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Homebody Eats » Recipes » Coffee

How to Make Vanilla Coffee Syrup (3 Ingredient Recipe)

Published: May 2, 2022 by Jessica Mode · This content may include affiliate links.

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Learn to make an easy homemade vanilla coffee syrup recipe that only requires 3 ingredients and is better than Starbucks. You'll be able to enjoy your favorite coffee drinks like cold brew, lattes, and iced coffee with a splash of this homemade syrup.

glass jar overflowing with vanilla simple syrup.

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There's something so simple yet delicious about vanilla-flavored coffee. It's almost as if vanilla and coffee were made to pair together! It's such a great flavor combination.

Since vanilla is such a beloved coffee flavoring, I was determined to find the best way to make homemade vanilla coffee syrup. A syrup that was rich, delicious, and full of vanilla bean seeds.

You can use this sweetener to make all of your favorite Starbucks drinks at home including the blonde vanilla latte, vanilla sweet cream cold foam, London fog tea latte, and so many others.

It's the ultimate coffee syrup recipe that can be paired with many coffee flavors and drinks! Any coffee lover has to try this recipe.

Jump to:
  • What You'll Learn In This Recipe
  • 5 Days to Instantly Becoming a Better Home Cook
  • What Is Simple Syrup?
  • Ingredients You Need
  • How To Make This Recipe
  • Expert Tip
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More Coffee Recipes
  • Vanilla Coffee Syrup Recipe (3 Ingredients)

What You'll Learn In This Recipe

  • What simple syrup is and how it can be used in your own kitchen.
  • How to properly store coffee syrup to ensure it lasts for a long time.
  • Some fun and easy vanilla flavored coffee drink recipes.

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    pouring coffee syrup into cold brew coffee.

    What Is Simple Syrup?

    Simple syrup is a one-to-one mixture (equal parts) of water and sugar that is cooked down into a liquid sweetener.

    A basic simple syrup is generally made with granulated sugar. However, you can experiment with making simple syrups with other types of sugar.

    You may also hear about rich simple syrup. This is a variation that uses two parts sugar to one part water. This ratio of water to sugar results in a sweeter and thicker simple syrup.

    Simple syrups can be used in many ways around the kitchen including:

    • To sweeten coffee (both iced coffee and hot coffee)
    • To sweeten drinks such as cocktails, lemonade, and tea
    • Brushed on top of cake layers to keep them moist
    • Added to marinades for a touch of sweetness
    • Any time you need to add a touch of sugar

    Ingredients You Need

    vanilla coffee syrup recipe ingredients.

    Now that you know what simple syrup is, let's talk about the ingredients you'll need to make this vanilla coffee syrup recipe.

    Surprisingly, it only requires three basic ingredients including:

    • Granulated Sugar: The first part of any simple syrup is, of course, sugar. This recipe just uses basic granulated sugar. However, you can also use other types of sugar in simple syrups like in this Starbucks copycat brown sugar syrup recipe.
    • Water: In order to help the sugar turn into a liquid sweetener, water is required. The sugar becomes dissolved in the water as it cooks.
    • Vanilla Bean Paste: The type of vanilla bean paste you use will determine the taste of the simple syrup. I'd suggest purchasing a high-quality vanilla paste, like Rodelle, to ensure the sweetener tastes really delicious.

    How To Make This Recipe

    If this is your first time making coffee syrup at home, you'll be surprised at how quickly this recipe comes together. Here are the simple steps to follow.

    Mise En Place

    Before you begin to make this recipe, I'd suggest measuring out all of your ingredients, as well as taking out all the equipment you'll need.

    This is what we refer to in the culinary world as mise en place. It's a fancy French word meaning 'to put in place.' It allows chefs to set up and be ready for the cooking process in order to stay organized.

    pouring water into a saucepan of sugar.

    Cook The Simple Syrup

    Once you've measured all your ingredients, it's time to combine the granulated sugar and water. Next, heat the mixture up on the stove over medium heat until the sugar dissolves in the water.

    Keep an eye on the sugar water throughout the cooking process so you can remove it from the heat as soon as it is done cooking. This should only take about 1 - 2 minutes.

    Finally, whisk in the vanilla bean paste to the simple syrup until well combined.

    Through recipe testing, I found that the vanilla taste was more prominent by adding in the vanilla paste after cooking the simple syrup. Cooks Illustrated conducted a similar test with baked goods and found some desserts had a more intense vanilla flavor by adding in the vanilla after cooking.

    saucepan filled with vanilla bean simple syrup.

