Published September 2, 2021

For many people, the right creamer can make or break a cup of coffee. Creamer can enhance flavor, smooth and thicken texture, and take coffee from a cup of bean water to a delicious beverage that starts their day off right. Whether it’s designed for flavor or to meet certain dietary needs, understanding what consumers want to drink is essential to remaining ahead of the curve. But which creamers should you invest in?

That’s where trends come in. In addition to keeping an eye on coffee trends, understanding creamer trends can help you make the best business decisions that cater to your customers’ desires. Read this guide to gain some insight into current coffee creamer trends and how you can leverage them for your business’s success. You can also use the links below to go directly to a specific section of interest.

• Creamer Trends on the Rise
• Ways to Manufacture Coffee Creamer
• How to Produce Your Own Branded Coffee Creamer

Creamer Trends on the Rise

To help you discern which direction to take with your business, let’s take a look at some of the most prominent coffee creamer trends that are expected to grow in 2021 and beyond.

Keto Creamer

The keto diet requires people to limit their sugar and carb intake. Since many creamers are high in both, keto-friendly creamers are a necessary alternative for those who want to enjoy their coffee while sticking to keto.

The ideal keto creamer has little to no sugar and includes high-quality fats that cater to the requirements of the diet. Whether you agree with the keto diet approach or not, there are still plenty of people doing it in 2021, so you might want to consider striking while the iron is still hot.

Plant-Based Creamer

With more people turning to plant-based alternatives’”especially when it comes to dairy products’”it only makes sense that plant-based creamers are in demand. If you’re considering the plant-based creamer route, it’s best to ensure that all of your ingredients are vegan if possible because it will allow you to reach a broader scope of this market.

Luckily, there are many ways to go about creating a plant-based creamer, from coconut milk to almond, soy, and oat-based creamers.

The plant-based food market is expected to reach $74.2 billion by 2027 and the dairy alternative market specifically is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 12.5% from 2021 to 2028. So, even if you haven’t considered plant-based creamers yet, it’s not too late to get on this clean coffee creamer opportunity while the market’s hot.

Superfood Creamer

Even before the pandemic, people were paying more attention to what they put into their bodies. However, with health concerns at the forefront of the mind, more consumers are looking for healthier alternatives to their most-consumed products’”for many this includes creamer. This is why superfood creamers are on the rise.

Superfoods are items that have high nutritional content and directly improve certain aspects of your health. From increased energy to a healthier heart and immune system, superfoods are highly coveted for their benefits.

The global superfoods market is expected to reach $209 billion by 2026, so now is a good time to get in on this trend. Superfoods can easily be introduced to creamer recipes to create a functional coffee creamer that gives consumers the boost they’re looking for. In fact, Intelligent Blends can help you develop a creamer that tastes good and provides your customers with the added health benefits they’re looking for.

Traditional Creamer

While new creamer alternatives are on the rise, traditional creamer is still popular for those who don’t have any unique dietary circumstances or preferences. When it comes to traditional creamer, the biggest innovations we’re seeing are more flavor options’”from classic sweet favorites like vanilla, caramel, and hazelnut, to more adventurous choices like cereal- and pastry-inspired flavors. And when the holiday season rolls around, seasonal flavors are sought out.

On the other end of the spectrum, unsweetened creamer is in demand. This can be attributed to those who are looking for healthier options, specifically with lower sugar. For many companies, it’s becoming standard to offer an unsweetened option in their creamer line.

While these are the most prominent trends right now, there also may be regional trends and opportunities to take advantage of. Doing your research can help you determine what the best next move is for your brand.

Ways to Manufacture Coffee Creamer

Now that you have some ideas of the types of creamers you should consider introducing into your product line, you need a way to manufacture and distribute it. Here are just a few of the ways to manufacture coffee creamer that are gaining in popularity.

Powder Stick Packs

Stick packs are a convenient way for people to make a single-serve beverage using powder. With these stick packs, the customer only needs to pour the powder into the liquid of their choice and they’ll have an instant beverage. This powder can be anything from creamer or coffee, to tea or cocoa. The great thing about powder cream that comes in a stick pack is that it’s easy to take on the go, so they always have their favorite creamer on hand.

You can create your own custom stick packs with Intelligent Blends. Whether you want to use a pre-made creamer blend or formulate your own unique flavor profile, we can help. With 1000s of ingredients from flavor-enhancements to vitamins, you can formulate creamer stick packs that meet your needs and fulfill customer demand.

It is projected that 16 billion stick packs will be purchased in 2021, with a 5 to 7% year-over-year growth estimate (on the conservative end). That means that there’s no better time than now to take advantage of this growing trend.

Shelf-Stable Liquid Stick Packs

For liquid creamer, shelf-stable liquid stick packs are a great alternative packaging option. Shelf-stable liquid stick packs are an innovative packaging option that is a viable option for dairy products. This special packaging allows liquids like creamer to be stored without refrigeration for longer shelf-life.

This is an advantage for both you and your customers because it means the product is less likely to go to waste, shelf-stable coffee creamer is a convenient option for travel or taking on the go, and it can be purchased in bulk and put out as needed.

Plastic Bottles

Plastic bottles are more or less the most common packaging for creamers, you’ll see them in almost any grocery store. Plastic bottles are a good solution for large quantities of creamer, specifically for consumers who will be using their creamer at home or in the office.

The major drawback of plastic bottles is the waste they create and because of that, a large market of customers may be hesitant to purchase coffee creamers in this packaging.

Paper Cartons

With people striving to reduce their personal plastic waste, plastic-alternatives are an excellent option to offer your customers. Plus, it’s an easy way to improve your company’s commitment to sustainability. According to Earth911, the availability of carton recycling increased 37% from 2011 to 2018, and is expected to continue this upward trend.

Cartons are being used more commonly for beverages and liquid products like milk and even water, so it only makes sense that coffee creamer would be next.

How to Produce Your Own Branded Coffee Creamer

While it’s clear to see that adapting to creamer trends is an excellent business opportunity, wanting to expand and actually making it happen are two very different things. Whether you’re a budding coffee startup or an established brand, handling new product offerings and demand can be challenging, especially if you lack the infrastructure to manage manufacturing.

One of the easiest ways to produce your own branded coffee creamer is to work with a private label coffee wholesale manufacturer like Intelligent Blends. That way, you pass off the concerns over having a manufacturing space, the personnel, and the logistics onto the manufacturer, allowing you to focus on growing your business.

Intelligent Blends operates in a state-of-the-art production facility that is run by a management with a combined average tenure of 60 years in manufacturing and co-packing. Above and beyond manufacturing, we can handle all aspects of your coffee creamer line, from designing the packaging to distribution, which makes it easy to expand efficiently and keep your customers happy.

Manufacturing is an essential aspect of putting out a quality product, and with Intelligent Blends, you can trust that we can make that happen as your coffee creamer manufacturers.

Expand Your Offerings with Intelligent Blends

Ready to take advantage of one of these coffee creamer markets? It’s time to innovate with creamer that fits your brand and consumer base. Whether you choose to go with a plant-based option or infuse your coffee creamers with superfoods, you can’t go wrong.

From creamer to coffee solutions like our private label K-Cup® pods, Intelligent Blends is your one-stop shop for creating high-quality coffee offerings. Let’s talk about how we can help you make your coffee brand stand out, contact us today.