Warm cinnamon and sweet brown sugar make coffee feel like dessert. This recipe shows you just how easy it is to whip it up. Read on and see the other cozy homemade creamers this article has in store.
The Creamer
This creamer brings both sweetness and aromatic warmth to coffee or tea. You don’t need fancy gadgets—just a few basics from your kitchen.
Equipment
Honestly, it’s pretty simple. Here’s what you’ll want on hand:
- Medium saucepan for heating and mixing.
- Whisk for blending everything together.
- Measuring cups and spoons—accuracy does help.
- Fine mesh strainer to catch any cinnamon bits.
- Glass jar or bottle with a lid for storing your creamer.
- Funnel if you want to avoid spills (which, let’s be real, is always nice).
Stick with heat-resistant utensils, and make sure your equipment’s clean. Prepping your jar ahead of time saves you from scrambling when it’s time to pour.
Ingredients
Fresh, quality ingredients really make a difference here. Getting the amounts right keeps things consistent, but you can tweak to taste.
- 1 1/4 cups oat milk or dairy milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or non-dairy cream
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Real brown sugar gives that deep flavor. Adjust the cinnamon if you like things spicier or more mellow. Oat milk’s great for a dairy-free option and has its own creaminess, but regular milk works too. Vanilla adds that little extra something. And don’t skip the salt—it just makes everything pop.
Instructions
Here’s how to pull it all together:
- Combine oat milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the saucepan.
- Warm over medium heat, whisking until the sugar’s dissolved and it’s nice and smooth.
- Bring it just to a simmer, then take it off the heat.
- Stir in vanilla and salt.
- Pour through a fine strainer into your jar.
- Let it cool down to room temp.
- Seal and refrigerate. Give it a good shake before using.
This keeps in the fridge for up to a week. Straining after heating keeps the texture silky, so don’t skip it.
Tasting Notes
This creamer gives you rich sweetness and a gentle hit of spice. Brown sugar brings in caramel-like notes, while cinnamon adds that mellow, warming aroma.
If you go with oat milk, you’ll get a smooth finish that blends easily into coffee or tea. Dairy milk makes it a bit thicker and mellower. Vanilla’s there in the background, just rounding things out, and that pinch of salt keeps it from getting cloying.
It’s especially good with bold or medium roast coffee, and honestly, it’s great in black tea too—think chai or anything spiced.
Quick Pro Tips
Freshly ground cinnamon? Absolutely worth it for a bolder aroma and flavor. When you’re heating things up, keep whisking—nobody wants a scorched or lumpy mess.
If it’s too thin, just let it bubble away a bit longer. Vegan? Oat milk and coconut cream work surprisingly well. Tweak the brown sugar and cinnamon until it tastes just right to you.
Let it cool off before bottling, or you’ll end up with condensation in your container. Want to get fancy? Toss in a cinnamon stick while heating instead of the ground stuff and see what happens.
