Have you ever opened your almond beverage, only to notice that it says it can only stay opened in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days before it needs to be discarded? I rarely get to the bottom of the carton before it’s time to throw it out since I mostly use almond beverage in my coffee and occasional smoothie.
In an effort to avoid throwing out a half-used carton of almond beverage, I started making my own frozen coffee “creamer.” The added nutritional benefit is that I am able to sweeten my coffee and eliminate the added sugar and trans fat included in many commercially prepared flavored creamers. This also saves time during my morning routine since I am able to throw an ice cube in my coffee (added plus: that won’t water it down), walk out the door and enjoy immediately.
Here are the quick steps:
- Pour unsweetened, original almond beverage into large ice cube trays (mine hold ½ cup of beverage).
- Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract to each ice cube compartment.
- Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg into each ice cube compartment.
- Freeze overnight and add one large ice cube to hot coffee every morning. Stir ice cube into coffee and enjoy!
Additional Tip: You can use these almond beverage ice cubes to make a variety of smoothies as well.
For a complete shelf life guide, download the Is My Food Safe? app.