If you’ve got a favorite coffee creamer you just can’t live without, you might be wondering if you can use that same creamer to make a variety of high-quality, delicious, cafe-worthy drinks. We’ve got good news!
Can You Froth Creamer? Yes, you can froth most coffee creamers that contain Gellan Additive as an ingredient, almost as well as you can froth milk. Of course, your results will vary by brand and creamer type.
Frothing creamer instead of milk, when done right will give you a flavorful, dairy-free alternative for your favorite lattes, cappuccinos, and other drinks.
This is because creamer will generally give your drink a sweeter taste, eliminating the need for sugar, and it can provide a lovely cafe-style flavor if you buy a flavored creamer. And if you ask:
can you froth flavored creamer? The answer is yes, as long as you see Gellan agent as an ingredient you can rest assured you will be able to froth the product even if it’s flavored.
It also comes in a variety of delicious flavors like hazelnut, Irish cream, mocha, caramel, french vanilla, and more, making it extremely easy to make even the simplest cup of coffee into a fancy drink in just a single step.
Best coffee creamer to froth?
Not all coffee creamers are created equal when it comes to frothing, you’ll want to choose something made with Gellan or another type of milk protein or stabilizer to support the structure of the bubbles you’re forming. Here are a few that we recommend.
1. SOWN Organic Oat Barista Creamer
This is a barista-quality non-dairy creamer, made specifically for making specialty drinks, and will provide you with a good-quality froth.
The creamer is also plant-based, organic, and known to have a deliciously sweet and creamy taste.
2. Nestle’s Coffee-mate Coffee Creamer
This Coffee-Mate creamer is another great option.
So, can you froth coffee mate creamer? Yes, in fact, it’s one of the best creamers you can froth. it has a liquid Concentrate pump bottle formula which makes it thicker than the other liquid formats.
It is also made to easily dispense through the pump system and to blend quickly with hot and cold beverages
Can you froth Starbucks creamer?
Yes, You can. Starbucks flavored creamers are made with dairy and oil, so they’re ideal for frothing. Pick your favorite flavor and preferred frothing method and you’re good to go.
Creamer vs Milk for coffee
Coffee creamer can be a milk product, but oftentimes, it is not. There are dairy-based creamers on the market, though they still vary significantly from milk due to the processing they go through, the vast majority of creamers contain no milk or milk by-products at all.
Instead, they are made from a blend of oils, such as vegetable oil, sugar, flavorings, and water. This is what makes them so popular for those looking to avoid dairy, and safe to use for those with lactose intolerance.
Does coffee creamer have calcium?
Most coffee creamers do not contain calcium as they are typically dairy-free. But If you’d like to be sure, you can take a look at the nutrition facts on the back of the package.
Nine times out of 10 you will find that they contain absolutely no calcium or dairy product of any kind, instead, they’re made with a mix of oils, flavoring, sweeteners, and water.
Below we have included a table comparing the calcium content of milk by fat percentage, milk alternatives, and creamer.
| Product | Calcium Content (mg per cup) |
|---|---|
| Whole Milk | 300 |
| 2% Milk | 300 |
| 1% Milk | 300 |
| Skim Milk | 300 |
| Creamer | 0 |
| Unsweetened, non-fortified Almond Milk | 0 |
| Unsweetened Rice Milk | 283 |
| Soy Milk | 300 |
| Unsweetened Coconut Milk | 130 |
| Goat’s Milk | 300 |
As we’ve touched on a bit earlier, there are quite a few differences between milk and creamer when it comes to using them in your daily coffee. Most people have had coffee with milk before, it’s rich, creamy, and fatty, it cools your drink and takes a bit of the edge off of a bitter roast.
The flavor and texture are entirely based on the type of milk you use and the percentage of milk fat it has, for example, skim milk has a texture closer to water and will therefore not provide as much of the creamy texture you find in whole milk, the taste will also be a bit different.
Creamer lends a similar smooth texture to your drink, though it would be better described as silky and will often leave a bit of a residue on your palette. This is due to the fact that most creamers are oil-based.
You’d also be hard-pressed to find a creamer with no sweetening agents or flavoring, and if you did, it might not taste very good, or like much of anything at all as it would be mostly oil and water.
Creamer is favored over milk by many people for a wide variety of reasons, for one using a creamer instead of milk provides a slightly different texture which many describe as silky.
It’s also a very simple way to take the edge off your coffee while avoiding dairy for health or ethical reasons, though milk alternatives such as soy milk and nut milk also allow you to cut out the dairy, they lack the creamy fatty texture you get with dairy, something that creamer does a much better job of reproducing.
