Vanilla Coffee Creamer

"Fancy Coffee" is apparently a thing now. When I was younger, there was no such thing as flavored coffee; it was black, with or without cream and sugar. The first time I had coffee was with my grandma, who was born in 1903. To say she was old-school, well, it fits. Grandma would make "coffee milk" for me. It was about a quarter cup of coffee, a teaspoon of sugar, and about 3/4 cup of milk. Later, as a teenager, I enjoyed a good cup of "truck stop" coffee, but I still liked it with cream and sugar.

Fast forward a few decades, and now, I truly enjoy a good cup of robust coffee with a shot of vanilla creamer. I used to buy creamer by the half-gallon, and then the price went up to more than five dollars a carton. In the mindset of staying frugal, I decided it was time to make my own.

With 3 or 4 simple ingredients, you can make a simple yet good coffee creamer.

Here are the tools you will need:

Container with a pour spout, or any jar with a lid that you have on hand

Spatula or spoon for stirring

Measuring spoon

Ingredients:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2-4 tablespoons vanilla extract (4 tablespoons will make "French Vanilla")

Milk

Flavored syrup (optional)

Directions:

Open the can of sweetened condensed milk and pour it into your container. Add your vanilla and stir well to combine. Add the milk, and stir to combine again.

Place the lid on the container and store it in the fridge. This creamer should last as long as the milk does, so check the "best buy" date on the milk carton.

I know that sweetened condensed milk can be spendy in most grocery stores, but before you completely dismiss the idea, check your local Dollar Tree for it. If they don't have it on the shelf, you can order it online by the case (12 cans) and have it shipped to the store closest to you with no shipping cost. It could take a few weeks to get in, at least that is what I was told at my local store. If this is something you want to do, just make sure to plan ahead. Your store may have quicker time frames than mine, you can always call and talk to a manager to see what the time frame could be.

The 4th ingredient you could add, if you want, is a flavored syrup like hazelnut or caramel. Just add 2 tablespoons of the flavored syrup along with 2 tablespoons of plain vanilla extract. This is a great way to change it up and get a variety of flavors. Keep in mind, the syrup will add an extra sweetness to the creamer.

There are also other options regarding the sweetened condensed milk, one of those options is to make your own using powdered milk. I will have that recipe in another post.

Enjoy!