This Affordable Canned Good Should Replace Your Coffee Creamer

A splash of creamer is the typical go-to for lightening up a mug of caffeinated goodness, but there are other ways to sweeten a cup of joe. One affordable option is canned coconut milk. It clocks in as low as just a couple bucks for a standard size can (depending on the brand and where you buy it) and it's easy to simply store it in the pantry until you need it.

Outside of the fact that it's affordable and shelf-stable until opened, canned coconut milk has some other advantages. First, it's naturally vegan and full of electrolytes. Plus, while well-known varieties of coffee creamer may include a number of extra ingredients like oil, sugar, and additives, if you opt for a quality brand of coconut milk, such as the organic version at Trader Joe's, you shouldn't encounter much more than coconut and water on the label. Finally, while flavored creamers can sometimes taste artificial (likely thanks to all of those additives), this alternative can add a subtle coconutty flavor to your coffee while still adding richness.

Swapping out your coffee creamer for canned coconut milk is simple. Often, you can pour the coconut milk from the can right into your cup, while others may need to be mixed with a bit of water before stirring them in. Either way, once you've splashed in what you need, just save the rest in the refrigerator for up to five days. Or, you can freeze it in ice cube trays and plop it into iced lattes or blend it into smoothies.

Since coconut milk will stay fresh in an unopened can for quite a while if kept in a dark, cool spot in your kitchen or pantry, it may be tempting to stock up on it. If you do, and you're looking for other ways to swap out cream and indulge in coconut milk instead, there's no shortage of ways to do it.

First, while Coffee Mate released a line of creamers made especially for crafting dirty sodas, you can experiment with using coconut milk instead in your favorite dirty soda recipe (especially since those were available only for a limited time). And if you want it extra creamy, use coconut cream, as well – the two are similar, but the latter is richer than the milk. You can also add a little flavor to other beverages in which you might use creamer like hot chocolate or espresso martinis.

Coffee creamer has numerous applications in the kitchen outside of drinks, and coconut milk can be a stand in for those too. Using creamer is an instant way to upgrade waffles, pancakes, or French toast, so why not sub in coconut milk, instead? And, just like coffee creamer, it's also great for jazzing up a bowl of oatmeal or cream of wheat or adding nuanced flavor to baked goods and frosting.