This vanilla syrup, made with vanilla beans, sugar, and water, works magnificently for pancakes, coffee, cakes, cocktails, and so many other uses. And just think of all the time and money you’ll save by making your own vanilla lattes.
How you can use vanilla syrup
You’re going to want to drizzle, douse, and dribble this fragrant homemade vanilla syrup over and into and onto just about everything. It’s especially divine when…
- Splashed into coffee (vanilla latte, anyone?)
- Stirred into sparkling water for a cream soda
- Poured on pancakes, waffles, French toast, oatmeal, or anything else you’d smother in maple syrup
- Stirred or shaken into cocktail concoctions
Vanilla Syrup
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and vanilla beans and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Let the syrup boil hard, without stirring, for 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the vanilla beans steep for 30 minutes.
Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine. You should have about 2 1/2 cups. Let cool.
Divvy the vanilla syrup among individual bottles or jars and include a half vanilla bean in each. (If making this as gifts, plan on filling three 8-ounce jars.) You can keep the vanilla syrup in the fridge for up to several months. Originally published October 27, 2016.
Recipe Testers' Reviews
What can I say? This homemade vanilla syrup is quick and simple to make, requires few ingredients, has many uses, and is delicious! I used the syrup in homemade lemonade, coffee, and Coke. I even poured it over some not-so-wonderful store-bought pound cake and let it seep in. I think there will always be a jar of this vanilla syrup in my fridge.
I was wanting to make pancakes but I wanted something other than the same old maple syrup. I tried this vanilla syrup and I was definitely not disappointed! It was easy to make just before I started making the pancakes. This gave me enough time for the vanilla beans to steep while I cooked the pancakes. It was an excellent addition!
It makes more than you will use in one sitting so I put my leftover syrup, with the vanilla beans, in a jar in the fridge. Not quite all of it fit into the jar, so I poured what was leftover over some canned peaches and it was excellent!
There are so many ways you could use this syrup and I'm excited to have it on hand. In fact, some hot cocoa is sounding really good right now...
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The absolute best vanilla bean price I’ve been able to find is Costco as a seasonal item. I wait every year to stock up.
Thank you very much for the advice, M Ogoshi! Greatly appreciate it!
At *least* one of us is psychic! Just this afternoon I was wishing for a vanilla syrup recipe. The favored hangout for high school kids in my neighborhood growing up was famous for their Vanilla Cokes. The trad order was a VC and fries, always with ketchup. It’s where I learned to love fries with ketchup and VCs. I’m going to give this a try as soon as I can get some vanilla beans. Yay! You read my mind…or I read yours. 😉
Thanks, guys
Hah. You’re quite welcome, ruthie. Thank YOU for sharing your memory of VC and fries. I love that food can take us back to a different era—and, along with it, all the attendant emotions and memories and loveliness.