice: Non-GMO, gluten-free, nut-free.
- Sizes available: Boxes of single serves
The Cafe Maid brand doesn’t have the international recognition or the slick branding of the other creamers on this list. But if you’ve ever had coffee at the office, a hotel, or B&B, you’re bound to have come across this popular coffee whitener.
This no-frills product has all the benefits that you’d want from a creamer. It doesn’t require refrigeration and has a long shelf life, and the individual portions mean that you only open what you need. The liquid format mixes easily with coffee.
It’s not a good choice for anyone who is choosing creamer because of dietary restrictions. Cafe Maid contains milk proteins so it’s not suitable for vegans or anyone with a milk allergy.
Prices start at £6.99 per box of 50 single-serve portions.
2. Laird Superfood Turmeric Superfood Creamer – Best Powdered Creamer
Specifications
Liquid or powder: Powder
- Dietary advice: Dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, non-GMO, keto friendly.
- Sizes available: 227g, 454g bags
Surfer Laird Hamilton founded the Laird Superfood brand with the idea of making a coffee creamer that’s not only healthier but also increases your energy. It now produces a wide range of liquid and powder creamers, drink mixes, and snacks, each with its own benefits.
We are all athletes and life is performance. We all want to optimize our energy.
The Turmeric Superfood Creamer does more than just whiten your coffee. The addition of turmeric provides benefits such as reducing inflammation and lowering the risk of heart disease (1). The base of coconut milk powder makes it suitable for vegans and anyone with lactose intolerance.
The one thing that could put you off buying this creamer is the price, which is significantly higher than other creamers on the list.
Prices start at £10.25 for a 225g bag.
3. Morrisons Reduced Fat Coffee Whitener – Best Value for Money
Specifications
Liquid or powder: Powder
- Dietary advice: Suitable for vegetarians.
- Sizes available: 500g jar
Morrisons supermarket is a household name and produces a huge range of products under its own label. For coffee creamers, there’s a regular version, and this reduced-fat version, both of which come in powder form.
This version contains 70% less fat than the brand’s regular coffee whitener and contains just 10 calories per serving. There are around 200 serves per jar, depending on how creamy you want your coffee.
The focus here is on value for money, rather than any dietary requirements. You’ll want to avoid this creamer if you’re vegan or if you have a milk allergy.
Prices start at £13.50 for 6 x 500g jars.
4. Coffee-Mate Liquid Hazelnut Sugar-Free – Best Flavored Creamer
Specifications
Liquid or powder: Liquid
- Dietary advice: Sugar-free, lactose-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free.
- Sizes available: 946ml bottle
The Coffee-Mate brand rose to fame for its original coffee whitener, but it’s now just as well known for its wide range of flavored liquid creamers. Some of the more out-there flavors include pumpkin spice or Irish cream, but the hazelnut flavor is popular for its everyday appeal.
This sugar-free version has less than half the calories of the brand’s regular hazelnut creamer, so you can feel a little less guilty about getting indulgent with your morning coffee.
This creamer is not for you if you don’t like sweet coffee. It might be sugar-free, but the Coffee-Mate Liquid hazelnut creamer has artificial sweeteners. It’s also not a good choice if you’re using the best coffee beans, as you’ll be masking the flavor.
Prices start at £9.99 per 946ml bottle.
5. Coffee-Mate Coffee Whitener – Budget Pick
Specifications
Liquid or powder: Powder
- Dietary advice: Non-dairy, lactose-free, gluten-free.
- Sizes available: 200g, 500g or 1kg tin, 2.5kg bag
Coffee-Mate has the claim to fame for creating the first coffee creamer, and this is still the best-selling powdered coffee creamer today.
Powdered creamers don’t need any refrigeration and have a shelf life of up to two years, so they can be used as the occasional backup to create creamy coffee. It has a subtle creamy flavor and minimal sweetness, making it the best coffee creamer for anyone who wants a direct replacement for milk.
Coffee-Mate has just ten calories per serving and is cholesterol-free.
