Coffee is by far the most popular beverage in the world. If you’re a coffee fan, you know that nothing beats a hot cup of coffee on a cold day.
But it is always better if you pair it with something yummy. Homemade vanilla syrup is just the right thing to add to your already delicious cup of coffee!
By incorporating this homemade vanilla syrup recipe into your coffee during the morning routine, you can add an extra level of flavor that will make you forget about your old store-bought vanilla syrup.
In this article, I’ll go in-depth about making vanilla syrup at home and show you the easy steps that are involved. Let’s get started!
What is vanilla syrup?
Vanilla syrup is a sweet, flavored liquid made by combining sugar, water, and vanilla beans. The mixture is heated until the sugar dissolves and then strained to remove the vanilla beans.
You can use this coffee syrup to flavor all kinds of coffee recipes, including your daily morning coffee.
Because this is a flavored syrup, it’s most often used to sweeten iced coffees, like the iced blonde vanilla latte, and many more drinks (more of which I’ll cover later on).
Making homemade coffee syrups is easy to do and requires just a few minutes of your time.
What is vanilla syrup made of?
Vanilla syrup is made using just three main ingredients:
- White granulated sugar
- Cold tap water
- A vanilla bean
The white granulated sugar and water will make the simple syrup basis, and the vanilla bean will add amazing vanilla flavor to your syrup.
Below, you’ll find more information about the use of vanilla beans vs. vanilla extract in this syrup recipe, which is better, and how you can make it with both ingredients:
Can you use vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean?
Yes, you can use vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean when making vanilla syrup at home.
Just be sure to use a high-quality vanilla extract since the flavor of poor-quality extracts can be quite harsh.
Also, make sure to use the same amount of vanilla extract as you would a vanilla bean – one bean typically yields about one tablespoon of extract, which is what I recommend using in this recipe.
If you’d like to use vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean, you can stir in the vanilla extract at the last moment, which I’ll cover below:
How do you make vanilla syrup at home?
Making vanilla syrup at home is easy to do, and you can make it with a vanilla bean or vanilla extract.
Depending on what kind of vanilla you’d like to use, you can check out the recipe for it below.
You can scroll a bit further down for the complete recipe, which includes the number of calories.
How do you make a vanilla syrup with a vanilla bean?
To make a simple vanilla syrup at home with a vanilla bean, you will need:
- 1 cup (0.24 l) of cold tap water
- 1 cup (250 grams) white granulated sugar
- One vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise, with the seeds removed
I like to collect all the ingredients before getting started with the recipe. You can follow the steps below to make the syrup:
- Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the vanilla bean along with its seeds and bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool.
- Discard the vanilla bean.
- Store the syrup in a jar in the fridge for up to a week (more on storing the syrup below).
How do you make the vanilla syrup with vanilla extract?
Vanilla syrup is really easy to make at home. You just need some sugar, water, and vanilla extract:
- 1 cup (0.24 l) of cold tap water
- 1 cup (250 grams) white granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp (15 grams) of vanilla extract
To make the syrup, follow the steps below:
- Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Let cool before using.
Now that you know about the two ways to make vanilla syrup at home, you can check out the best ways to store the syrup below.
How to best store the vanilla syrup
The best way to store vanilla syrup is in a sealed jar or flask. This will help to preserve the flavor and aroma of the vanilla syrup.
It’s also important to store the syrup in a cool place like your fridge. You can keep your vanilla syrup well for up to a week.
If you’re unsure whether you’ll finish a batch of homemade syrup by then, I recommend making a smaller amount of syrup at first.
You’ll keep the syrup fresher by doing this (so it tastes the best), and if you’re almost out of syrup, you can quickly make a new batch.
Now that you know about the steps involved in making and storing your homemade syrup, have a look below for the complete recipe:
Homemade Vanilla Syrup for Coffee
You can make this 5-minute vanilla coffee syrup to sweeten many of your home-brewed coffees!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 grams) of white granulated sugar
- 1 cup (0.24 l) of cold tap water
- 1 vanilla bean, split and deseeded
Instructions
- Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and place it on the stove on medium heat.
- While continuously stirring, heat the syrup until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Add the split vanilla bean along with its seeds.
- On low heat, cook for two more minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool completely in the saucepan.
- Discards the vanilla bean and transfer your homemade vanilla syrup to a jar, seal it, and store it in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
If you'd like to use vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean, you can read the step-by-step guide above this recipe card.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 19Carbohydrates: 4.9gSugar: 4.9g
The number of calories is calculated for one tablespoon of vanilla syrup.
What can you use this vanilla syrup for?
This vanilla syrup is a versatile sweetener that can be used in your daily coffee and many different iced coffee recipes but is also delicious on your pancakes!
My favorite coffees made with vanilla syrup are the vanilla latte and its iced version. I love the flavor combination of these drinks.
Another great example of a refreshing drink is this vanilla iced coffee. Once you have the vanilla syrup ready, you can simply brew a cup of coffee before heading to bed and make a great-tasting iced coffee in the morning.
Are you a fan of a less potent coffee drink that still has great flavor? You can consider making an iced blonde vanilla latte instead.
It’s made with blonde roasted coffee beans that are higher in caffeine than dark roasted coffee beans.
Conclusion
Making your own vanilla syrup is a way to save money and have something that tastes better than the store-bought version.
In this article, I’ve gone over the simple steps that are involved in making homemade vanilla syrup at home.
Depending on your preference, you can choose to use vanilla beans or vanilla extract. I’ve also listed various coffee recipes that use this delicious add-in, so you can start using this syrup right away!
Do you like making coffee syrups at home? I’ve listed a few more homemade syrup below that you can check out as well.
