The Top 9 Vanilla Coffee Creamers to Enhance Your Morning Brew

Nothing beats a hot cup of joe in the morning, and for those who don’t care for the taste of black coffee, a good creamer is absolutely essential. There are no shortage of coffee creamer flavors on the market these days, with some of them nice and classic, like hazelnut or mocha, and others a little more unique, like the Thai iced coffee and piña colada-flavored “White Lotus” creamers. One such flavor that keeps things safe and simple yet delicious is vanilla, and no matter which grocery store you go to or which brand you seek, you’ll be hard-pressed to not find a vanilla coffee creamer on the shelves.

Of course, not all vanilla creamers are created equal, and not all of them are necessarily worth pouring into your cup of coffee. I’ve sampled several vanilla coffee creamers — some from popular brands, some dairy-based, some plant-based — to ultimately compile a list of nine that I believe to be the cream of the crop. When sampling these creamers, I took into consideration how strong the vanilla flavor was, as well as the level of creaminess, sweetness, and potency, to craft a sure-fire guide to the absolute best vanilla coffee creamers out there.

Of all of the coffee creamer brands on the market these days — and there are quite a few with the influx of non-dairy alternatives — Coffee Mate is perhaps the most recognizable of the bunch. Not only can you likely find Coffee Mate creamers wherever coffee creamer is sold, but you can likely find an abundance of flavors, like hazelnut, peppermint mocha, and of course, French vanilla.

Coffee Mate’s French vanilla creamer is a tried-and-true go-to, so if you enjoy a simple vanilla creamer in your coffee, you really can’t go wrong with this option. When sampling this coffee creamer, I appreciated its creaminess above all else, and just a couple of tablespoons of creamer went a long way in transforming a cup of black coffee. The French vanilla flavor is apparent but not super intense, offering up a subtle sweetness that isn’t cloying. The sweetness level is just right — definitely present, but one that takes a back seat to the sheer creaminess of the coffee creamer. Simple, classic, and a staple of the creamer aisle, Coffee Mate’s French vanilla creamer is ideal for those who aren’t sure what coffee creamer to go with or who are limited on options at their local grocery store.

Chobani is a brand best known for yogurt, though its scope stretches into other dairy arenas, too. Chobani also has a line of oat milk, and for those creamer lovers out there, the brand has also forayed into the world of coffee creamer — a small but mighty lineup of flavors that includes classic vanilla, hazelnut, peppermint mocha, sweet cream, caramel macchiato, and even cinnamon coffee cake.

I really appreciated the simple and straightforward creamy vanilla flavor profile that this creamer had to offer. The vanilla flavor felt like true, concentrated vanilla, the kind you’d taste from pure vanilla extract (which makes sense, considering vanilla extract is an ingredient in the creamer). I did notice that I needed to add a little more creamer to my cup than usual to really be able to taste the coffee creamer, but this makes it a good option for those who want their splash of creamer to truly just taste like a splash, instead of overpowering the whole cup. A notable aspect of Chobani creamers is that they contain just six or fewer ingredients, with this vanilla one coming in at five ingredients: milk, cream, cane sugar, natural flavors, and vanilla extract.

Long gone are the days of only being able to enjoy Starbucks flavors at a Starbucks location. There’s a whole world of store-bought products from the popular coffee chain out there, from whole bean coffees to Starbucks bottled and canned coffees to an impressive array of Starbucks coffee creamers. Amidst a lineup of creamers that include dairy, Starbucks has also forayed into the world of non-dairy creamer options, as represented by its almond milk and oat milk non-dairy vanilla creamer, inspired by its classic vanilla latte.

While I wouldn’t argue that this non-dairy creamer makes your cup of coffee taste exactly like a Starbucks vanilla latte, I do think it hits on flavor notes that come pretty darn close. As someone who tends to stick with dairy when it comes to creamers, I really appreciated that this non-dairy creamer still managed to capture that creamy essence that is oh-so important. The combination of almond milk and oat milk works well here, offering up a flavor that is perhaps slightly nutty and slightly oaty, but one that is overall just very vanilla-forward and subtly sweet.

We’ve already established the fact that Coffee Mate has a pretty stacked creamer lineup, but not only does the brand offer an assortment of flavors, it also offers creamers that aren’t loaded with quite so many ingredients and additives. Coffee Mate’s Natural Bliss line showcases creamers at their absolute simplest, and a real highlight of the Natural Bliss lineup is none other than the vanilla flavor.

The real distinction between the Natural Bliss vanilla creamer and the plain Coffee Mate vanilla creamer is that this one has significantly fewer ingredients. In fact, the Natural Bliss vanilla creamer has only four total ingredients, which are skim milk, cream, sugar, and natural flavor. So, this creamer is a great option for those who can’t live without that splash of creamer in their coffee every morning but are concerned with added oils or preservatives. Indeed, this creamer is about as bare bones as it gets, but that doesn’t mean that flavor is skimped on here. The flavor is just as good as the regular Coffee Mate vanilla flavor, with strong creamy notes shining through and subtle vanilla notes to back it up — making for one tasty cup of joe.

One of two completely almond milk-based creamers on this list, Califia Farms’ take on vanilla creamer is one that didn’t disappoint. All products in Califia Farms’ lineup are dairy-free, but they’re not all necessarily almond-based. The brand does have a wide range of almond milk-based creamers, however, with other flavors including birthday cake, cinnamon, brown sugar, lavender, pistachio, caramel macchiato, and chocolate chip cookie.

