The ingredients are very similar to the nog but the flavor isn’t quite as enjoyable and the texture is a deal-breaker, it ranked 5th. It shared the same ‘sweet cream’ subtlety of the nog but was ever thicker! It was so thick it formed a cream sludge on the bottom of the cup that would require frequent stirring for even distribution. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of these 2 flavors in my coffee and it didn’t bring anything all that ‘special’. The Califia Maple Caramel Almond Milk Creamer has a lot of the same pros and cons listed above. We wouldn’t typically classify Maple Caramel as a holiday flavor, but we didn’t want to let our own season bias exclude any contenders. Overall, this ranked 4th because of the texture and lack of nog authenticity. Califia still uses Cane Sugar but at half the amount (2g) and substitutes Sunflower Oil for Coconut Cream, a much better alternative but possible at the expense of texture. The ingredients are a slight improvement over the Silk variety, however, we had to use more to have the flavors come through, so it probably balances out. It was so thick it caused me to check the expiration date thinking maybe it had gone bad, but that wasn’t the case. Not only is this viscosity mentally unpleasing to pour, but it also causes the cream to gravitate towards the bottom of the cup creating a bland top and overly sweet bottom. ![]() They are SO thick, almost clumpy like a drinkable yogurt. The bigger issue in both Califia creamer is the texture and consistency. Eggnog is such a distinct holiday drink, it’s not quite meeting expectations. When it comes to flavor, it’s more subtle than the Silk creamers, but you can taste a bit of ‘rich cinnamon’ sweetness coming through, especially in the second half of the cup. The Califia Holiday Nog Almond Milk Creamer is a subtle improvement to the everyday ‘sweet cream’ but nothing to get too hyped over. We were excited to find a plant-based eggnog alternative, as this presents a challenging flavor to mimic without dairy and eggs. Either way, Silk Almond Dark Chocolate Peppermint ranked among the highest in the final tally, and given the short season of availability, we’ll continue adding it to our morning coffee. Finally, natural flavors is a blanket term that doesn’t provide the desired transparency to know what is making this drink taste so magical. In this case, it’s likely a very small amount and we’re not ‘cooking’ with it, so we’ll let it slide but would prefer a High-Oleic Sunflow Oil alternative to lower the chance of oxidation. They are using Cane Sugar (4g per serving, on the higher end but not horrible), we don’t love seeing Sunflower Oil as when consumed in excess it may contribute to inflammation in the body. The ingredients could certainly be improved, but with this creamer, a little goes a long way, and it falls into the ‘not that bad’ category. The texture scored high as it blends well throughout hot coffee, it doesn’t sink to the bottom or get clumpy. It had just the right amount of sweetness to make you feel as though you’re celebrating for the holidays but not to make you feel as though you need to brush your teeth and eat something salty (as I personally feel after sipping half a Starbuck’s peppermint mocha). The flavor was noticeably more present in the Silk Almond Dark Chocolate Peppermint compared to others in the lineup. ![]() ![]() Typically I wouldn’t grab them off the shelf, since I tend to gravitate towards products with more ‘organic’ branding, but for this seasonal delight, I’m okay deviating from my normal ingredient standards. ![]() We were pleasantly surprised by what the non-dairy Silk creamers brought to the table. We selected 8 creamers and brewed a batch of coffee pouring a small amount into 8 mugs while keeping all variables consistent to an honest tasting match-up. Ingredient’s Integrity - how high quality were the ingredients used? Will it cause any unwanted gut distress?.Holiday Authenticity - did it provide a unique sipping experience that channeled the magic of the holiday season? Was the flavor clearly identifiable as a holiday option?.Texture - how well did the creamer mix with the coffee, was it a fluid sipping experience with equal distribution of cream from the first to the last sip?.Flavor - how delightful the creamer was when mixed with coffee, how prominent was the respective flavor notes?.To help prevent you from experiencing this same Yuletide hardship, we held the ultimate holiday creamer taste test to compare 8 leading creamers on 4 key criteria. Be honest, do you get giddy when November rolls around and you arrive in the creamer section of the store to see an array of seasonal creamers from peppermint to nog? We certainly do, but as the festive, dairy-free options continue to multiply each year, we found ourselves struggling with decision fatigue.
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