5 Banana-Flavored Coffee Creamers, Ranked Worst To Best

Move over pumpkin spice: Banana and coffee are the new iconic flavor duo that everyone's talking about. The yellow fruit is popping up in coffee shops across the country, from Wawa's banana bread coffee roast to Dunkin's Bananarama Matcha. What was once only destined for smoothies is now revolutionizing the java business — and that signature flavor can even come to your home kitchen via the dairy aisle at the grocery store.

Several major coffee cream brands have released banana-centric flavors for anyone looking to spruce up their home coffee with some tropical whimsy. With this many banana creamers flooding the market, I had to take the opportunity to find out which — if any — were good enough to add to my morning coffee routine.

I found five options that fit the banana criteria and went about putting them to the test, evaluating the creamer's ability to lighten, sweeten, and flavor my coffee while bringing that classic banana punch. From a cinnamon spiked dairy-free nut blend to a caramel-forward creamer, I determined which of these novelty items actually made my coffee taste like a little piece of banana heaven.

I've never had Forager Project creamer before, but I've seen some of its intriguing yogurts popping up in the dairy-free section of the refrigerated aisle. The brand's latest Banana Bread Creamer is part of a whole new line of adventurous flavors, including Mexican Chocolate and Golden Salted Caramel. As a non-dairy creamer, the liquid base was comprised of a unique blend of cashews, coconut cream, and oat extract. The price was listed at $6.99 for a 20-ounce bottle as of this writing, making it one of the more expensive creamers on this list.

When I tasted the creamer on its own, I immediately got a rich, buttery flavor combined with the soft banana sweetness. It almost reminded me more of the British banoffee pie flavor profile rather than the banana bread mentioned on the label. That's not a critique, as I love the combination of toffee and banana, especially for mellowing out the harsh notes of coffee.

Unfortunately, this creamer definitely hit like a dairy-free option. A tablespoon couldn't cut through the strong brew, and even several extra spoonfuls couldn't quite stand up to its intensity. Additionally, I didn't quite care for the oat extract undertone, as it read slightly artificial as an aftertaste. While I think the banana flavor was quite pleasant, Forager didn't work well enough as a true creamer to make my coffee enjoyable, let alone justify its lofty price tag.

Nutpods was the second dairy-free creamer on my list, relying on mostly oats and almonds for its creamy base. Beyond being a dairy alternative, Nutpods is also marketed as an organic, cleaner option, eschewing all gums, oils, and fillers. This high quality ingredient list might explain why it was the most expensive brand I tried ($6.99 for only 16 ounces), but either way, I was expecting this to taste pretty luxe for that high price point.

The creamer alone had a strong level of spice, and while the banana was there, it wasn't the predominant flavor. It reminded me more of a cinnamon candy like Red Hots rather than a loaf of banana bread. A quick look at the ingredient list demonstrates where that aromatic heat is coming from: Nutpods uses a dash of organic cinnamon extract to up the spice level.

While I liked the cinnamon-forward flavor in my coffee, it washed out the more delicate banana notes. It was a better creamer than the Forager Project, but it didn't have enough true banana to really recommend it or rank higher.

Grocery store brand Sprouts decided to get in on the banana game with this Banana Cream Pie take. This was one of the few varieties available that went with the more vanilla pudding-style flavor profile rather than the caramelized banana bread one. The creamer featured a blend of organic milk, cream, and cane sugar, promising a more natural ingredient list thanks to Sprouts commitment to cleaner food practices.

While I know this used natural flavors, the banana note that came through was much more akin to the kind you'd find from banana-flavored Laffy Taffy than in nature. I actually appreciate this candy-like taste, as it reminds me of that delicious banana-forward fruitiness you can find in Double Bubble chewing gum. However, this specific Laffy Taffy flavor doesn't quite work with the strong aromas of a cup of coffee. Imagine fruity bubblegum-accented coffee — it tastes as weird as it sounds. Even though I liked the rich consistency, and its banana intensity put it above the first two brands, I still wouldn't necessarily want to add this to my coffee.

I'll admit that I was biased in favor of Natural Bliss creamer at the beginning of this review. For the past five years, I've been using its stellar Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer — the winner of our sweet cream coffee creamer ranking — to take the edge of my morning brew. Based on this, I was willing to bet the brand's Caramelized Banana Bread would be a pretty delicious creamer.

The first thing this creamer offered was a luxurious, velvety texture that you can only get from real dairy. A single tablespoon of this went a lot further than the non-dairy options in lightening up my coffee. It also had a very nice, butterscotch banana flavor, representing the best banana bread flavor in the bunch. The price point also couldn't be beat; it was the least expensive option on this list, priced at only $4.98 for a 32-ounce container. My only criticism is that the many golden caramel notes slightly overshadowed that illusive banana taste. While I certainly enjoyed adding it to my coffee, another creamer beat it for the top spot thanks to its rich banana taste.

A veritable giant in the non-dairy department, Califia unveiled not one but two banana coffee products this summer: the Banana Crème Almond Creamer, and the Banana Crème Almondmilk Latte. Like the Sprouts, Nutpods, and Forager Project brands, Califia promised a creamer that lacked gums or oils, and was certified organic. This creamer was also made with real banana purée, which led me to hope for an intensely natural flavor.

Right off the bat, I was pleasantly surprised by the almond milk's ability to mimic the creaminess of a traditional dairy product. I didn't feel like I had to use a heavy pour to feel its creamy affect on the coffee. But the stand out quality of this creamer is its aromatic and delicious banana flavor. Since the bottle label only hints at a banana crème flavor, I found myself trying to more accurately pin down the true taste of it. Though it reminded me of banana pudding, what it really tasted like was a classic banana moon pie, the iconic sweet snack from the state of Tennessee. The banana is mild but natural, and supported by vanilla marshmallow sweetness. Every sip of coffee came complete with a sweet banana flavor that couldn't be beat, so it ranks number one.

I bought and tested every banana-flavored creamer I could find at stores near me. This meant I didn't include any banana-flavored coffee products that existed beyond creamers, like Califia's Banana Creme Almond Latte or 7 Brew's Banana Bread Espresso Breve (although you can find a review for that and 7 Brew's other new canned coffees here).

I used the same coffee blend for each taste test (a dark French roast) and mixed in the same amount — 1 tablespoon serving size — for all of the tastings. I also tasted the coffee creamers on their own so I could better isolate some of the key flavors and characteristics.

During the evaluation, I noted how strong or weak the actual banana flavor was and whether the banana skewed in a creamy direction (think banana pudding) or in caramel-rich one (more banana bread like). I considered how strong the cream flavor was, as well, and if it could truly show up to the strength of the coffee. I also noted how the creamy base, whether it was traditional dairy or a non-dairy alternative, and if it worked well with the banana flavor. The final consideration was price point, as I expected an expensive option to deliver high quality flavor (and all prices are accurate as of this publication).