Hey planet lovers, and welcome back to Cool Beans! For years, the world of nondairy coffee creamers in the U.S. has been dominated by one name: Coffee-mate. But as more companies specializing in alt milks get in on the action, the field is getting more crowded.
Violife, a mainstay across all categories of dairy subs, recently jumped in with Supreme Sweet Cream, which caught our attention for a couple reasons. First, the main ingredient is lentils. That’s not only new in this category, but legumes have a notably dainty carbon footprint, particularly when compared with other sources of creamy goodness like, ahem, cow’s milk. Second, Nestle’s Coffee-mate is not a truly animal-free product (more on that in a sec). It’s also, in our opinion, kinda gross.
So we were curious if a company built solely on its dairy-mimicking expertise could do it one better. We sipped the vanilla flavor of both straight, then added a couple tablespoons to 6-ounce mugs of joe. (The “recommended” serving size is one tablespoon, but let’s be real, everyone knows that little splash hardly does anything in terms of flavor and texture.) We also compared both to Oatly’s creamer, which is among our dairy-free favorites.
What is it, exactly?
The first ingredient listed on the Violife container is “plant milk,” which in this case is water and lentil protein—the latter of which is extracted from ground-up dried lentils. Then there’s sugar, canola oil, natural flavors, emulsifiers and texturizers (for creaminess and smoothness), and stabilizers (meant to keep the oils from separating). This is pretty much the same as Oatly: Just swap “oats” where we said lentils. Coffee-mate’s ingredients list follows water with sugar, veggie oils, and a milk derivative called sodium caseinate, which doesn’t have lactose but does render the creamer a no-go for vegans. Then there are the emulsifiers, stabilizers, natural and artificial flavors and colors.
All three creamers come in the same three flavors: vanilla, caramel, and your basic sweet cream. Coffee-mate also has a range of confectionary concoctions including frosted gingerbread, crème brulee, and brown butter chocolate chip cookie. Price isn’t really an issue here: Violife will set you back about $5, Oatly about $6, and Coffee-mate usually anywhere between $4 and $6.
How’s it taste?
Sipped straight, Violife’s “Tempting Vanilla” has a hint of vanilla flavor, and only a mild taste of cream, both of which kind of disappear when they hit the coffee. Compared to the other two, it has a moderate, pleasant sweetness that was the subtlest of the bunch. It does leave a slightly earthy aftertaste, a bit like what you’d imagine a dried pea or lentil would impart, but it’s not wholly off-putting.
Coffee-mate’s creamer, on the other hand, made our teeth hurt and honestly tastes more like cotton candy than vanilla—complete with a strong chemical/artificial aftertaste. Oatly’s flavor and sweetness level reminded us of melted vanilla ice cream; that’s by no means a criticism, but it did tempt us to down it straight from the carton. (We resisted.)
Two tablespoons of Violife did the least to mellow the bitter, robust flavors of the coffee, and didn’t give it a particularly creamy consistency—and adding more only really changed the color. Oatly imparted the most pleasing, creamy mouthfeel. With Coffee-mate, our brains registered “lighter and sweeter” but not necessarily “creamier,” as it was the thinnest-pouring of the lot.
Is it fooling anyone?
If you’re a Coffee-mate devotee, you’ll absolutely notice a clear difference between it and Violife. You’ll either be relieved to be rid of its overly saccharine sweetness or you’ll think it’s not sweet enough. Either way, you’ll know you’re not in the land of Nestlé anymore.
You may also notice that a few minutes after adding Violife to coffee, a swirly film starts to float to the top, becoming more prominent as the beverage cools—something we didn’t see in either of the other two mugs. That said, it didn’t separate entirely in either warm or cold brews.
The bottom line: 7/10 (worth a try)
Whether or not Violife is a no-compromise swap in your cuppa probably comes down to what you’re used to. It’s worth a try if you’re in the market for a new creamer, aren’t into oat-y options, or otherwise don’t want anything that could take over your coffee’s flavor. No matter what, it’s certainly a step up from Coffee-mate.