Best Coffee Creamer: Top 7 Picks You Have To Try

In a hurry? Our top choice is the International Delight French Vanilla Coffee Creamer!

Adding creamer to your coffee is nothing new.

But choosing the right creamer is a whole different story.

In this article, I’ll break down the best coffee creamer you can buy.

I’ll also give you a brief guide to buying creamer so you can make the best choice.

Let’s jump in!

Choose The Best Coffee Creamer: Top 7 Picks

• International Delight French Vanilla Coffee Creamer (Best Overall)
• Califa Farms Vanilla Almond Milk Coffee Creamer with Coconut Cream (Best for Bulk Buying)
• Coffee-Mate Variety Pack Coffee Creamer (Best Variety)
• SOWN Organic Oat Vanilla Creamer (Best Plant-Based)
• KITU SUPER COFFEE Keto Coffee Creamer (Best Low-sugar Option)
• Chobani Oat Extra Creamy Coffee Creamer (Most Versatile)
• Vital Proteins Collagen Coffee Creamer (Best Powdered Creamer)

International Delight French Vanilla Coffee Creamer 

Ah, French Vanilla. It’s a classic coffee flavor.

I used to get French Vanilla coffee from the vending machines in high school.

People will tell you that French vanilla is thicker and sweeter than plain vanilla, but I’ve never really noticed when it comes to coffee creamers.

This International Delight creamer is one of the all-time classics. You’ll probably recognize it from any community space, diner, church, or your grandparents’ house.

Me, I remember seeing this in my parent’s cupboard growing up (only for guests because they didn’t drink coffee).

I like the timeless taste and design of International Delight creamers. 

This French Vanilla is smooth, rich, and adds a decent sweetness to your cup of coffee.

It is pretty overpowering, however, so you’ll need a nice and strong cup to have a good balance between sweet and bitter.

It does have a lot of sugar for how little the serving size is. In one serving (1tbs), there are 5g of sugar. And let’s be real, no one uses just 1tbs of creamer.

Pros

• It’s a classic taste, so you can’t go wrong when choosing French Vanilla
• This is smooth, rich, and sweet, which is perfect for diluting and adding to the coffee taste of your morning cup
• It pairs well with dark coffee

Cons

• Can be overpowering if you want to balance coffee and vanilla flavors
• It’s made with a lot of processed ingredients

Califia Farms Vanilla Almond Milk Coffee Creamer with Coconut Cream 

Okay, hear me out: even if you aren’t plant-based or dairy free, you should give this Califia Farms almond milk creamer a shot.

It’s awesome.

A big bonus is that it comes shelf-stable. That means that you don’t have to refrigerate the containers until you open them. 

That makes it easier to stock up for a long time instead of having to run to the store every few days for a new box.

But how does it taste?

Incredible. A qualm I often have with plant-based creamers is that they sometimes don’t blend well with the coffee and leave the tastes separate. But that’s not the case with Califia Farms.

This creamer actually blends really well. It matches the coffee taste and rounds out the whole flavor.

It doesn’t mask the taste of the coffee, but it also doesn’t leave the two flavors separate. And it doesn’t just taste like almonds, either. It has a really smooth French Vanilla taste as good as any dairy creamer.

The only downside is that it sometimes doesn’t mix well with acidic coffees.

Pros

• It comes shelf-stable, so you can store boxes in the cupboard rather than the fridge
• Simple ingredients mean this is a healthier choice than many other creamers
• Tastes really good with coffee, instead of just almonds like a lot of other plant-based creamers

Cons

• Sometimes doesn’t mix well with acidic coffees, so it’s best to pair it with dark or medium roasts

Coffee-Mate Variety Pack Coffee Creamer 

Variety is the spice of life, right?

Well, this Coffee Mate variety pack is for those of us who can’t decide on just one flavor and want to spice it up.

It actually comes in four flavors: original, hazelnut, French vanilla, and Italian sweet cream.

Plus, they come as single pods. While this can be rather wasteful packaging, it is sometimes nice to have single servings on hand instead of big jugs of creamer.

I do find that I need two pods for one cup of coffee to get the ratio just right. But they do keep me from overdoing it.

