Skip the artificial ingredients in store-bought creamer and make your own with just 5 simple ingredients. This homemade pumpkin spice creamer is surprisingly easy to make on the stove top, or in the Instant Pot. Best of all, you can customize the sweetness level, or even make it sugar-free, to fit your own tastes!
(Originally posted on October 11, 2018; Updated content, tips, and FAQs on July 26, 2020)
Store-bought pumpkin spice creamer tastes great, but the list of ingredients gives me pause. Water and sugar top the list, followed by vegetable oil and a list of artificial ingredients. Where’s the actual cream in the creamer? It states that it “Contains 2% or less of: Sodium Caseinate: A Milk Derivative”, which I guess is as close as it gets.
Why This Recipe Works
- There are just five simple ingredients, meaning you can feel confident knowing you aren't consuming highly processed, artificial ingredients.
- This creamer can be made in the Instant Pot and on the stove top. I personally prefer the Instant Pot, as I find it yields more consistent results than our stove-top, but both methods work well.
- This recipe can easily be made sugar-free. Simply leave the sugar out. When the creamer is finished you can either add your favorite sugar-free sweetener to the entire container of creamer, or leave the creamer unsweetened and instead, add your desired amount of sugar-free sweetener directly to your coffee cup when you add the pumpkin spice creamer.
The Process
Add sugar to Instant Pot. (For stove top version, see recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
Then add milk, giving it a whisk to combine.
Press Sauté, making sure it's set to Normal. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
As milk mixture begins to heat, whisk often as sugar dissolves. Once milk begins to simmer and bubble, immediately stop whisking.
The milk will begin to simmer or boil. Allow to do so undisturbed for the full 15 minutes. When timer sounds, immediately remove from the Instant Pot. Skim off and discard any foam (there may be none), then pour milk mixture into a large bowl.
Quickly wash out inner pot, dry and insert it back into the Instant Pot. Set to "Keep Warm".
Add remaining cup of milk, pumpkin, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice to pot.
Whisk until well combined, then heat for 2 to 5 minutes, until milk is heated through and the mixture is well combined.
Place a fine mesh strainer, or use a colander lined in cheesecloth, over the bowl containing the sugar and milk mixture. Then, pour the pumpkin mixture through the strainer. This will remove some of the pumpkin and pumpkin spice sediment. This step is optional.
Whisk pumpkin mixture and milk mixture together in bowl, then pour into air tight container, such as a quart size mason jar. It will make roughly ¾ quarts, or 3 cups. Store in refrigerator and shake well before using.
And this is the AMAZING Result…
Expert Tips
- This creamer is very sweet as is, but if you prefer a sweeter creamer, add maple syrup to the finished product until desired level of sweetness is achieved.
- This makes approximately ¾ quarts, though it may make more or less depending on how much the sugar and milk mixture reduces while cooking.
- By simmering, and reducing, the milk and sugar mixture on the stove or in the Instant Pot, you are creating fresh sweetened condensed milk. I find the flavor to be noticeably fresher than canned sweetened condensed milk. However, in a pinch you could substitute 1 ½ cups sweetened condensed milk and skip steps 1 to 3 of the recipe. Please note that the finished product will not taste exactly the same.
- To make sugar-free creamer, simply leave the sugar out and follow all other instructions. Then, add sugar-free sweetener of choice to finished product.
FAQs
Can I substitute almond milk for whole milk? Yes! The result will not be quite as creamy, but it will yield a good plant based creamer.
How long will the pumpkin spice creamer keep in the fridge for? Store creamer in the refrigerator in an airtight container, such as a mason jar, for up to one week.
★ Did you make this Homemade Pumpkin Spice Creamer? Please give it a star rating below!★
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Creamer
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk divided
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup pumpkin purée
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
To make in the Instant Pot:
- Combine 1 cup of sugar and 3 cups of milk in Instant Pot. Turn on sauté feature, set to "normal".
- Sauté for 15 minutes, whisking occasionally as the milk warms and sugar dissolves. Once milk begins to simmer, stop stirring and allow to continue to rapidly simmer undisturbed for remainder of the 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove inner pot from Instant Pot. Skim off and discard any foam (there may be none), and pour milk/sugar mixture into a large bowl to cool. Wash pot, dry, and return to Instant Pot.
- Add remaining cup of milk, pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice to pot and turn on Keep Warm setting.
- Whisk, then heat for 2 to 5 minutes, until milk is heated through and the mixture is well combined.
- Place a fine mesh strainer, or use a colander lined in cheesecloth, over the bowl containing the sugar/milk mixture. Then, pour the pumpkin mixture through the strainer to remove some of the pumpkin and pumpkin spice sediment (optional step). Whisk to combine milk mixture and pumpkin mixture. Store in an air tight container, such as a quart sized mason jar, in the fridge.
To make on the stove top:
- Combine 1 cup of sugar and 3 cups of milk in a sauce pan over medium low heat, whisking often until milk is warm and sugar is dissolved.
- Once sugar is dissolved, bring to rapid simmer over medium heat. Once milk begins to simmer, stop whisking and allow to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes (until reduced to 2 cups) undisturbed.
- Remove from heat. Skim off any foam that has accumulated on the top and discard. Then, pour milk and sugar mixture into a large bowl.
- In a small saucepan, combine remaining cup of milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice over medium low heat, whisking occasionally.
- Heat pumpkin mixture until warmed through, then pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove some of the pumpkin and spice sediment (optional step) and combine with milk and sugar mixture. Store in an air tight container, such as a quart sized mason jar, in the fridge.
Notes
Expert Tips
- This creamer is very sweet as is, but if you prefer a sweeter creamer, add maple syrup to the finished product until desired level of sweetness is achieved.
- This makes approximately ¾ quarts, though it may make more or less depending on how much the sugar and milk mixture reduces while cooking.
- By simmering, and reducing, the milk and sugar mixture on the stove or in the Instant Pot, you are creating fresh sweetened condensed milk. I find the flavor to be noticeably fresher than canned sweetened condensed milk. However, in a pinch you could substitute 1 ½ cups sweetened condensed milk and skip steps 1 to 3 of the recipe. Please note that the finished product will not taste exactly the same.
- To make sugar-free creamer, simply leave the sugar out and follow all other instructions. Then, add sugar-free sweetener of choice to finished product.
FAQs
Can I substitute almond milk for whole milk? Yes! The result will not be quite as creamy, but it will yield a good plant based creamer. How long will this keep in the fridge for? Store creamer in the refrigerator in an airtight container, such as a mason jar, for up to one week.Nutrition
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Alice
How well would this work using Almond milk?
Gary White
We have not yet tested it with milk substitutes.
Danielle
This is amazing. Like, "I could drink it straight up" amazing. I made it in my Instant Pot and used plain, unsweetened almond milk (Blue Diamond brand). This is definitely a new autumn staple in our house. Thanks, Gary! I can't wait to try your other Instant Pot recipes.
Liz
How long will this keep in the fridge for?
Gary White
About a week.
Michell
Tastes great!