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Quick Vanilla Syrup for Coffee
I’ve toyed around with the idea of making my own Quick Vanilla Syrup for Coffee for so long. At last I finally did! I always thought it would be difficult to make, but it’s actually so easy! When you see how easy this three-ingredient Vanilla Syrup is to make, you won’t have any reason to go buy it!
I mention in my 5 Tips To Make Cooking Fun! free guide that going out can help inspire you. I love to go out for some coffee and my coffee outings have certainly been the source of inspiration many times, as you may have been able to tell from other recipes on the blog! Good news is that you can actually use this syrup in all of those coffee-based drinks I have! Get my motivational guide for free if you’re in a slump by signing up to my newsletter, and you’ll also receive the one-month Live to Cook challenge! If you make this syrup and pair a drink with it, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can share your awesome creation!
Be sure to watch the video to get a full picture of how I make this super easy and tasty syrup! If you haven’t already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit the bell button to receive notifications when all of my video recipes go live! I love complementing the written recipes with a video as I can find watching a recipe is more tangible than reading it, and I can fully grasp the concepts! I want to set you up for success! Let’s get cooking!
What is Vanilla Syrup?▼
Vanilla Syrup is a simple syrup that’s used to flavor coffee and sweet treats. This syrup is simply just made with sugar and vanilla extract dissolved in water. Syrup is an ideal sweetener choice because since it is a liquid, it’ll easily dissolve in water. On the other hand, when you have maple syrup or table sugar, it can be tedious to mix into your drinks. How many of you have ended up with lumps in your drinks? Bleh! A syrup will evenly mix right in and taste amazing without the fuss!
Why Make Vanilla Syrup?
There are so many reasons why you need to make your own vanilla syrup! Once you get into making your own syrups, you’ll never have to buy them from the store again! Her'e’s why you need to try this Vanilla Syrup for Coffee today!
- Cheap: This recipe will yield quite a lot of syrup! On the other hand, store-bought syrups range from $12-$25 CAD! That’s crazy right! The cost per serving by adding the individual ingredients will save you lots of money!
- Fast: It’s really so fast to make this, and because you’ll have a lot of syrup, you won’t have to make it often! You only need a little bit in your coffees and treats!
- Multi-purpose: While vanilla syrup is typically used for coffee and tea drinks, I’ll provide some other ideas for you to experiment with your vanilla syrup! You’ll have a lot, so start experimenting!
- Simple ingredients: We know everything that’s in here without extra chemicals. You can even make this all natural depending on your choice of sweetener!
- Customizable: I’ll provide a standard recipe here, but you can mix and match different sweeteners, types of vanilla, sugar ratios, and more all based on your own tastes! You have complete control here to make your perfect syrup, which store-bought syrups can’t provide!
Can I Use Vanilla Extract Instead of Vanilla Syrup?▼
No, you can’t. Vanilla syrup is a thick and sweet liquid, intended to act as a sweetener. On the other hand, vanilla extract is a bitter and thin liquid. Vanilla extract is simply meant to be used to add aroma and flavor in baking, cooking, and in beverages, but it does not act as a sweetener. Furthermore, vanilla syrup takes five to ten minutes to make, whereas vanilla extract takes a very long time - we’re talking months!
Can I Use Different Sweeteners for vanilla Syrup?▼
I’m using table sugar to make our Vanilla Syrup for Coffee. You can use any sweetener of your choice by replacing the granulated white sugar with brown sugar, honey, cane sugar, maple syrup or even Sucralose or stevia. However, keep in mind different sweeteners will slightly affect the taste, color and texture.
What Kind of Vanilla Should I Use for This Homemade Vanilla Syrup Recipe?▼
I’m using vanilla extract because that’s what I had on hand. Technically, you can use vanilla of any form. Let’s break down what types of vanilla are available for purchase and can be used here:
- Vanilla extract: This is what I’m using to make our syrup, and this is an essential staple for bakers! Vanilla extract is exactly what it sounds like - an extract from the vanilla bean pod. Vanilla pods are soaked in an alcoholic solution, and a pure vanilla extract will only contain vanilla, alcohol and water in its ingredient list. In fact, you can even make your own vanilla extract at home! Vanilla extract may be the best choice to make your syrup because you probably already have it in your pantry, and all you need to do is toss it in the pot! It’s also one of the most economical ingredient options.
- Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean paste: This is a step up from vanilla extract. I love to use it quite often! If you’re using Madagascar vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract, use half because it has a very strong flavor.
