The -BER Months & DIY Coffee Creamer
- makingscentsstudio
- Sep 1, 2023
- 4 min read
Happy September!
As promised I have some DIY coffee creamer recipes for you this month. Scroll all the way down to skip right to them: Peppermint Mocha, Cinnamon Vanilla, and Pumpkin Spice.
Even though I loooove summer, warm temps, and sunshine, my favorite month is September. The sky seems more blue, somehow, maybe because the sun is lower in the sky and it illuminates things differently? I definitely like the warm days and crisp, cool nights that come along in September.
Many people love the -BER months: SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER, and DecemBER, which then give way to the actual BRRRRR months of winter. The -BER months also bring football, sweaters and hoodies, and Pumpkin Spice everything! (Hang in there pumpkin spice haters, the recipes coming up have something for you, too!)
So let’s talk about Pumpkin Spice–you either love it or hate it. I think they came out with the pumpkin spice lattes in August this year. Whether you buy yours pre-made, or you buy the flavored creamer and mix your own, have you ever considered what they are made of? Is there any actual pumpkin in it?
Here are the ingredients on Aldi brand Pumpkin Spice creamer. Aldi has a reputation for carrying a lot of organic and non-GMO products. But this says it contains Bio-Engineered Food Ingredients. AND I don’t see ANYTHING that looks like pumpkin in that list. You may say, well it lists Natural & Artificial Flavors, so that’s good, right? Not in my book.
Here’s the truth about “natural flavorings”:
“Natural flavors are the fourth most common ingredient on food labels today. The only ingredients you’ll see more often: salt, water and sugar.
The FDA allows food companies to use the term “natural flavors” to describe any food additive that originated in nature. If they originated in nature, what’s the problem? you may be asking.
According to David Andrews, Senior Scientist at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), this:
[Natural flavors] will often have some solvent and preservatives—and that makes up 80 to 90 percent of the volume. In the end product, it’s a small amount, but it still has artificial ingredients.”
Ewww, no thanks! AND it’s not just the pumpkin spice creamers. Look at your French Vanilla or any other flavored creamer. They are full of chemicals, preservatives, colors, and flavorings, and they are not always good for you in the long run. What makes French vanilla “French” anyway? In ice cream they add egg yolk to vanilla to make it “French”; in coffee they add hazelnut flavoring to the vanilla syrup.
So why not make your own creamer, where you control the amount of sugar and the quality of the ingredients?
For Pumpkin Spice creamer all you need is the milk base of your choice, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and some Young Living Vitality essential oils for flavoring: Cinnamon Bark, Nutmeg, and Clove.
But making your own creamer is only better for you if you use quality ingredients.
MILK BASE: Choose dairy, or non-dairy; lactose or lactose free; whatever milk base you prefer. Organic is always best; finding a milk base without carrageenan is best, because carrageenan is an additive used to thicken, emulsify, and preserve foods and drinks. It’s a natural ingredient that comes from red seaweed (also called Irish moss). You’ll often find this ingredient in nut milks, meat products, and yogurt, but carrageenan has no nutritional value, so you don’t have to worry about missing anything when you remove foods containing it. Finding replacements for vegetarian or vegan foods without carrageenan is possible. Just remember that carrageenan-free milks may separate. This is natural. All you have to do is shake well before pouring.
PUMPKIN PUREE: Fresh foods generally have a higher nutrient content than cooked or canned foods. But in this case, both fresh pumpkin and canned pumpkin are packed with nutrients, such as potassium, vitamin A and iron.
Canned pumpkin without salt is a healthy alternative. Just check the Nutrition Facts label on the can so that you know what you're getting.
VANILLA EXTRACT: Splurge and buy organic vanilla extract (you are worth it). Don’t put that fake imitation vanilla in your body. Real vanilla is antibacterial, antidepressant, and full of antioxidants.
ESSENTIAL OILS: Young Living’s Vitality line of oils are labeled as dietary supplements and are 100% natural and each have their own benefits; making them a perfect addition to your natural coffee creamer. If you don’t have any, I can help you get them through my brand partner link here:
Doesn’t that sound like a much better list of ingredients?
Okay, for the non-pumpkin spice people, I am also including recipes for Peppermint Mocha, and Cinnamon Vanilla. Cinnamon Vanilla is my favorite!! Yes, I am NOT a pumpkin spice fan; don’t hate on me please!
CACAO POWDER: For the Peppermint Mocha creamer, it is preferable to use cacao powder. Why cacao instead of cocoa?
Cacao beans get their flavor and texture through a fermentation process before being processed into cacao or cocoa powder.
To make cocoa powder, the cacao beans are subjected to high temperatures, that's what makes it smooth and sweet tasting. It is less bitter than cacao but loses some of its nutritional value in that process.
Cacao beans that will be made into cacao powder and cacao nibs are processed at low temperatures and then milled into a powder. Cacao powder is bitter, but retains more of the bean’s original nutritional value. Cacao powder can be a healthier alternative for recipes that call for cocoa powder.
Cacao powder contains lots of potassium. Potassium has been shown to decrease risk of heart disease by reducing lower body inflammation and stress on cells.
Try these recipes; have fun with them. Be sure to use a glass jar or bottle, and be sure to shake it up before using, since it is all natural it will probably separate a bit while sitting in your fridge. Tell me which one you are going to make in the comments.
Stay oily!!
~Janet
*Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. For educational purposes only.
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