Vegan Life | Lifestyle

We Tasted 11 Vegan Coffee Creamers to Find the Absolute Best

September 25, 2022

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It wasn't too long ago that vegan creamers were hard to come by. But today there is a plethora of vegan coffee creamers out there, which presents a new (but better) problem: it can be hard to know which one to choose. Many simply don't stack up to their dairy counterparts. A good creamer provides richness and can even balance some of the bitterness of coffee.

To find out which creamer is the "cream of the vegan crop," I sat down with two friends (one vegan, one not) to taste-test eleven creamers and barista milks.

Eleven vegan creamers lined up on a table, with hands behind them.

If you're interested in some of my other vegan food taste tests, I've also tried:

Testing Methods

Every creamer was taste-tested with decaffeinated American coffee prepared in a standard drip coffeemaker. Separately, I also tested each creamer to see how well it would foam. I heated each creamer until it was steamy, then used a milk frother to foam it. I used 1/4 cup of each creamer in all of the foam tests so that the foam volume could be easily compared. I also allowed the foam to sit out for ten minutes to find out how stable the foam is.

I attempted to get an unflavored or vanilla variety wherever possible to keep the competition even (and focused mainly on the texture). However, two creamers were only available to me in flavors (Starbucks and Elmhurst), so those are also included.

Vegan Creamer Similarities and Differences

I included coconut, oat, and almond milk creamers in this test. I didn't include soy milk creamers because they are known to separate in hot coffee. There are two barista milks, and the other nine contenders are creamers. Four of the options are unsweetened, while the other seven were sweetened varieties (ranging from 1-5 grams of sugar per tablespoon).

These creamers came in only two types of packaging: a fully plastic bottle, or a cardboard container with a plastic spout. The sizes ranged from 16 fl. oz. to 32 fl. oz. I've noted these details in the description of each creamer since they might play a factor in deciding which brand to try.

Taste Test Results

Please keep in mind that these results are based on our own personal preferences; your opinion might vary!

1. Winner: Sown Unsweetened Oat Creamer

Sown Unsweetened Organic Oat Creamer mixed in coffee, in a clear mug, with the container in the background

Despite some of the others having added sugar and flavor, this unsweetened creamer was the unanimous winner in our taste testing group. The Sown had the absolute best texture out of all the creamers we tried, adding a richness that is the most similar to dairy creamers.

Our taste testers appreciated that because it's unsweetened, you can add sugar to taste. However, the texture of the Sown Oat Creamer was so rich that we all enjoyed it without any sugar at all. It also comes in a sweetened variety if you prefer that.

There was no discernable flavor to this creamer when it was mixed in with the coffee. It allows the full flavor of the coffee to come through.

Sown unsweetened oat creamer foamed (left), and after 10 minutes (right)

The foam from this creamer was excellent, producing a nice volume of foam with a mostly smooth texture and a few larger bubbles. The foam was pretty stable, losing only about 20% of its volume after 10 minutes.

Close up views of Sown oat creamer foam on a spoon (left) and in a mug (right).

The Sown creamer is also organic and comes in a cardboard container. However, it does contain canola oil as its second ingredient. So if you're not a fan of canola oil, you might want to try one of the other creamers on this list (such as Elmhurst).

  1. Overall rating: 9.5/10

  2. Texture: 9.5/10 (best)

  3. Flavor: 10/10* (unflavored and neutral)

  4. Foam volume: 6.5/10

  5. Foam texture: 6.5/10

  6. Foam stability: 8/10

  7. Price (US): $5.49-5.79**

  8. Packaging: cardboard container with plastic spout

  9. Package size: 32 fl. oz.

  10. Price per fl. oz.: $0.17-0.18** (average)

  11. Per 1 tablespoon:

    1. Calories: 20 (average)

    2. Fat: 1 g. (average)

    3. Sodium: 10 mg. (lower than average)

    4. Sugar: 0 g. (lowest)

    5. Potassium: 20 mg.

    6. Calcium: 20 mg.

  12. Organic: yes

  13. Ingredients: oatmilk, canola oil, calcium carbonate, potassium citrate, gellan gum, baking soda.

2. Runner-up: Elmhurst Caramel Macchiato Oat Creamer

Elmhurst oat creamer mixed in with coffee, with the container in the background

Although no other vegan creamer came close to the texture of Sown, the Elmhurst is a nice option that complements your coffee nicely without overpowering it. It has just a hint of sweetness and a subtle caramel flavor.

This creamer is also a great option for those who want to avoid oils and gums, since it doesn't contain any of those. The Elmhurst is, however, the most expensive option per fluid ounce out of all the creamers we tested.

Elmhurst creamer foamed in a coffee mug, initially (left), and after 10 minutes (right).

If foam is important to you, the Elmhurst Oat Creamer is probably not a great option. It did produce some foam, but the texture produced large, soapy bubbles, and so the foam had mostly disintegrated after 10 minutes.