Can you froth non dairy creamer
Yes, many non-dairy coffee creamers will froth just fine. However, to achieve a good froth with a non-dairy product, you will need to look for an ingredient called Gellan.
Gellan is a food additive and stabilizer that is added to make up for the lack of protein, it helps thicken liquids and hold the foam. This ingredient can also be found in a number of non-dairy kinds of milk including almond milk, rice milk, and soy milk.
This is because the proteins in non-dairy products are much weaker, and the bubbly foamy texture you get from frothing is a result of water and proteins forming bubbles that trap air inside them. Weaker proteins will result in these bubbles collapsing if they are able to form at all.
If you use a dairy-based creamer, you shouldn’t have any issues frothing it as you would regular milk.
Does coffee creamer foam?
Not every coffee creamer will foam, but you can buy or make your own foaming coffee creamer by injecting nitrogen into it while it is under pressure. This is exactly the same process used with canned whipped cream.
When you shake up a canister of whipped cream and depress the nozzle, gas is injected into the pressurized cream resulting in the light fluffy topping we all love so much.
Following this logic, if you have a professional-grade whipped cream dispenser, you can make your own foamed creamer using the same gas and canister, just swapping your cream for creamer.
Having said all of those wonderful things about creamer, you will never get the exact same results as you would using milk. Maybe that’s a good thing if you prefer the texture or flavor of creamer, or you don’t include dairy in your diet, but you’ll always be able to tell that your frother was made with creamer, not milk.
How do you froth creamer at home?
Frothing creamer at home is pretty simple, for best results you’ll want to use a traditional milk frother and follow the same steps that they would use at your favorite coffee shop.
If you don’t have a milk frother, it’s still possible to create a light, airy, froth equivalent, and you have a few methods to do so.
How to froth creamer with a hand frother
A frothing wand will produce good results with both milk and creamer, but it is still not the same quality as you’d get from injecting steam into the liquid.
✔ Place your wand into your container of measured cream, putting it almost all the way to the bottom of the container before turning it on.
Turn on your frothing wand in short intervals, around 15 to 20 seconds, and begin to move it slowly around the edge of your container.
✔ As you begin to see your cream thickening, slowly pull the frothing wand towards the top of the liquid, keeping it just under the surface and continuing your slow circles until the liquid has doubled in size.
Can you froth coffee creamer without a frother
It is possible to frother milk and creamer without a milk frother, but you shouldn’t expect the same results. Frothers were made for the job, and they do it better than any substitute, but you will be able to get a similar product without one to varying degrees of success.
✔ No matter what alternative method you choose, you’ll need to start by heating your creamer over the stovetop or in the microwave, you need it to be warm, not hot, for best results.
We recommend using a saucepan over low heat, or if you must use a microwave, heating it up in 10 to 15-second intervals, stirring in between each. Stop heating your creamer when it begins to shimmer, steam, or you see small bubbles forming.
✔ The creamer should be warm, but not too hot to touch. Once you’ve thoroughly warmed your creamer, you are ready to begin.
✔ Once you are certain your jar is sealed off and no liquid will escape, vigorously shake the container in short 20 to 30-second intervals until your creamer is thoroughly aerated and has increased in size.
How to froth creamer with a steam Wand
If you are using a proper cappuccino machine or stand-alone milk frother to aerate your creamer, you’ll want to start with cold creamer straight out of the fridge, especially if you’re using a dairy-based creamer.
✔ Pour your creamer into a stainless steel container for best results, as this metal provides the best heat dispersion and will prevent your bubbles from melting away as soon as they form.
✘ Do not fill your container more than half full as the steaming and frothing process is going to cause it to expand significantly and an overfilled container will create a large mess and could cause burns depending on the heat of the creamer.
✔ Once you have your cold creamer in your stainless steel container, you are ready to begin!
Your machine should be prepared, not only on but heated to the appropriate temperature. Frothed milk and creamer are best served at between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
✔ From here, insert your steam wand or steamer tube into the creamer, only about one centimeter into the liquid.
Turn on the steamer to start the process and work quickly, keeping the steam wand to one side of the container and making small movements, up and down, or around the container in circles around the outer edge.
✔ Continue steaming and moving your creamer until you reach your desired effect, taking care not to over steam your creamer and flood the container. Turn off your machine before removing your container from the steam source to avoid the risk of burning yourself with the hot jet of steam.
Finally, tap the bottom of your container against the counter. This will stabilize your foam by popping any bubbles that are too large, preventing your froth from falling apart as you transfer it to your drink.
All that’s left is to add your frothed creamer to your coffee or latte by spooning it over top, or pouring it if you are not concerned about losing some of the volumes.
