Over my coffee drinking years, I’ve experimented with different coffee creamers. In high school, I started with the typical Coffee Mate creamer and put tons of it in my coffee. Realistically, it was probably more creamer than coffee, but as I got older and started looking at the ingredient list, I started looking for more natural options.

After all, I just couldn’t bring myself to drink it black. And every once in a while, I would drink it with milk and sweetener, but that was never as fun as Caramel Macchiato or French Vanilla.

But, with ingredients like corn syrup solids, hydrogenated oils, and artificial flavors, I knew I needed a better alternative. Not to mention carrageenan, a substance used in tons of foods as a thickening agent that adds no nutritional value and causes all sorts of digestive issues.

I’ve tried to make my own creamer before and haven’t had much luck. I will admit that I haven’t branched out and done the whole almond milk creamer route, but I plan to try it someday.

Today we’re going to talk about the best coffee creamers you can buy. While my preference would be to make it, that day has not yet come.

Why Is It So Hard to Find A Natural Coffee Creamer?

This question has haunted me for years. The biggest reason for me though, is that I have a milk allergy. I know tons of people who love the Natural Bliss line of creamers, and I was really excited when they came out, only to find that I couldn’t use it anyway.

Then International Delight came out with their line of Simply Pure creamers, and as excited as I was once again, I realized that I could still not have it.

(Now I know that since they first came out, both of these brands have come out with creamers made with Almond Milk and Coconut Milk, but I have yet to try them)

The real hero I want to talk about is Silk Almond Milk Creamer. I’ve had it before when it first came out and it worked well, but it came in such a small carton that I would have to buy multiple cartons just to have enough to get through the week. I definitely put less creamer in my coffee now and sweeten it with a little bit of Stevia, but the redesigned small bottle lasts me just over a week.

In an attempt to eat more naturally, I had just been using almond milk and Stevia in my coffee. I don’t know if it’s from being pregnant or what, but I can’t drink it like that anymore. It almost upsets my stomach and I couldn’t make it through more than a half a cup. Once or twice I had tried adding a small amount of International Delight creamer and found that it was too sweet to drink. It made me sick! Finally, I decided to try the new Silk creamer and it was the perfect blend! Not too sweet, and I don’t have to add a lot of it to get the taste and consistency I want.

Plus, it doesn’t have a lot of preservatives and chemicals in it. They’ve improved the recipe and removed the carrageenan and made it Non-GMO, which is always a good thing. The caramel flavor is my favorite so far, but it’s fair to say I haven’t tried the other flavors. Nevertheless, let’s break it down and see what all goes into this delicious concoction.

ALMOND MILK (FILTERED WATER, ALMONDS) – Almond milk is natural and a favorite of mine. The only down side really is for those that are allergic to almonds. Otherwise, it works for just about everyone.

CANE SUGAR – Yes, it is sugar and sugar is not great for you, but in this situation, I think it’s important to consider the amount you’re actually using in the grand scheme of things and the alternatives. Also, it’s cane sugar, not a highly processed or man-made, chemical sugar compound. So realistically, I think we can let this one slide.

HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL – Essentially, this is sunflower oil that has been bred to have a high concentration of oleic acid in it. It’s a natural substance that provides stability in the products that use it without having to use a hydrogenated oil.

PEA PROTEIN – Pea protein is exactly what it sounds like…it’s protein from a pea. Not much to worry about there.

POTASSIUM CITRATE – This one does have mixed reviews. While some consider it as a processed additive, it is allowed in many different organic and Non-GMO foods because it is considered safe.

BAKING SODA – Again, this one probably speaks for itself. It’s a pretty neutral ingredient.

NATURAL FLAVOR – I always hate it when companies use “natural flavor” or “artificial flavor” in their ingredient listing because it always makes me think they probably have tons of things they can put in their products under this label that they don’t have to specifically spell out for you. I guess we trust that “natural” actually means natural?

SUNFLOWER LECITHIN – This a better alternative than soy lecithin and is fine as long as it is derived from sunflower. It’s used in many non-dairy milk products to make them creamier.

SEA SALT – Again, this one isn’t really a concern.

GELLAN GUM – This is added as an emulsifier to thicken foods and help them keep their consistency without separating. You wouldn’t want to consume large amounts of this stuff, but in small amounts, it’s fine. It may even benefit your digestive system.

As you can see, there aren’t a ton of foreign substances found in this creamer, and my favorite part is that it’s actually CREAMY! I have found so many creamers, especially the non-dairy kinds, that are so thin that you have to add half the carton to get the smooth coffee consistency you want. That’s not the case with this one. It’s perfectly smooth, creamy and sweet without being too sweet. Way to go Silk, my cup of joe and I thank you!