Elmhurst oat creamer foamed, on a spoon (left), and in in a mug (right).
  1. Overall rating: 7.5/10

  2. Texture: 5.5/10

  3. Flavor: 8/10

  4. Foam volume: 6/10

  5. Foam texture: 3/10

  6. Foam stability: 2/10 (worst)

  7. Price (US): $5.29**

  8. Packaging: cardboard container with plastic spout

  9. Package size: 16 fl. oz.

  10. Price per fl. oz.: $0.33** (highest)

  11. Per 1 tablespoon:

    1. Calories: 15 (lower than average)

    2. Fat: 0.5 g. (lower than average)

    3. Sodium: 0 mg. (lowest)

    4. Sugar: 1 g. (lower than average)

    5. Potassium: 70 mg.

    6. Calcium: 2 mg.

  12. Organic: no

  13. Ingredients: oatmilk, hemp cream, cane sugar, dipotassium phosphate, natural flavors.

3. Best Sweetened: Starbucks Hazelnut Latte Almondmilk & Oatmilk Creamer

Starbucks Hazelnut Latte Non-Dairy Creamer mixed in with coffee in a mug, with the container in the background.

The Starbucks Non-Dairy Creamer is your best bet if you like sweet, flavored coffees. This one was described as tasting "like candy." It will also mask the flavor of the coffee itself a bit. Our taste testers couldn't identify the flavor as hazelnut; guesses included butterscotch and vanilla.

The Starbucks creamer was, however, one of the least creamy creamers we tried. The texture of the coffee didn't change much with the addition of this creamer. So what you're getting with this creamer is mostly flavor. But we all felt that it was on-brand for Starbucks, so if you like their in-store drinks, this creamer should meet your expectations.

Starbucks creamer, foamed (left), and 10 minutes later (right)

The Starbucks creamer was the standout in the group for its foam texture. The foam it produced was silky smooth and would be perfect in a latte or cappuccino. It also produced a good volume of foam, but it did lose about 45% of its foam volume in 10 minutes.

Close-up of the Starbucks foam texture, on a spoon (left), and in a mug (right).
  1. Overall rating: 7/10

  2. Texture: 3.5/10

  3. Flavor: 9/10

  4. Foam volume: 9/10

  5. Foam texture: 10/10 (best)

  6. Foam stability: 6.5/10

  7. Price (US): $5.89-6.19**

  8. Packaging: plastic bottle

  9. Package size: 28 fl. oz.

  10. Price per fl. oz.: $0.21-0.22** (higher than average)

  11. Per 1 tablespoon:

    1. Calories: 30 (higher than average)

    2. Fat: 1 g. (average)

    3. Sodium: 20 mg. (higher than average)

    4. Sugar: 5 g. (highest/tie)

  12. Organic: no

  13. Ingredients: almondmilk, oatmilk, sugar, coconut oil, pea protein, potassium citrate, baking soda, natural flavor, gellan gum, guar gum.

4. Silk Sweet & Creamy Almond Creamer

Silk Sweet & Creamy Almond Creamer mixed with coffee in a mug; the bottle of creamer is in the background

Among the sweetened creamers, the Silk Almond Creamer ranked pretty high on our list because it's exactly as described on the label: sweet and creamy. Even though it has the same amount of sugar as the Silk Oat Creamer, the sweetness in this creamer tasted more subtle to us. One taste tester described it as caramel-like.

It's not the creamiest in the group, but we all agreed that it has a nice texture. And it also allows the flavor of the coffee to come through without overpowering it. Overall, we thought this one would make a good choice.

Silk Almond Creamer foamed in a mug (left), and 10 minutes after foaming (right)

The Silk Almond Creamer produced the largest amount of foam among all the brands we tested (tied with 365 Almond Creamer). The foam was creamy with some large bubbles, but the texture of the foam was not quite as creamy as the Silk Oat Creamer's foam. The foam's stability was about average, losing about 40% of its volume after 10 minutes.

Silk Almond Creamer foam texture close-up view, on a spoon (left), and in a mug (right).
  1. Overall rating: 7/10

  2. Texture: 7/10

  3. Flavor: 7.5/10

  4. Foam volume: 10/10 (best/tie)

  5. Foam texture: 7.5/10

  6. Foam stability: 6/10

  7. Price (US): $4.99-5.79**

  8. Packaging: plastic bottle

  9. Package size: 32 fl. oz.

  10. Price per fl. oz.: $0.16-0.18** (lower than average)

  11. Per 1 tablespoon:

    1. Calories: 25 (higher than average)

    2. Fat: 1 g. (average)

    3. Sodium: 20 mg. (higher than average)

    4. Sugar: 4 g. (higher than average)

  12. Organic: no

  13. Ingredients: almondmilk, cane sugar, sunflower oil, pea protein, potassium citrate, salt, baking soda, sunflower lecithin, natural flavor, gellan gum.

5. Almond Breeze Vanilla Almondmilk Creamer

Almond Breeze Vanilla Almondmilk Creamer mixed with coffee in a mug, with the bottle in the background.

The Almond Breeze creamer got overall good reviews from our taste testers. It was described as very sweet, but not in an overpowering or artificial way. The sweetness of this one felt more balanced and natural than some of the others.

Our taste testers also detected that this creamer was flavored, but couldn't identify it as vanilla. Guesses included hazelnut, caramel, and cinnamon roll.

