It's been several months now, since
Sandy's sudden evolutionary epiphany, that we've bought any cow milk for ourselves. Our dairyfree beverage of choice has been almond milk, though I'll admit, about the only one of us who really drinks it is our toddler, who drinks cupful by insistent cupful every day. Sandy will have some from time to time, especially if it's some flavored variety, but aside from the occasional inclusion in a smoothie, since I've given up
cereal on my Paleo quest, I rarely if ever have any. Coffee creamer, though, has been the exception - well, not for me, I've gotten used to enjoying my coffee in the manner consistent with the
infamous Airplane line - but we've just been buying regular half-and-half all along, and haven't thought much about it.
Until now. Here it is, an answer to dairyfree coffee creamin' dreamin': Trader Joe's Original Coconut Creamer. Unlike some
other coconut milk creations TJ offers*, this seems, to my (limited) knowledge to also pass the Paleo test. No dairy. No soy. No gluten. Just some water, coconut, sugar *ahem* "dried cane syrup", and some chemical stuff which I don't know what they really do but I suppose it's important and hopefully not caveman-adverse.
And it works too. There is a definite yet slight coconut taste to it that does come through, so you have to plan a little bit for that, especially if you're planning to enjoy a flavored coffee. Sandy and I made a pretty vibrant "symphony" coffee (light and dark) over the weekend, and while I personally felt that the creamer dulled the flavor a little, the coconut still made a decent flavor accompaniment. Perhaps that "flavor dulling" is more due to it being the first coffee with creamer I've had in weeks, not sure. Generally, it seems like it'd work fine with regular roasts, but if your coffee has a taste that wouldn't mingle with coconut, then I'd say definitely avoid. The creamer won't get your coffee quite as tannish-brown as the regular moo juice will, but it gets the job done pretty well. Sandy, who enjoys her sugar and creamer with coffee and not the other way around, had absolutely no complaints.
For a $1.49 for the pint, I'd imagine this being a regular pick up going forward. While I've now gotten to the point where I'm much more partial to black coffee than I'd ever thought I'd be, TJ's coco-creamer is still a nice little product option for anyone looking to avoid some dairy for whatever reason, or even just for a nice change of pace from the same ol' same ol'. I'll dabble from time to time. Double fours.
Bottom line: Trader Joe's Original Coconut Creamer: 8 out of 10 Golden Spoons
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* Stupid maltodextrin AKA processed corn sugar junk.
Excellent! - I had requested they get a coconut coffee creamer. I use the So Delicious brand (usually $1.98) and it is virtually identical. It's really the only alternative to half-and-half for me.
ReplyDeletethe additives are to keep it shelf stable (i.e. not sour or separate) and whiter (because Americans like their white foods WHITE)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review! I appreciate the pictures of the carton to see that it is vegan and kosher too :)
Your obvious play on words is rather obnoxious. Just stick to the additive info!
DeleteThis looks amazing! We still don't have this at my store yet (only just found out it existed a day ago). It's great for vegans/lactose-intolerants to finally have a soy-free creamer option from TJ's!
ReplyDeleteI love this stuff, I hope my Williamsburg location will get it back in stock, it disappeared within 2 weeks and has not been in stock since !
ReplyDeleteI must add, I was disappointed it wasn't like a creamy creamer, it didn't make my coffee any lighter then skim milk would. As @violarulz said we like to see our whites WHITE. It was mainly watery~ a delicious water at that.
ReplyDeleteDoes it go bad? About a month after it being in the fridge, the creamer is a little chunky and tastes funny.
ReplyDeleteMajorly disappointed with the choice to add titanium dioxide. Who cares if it looks white? If people cared as much about how things affected their bodies and less about what it looked like going in (you know how it's going to look coming out) we'd be in a much better place.
ReplyDelete@Mary Ellen Riley ~ Since it's been 9 months since you asked your question it's probable you won't see this answer. In case anyone else is wondering though, yes it does go bad. The side of carton has a suggestion of using within 14 days of opening. Hope that helps!
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ReplyDeleteDried Cane Syrup = SUGAR!!! this is definitely not paleo. Please update your post
ReplyDeleteReplaced with a not-organic coconut creamer that has sodium, for the same price. Still has titanium dioxide.
ReplyDelete