Milk or Non-Dairy? The Shelf Life of Your Coffee Creamer

Coffee creamer is a way to make your regular coffee creamy and rich at home. It comes in a wide range of flavors so that you can make different styles of a cup of java every single day.

The ingredients that make up coffee creamer are water, sugar, and vegetable oil. 

It may come in powdered or liquid form. Coffee creamer is highly processed and loaded with sugar. You will find coffee creamer with up to 5 grams of added sugar in just a single serving. 

Unopened coffee creamers can last up to two weeks beyond the expiration date. Powdered creamers tend to last longer than liquid creamers, especially when the bottles have already been opened. This is because liquid goes bad faster than powder, which is designed to be stored for a long time.

You might also be unable to finish the whole bottle before the expiration date. So do you throw the bottle away? The truth is you don’t have to!

Keep on reading to find how long does coffee creamer last.

How do you store creamer?

The dairy ones need to be stored in the fridge right away because they usually contain milk and cream. The non-dairy ones like coffee-mate can be ok at room temperature, but once you open the tetra pack, it’s essential to store non-dairy in the fridge. 

Coffee creamers come in three different types: liquid creamer, sealed cups, and powdered form. The most popular is liquid coffee creamer which is available in dairy and non-dairy varieties. It comes in larger plastic bottles to store easily. 

Once you use the creamer, tightly close the bottle and put it in the fridge right away. 

Most importantly, avoid putting your liquid non-dairy creamer in the fridge door and only store it in its original packaging. If you store it correctly, it can last for 10 to 15 days. 

The mini sealed cups and powdered creamer can sit at room temperature. However, seal them tightly and remove them from heat or moisture. 

How long does coffee creamer last?

An open creamer can last for 10 to 15 days, depending on how well you store them based on their types.

An opened bottle of coffee creamer only lasts a week. However, sealed or unopened dairy-based coffee creamers can last even 2 weeks more than their actual expiration date mentioned on the label. 

Let’s look into them one by one:

• Liquid creamer dairy or no dairy should last for one to two weeks, depending on how well you store them in the fridge.
• The unopened sealed cups can last for up to half a year, even the dairy ones. 
• The powdered whitener is like spice. They never go wrong, but the taste changes after a few months. 

Here is a summarized table so you can see how long one lasts.

Tip: I know It’s tempting to buy more than one flavor at a time. After all, we have various yummy options available, from chocolate to vanilla and from dairy to vegan. However, if you buy more than one, my suggestion would be to open one bottle at a time instead of opening the second bottle without finishing the first. 

Is it ok to use expired coffee creamer?

You must understand that the expiration date is just a suggestion and not a definite thing. 

Sometimes, the product is useable even after the expiration date. For example, if you have not opened the creamer, it can last for 2 weeks, but you have to keep it in the refrigerator. 

However, if you have opened the creamer, it’s essential to use it for under a week because an open creamer gets inedible after seven to eight days. 

Lastly, open or unopened, always store your creamer in the refrigerator. 

You also need to know how to tell if creamer goes terrible. You have to look if your creamer has an odd smell or flavor, because if it has, then it’s best to discard it right away. 

Yet, it is still ok to drink an expired creamer as long as it is still in good quality even the expired date has passed. But if you drink an expired creamer that has gone bad in real, then it can make you sick because the creamer has developed bacteria that may cause damage to your health. 

How long can coffee creamers sit out after opening?

An opened bottle of coffee creamer can last one to two weeks. 

If you have a creamer sitting for more than two weeks now, it’s time to throw it away because it already goes terrible. 

Remember to always store your creamer bottle in the refrigerator at 40 degrees to avoid the formation of the bacteria in it. 

Can liquid non-dairy creamer go bad?

Yes, liquid non-dairy creamer also goes bad very quickly. If you have opened the bottle, it’s best to use it in 7 to 8 days. 

However, if your liquid creamer has a sour taste and lousy smell even before a week has passed, then that means it’s not in good condition.

If the liquid creamer has chunks or clumps, then taste a bit from a teaspoon and if you find it tasting terrible, discard it. 

How long does Coffee Mate creamer last in the fridge?

Once opened, Coffee mate creamer can last up to 14 days in the fridge.

Coffee-mate is America’s #1 creamer, available in four delicious flavors. The brand claims that the creamer is cholesterol-free, lactose-free, gluten-free, and made of kosher dairy, but it doesn’t contain any minerals, antioxidants, or vitamins. 

You can store a bottle or share it with your family but avoid drinking it daily. 

If you have too much creamer left, try out some dessert for the family to use the creamer before it expires. Coffee creamer can enhance the desert sweetness and flavors. You can even make affogato coffee and add your leftover creamer to it. 

Affogato Recipe

The famous Affogato coffee is an Italian dessert. Affogato comes from the Italian word “affogato,” meaning “to drown.” It’s a gelato ice cream drowned in an espresso shot.

Affogato may look fancy, but it is easy to make and only needs two ingredients.  

Ingredients:

• Vanilla ice cream or vanilla gelato
• Two shots or two ounces of espresso

Toppings

• Shaved chocolate 

Step 1: Brew hot shots of espresso first. If you don’t have an espresso machine, use espresso powder or a strong brewed coffee instead. 

Step 2: Take a bowl or glass and put two scoops of ice cream and shaved chocolate. 

Step 3: You have to drown your ice cream in hot coffee. Pour the espresso shot over ice cream, and watch the magic happen. 

Now, serve it right away and enjoy the partially melted ice cream in delicious coffee with a scoop of delicious coffee creamer. An excellent dessert for a summer evening or late-night parties. 

Homemade coffee creamer 

You can always make coffee creamer at home in a quantity that suits you well. You know how much you can use in a week, so make it according to that. The recipe is simple and easy to make at home. 

But if you’re looking to have your coffee without creamer and still remove its bitterness, check out my other article on coffee sweeteners.

Ingredients:

• Sweetened condensed milk      1 can
• Almond milk 1½ cup
• Maple syrup 1 tablespoon 
• Arrowroot powder 1 tablespoon 
• Vanilla extract 1 tablespoon 

Instructions:

• Take one medium-size saucepan and mix both almond and condensed milk. Let them boil, and then add ther ingredients one by one. 
• Stir well until you see the bubbles, turn off the heat, and pour it into an airtight container. 
• Cool down completely, and store in the fridge for up to 7 or 8 days.
• After 8 days, your creamer will be ready to use.  

Take a look at this video for a visual guide on how to make your own homemade coffee creamer:

Wrapping Up

So, in summary, the shelf life of a coffee creamer depends entirely on how well you store it after opening the bottle. 

Unopened creamers can last for 3 weeks and opened ones up to 2 weeks. However, it is recommended to use opened coffee creamers within 7 to 8 days, including liquid dairy and non-dairy, as the bacteria can form in opened dairy or non-dairy creamer bottles, and drinking it may not be the best idea.

The best thing to do is store your creamer properly, and if it tastes funny when you use it after several days, throw it and get a new one. There’s no point in getting sick from your creamer.

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