Almond Breeze Vanilla Creamer in a coffee mug, foamed (left), and after 10 minutes (right)

If you're looking to foam your coffee creamer, this probably isn't the right creamer for you. There wasn't much foam to speak of, and 60% of the scant foam was lost after 10 minutes. The texture of the foam was also the worst of all the milks and creamers tested.

Close-up shot of the Almond Breeze foam texture, on a spoon (left), and in a mug (right).

  1. Overall rating: 6.5/10

  2. Texture: 6/10

  3. Flavor: 7/10

  4. Foam volume: 2/10

  5. Foam texture: 1.5/10 (worst)

  6. Foam stability: 4/10

  7. Price (US): $4.49-4.79**

  8. Packaging: plastic bottle

  9. Package size: 32 fl. oz.

  10. Price per fl. oz.: $0.14-0.15** (lowest/tie)

  11. Per 1 tablespoon:

    1. Calories: 25 (higher than average)

    2. Fat: 1 g. (average)

    3. Sodium: 20 mg. (higher than average)

    4. Sugar: 4 g. (higher than average)

    5. Potassium: 30 mg.

  12. Organic: no

  13. Ingredients: almondmilk, cane sugar, almond oil, sunflower oil, sunflower lecithin, natural flavors, dipotassium phosphate, pea protein, baking soda, sea salt, vitamin C, gellan gum.

6. Silk Oat Creamer, The Sweet Oat Latte One

Silk Oat Creamer mixed with coffee in a mug

While this creamer has a thicker consistency than the Almond Breeze, it did come in a bit lower based on the overall taste. It's very sweet, and it's creamy as well. However, our taste testers felt it was a bit "meh." Despite not being a standout from the crowd, the Silk Oat Creamer is still a good option.

Silk Oat Creamer, foamed in a mug (left), and after 10 minutes (right).

The Silk Oat Creamer produced a very nice foam, and a large volume of it. However, the foam was not very stable and it lost 52% of its volume after 10 minutes.

Close-up of the texture of the Silk Oat Creamer foam, on a spoon (left), and in a mug (right)
  1. Overall rating: 6.5/10

  2. Texture: 7.5/10

  3. Flavor: 6/10

  4. Foam volume: 9/10

  5. Foam texture: 8.5/10

  6. Foam stability: 5/10

  7. Price (US): $4.99-5.79**

  8. Packaging: cardboard container with plastic spout

  9. Package size: 32 fl. oz.

  10. Price per fl. oz.: $0.16-0.18** (lower than average)

  11. Per 1 tablespoon:

    1. Calories: 25 (higher than average)

    2. Fat: 1 g. (average)

    3. Sodium: 20 mg. (higher than average)

    4. Sugar: 4 g. (higher than average)

  12. Organic: no

  13. Ingredients: oatmilk, cane sugar, sunflower oil, pea protein, potassium citrate, baking soda, natural flavor, gellan gum.

7. 365 Organic Vanilla Almond Creamer

365 Organic Almond Creamer mixed with coffee in a mug, with the bottle behind it.

This creamer received mixed reviews from our taste testers, ranging from "just okay" to "good." Although it's quite sweet, the 365 Almond Creamer has its sweetness balanced by other flavors. Our taste testers could tell that it was flavored, and one correctly identified it as vanilla, although she described it as an artificial vanilla taste.

The texture of the 365 creamer is very thick and heavy. It went straight to the bottom of our cups, leaving interesting-looking layers of creamer and coffee (see our taste-test video to see this in action; if you're on a phone, it will be towards the bottom of the page; on a compuer it will be on the top right side of the page). We had to get a spoon to mix this one in, which was not required for any of the other creamers. One of our taste-testers said that this extra step alone might make her choose a different creamer. However, once it was mixed in, the texture of the creamer was nice.

365 Organic Almond Creamer, foamed in a mug (left), and 10 minutes after foaming (right).

The foam from the 365 creamer was one of the best in our tests. It tied for most volume (with Silk Almond Creamer), and the texture of the foam was very nice, second only to the Starbucks Creamer. This was also the most stable foam in the group, losing only 7% of its volume after 10 minutes.

365 Almond Creamer foam texture close-up view, on a spoon (left), and in a mug (right)
  1. Overall rating: 6/10

  2. Texture: 6.5/10

  3. Flavor: 5.5/10

  4. Foam volume: 10/10 (best/tie)

  5. Foam texture: 9/10

  6. Foam stability: 9.5/10 (best)

  7. Price (US): $2.79**

  8. Packaging: plastic bottle

  9. Package size: 16 fl. oz.

  10. Price per fl. oz.: $0.17** (lower than average)

  11. Per 1 tablespoon:

    1. Calories: 35 (highest)

    2. Fat: 1 g. (average)

    3. Sodium: 15 mg. (average)

    4. Sugar: 5 g. (highest/tie)

  12. Organic: yes

  13. Ingredients: almond blend, cane sugar, coconut oil, palm oil, natural flavor, pea protein, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate, gellan gum, guar gum.

8. Oatly Original Oatmilk, Barista Edition

Oatly Barista Edition mixed in with coffee in a mug, with the container in the background.