What happens if you drink expired Liquid Coffee Creamer?
I am a huge fan of sipping my coffee with a splash of liquid coffee creamer. I prefer to drink coffee creamer in Vanilla Caramel, but I’ve also used French vanilla and pumpkin spice if the mood suited. Normally, I am buying the liquid coffee creamer from the refrigerated section, but you can also find liquid coffee creamer on a store shelf.
Liquid coffee creamers can come in a dairy and nondairy options. They can also be refrigerated or shelf stable. Let’s find out what happens when each one is expired, and if you can still drink it past the expiration date.
What happens if you drink expired nondairy creamer?
The two types of nondairy creamer come in shelf stable and refrigerated. The shelf stable liquid nondairy creamer usually comes in little mini coffee creamer cups that are individually sealed. The shelf stable kind of liquid creamer will actually last a very long time if it is stored correctly.
Just like powdered coffee creamer, store coffee creamer liquid in a cool dark place and avoid direct sunlight. If liquid creamer is past the expiration date, you will probably just notice less flavor.
Similar to powdered coffee creamers, the liquid version is made from vegetable oils and is usually considered nondairy. It would be safe to drink the creamer in your coffee past the expiration date as long as the seal is still intact, and it doesn’t show any signs of the packaging being damaged.
If it is dented or the seal is broken, then you will want to toss it in the garbage. (If you sometimes use powdered coffee creamer, check out “What happens if you drink expired Powdered Creamer?“)
Refrigerated nondairy creamer is going to have a similar shelf life to other nondairy milks like almond or rice milk. Once opened nondairy liquid creamers last 2-3 months.
Refrigerated nondairy creamer typically has a very long expiration or use by date, because it doesn’t really contain milk or dairy products. Some do have a milk derivative called Sodium Caseinate.
Sodium Caseinate is a compound derived from casein, which is a protein found in cow’s milk. This derivative helps give creamer the white and opaque appearance. It is commonly also used in ice cream, cheese, protein powder, cheese flavored snacks, and bread.
Sodium Caseinate has become very controversial among those that are vegan and those with milk allergies. Some products marked as “nondairy” have this additive and it is an animal product, so it is not considered vegan.
Unless your nondairy product specifically says it is VEGAN, then it more than likely contains sodium caseinate. Most nondairy creamers will also state they are lactose and cholesterol free.
In most cases expired coffee creamer will just taste less. Nondairy creamer is not likely to mold, but it can change texture and taste. In general, drinking expired coffee creamer is not likely to cause food poisoning, but it may just taste bad if it has spoiled.
What happens if you drink expired dairy creamer?
So funny story about when I was deep diving into dairy vs nondairy creamers. I was always under the assumption that since my creamer states it has been “Ultra Pasteurized” that it must be made from dairy.
I just looked at the front of the package and never looked at the actual ingredient list. So, when I did look at the ingredients, I was shocked to find out that it was actually nondairy creamer.
Be careful when buying creamer in the refrigerated section that you actually look at the ingredients on the label. If cream or milk is not the first ingredients, then you are basically adding oil, sugar, water, and flavorings to your coffee.
Apparently, I am not the only one that was misled! In July 2022, a consumer in Illinois has started a class action lawsuit against Great Value Coffee Creamer because it does not contain the dairy that buyers expect.
So, I will now be much more careful about the products that I buy and make sure they are what I assume them to be.
Now typically dairy based refrigerated creamers are going to be similar to milk. The expiration date is truly just a suggestion based on when you open the creamer.
Once a bottle of liquid dairy creamer is opened, it should be consumed within 10-14 days. Since it is dairy based, it can start to spoil and even grow mold like milk does.
The best way to see if dairy liquid creamers are spoiled is to smell it and see if it has a curdled appearance. If for any reason your dairy creamer is super thick or has chunks, that is a sign that it has spoiled.
Some people like to leave their creamer on the counter while they drink their coffee in the morning, but creamer needs to stay cold. Just like with milk, as soon as you use it, you will need to put it back in the fridge.
What happens if you drink spoiled coffee creamer?
If your dairy-based coffee creamer has a sour smell or seems thicker than usual, these are signs that it has spoiled and should not be used.
In the rare case that you were to drink coffee with spoiled creamer, the first thing you will notice is that the taste will definitely be off. It will taste sour and similar to sour cream.
Drinking spoiled creamer can make your stomach upset and you may have mild signs of food poisoning. Thankfully creamer is not something that you typically use a lot of in one sitting, and the taste will usually stop you from consuming more.
If you were to drink a large amount of spoiled creamer, you will probably experience stomach cramping, diarrhea, and nausea/vomiting. If these symptoms last longer than 24 hours or if you start to notice a fever, you will want to go get checked out by your doctor.
In the majority of cases, the spoiled creamer will not taste good so you won’t drink much and will probably have no stomach symptoms.
Uses for Expired or Near Date Creamer
If you start to notice that you have a lot of refrigerated dairy or nondairy creamer and you won’t be able to use all of it up soon, then you may want to try to use it up very quickly.
Here are some easy ways to use up past the date creamer that still smells and tastes good:
- Freeze It-Yes! You can freeze coffee creamer that is nondairy, or dairy based. This comes in really handy for making iced coffee, smoothies, and even using in hot coffee to cool it down to a more drinkable level.
- Whip it– Want a make a sweet treat or cake but don’t have frosting or whipped cream? Simply whip liquid coffee creamer and powdered sugar for a super easy topping. Honestly some of the flavors of coffee creamer sound so dreamy as a whipped topping. I so want to make a hazelnut, cafe mocha, or chocolate caramel whipped topping!
- Overnight Oat it– I love overnight oats because they make my mornings so much easier. I am usually so concerned with getting kids ready that I will just skip my breakfast unless it is stupidly easy. So, the night before I throw some oatmeal, liquid creamer, dried or fresh fruit, and any other fun toppings in a jar. In the morning, it can be eaten cold or warmed up! During the summer, I love the cold version because it almost tastes like a dessert!
- Soup it– this option is not going to work well for the flavored kinds of creamer, but if you use an original or plain flavor it will work. Some creamy soups can take a lot of cream or milk, so it is a great way to use up unflavored coffee creamer. You can use the shelf stable nondairy, refrigerated nondairy, and the dairy creamers for this.
- French Toast it– Just like the whipped topping sounded so yummy with all the sweet flavors of coffee creamers, you can add some to your French toast! Just think of warm yummy French Vanilla or Butter Pecan French Toast.
To make your coffee creamer last longer you will need to focus on storage. If in doubt, give them a sniff or a small taste, then you will know if they are spoiled.
As long as they still smell good and taste fine, then it is safe to drink expired creamer with your coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. After the expiration date, certain flavorings may not be as strong, but they will still work.
If you are a big coffee drinker, you need to check out “What happens if you drink expired coffee? We give you signs to look out for and lots of uses for expired coffee as well!