    Cool Syrup & Transfer To A Jar

    Allow the vanilla bean syrup to cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to a clean reusable bottle.

    The syrup can be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator for up to one month. A clean storage bottle is key to making the syrup last a long time!

    I've found that the vanilla flavor intensifies the longer it sits. I prefer to wait 24 - 48 hours before using the simple syrup in my coffee.

    Expert Tip

    If you are a person who drinks coffee almost every day, try making a double batch of this homemade vanilla coffee syrup!

    This recipe will last for over a month if properly stored in the refrigerator. This will give you plenty of time to use up the syrup before it goes bad.

    Plus, you won't have to constantly make more every single week.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I substitute the vanilla bean paste for vanilla extract?

    Vanilla extract will give the coffee syrup a more alcohol-like taste. I found through recipe testing that the vanilla bean paste gave a much richer and more delicious taste. I'd suggest sticking to vanilla bean paste for this recipe to avoid anything tasting like artificial flavors.

    Can I store the vanilla syrup at room temperature?

    If you'd like to store the syrup at room temperature, double the amount of sugar in the recipe below. Instead of ½ cup of granulated sugar, use 1 cup of sugar. This rich simple syrup will be able to last on the counter at room temperature.

    How much syrup should I use in my coffee?

    It's really up to you to decide how much coffee syrup you like in your drinks. Start with ½ tablespoon of syrup and increase as needed to achieve your desired sweetness level.

    How do you use vanilla coffee syrup?

    To use the coffee syrup, simply pour ½ tablespoon or more into your hot or cold coffee until you've reached your desired sweetness level. Stir or shake the syrup to incorporate.

    You can use this recipe to make a hot vanilla latte using blonde espresso, for an iced chai latte, or in a vanilla coconut latte. There are endless recipes you can make using this syrup and an espresso machine or cold brew!

    vanilla coffee syrup next to cold brew coffee.

    More Coffee Recipes

    Try out some of these fun and delicious morning coffee recipes. The best part is that you'll feel like an at-home barista.

    • two highball glasses with cold brew next to glass bottle filled with brown syrup.
      Copycat Starbucks Brown Sugar Syrup (4 Ingredients)
    • glass filled with cold brew coffee and cold foam on top.
      Salted Caramel Cold Brew (6 Ingredients)
    • two lowball glasses with cold brew coffee topped with cold foam.
      Starbucks Sweet Cream Cold Foam (3 Ingredients)
    • homemade and Starbucks brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso.
      Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
    • various colored Nespresso vertuo pods laying next to each other.
      How to Reuse Nespresso Vertuo Pods (In 3 Steps)

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below. Don't forget to follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest for more recipes.

    jar of vanilla syrup next to glasses of cold brew.

    Vanilla Coffee Syrup Recipe (3 Ingredients)

    Learn to make an easy homemade vanilla coffee syrup recipe that only requires 3 ingredients and is better than Starbucks. You'll be able to enjoy your favorite coffee drinks like cold brew, lattes, and iced coffee with a splash of this syrup.
    Author: Jessica Mode
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Active Time 3 minutes mins
    Cook Time 2 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine American
    Servings 18 servings (yields ¾ cup)
    Calories 26 kcal

    Equipment

    • small saucepan
    • whisk
    • reusable bottle

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup water
    • 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla bean paste

    Instructions
     

    • Add sugar and water to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until all the sugar has dissolved, about 1-2 minutes.
    • Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla bean paste. Allow the mixture to cool in the saucepan.
    • Transfer syrup to a cleaned reusable bottle and seal tightly with a lid. 
    • Use syrup immediately, or store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

    Notes

    Store the syrup in a reusable plastic squeeze bottle or a glass jar that has been thoroughly sterilized. This will ensure the homemade syrup lasts.
    To use, add ½ tablespoon of syrup or more to your hot or cold coffee until the desired sweetness is reached. Stir or shake to incorporate.
    Do not substitute the vanilla bean paste with vanilla extract. It will give the coffee syrup a more alcohol-like taste and artificial flavor. The vanilla bean paste gives a much richer and more delicious taste.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1tablespoonCalories: 26kcalCarbohydrates: 6gFat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 1mgSugar: 6gCalcium: 1mgIron: 1mg
    Have you tried this recipe?Tag @homebody.eats on Instagram so we can see your creations!

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      Salted Caramel Cold Foam (5 Ingredients)
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Lilly

      May 04, 2022 at 9:07 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this syrup today and I'm obsessed! I had no idea it was this easy to make homemade coffee syrup. It tasted so good in my cold brew. I will definitely be making this recipe on repeat!

      Reply

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