Can You Froth Creamer using a Blender
Frothing your milk with a blender will give you the best and most uniform results out of the frothing alternatives, but it also leaves you with a decent amount of clean-up.
Here’s How you do it: Pour the desired amount of warmed creamer into your blender jar. Turn the blender onto medium speed and let run until your creamer has reached the desired amount of froth or has doubled in size.
Can You Froth Creamer in a French Press
Yes, but Take care not to break your french press doing this, as it wasn’t designed for fast repeated motions.
To do so, fill your press no more than halfway with the creamer and begin by slowly depressing the plunger, working up to a vigorous motion of pulling and pushing the plunger to force air into the creamer.
You’ll need to keep your movements smooth and avoid tilting your press.
✔ Keep going until your creamer has doubled in size.
Can you froth creamer in Aeroccino
Yes, you can froth creamer in any Aeroccino that can froth milk, using either the hot or cold setting.
Use the device exactly as you would with milk for best results, though some creamers will work better than others. Be sure to thoroughly clean your machine to remove any leftover oil from the creamer.
if you have a Nespresso machine with a milk frothing attachment, you can use it to froth creamer as you would with milk. You’ll want to be sure to clean the steamer wand thoroughly to prevent the oil from building up in the attachment over time.
Can You Froth Creamer using a Jar
It doesn’t get much simpler than ‘frothing’ your milk in a jar. Fill your jar no more than halfway with your warmed creamer and put the lid on, ensuring a tight seal.
Can you froth creamer in a Keurig frother ?
Yes, you can froth creamer using any milk frother, including the one that comes built into certain Keurig models. Just use the frother exactly as you would to steam milk, but using the creamer of your choice.
When you’ve finished, be sure to thoroughly clean out the steam wand to remove any oily residue from the creamer which can build up over time.
International delight frothing creamer?
Now, If you don’t have a milk frother or you’d just like to save yourself the headache and clean up, many brands such as international delight sell a ready-made product called frothing creamer.
Most of these products work in a very similar manner to the canisters of whipping cream you may be familiar with. Instead of a plastic container with a pourable creamy liquid, you’ll find a metal canister with a nozzle on top for ease of use.
Inside this metal, the canister is your creamer, but with a twist, the product will either be dairy-based or contain some sort of stabilizing additive to produce the desired foaming effect. The creamer is stored under high pressure inside the canister, hence it is made from metal and not plastic.
To use it, you’ll need to shake it up, flip the canister so that the nozzle is pointing downward, and press the nozzle or a button on the top. This will fill the creamer with nitrogen gas, utilizing the pressure, speed, and gas to produce the frothy light topping you are looking for.
Frothing creamer may be favored for very similar reasons. Not only does it provide all the benefits of standard creamer such as sweetening and flavor without adding sugar, but it’s also the simplest way to add a light, foamy, froth to your drink.
You don’t need a milk frother, there is nothing to prepare, and you don’t need to practice anything to get the technique down. Just shake the canister and apply the frothed cream to your drink in seconds.
There are many reasons you may have trouble getting your coffee creamer to froth, the first and most common of which we have already touched on.
Why won’t your coffee creamer froth properly
Many coffee creamers do not contain dairy, while this is great for those with trouble tolerating lactose or who may wish to avoid dairy products, it’s not great for producing the foamy lightweight texture you desire for your coffee beverages.
You can work around this issue by purchasing a dairy-based creamer, or one that contains Gellan as an ingredient. (Source)
Gellan is a commercially used stabilizer you’d be hard-pressed to find on the shelves of your local grocery store and it acts as a replacement for the missing milk proteins which add structure to the liquid, allowing the frothing process to create bubbles that won’t collapse in the liquid.
If you are using a creamer that contains Gellan or dairy and you still aren’t getting the result you desire, check the use-by date. Coffee creamers have great shelf stability, but only when they are unopened.
After they’ve been opened, you only have about two weeks to use them up before they go off, and you’ll need to take care of how you store them. Even leaving your opened creamer on the counter for a half-hour in a warm room can do some serious damage to the quality and freshness, making it all but impossible to froth.
If you’re more interested in the dos and don’ts of coffee creamer, you might also want to check my article about why coffee creamer gets chunky.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve made it this far, Probs to you!
Well, what are you waiting for? Grab your favorite coffee creamer and get frothing!
Got a coffee creamer to recommend? Get in touch with us.
Want to learn more about all things coffee? Consider checking out some of our other articles. Finally, if you know someone who is missing out on all of this frothy goodness, consider sharing this article on social media.