The downside to Nestle Coffee-Mate powder is that it contains some unhealthy ingredients (including trans fats) and artificial additives, and palm oil (2).
Prices start at £2.50 per 500g tin.
How to Choose the Best Coffee Creamer
Choosing the best coffee creamer will depend on your personal preferences, but some things you should consider are:
- Powder or liquid: this choice is mainly about storage, as liquid creamers need to be refrigerated after opening. Some people prefer liquid creamers as you can use them for frothing.
- Taste: even unflavoured creamers vary in taste between brands, so you’ll need to try different options to find the best-tasting coffee creamer.
- Added flavour: are you looking for a milk substitute, or do you want to add a whole new flavour to your cup of joe?
- Dietary requirements: if you have any dietary restrictions, not all brands and flavours will meet your needs.
Related: What’s the difference between frothed milk and steamed milk?
What is coffee creamer?
Coffee creamer is a popular alternative to whole milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half. Its primary function is to whiten coffee or tea, but many coffee creamers also add sweetness and flavour.
Coffee creamer has several benefits when compared to milk. It has a longer shelf life, adds a rich texture to your morning brew, and can be suitable for people who don’t consume dairy products.
The best-selling brands of coffee creamer are Coffee-Mate, International Delight, and Land O’Lakes, but brands such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Califia Farms, Starbucks, and Chobani are also popular.
Coffee creamer flavours
Coffee creamers are available in unflavoured varieties, but the best-selling coffee creamer options are flavoured. French vanilla’s the most popular choice, but other options like hazelnut, pumpkin spice, peppermint mocha, and caramel also rank highly. Some of the more unusual flavours are made to replicate popular foods, like cotton candy or cinnamon rolls, or best-selling drinks such as the Starbucks caramel macchiato.
If you want flavour without the creamy effect, check out our guides to the best tasting coffee syrups, or how to add flavour to coffee.
Dietary requirements
If you have special dietary requirements, a non-dairy creamer can be a better option than milk. Coffee creamer can be made in many different ways, so there are choices for most diets. Common things you’ll see on coffee creamer labels include lactose-free, dairy-free, vegan, kosher, carrageenan-free, and soy-free (4). Here’s our list of the best non-dairy coffee creamers you can try.
The Verdict
The best coffee creamer depends on your taste, dietary requirements, and how much flavour you want to add to your coffee. Home Grounds’ pick for the best cream for coffee goes to Café Maid’s Luxury Coffee Creamer. Designed for individual use, this creamy liquid creamer is as convenient as it gets.
FAQs
No, coffee creamer is not always healthy, but it depends on the brand and the ingredients. Many non-dairy creamers contain unhealthy ingredients such as trans fats, artificial flavours, and thickeners. Most coffee creamers are also high in sugar, which can be unhealthy, particularly for people with diabetes. The healthiest coffee creamers contain natural ingredients and no added sugar.
Yes, you can gain weight from coffee creamer, but it depends on the brand and how much you consume. A cup of black coffee has only two calories, but the nutritional value of coffee with creamer is around 43 calories, depending on the brand and serving size. The best coffee creamers for weight loss are low in fat, zero sugar, and low-calorie count.
The best creamer for intermittent fasting is one that has zero calories or very few calories per serving. It’s generally recommended to stay under 50 calories to avoid breaking your fast (5). If you’re also following the keto diet, you might want to stick to a specific keto creamer that’s sugar-free, low in carbs, and high in good fats.
References
- 7 Health Benefits of Turmeric. (2022, January 5). Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/turmeric-health-benefits/
- Riddle, H. (2021, October 18). Coffee Mate was banned in some countries for having this ingredient. Mashed.Com. https://www.mashed.com/636056/coffee-mate-was-banned-in-some-countries-for-having-this-ingredient/
- Reinagel, N. D. M. (2015, July 1). The Carrageenan Controversy. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-carrageenan-controversy/
- Clear, J. (2018, August 7). Intermittent Fasting: 12 Lessons Learned from 1 Year of Fasting. James Clear. https://jamesclear.com/intermittent-fasting-lessons-learned