The other benefit of having four flavors is that you can combine them. Sometimes putting two French vanilla creamers in one cup is too much, so you can do one original and one French vanilla flavored coffee creamer.

I’d say this is probably best for someone who wants to try a bunch of flavors instead of committing to just one.

This is also a good choice if you’re short on fridge space and need to store your creamer in the cupboard.

Pros

• The variety pack allows you to try four flavors instead of committing to just one at a time
• The single-serve pods are nice for keeping your use down and not overdoing the creamer
• You can mix flavors to create a unique cup

Cons

• Usually, you need to use two or three pods to get a good mix
• The packaging is somewhat wasteful

SOWN Organic Oat Vanilla Creamer 

Talk about a great vanilla flavored creamer. This stuff is the real deal.

It’s healthy, organic, tasty, and simple. I don’t mean to sound like an ad, I truly believe in this stuff and would tell you if I didn’t.

I wish more coffee shops would carry SOWN oat creamer because it tastes so good in a cup of coffee and actually froths really well.

My biggest issue with most oat milk creamers is that they don’t taste great in black coffee and are usually much better in a latte or cappuccino.

But not this one. It actually combines really nicely with black coffee and provides your cup with a great balance.

SOWN is very proud of its plant-based production, as it should be. It’s certified USDA Organic, Gluten Free, and Non-GMO. 

But I wish their marketing was a little lighter-handed. Everyone should enjoy this creamer for its taste and merit instead of for an ethical stance on food consumption.

Pros

• Simple ingredients mean this is a great choice for someone who cares about their health
• It has a great balance of flavor that mixes really well with any kind of coffee
• It actually froths really well for espresso-based drinks
• It’s USDA Organic, Gluten Free, and Non-GMO, so it’s free from allergens and other harmful things

Cons

• Their marketing scares some people away

KITU SUPER COFFEE Keto Coffee Creamer 

This is keto-friendly coffee creamer. But does that mean you need to be on a keto diet to enjoy this creamer? Definitely not.

It’s actually a really solid caramel creamer that you should consider for your everyday use. Especially if you want a simply made and low-sugar creamer.

The Super Coffee creamers are made with 0g of added sugar, which is rare for coffee creamers.

Instead, the sweetener is monk fruit and stevia, naturally occurring sweeteners and superfoods.

While this is a lactose-free creamer, it does still have milk protein isolate. That means that there are still dairy ingredients in this creamer. So, if you’re allergic to dairy or are plant-based, this creamer definitely isn’t for you.

Super Coffee creamers go really well with just about any kind of milk. And they froth alright too.

I’d recommend using just a little bit more than one serving because of the natural sweetness. It takes just a little bit to really balance out your cup of coffee.

Pros

• Keto-friendly, which is rare in the coffee creamer world
• Made with 0g of added sugar and natural sweeteners instead, so you don’t get a heavy dose of sugar in your coffee
• Goes well with any coffee and froths well for espresso drinks

Cons

• Lactose-free, but not free from dairy, so if you’re allergic or plant-based, this isn’t a good choice
• You need to use a little extra creamer to really balance out your coffee

Chobani Oat Extra Creamy Coffee Creamer 

Okay, this technically isn’t coffee creamer, it’s just extra creamy oat milk. But that just means it has more uses!

I’m a big fan of Chobani oat milk. They are smooth and creamy (and the extra creamy really is extra creamy). They taste great (because it’s made with simple ingredients).

You can put this in coffee, or you can drink it straight, or you can even put it over cereal. And it shines no matter how you use it.

When you do put it in coffee, it combines pretty well with the coffee. It isn’t super sweet, so don’t expect it to totally change the flavor.

Think of it like adding milk but half sugar to your coffee.

This is a great coffee creamer for someone looking for a smooth and rich addition without a ton of sweetness.

Be aware, though, that in more acidic coffees, this creamer sometimes doesn’t like to mix well.

That said, it does froth exceptionally well and goes great in espresso drinks.

Pros

• Smooth, rich, and balanced for a great coup of coffee without an excess of sugar
• It can do more than just go in coffee, you can put it over cereal, in baking recipes, or even drink it straight
• It froths really well and works well in espresso drinks

Cons

• Doesn’t mix especially well in more acidic coffees

Vital Proteins Collagen Coffee Creamer 

What’s different about this creamer from most others? Well, for one thing, it’s a powder instead of a liquid.