- Vanilla bean pods: This would add tremendous flavor and turn it into a vanilla bean syrup! To use vanilla pods, you need to slice it down the middle and scrape the beans into the pan, along with the whole bean. You’ll need to let it become warm in your sugar mixture. After your syrup is ready, you can use a small sieve to strain out the beans if you don’t want them in there.
- Artificial vanilla: Also referred to as “imitation vanilla” or “vanilla essence,” this is a cheaper alternative to the vanilla extract described above. In contrast to the vanilla extract, the vanilla flavor does not even come from the plant, instead, it comes from a synthetic vanillin. The smell is similar but the taste certainly is not. You can save some dollars, but I wouldn’t recommend you use it for the best quality Vanilla Syrup for Coffee. For more information about vanilla extract versus artificial vanilla, check out this article by Bon Appétit.
How to Use Vanilla Syrup
You can use your syrup in so many ways! It’s totally multi-purpose and can be used in basically anything that needs a sweetener! It’s convenient to use and you can easily adjust based on your preference. Here’s my list of ideas - comment below how you like to use your vanilla syrup and if there’s anything I missed!
- Oatmeal: You can use this syrup in overnight oats or stovetop oats!
- Tea latte or hot tea: A splash in a tea latte will be delicious!
- Cafe lattes or cappuccinos: I recommend you add a splash in your vanilla lattes, Café Mocha, White Chocolate Mocha, or Tim Horton’s French Vanilla!
- Iced coffee: This would be incredible to add more flavor in an Iced White Chocolate Mocha!
- Cold brew: I’m using vanilla syrup in my Starbucks Chocolate Cream Cold Brew recipe!
- Hot chocolate: I’m sure this would really enhance your Decadent White Hot Chocolate or S’mores Hot Chocolate!
- Smoothies: A splash of syrup in a Healthy Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Shake or a Creamy and Sweet Mocha Blueberry Protein Smoothie will certainly add a wonderful touch!
- Pancakes: Add this to your batter or top your pancakes with the syrup!
- Lemonade: Add a hint of vanilla to your lemonade for a totally new experience!
- Baked goods: Try adding some in your brownie batter for Espresso Brownies or in the dough for Chocolate Chip Edible Cookie Dough!
- Yogurt
- Milkshakes
- Soda
- Cocktails
- Ice cream
I would like to mention that I actually wouldn’t use vanilla syrup to sweeten whipped cream, however, because it will dilute your cream!
Tools Needed
Ingredients for Vanilla Syrup for Coffee
Let’s see what’s needed to make our Simple Vanilla Syrup For Coffee. Remember to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD to see all ingredient quantities and the full recipe instructions. You can save the recipe for later and scale the amounts based on how much syrup you want to make!
- Vanilla: Either vanilla extract, vanilla bean, Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean paste, or artificial vanilla.
- Sugar: Or whichever sweetener you use.
- Water: Use hot water! The ratio to water to sugar is one to one.
What Tools Do I Need to Make Vanilla Syrup for Coffee?
We don’t need much to make our Vanilla Syrup for Coffee, and I’m sure you already have these pieces of equipment. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Measuring cups: You’ll want this to measure your sugar and water.
- Measuring spoons: This could be handy to portion out the vanilla extract or Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean paste.
- Saucepan: To mix all of our ingredients together.
- Whisk: We’ll mix everything together on the stove to yield our syrup!
How to Make Quick Vanilla Syrup for Coffee
In a saucepan, add the water and sugar and turn on the stove on medium heat. Stir this mixture and whisk well until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Once dissolved, turn off the heat. Add the vanilla extract. Optionally, also add vanilla bourbon paste or vanilla bean pod and mix well.
Transfer the vanilla syrup to an airtight container for storage.
Tips for the Best Vanilla Syrup
Making vanilla syrup couldn't be simpler, but a few small things guarantee a smooth, flavorful batch every time:
- Keep it one to one. Equal parts white sugar and water is all it takes for that classic, pourable coffee-shop syrup.
- Warm, don't boil. Set a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk just until the sugar dissolves completely, so you shouldn't feel any grit. There's no need to bring it to a boil.
- Add the vanilla off the heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, turn off the stove before stirring in the vanilla so its aroma doesn't cook away.
- Go for real vanilla flecks. Swap in, or add alongside the extract, some Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean paste or a scraped vanilla bean pod for pretty specks and deeper flavor.
- Cool, then store. Let the syrup cool completely and transfer it to an airtight container.
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