Alberta Co-op Grocery

What’s great about MimicCreme is that it is a (vegan and gluten-free) soy-free, non-dairy, nut-based cream alternative. Prior to purchasing it from the Co-op last week, I had never actually tried it. I’d seen the brand around at a few grocery stores in the area (it’s actually relatively difficult to find), but since I’m a serious creature of habit, I had continually stuck with my hazelnut  and almond milks instead. Finally, I thought it was time to break down and experiment with something new.

What really sold me was the labeling “Almond and Cashew Coffee Creamer.” I often add coconut milk to my coffee in the morning, but when I use the milks that I mentioned above, my coffee becomes very watery and basically the opposite of creamy. I had a feeling that a nut-based creamer would be thick and creamy and would effectively emulate a dairy creamer.

The ingredients list is short and sweet: the Unsweetened Original Coffee Creamer contains purified water, a nut blend (almonds and cashews), dipotassium phosphate, natural flavors, and rice starch. I’m not so sure about the preservative, but since the container assures me it’s gluten-free, non-gmo, and kosher, I guess I’ll just have to trust that I’m not going to get sick from ingesting it. Note: further investigation tells me that dipotassium phosphate is a chemical commonly used to prevent coagulation in non-dairy creamers, and it’s also on the FDA’s generally regarded-as-safe list (aka GRAS).

MimicCreme sells quite a few varieties of cream alternatives. There are sweetened, unsweetened, and flavored varieties. They also produce a container of whipped topping that I’d love to try sometime (it’s called Healthy Top and is an alternative for heavy whipping cream). Although the kind I bought was labeled as a coffee creamer, I found it quite thick (think: heavy dairy cream), and a bit much for my coffee. I enjoyed the taste, but I soon decided that plain MimicCreme just wasn’t for me. However, I found that it works really well as a direct cream substitute in recipes such as ice cream.

I purchased a 16 oz. shelf-stable container of MimicCreme Almond and Cashew Unsweetened Coffee Creamer for $3.49.

Since I’m in the mood for creamy coffee, I scoured the MimicCreme website and found a recipe for coffee ice cream. Short and sweet, it is now easy to make a delicious, creamy ice cream that will fool your omnivorous and dairy-loving friends!

Creamy Coffee Ice Cream
Ingredients:

• 2 c. MimicCreme Coffee Creamer
• 1/8 c. instant coffee
• 1 t. cocoa powder (optional, but great for a subtle mocha flavor)
• 1 t. vanilla

Prepare:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add mixture to an ice cream freezer. Freeze according to
manufacturer’s instructions.