Of course, nothing can beat a classic vanilla coffee creamer, and as far as non-dairy creamers are concerned, Califia Farms has the formula nailed. Something I really enjoyed about this creamer is just how neutral the base was — as in, it was creamy, but it didn’t taste overwhelmingly like almonds (maybe just a slight nuttiness was present). Otherwise, this creamer boasts a really solid and classic vanilla flavor, though I did find myself adding a little extra splash to truly be able to taste the creamer in all of its glory. I should also highlight that this is another coffee creamer with a very short ingredient list: organic almond milk, organic cane sugar, baking soda, and organic natural flavor.

Our final Coffee Mate creamer inclusion on this list is a little different from the other two, not in flavor (all of them are vanilla-flavored), but in terms of dairy, or lack thereof. Indeed, Coffee Mate has non-dairy creamers in its lineup, and one such example is this Natural Bliss vanilla oat creamer. Featuring an oat milk base instead of traditional milk and/or cream, this non-dairy coffee creamer still packs a delightful flavor punch, and one that is sure to appeal to all of the plant-based folks out there.

While I definitely found the creaminess in this creamer to be more subdued compared to its dairy-filled counterparts, that didn’t mean it was any less tasty. The vanilla flavor is nice and strong in this creamer, and the slight oaty undertone really enhances the vanilla, making for a unique inclusion to your cup of joe. Though you may have to add a little more of this plant-based creamer to achieve a certain level of creaminess, the flavor is super buildable — and even as I added more creamer, I didn’t feel like the cup of coffee was becoming too sweet or too vanilla-forward. 

If there’s one creamer brand that’s just as abundant as Coffee Mate, it would definitely be International Delight. Another staple in creamer and dairy aisles, International Delight has a whole bunch of flavors on the market, including familiar favorites like hazelnut, Irish crème, caramel macchiato, and this French vanilla one, along with more unique flavors like white chocolate raspberry, Almond Joy, Reese’s, and almond cherry macaron. The brand also has a lineup of cold foam creamers, though any creamer purist knows that the classic French vanilla liquid creamer is where the money’s at.

As far as vanilla creamers are concerned, this International Delight one really nails the vanilla flavor. When tasting this creamer in a cup of coffee, I appreciated that it didn’t take much creamer to achieve a creamy consistency, and that the vanilla flavor was about as apparent as it can get in a creamer. This stuff is sweet and simple, another great option for those who don’t want any frills, don’t want a plant-based creamer, and simply want something that will add just the right amount of sweet vanilla flavor and creaminess to their coffee.

Silk is a brand perhaps best known for its soy milk lineup, but any plant-based milk is fair game. You’ll also find almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, and even cashew milk in Silk’s repertoire, and of course, plenty of plant-based creamers, to boot. One such plant-based creamer is the vanilla-flavored almond creamer, an unsuspecting coffee addition that really managed to pack a creamy punch in my cup of coffee.

I tend to favor almond milk if I’m opting for a plant-based alternative because I find the flavor to be very neutral, but I don’t necessarily find almond milk to be particularly creamy or luscious. This non-dairy coffee creamer proved me wrong, showing that almond milk can make for a worthy base for a creamy concoction, and one that really enhances the flavor of coffee. Creaminess aside, there was a distinct almond flavor to this creamer that, naturally, you’re not going to like if you don’t like the taste of almonds. Those almond lovers out there will want to reach for this one, as the almond flavor pairs extremely well with the vanilla flavor of the creamer itself. 

Also, I found this creamer to be a touch less sweet than others on this list, which for some might not be a good thing. But I really enjoyed that the vanilla flavor could speak for itself without too much sweetness getting in the way.

If there’s one brand that’s going to nail an oat milk creamer, it only makes sense that it would be one called Planet Oat. Indeed, the final creamer highlighted on this list, the Planet Oat French vanilla oat milk creamer, has a lot to offer a humble cup of coffee. It can be hard to choose a creamer to go with when there are so many on the market, but if you particularly want one that has a notable oaty flavor to it, then this is the one to grab from the store shelf. 

Sure, any oat milk-based creamer is going to somewhat taste like oat milk, but I found that oat-forward flavor to be most palpable in this Planet Oat creamer. That oaty creaminess meshed well with the French vanilla flavor, making for a cup of coffee that tasted really balanced and nuanced. While I found that I needed to add more of certain plant-based creamers to achieve a certain level of creaminess, this one got to a good creamy level with the initial amount that I added in (2 tablespoons). Rich, oaty, and deliciously vanilla-forward, this Planet Oat creamer proves once again that opting for a plant-based creamer doesn’t mean you have to skimp on the creaminess.

When it came to discerning the best vanilla coffee creamers out there, it all started with a taste test. I purchased a certain amount of vanilla creamers, ranging from dairy-based to plant-based ones, and sampled them with a hot, black cup of coffee. Though not everyone purchases creamer with the intention of using it in coffee, I figure that this is the most common use, and therefore the most surefire way to get a clear threshold for how good (or bad) a creamer tastes. 

So, I brewed 10-ounce cups of coffee and started by adding in 2 tablespoons of a given creamer. For some of them, this amount was enough, but for others (like many of the plant-based ones), I did feel that I needed to add an extra splash of creamer to really get a clear picture of the flavor profile or creamy potential.

When actually tasting the creamer in coffee, it really just came down to the vanilla flavor being apparent and there being a desired level of creaminess at play. Obviously, everyone is going to have different standards of creaminess in their cup of joe, but you’re most likely going to want creaminess from a creamer, to at least some extent. So, aside from the vanilla flavor, creaminess was really key here, so it’s safe to say that any creamer that made it onto this list has both a delightful vanilla flavor and is rich and creamy.