Vanilla Latte With Homemade Vanilla Syrup: Quick Recipe 2025

We’re all familiar with the popular coffeehouse drink, the vanilla latte. It’s been a favorite for a long time because it combines coffee, milk, vanilla, and sweetness all in one beverage.

Today, I’m going to break down how to make a vanilla latte at home and show you how to make a homemade version of your favorite flavor syrup. It’s quick, easy, and will save you a lot of money.

I’ll start with a short explanation about the coffee, what the flavor is like, the recipe, and I will end this article by showing you how to make awesome homemade vanilla syrup. Let’s get into it.

What is a vanilla latte?

A vanilla latte is an amazing take on the classic latte. The vanilla latte is made by combining robust espresso, steamed milk and is flavored with homemade vanilla syrup that is super easy to make.

This recipe is made by combining just three ingredients, and every time I make this coffee, it amazed me that so few ingredients can make such a great coffee.

Let me tell you a bit more about the flavor you can expect, the ingredients used, which coffee I recommend using, and then I’ll go over the recipe step by step.

Is a vanilla latte strong in flavor?

A vanilla latte can be strong in flavor depending on the amount of vanilla syrup added and the strength of the coffee. However, vanilla latte tends to have a balanced flavor profile that isn’t strong at all.

The recipe listed below is not strong in flavor. I’ve listed ingredients that make for a perfectly balanced and smooth drinking experience, and you’ll enjoy the coffee once you make it at home.

What ingredients are used?

There are just three ingredients needed to make this awesome vanilla latte at home, you’ll need:

• Strong espresso coffee
• Whole milk or milk alternative of choice
• Homemade vanilla syrup

For this recipe, I’ve chosen to use whole milk. Most of the time, whole milk is used to make lattes. And to mimic the amazing coffee flavor you can get at a coffee shop, we’ll be using the same milk.

However, if you don’t feel like using, or can’t use cow’s milk, make sure to use your favorite milk alternative instead.

I’ve also tested almond milk and oat milk with this coffee recipe, and it tasted amazing. The taste of espresso and homemade vanilla syrup makes for such a great drink.

What coffee is best used in this recipe?

I like to use espresso coffee for this recipe as it gives the latte its unique flavor and smoothness.

If you have an espresso machine at home, you can pull a shot of espresso and use it in this recipe. If you don’t have an espresso machine at home, you can also use a Moka pot or AeroPress to produce the coffee.

If you haven’t used the Moka pot before or are interested in learning about it, you can check out my beginner’s guide here.

Are you interested in learning about the AeroPress and how to brew coffee with it? Then you can check out my complete brewing guide here.

If you don’t have a coffee brewer, as mentioned above, you can also use your Nespresso or Keurig coffee machines to produce the coffee needed.

I like to use a strong-tasting espresso coffee, so I suggest using the coffee pod with the most flavor. This way, the milk and vanilla syrup has a great basis and make for a smooth drink.

How to make vanilla syrup

There’s nothing better than a sweet iced vanilla latte on a hot summer day, especially when you make it yourself! A homemade vanilla syrup adds an extra punch of flavor without all the artificial additives found in store-bought varieties.

Making vanilla syrup from scratch is super easy and only requires a few ingredients. Collect the following elements to get started:

• 1/2 cup (0.12 l) of cold water
• 120 grams of white granulated sugar
• One vanilla bean split and deseeded

That’s all you need to make vanilla syrup. The amounts listed below will be enough to make six iced vanilla lattes with.

If you think you’ll be making more than six vanilla lattes in the next few days, I suggest making a bigger batch. You can store the vanilla syrup in the fridge for a couple of days.

This way, you can make amazing coffee in just a few minutes. To make the vanilla syrup, follow the next steps:

• In a small saucepan, add the sugar, water, and vanilla bean. I like to deseed the vanilla bean and add the split bean too. The split vanilla bean will give off more flavor when heated.
• Place the saucepan on medium heat and slowly begin heating it.
• I suggest swirling the sugar mixture or stirring with a spoon to keep the sugar from burning on the bottom.
• You’ll see the sugar slowly dissolving into the water, creating the vanilla syrup.
• Once the sugar has completely dissolved, remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool.
• When your vanilla syrup has cooled completely, remove the vanilla pod and throw it out.
• Transfer your homemade syrup into a small container or flask and store it in the fridge.

You can now use this amazing syrup to flavor the vanilla latte. If you have some leftovers, you can also check out the recipes I’ve listed below. These recipes all use vanilla syrup, so you can try a new recipe without wasting that amazing syrup:

• Iced Vanilla Latte
• Coconut Cold Brew Coffee
• Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew

And if you’re looking for a more in-depth overview of how to make this vanilla syrup at home, check out my other article here!

Vanilla latte with vanilla extract

If you want to make this vanilla latte with vanilla extract, you can switch the vanilla bean for vanilla extract instead.

To make the vanilla syrup with vanilla extract, use the same steps to make the sugar syrup, leaving the vanilla bean out.

I suggest adding a tablespoon or two of vanilla extract to the sugar syrup when the sugar has fully dissolved and the mixture is cooling down. Simply stir the vanilla extract through the syrup.

Now, you can use the vanilla syrup to make the recipe as listed below. The sugar syrup will help sweeten the latte a bit and make for that amazing flavor profile unique to this vanilla latte.

Conclusion

This latte tastes so amazing. I’ve always liked a regular latte, but the flavor of the coffee gets a bit boring after you’ve been drinking lattes each day.

By using this recipe instead, you’ll give your favorite milk-based coffee drink a new boost, and you can switch between a regular latte and vanilla latte!

You can also experiment with a different coffee roast, so the espresso shot you add will make for a different flavor and make another flavor explosion.

If you feel like trying out even more coffee recipes, you can check the recipes I’ve listed below. If you like the sweet taste of vanilla-flavored lattes, then you’ll also love these coffee recipes.

Do you like vanilla-flavored coffees? Let me know by leaving a comment down below. If you have any other questions regarding coffee, you can also contact me directly by pressing the “Contact Me” button at the top!

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• Café au Lait: What Is It and How to Make This Coffee