(This post sponsored by our publishing partner Cripple Creek Backcountry. Next time you’re at the shop, get an espresso from their deluxe Italian machine — authentico!)
No kidding. This is a ski touring blog. Yet 98.6843% percent of our readers drink coffee. I’m not a purist; I like creamer in my java, to smooth out acidity and add a bit of interest to the pallet. But I don’t do much dairy, and off the shelf non-dairy creamers are full of junk I don’t want; often too much sugar and salt, sometimes a laundry list that would make the EPA earn their keep. Food science to the rescue.
Keto creamer ingredients.
What’s creamer, anyway? It is white, has some fat, perhaps tiny dose of salting and sweetness. Yet more, how about creamer that perhaps sates hunger and helps normalize metabolism, the “keto” creamers you’ll find here and there on the ‘net and perhaps on the store shelf. After experimenting, my recipe for “Lou’s Almond Coconut Keto Creamer.”
You’ll need…
Almond milk: unsweetened, 1 quart (946 ML).
Coconut milk: canned, “Thai” brand “cream,” or regular “milk” one can (403 ML).
Gelatin powder, optional: 1 tablespoon.
Stevia sweetener: two or three small “single” packs, very sweet but too much has a chemical taste.
Agave nectar: 1 tablespoon or less, to taste but use very little otherwise you’re not keto!
Liquid soy lecithin: 1/8 cup (10 grams).
Pinch of salt, optional.
Begin with everything room temperature. In blender, combine almond milk and lecithin with a brief spin time at medium speed. Add remaining ingredients, and a pinch of salt if desired. Finish with a longer medium-speed spin, but not too long or the lecithin will stiffen and separate. The lecithin works as an emulsifier, keeping the soy milk and coconut milk from separating. If you don’t like the idea of soy, try other forms of lecithin. Refrigerate in a glass jar. If ingredients separate, try a bit more lecithin in your next batch. If mixture becomes too thick under refrigeration, reduce amount of coconut milk.
I’m told my brew makes my coffee “keto.” I can feel it!
Note about coconut milk: Thai brand “cream” is mostly coconut butter, while the lighter “milk” has a lot of butter as well. Either works, using the milk results in a bit lighter creamer that doesn’t clod up so much once refrigerated. I’ve experimented with both and like the results of using the “milk.”
Note about lecithin: The stuff can make a mess, you’ll surprised how sticky it is. For example, quite a bit will adhere to your measuring cup. Key to cleanup is lots of dish soap. The ideal proportion seems to be about 1% lecithin to the almond milk, which is where I get the 1/8 cup measurement. To avoid having to clean the measuring cup, after you’ve made a few batches you can dump the lecithin in by eye rather than measuring — that’s how I do it. Granulated lecithin might be easier to work with, I’ve not tried it More here.
For a commercial “instant” keto coffee, check out these guys.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
