Coffee mate is one of the most popular coffee creamer brands in the US. The brand is owned by Nestlé, and comes in a wide variety of flavors.
But what's actually in Coffee mate? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? How does the nutrition of Coffee mate compare to other popular creamer brands? And is the "Natural Bliss" creamer sold by the brand healthier?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Coffee mate to give our take on whether or not Coffee mate is bad for you.
We'll also compare Coffee mate to other popular coffee creamer brands in terms of healthiness, and examine if the Natural Bliss brand from Coffee mate is their healthiest option.
Key takeaways:
- Contains refined sugar
- Contains questionable filler ingredients
- We consider Coffee mate to be bad for you
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Coffee mate Vanilla Caramel Liquid Coffee Creamer are shown below:
Sugar is the first active ingredient, and a 2019 medical review documents that diets high in added sugar promote obesity.
While each serving of this creamer only provides 5 grams (g) of sugar, we think that reducing refined sugar intake as much as possible is a healthy choice.
Dipotassium phosphate is an emulsifier, and ingestion of phosphates was described as "damaging to health" in a medical review that we cited in our article on Muscle Milk.
Natural and artificial flavor ingredients are used to create the flavor experience, and an animal study found some artificial flavors to be toxic.
Carrageenan is a thickening agent that's been shown in at least one animal study to disrupt gut function.
Overall, we consider Coffee mate to be unhealthy because it's essentially water, refined sugar, and non-nutritive filler ingredients.
Coffee mate vs. Popular Creamers
Chobani and International Delight are two of the most popular coffee creamers in the US.
Here's our take on how Coffee mate compares to these brands in terms of healthiness:
Chobani
Like Coffee mate, Chobani creamer contains sugar (at the same 5 g dose) and natural flavors.
However, this creamer is also flavored with vanilla extract and is free of artificial flavor and phosphates.
Winner: Chobani
international Delight
Very similar formulation to Coffee mate. Contains sugar (at the same 5 g dose), carrageenan, natural and artificial flavors and phosphates.
However, International Delight coffee creamer also contains sodium stearoyl lactylate which is clinically shown to have negative effects on gut function.
Winner: Coffee mate
Is Natural Bliss Healthier?
Natural Bliss is another coffee creamer brand on the Coffee mate website that's marketed as a healthy option.
The ingredients in Natural Bliss Vanilla Liquid Coffee Creamer are shown below:
This is a much simpler and healthier formulation than Coffee mate in our opinion.
Natural Bliss is free of artificial flavors, phosphates, carrageenan, and has 20% less added sugar per serving.
While we don't currently recommend Natural Bliss due to the use of refined sugar and natural flavoring additives, we definitely think it's a better option than Coffee mate nutritionally.
