Non-dairy creamer is a milk or cream substitute used primarily for flavoring coffee and tea. There are a variety of non-dairy creamers made with various products, but most of the standard or best-known brands contain the protein-rich milk derivative casein in the form of sodium caseinate. For this reason vegans and some vegetarians choose to use a soy-based non-dairy creamer instead. Other ingredients in the typical non-dairy creamer include cornstarch and vegetable oils.

Nestlé’s Coffee-Mate™ was the first and is probably the best-known non-dairy creamer, hitting the market in 1961. Today there are many popular brands including Cremora™, International Delight™, Flavor Charm™, and Coffee Rich™. Non-dairy creamer is lactose-free, which might explain initial reasons manufacturers wanted to label these products as “non-dairy,” as this would attract those consumers who are lactose intolerant, or unable to consume milk and cream.

Non-dairy creamer comes in powder form or as a refrigerated liquid. Advantages of the powder form are that it won’t cool your coffee and it has a longer shelf life. However, some find liquid non-dairy creamer more convenient and richer in texture and taste. Generally it is recommended that liquid non-dairy creamers be consumed within 14 days of opening the product.

In addition to standard non-dairy creamer, many manufacturers offer a variety of flavored creamers. French Vanilla, Caramel, Hazelnut, Irish Crème and Macadamia Nut are just a few of the many choices available that can make regular coffee taste like it came from an expensive coffee-house instead of your kitchen.

A non-dairy creamer that is soy-based will not contain sodium caseinate or any other animal product or derivative. Crème de la Soy™ is one example, and Silk Original Creamer™ is another soy-based non-dairy creamer. These products are safe for vegans and for those vegetarians who wish to avoid animal products.

Some people prefer to make their own non-dairy creamer using corn starch, powdered sugar and flavor extracts (such as vanilla extract). The recipe should be mixed in a little cold water before being stirred into a hot beverage.