Can Creamer Go Bad? (How Long Does It Last?)

Last updated on July 15th, 2022 at 10:30 am

Creamer adds so much to coffee. Its sweetness and flavor can take a bitter cup of joe to a flavorful beverage. For many, they can’t drink coffee without some creamer in it. 

They always seem to have a bottle of the sweet stuff in their refrigerator for wherever they decide to make a coffee drink. Sometimes the creamer is only used once a day, other times more than that. 

This may cause you to wonder, can coffee creamer go bad?

Liquid coffee creamer can go bad after a certain amount of time. Unopened liquid creamer will last for 2 weeks past the “best by” date but creamer that has been opened should be consumed before the best by date on the bottle. 

Powdered coffee creamer goes bad as well but it will take many months or years before it does (depending on the brand and whether it’s sealed or open). However, powdered cream doesn’t go bad like liquid creamer, instead it simply starts to lose its texture and flavor. 

Creamer will most definitely go bad eventually. This is because of the ingredients the creamer is made with. 

Dairy creamers are made with milk and non-dairy creamers are made with oil. These ingredients will go bad especially if they are stored wrong. Other creamer such as individual ones or powdered creamer will last longer but will eventually go bad as well. 

Unfortunately, food won’t last forever and creamer is no exception to that rule.

By properly storing your creamer you can keep it good for longer. You should always store liquid creamers, whether diary or non-dairy, in the refrigerator if it is opened or unopened. Powdered creamers or individual packets of creamer don’t have to be refrigerated and have a longer shelf-life. 

I will discuss how long creamers last further on in this article. But, no matter what type it is, creamer does go bad after it has been stored for too long. 

Can Expired Coffee Creamer Make You Sick?

Creamer can make coffee taste more flavorful and sweeter. If you drink coffee no doubt you have creamer in your kitchen for whenever you grab a mug of the beverage. 

Let’s say you have a bottle of creamer in your fridge and it’s expired. Can expired coffee creamer make you sick?

If the expired coffee creamer is still good quality then it’s fine to drink. But if the expiration date passed a longtime ago and the creamer smells and/or tastes bad, it can certainly make you very sick.

An article entitled Coffee Creamer Go Bad? – How Long Can Coffee Creamer Sit Out? says,“…if the coffee creamer is far out of date and smells sour, and is just off, you can get very sick. This means bacteria have grown inside the coffee creamer, and this can make you quite sick. So, please be careful when drinking coffee with coffee creamers. Drinking expired coffee creamer can be dangerous.”

Sometimes you can get away with drinking expired creamer because it hasn’t gone bad yet. While it may not be really bad for you to drink expired coffee creamer, if it seems like it isn’t good to use, then it most likely isn’t.  

Using expired creamer can actually end up making you really sick if it has gone bad. So, be careful when you drink creamer that has been sitting in the fridge for a while and check to make sure it’s still good to use. 

You don’t want to end up sick. 

Does Non-Dairy Creamer Go Bad?

Creamer is good and even if you don’t eat dairy there is creamer for you. Non-dairy creamer is perfect for those who want creamer in their coffee but can’t have milk.  

If you prefer non-dairy creamer you could be wondering how long it lasts. Does non-dairy creamer go bad?

Just like creamer with dairy in it, non-dairy creamer also can go bad. If refrigerated, non-dairy coffee creamer can last for up to two weeks past the best by date. However, if the creamer smells, tastes, and/or looks bad then it should be thrown away.

According to an article on How Long Do Coffee Creamers Last?, “Shelf-stable non-dairy creamers typically last for 6 to 12 months, and they keep for a few extra weeks, possibly more. Refrigerated non-dairy creamers, on the other hand, usually have a much shorter shelf life and retain quality for an extra week or so past the printed date.” 

So, non-dairy creamer can go bad just like dairy creamer.

Typically, non-dairy creamer lasts for a little longer than dairy creamer. When they go bad are around the same time past the best by date however. Non-refrigerated creamers like individual or powder creamers can last months without going bad. Refrigerated creamers like liquid creamer will only last for a couple of weeks in most cases. 

If you are unsure if the creamer has gone bad, look for the signs that I mentioned earlier and if the creamer seems off, toss it.

What Is The Shelf Life Of Coffee Creamer?

Creamer doesn’t last forever and at some point, it will go bad. It has an expiration date and should be thrown away if it is too far past this date. 

By now, you could be wondering how long all types of creamer last. What is the shelf life of a coffee creamer?

Some coffee creamers last longer than others. Liquid creamer should be refrigerated and will last for 2 weeks past its best by date if it is unopened. However,  individual coffee creamers last for 6 months unopened. Powder creamers can even last for 1 to 3 years if they are unopened.

The article, How Long Does Creamer Last? The Answer You’ve Been Waiting for says, “…a dairy coffee creamer or a non-dairy alternative,will eventually go bad at some point. Just like any other food item, a coffee creamer needs to be kept under a certain temperature for a certain amount of time. Coffee creamer’s shelf life depends on how you are storing it. It can be influenced by temperature, moisture level, sunlight, packaging date, and processing method.”

So, how long coffee creamer lasts all depends on if you store it correctly and what type of creamer it is. Liquid creamer stored in the refrigerator lasts for 2 weeks past the best by date if unopened and 1 week if opened. 

Individual creamers will last for 6 months unopened and 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator after it’s been opened. 

Powder creamer lasts for 1 to 3 years unopened and you can use it as long as it doesn’t seem like it has gone bad. 

Final Thoughts

Over time, creamer will go bad. If you drink expired creamer then you could get sick. Non-dairy creamers can also go bad. 

When a creamer goes bad all depends on what type of creamer it is. Make sure you check the smell, taste, or look of the creamer (especially if it is expired) before you decide to use some for your coffee. 

Because, unfortunately, creamer can go bad after a certain amount of time.