The Coffee Mate Orange Cream Pop Creamer Isn't As Gross As It Sounds

For some people, the only way to rouse themselves out of bed each day is with the promise of a perfect cup of coffee. The sun shining on these summer mornings may be a sign to shake up your usual coffee flavors with something new and out of the box.

Inspired by the joy of a hot summer's day and nostalgia for ice cream truck fun, Coffee Mate is launching a limited-edition coffee creamer flavor. The new Orange Cream Pop Flavored Duo Coffee Creamer is supposed to taste both fresh and rich with its combination of fruity orange and cream flavors. This limited edition release is part of the brand's Duo line. The Duo line of creamers pairs two complementary flavors together into one creamer. Previous releases for this line included the highly popular Peanut Butter and Jelly Flavored Duo and the Vanilla Caramel Duo.

To try the newest Orange Cream Pop Duo, curious coffee drinkers will have to go on the Coffee Mate website starting at noon Eastern time on July 12 or July 22 to grab a 16-fluid-ounce bottle for $2.17. The bottles will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and you can only buy one bottle per order. Only a limited number of bottles will be made available each day, and once they're sold out, that's it — you'll have to contend with the resale market to try to get your hands on one. Before the official launch dropped, I tasted the new creamer to see if oranges belonged in my morning cup of Joe. It wasn't terrible, but it's safe to say I won't be adding this to my daily coffee routine.

Before testing how the creamer reacts with its natural pairing of hot coffee, a true test of its flavor is of course to sip it straight. With a shot glass on deck and a steady hand, I poured about an ounce of Orange Cream pop creamer to sip directly. The orange scent was evident but surprisingly subtle when it came to taste. Though I don't know anyone who would want to drink coffee creamer of any flavor all by itself, the subtlety of the orange in this was well-appreciated. 

After the straight-up taste-test, it was time to see how this ice cream-inspired coffee creamer might do as a mixer for a dirty soda. For those unfamiliar with the beverage, it is a combination of soda, syrups, and cream poured over pebble ice. The drink originated in Utah but gained widespread popularity on social media back in 2022. Though I did not have any syrup to add, I dirtied up my Sprite with this orange cream pop concoction anyway.

The visual result was extremely unappealing. My dirty mind saw this dirty soda (foamy white film in a glass) and associated it with something NSFW, but for the sake of my readers' sensibilities let's just say it looked like a glass of steamed milk. Fortunately, the drink didn't taste as bad as it looked; perhaps I needed to be more heavy-handed with the creamer though, because the dominant flavor here was the Sprite. There was a hint of an orange aftertaste, but nothing special or significant enough to make me want this combo again. 

I combined the orange creamer with some light roast coffee and a few teaspoons of sugar to give it a fair shake against my usual coffee creamer. One whiff of the hot cup did give off a light orange scent. Upon first sip, I appreciated the subtlety of the orange. I think the creaminess helped to make the combination not too overpowering. However, I can't say I'd choose this over a more standard creamer variety.

Truthfully, I just don't think fruit and coffee go together in the same cup. Call me a traditionalist, because I would prefer a chocolatey, vanilla, or even hazelnut flavoring. But what I can acknowledge is that this creamer didn't ruin my coffee. I'm glad Coffee Mate had the sense to make the flavor orange cream rather than going with straight-up citrus.

Outside of this creamer, I wouldn't normally reach for an orange cream pop. My popsicle preferences lean more toward a firecracker or Spongebob with the wonky gumball eyes. However, if you're looking to brighten up your usual coffee choices with an essence of fruit flavor, this could be the one. A frozen or iced coffee might work even better with this flavor combo.