Vanilla Syrup
Vanilla Syrup is simply a liquid sweetener that’s flavored with vanilla. That’s it! And let me tell you, this 3-ingredient, 5-minute syrup recipe is as easy as they get.
If your home is like mine, with lots of coffee drinking and tea drinking going on, having a bottle of vanilla syrup at-the-ready is practically a must! It adds a lovely touch of sweetness and vanilla bean to whatever you combine it with.
Whether you want to use the syrup to prepare a vanilla caffe latte or make at-home vanilla sweet cream coffee creamer, this homemade syrup is a delicious substitute for store-bought.
Why You’ll Love Homemade Vanilla Syrup
- 3 Ingredients. This simple syrup recipe has just three ingredients and one of them is water. And you may already have the other two in your pantry.
- Only 5 minutes to make. Did I mention how quick this recipe is? If you can simmer a pot of water, then you can make this homemade syrup in just a few minutes, and use it right away.
- Versatile. How do I use thee, let me count the ways. Seriously, the uses for vanilla syrup go beyond coffee and other drinks. I also use it to make a variety of homemade coffee creamers and my copycat Starbucks whipped cream recipe. It’s also a tasty sweetener for oatmeal, smoothies and berries.
Easy Vanilla Bean Syrup Recipe
To start, grab a small saucepan and the following ingredients.
Make note, you do not need an expensive vanilla bean pod to make vanilla bean syrup!
Ingredients
- Vanilla Bean Paste
- Granulated Sugar
- Water
Vanilla Bean Paste: Have you ever used vanilla bean paste before? It’s a great ingredient to have on-hand.
Vanilla bean paste is a cross between a vanilla bean pod with seeds and vanilla extract. It’s the best of both worlds, really.
And I love that you can capture vanilla bean flavor and those enticing vanilla bean specks, without having to buy an actual vanilla bean (my, oh my are those expensive!)
This is the organic vanilla bean paste I use.
Sugar: To let vanilla be the star of the show, use white granulated sugar.
Water: Let’s talk about water. Yup, you read that right–water.
Water makes up 50% of this recipe so how it tastes is critical. That’s why I always suggest using filtered water for drinks, ice cubes and simple syrup.
If you don’t already have filtered water, I recommend getting a Brita water filter pitcher.
How to Make Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup
- In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and syrup is clear. Remove from heat.
- Stir in the vanilla bean paste. Let the syrup cool then transfer to a clean, sterilized jar.
- Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.
Recipe Notes
Add vanilla bean paste off-heat for the best vanilla flavor.
Vanilla bean paste has alcohol in it and when alcohol is exposed to heat, it burns off. To keep the vanilla flavor from burning off too, only add it after removing the syrup from the heat source.
Substitute vanilla bean paste with pure vanilla extract, if desired.
Vanilla bean paste is more of a gel than vanilla extract. Additionally, it has specks of vanilla bean it. Besides those differences, the extract is interchangeable with the paste at a one-to-one ratio.
The recipe is easily multiplied (or reduced).
Depending on how you plan to use the vanilla syrup, you may need more or less.
As a general rule of thumb, the syrup yield is about 1.5x the amount of sugar.
For instance, 1/2 cup sugar yields about 3/4 cup syrup, 1 cup sugar yields 1.5 cups of syrup, and 2 cups of sugar yields 3 cups of syrup.
Ways to Use Homemade Vanilla Syrup
Like I mentioned before, the number of ways I use vanilla syrup seems limitless.
Here are some of my favorite recipes that have vanilla syrup as an ingredient.
- Homemade Starbucks Whipped Cream: vanilla syrup + heavy cream
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam: vanilla syrup + heavy cream + milk
- Caffe Vanilla Latte: vanilla syrup + brewed espresso + steamed milk
- Starbucks Copycat Iced Caramel Macchiato: vanilla syrup + milk + brewed espresso + caramel sauce
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew: vanilla syrup + cold brew coffee + vanilla cold foam topping
- London Fog Tea Latte: vanilla syrup + earl grey tea + steamed milk
- Variety of Homemade Coffee Creamers, including Vanilla Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer, Italian Sweet Cream Creamer and Caramel Macchiato Coffee Creamer
Homemade Vanilla Simple Syrup
Homemade vanilla bean syrup is a flavored liquid sweetener for coffee, tea and other drinks. This easy simple syrup recipe has just 3 ingredients and gets its rich vanilla flavor from vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. It only takes about 5 minutes to make a batch and replaces bottled syrup like Torani or Starbucks.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and syrup is clear. Remove from heat.
- Stir in the vanilla bean paste. Let the syrup cool then transfer to a clean, sterilized jar.
- Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Add vanilla bean paste off-heat for the best vanilla flavor.
- You can substitute vanilla bean paste with pure vanilla extract, if desired at a one-to-one ratio.
- The recipe is easily multiplied (or reduced). As a general rule of thumb, the syrup yield is about 1.5x the amount of sugar you use in the recipe.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 tablespoonAmount Per Serving: Calories: 30Carbohydrates: 8gSugar: 8g
