How Long Does Coffee Creamer Last?

For coffee lovers, regular coffee is something, but coffee with creamer is something else.

If, for you, creamer is an essential ingredient to your cup of coffee that you can’t go without, then you would probably want to know how long coffee creamer last.

Maybe you’re not a frequent coffee drinker, and knowing which of liquid creamers or powdered ones last longer will help make a decision of which to buy.

Especially that there’s different kinds of coffee creamers, so different rules and shelf lives apply to each one.

This article will help you figure out which creamer is best for your coffee drinking habits, as well as how long every type can last you and how to best store them.

Let’s take a look at each of them…

Does Coffee Creamer Go Bad?

As we’ve mentioned, there are different types of coffee creamers: dairy and non-dairy (which usually come in liquid form) and powdered coffee creamer.

Even mini coffee creamer cups have their own best-by dates!

The shelf life of each of these types of creamers differ, but eventually, they all go bad.

Knowing how long each of them last will save you a lot of time knowing which one to buy.

How Long Does Coffee Creamer Last?

1. Dairy Creamer

You may have noticed that, like milk, liquid creamers can be sold either refrigerated or non-refrigerated.

With refrigerated creamers, you can probably keep them stored for a couple more days up to a week past their best-before date if they haven’t been open yet.

But when opened, it’s best to stick to that date – they will probably last you around 1-2 weeks.

2. Non-Dairy Creamer

Non-dairy creamers are usually the ones sold unrefrigerated.

Straight off the shelf to your home, unopened, non-dairy coffee creamer will live up to a month past its best-by date.

This is because they contain preservatives that increase their longevity compared to their dairy counterpart.

But again, as soon as you open them, everything changes.

Although sold unrefrigerated, you need to store them in the fridge as soon as they have been opened.

And once opened, non-dairy creamer should last you around one to two weeks when stored properly in the fridge.

3. Powdered Coffee Creamer

Powdered coffee creamers are used widely for their long shelf lives.

Like many things powdered, they don’t exactly ‘go bad’. Over time, they do lose their taste, though.

This type of creamer should last you (if not forever) months past its best-before date – around 3 to 6 months.

4. Mini Coffee Creamer Cups

Here’s a fun fact: although mini coffee creamer cups are also considered dairy creamers, they have a shelf life of about 6 months to a year unopened.

You can probably even still use it a month or so after it’s best-by date has passed.

How to Tell If Coffee Creamer Has Gone Bad

Since you’ll be dealing with creamers that have maybe surpassed their use-by date, you need to be able to tell whether it’s still actually good for safe consumption.

1. Taste and Smell

Grab a teaspoon of the creamer and get a taste of it; if it tastes or smells off or sour, it should be thrown out.

2. Texture

Another way to check for creamer that went bad is by looking at its texture.

Liquid creamer that has gone bad will start clumping and being chunky.

You can also notice mold and some texture changes on powdered creamer that has expired well beyond its safe consumption timeframe.

This usually happens when the creamer is exposed to moisture, so make sure it is properly sealed!

3. Expiration Date

And since you’ve gotten to this part of the article, you now know how long creamer should last you, keeping in mind its expiration date.

If you’re unsure whether or not your creamer is safe to use, check its expiration date and decide, using the information we’ve explained above, how long you’ve already stored it for.

Keep in mind, also, whether it’s opened or unopened.

4. Coffee Test

Last but not least, the actual best way to check your creamer’s quality is to make yourself a cup of coffee.

If it passes the taste test, it’s probably good to use.

But if anything tastes strange for any reason, be wary of that packet of coffee creamer!

How to Best Store Coffee Creamer

We’ve mentioned above that dairy creamer is sold refrigerated, so you have to also take it home to your fridge.

Liquid creamers sold unrefrigerated are a bit different in which you can keep them stored in your pantry (away from heat or moisture) as long as it is unopened.

But as soon as you open them, you have to refrigerate those too.

Mini cups act in a similar way: they can also be kept in room temperature, but make sure they’re not near any heat or sunlight.

And finally, powdered creamer is an easy one to store: just keep it in your pantry and sealed well against moisture.

Conclusion

Different types of coffee creamers obviously cater to different tastes, but how long they last also goes into the decision of which you’d like to buy.

If you drink lots of coffee and always use creamer, it would make sense to get liquid creamer because you’d probably use it up before it’s even expired!

But powdered creamer also has the advantage of a much longer shelf.

Whichever creamer you use for your coffee, we hope it’s always a good cup!

Especially that you know how to identify whether or not your creamer is safe to consume.