Is that a good thing? It can be. Powdered creamers are usually better about serving sizes. You can be more accurate with servings because of the scoop most powdered creamers have.

But they can leave a weird texture in your coffee. Some people like it, others don’t.

Also, this creamer is made with coconut milk, which most creamers stay away from because of the lighter body of coconut milk. (As a barista, I can tell you that coconut milk is notoriously difficult to work with.)

How do they avoid the issues with coconut milk? By adding collagen! Collagen is a protein from connective tissue. So while this product is dairy and lactose-free, it is still an animal product. So if you’re plant-based, this isn’t for you.

Collagen is a really healthy protein that supports hair growth, recovery, and bone density.

The downside for me is the texture that’s left over. It seems to get stuck between my teeth a lot.

Pros

• It’s easier to control the serving size with a powdered creamer like this one
• It’s a coconut milk creamer, which is unique and tasty in a coffee creamer
• This creamer also has collagen, which supports recovery, skin, and hair

Cons

• It can leave a weird texture in your coffee that gets between your teeth
• The coconut taste isn’t for everyone

What to Consider Before Buying Coffee Creamer

With so many different kinds of creamers out there, choosing can be difficult.

But by breaking down the choices into a few sections, you can narrow your choices.

In this section, I’ll go over a few categories of what to consider before buying a coffee creamer.

What’s in it, and how many calories?

The first choice you should make is the ingredients.

Are you on a plant-based diet? Are you lactose intolerant? Do you need a coffee creamer that supports a diet like keto?

These are all important when considering which creamer to choose.

There are a ton of different plant-based creamers out there. But there are a few I would stay away from.

The best option for plant-based creamer is oat milk. It is naturally the creamiest and easiest to work with. In my time as a barista, the creaminess of the oat milk always beat out other alternative milk like coconut or almond.

For my lactose-free friends, just be aware that many “lactose-free” creamers still use milk derivatives. Milk derivatives might trigger a reaction if you are especially sensitive. 

For those folks, I would recommend something like a collagen creamer or even a plant-based one.

As far as calories go: the more specific the creamer, the more calories in your cup. So, the simplest creamers like Coffee-Mate or International Delight are also the lowest in calories. While creamers like Super Coffee or Vital Proteins are higher in calories.

Should you buy liquid or powder creamer?

This is a great question and one that needs your consideration before you buy.

The benefit of buying liquid creamers? They tend to mix better with coffee.

Liquid creamer doesn’t leave weird textures or clumps in your coffee and generally mixes with coffee better than powdered creamers.

They also tend to have more interesting flavors.

And as an added bonus, you can even froth liquid creamers to use in espresso drinks.

But you do have to refrigerate them once they’re open. And that’s something powdered creamers do better.

Powdered creamers are shelf-stable even after you open the packaging. That means you don’t have to refrigerate them for them to stay fresh and safe to consume.

That makes them perfect for someone with limited fridge space.

Another benefit is that powders are more conducive to healthy ingredients like collagen or protein powders.

Which flavor should you get?

This is an entirely personal thing. Flavored coffees definitely aren’t for everyone.

If you don’t like flavored coffees but still want a creamer, look for heavy cream or extra creamy plant-based kinds of milk. These will taste smooth and less sweet than flavored creamers, but richer and fuller than just using milk.

If you do like flavored coffee, then you should try out a few flavors to find one that you really enjoy. Once you find a flavor you like, try a few different brands to find the best one that suits you.

For example, I really like French vanilla, but I don’t particularly like the Coffe-Mate French vanilla. Instead, I really prefer the Califia Farms vanilla. But my grandparents swear the Coffee-Mate one is much better.

The short answer is that you should experiment before choosing.

My Final Words

My top choice among the best coffee creamers is still the International Delight French Vanilla Coffee Creamer.

It’s incredibly hard to beat this classic. French vanilla is timeless and has been a staple for generations.

The International Delight version is smooth, rich, sweet, and mixed really well with all kinds of coffee.

It even works fine frothed for a latte.