This Vanilla Simple Syrup is incredibly easy to make and only requires three ingredients. It is a really delicious way to sweeten and flavor your coffee, tea, or any other beverage that your little heart desires.
Looking for more flavored syrup recipes? Try my Honey Syrup, Brown Sugar Syrup, or Demerara Syrup, too!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
It's delicious. This syrup is sweet and full of vanilla flavor. It tastes great and is a perfect addition to a wide variety of drinks.
It's super easy to make. A simple syrup is, well, simple to make. You got this.
It only uses three ingredients. All you need is sugar, water, and vanilla extract!
What is vanilla simple syrup?
For starters, simple syrup is a syrup that's made up of water and sugar. The two ingredients get combined over heat until the sugar dissolves entirely into the water, resulting in a sweet syrup that can be used to flavor and sweeten drinks, keep layer cakes moist, and even be used as hummingbird food!
Vanilla simple syrup is simple syrup that has been flavored with vanilla extract!
Ingredients
You only need three simple ingredients in order to make vanilla simple syrup.
- Water: Just plain old water will do.
- Sugar: I used white granulated sugar to make this, as I do with the majority of my simple syrup recipes. You could, however, use brown sugar or demerara sugar, if you wanted. Bear in mind that using a different kind of sugar will change the appearance and flavor of the final product.
- Vanilla extract: I used store bought vanilla extract, as that's all that I had on hand. But if you have the time and inclination, I recommend making your own homemade vanilla extract.
How do you make it?
You'll start out by making a plain, unflavored simple syrup. To do this, you'll combine water and sugar in a saucepan, and bring it to a boil. It's simple, really.
After bringing it to a boil, you'll turn the heat off before adding the vanilla extract. That's basically it!
Just allow the syrup to cool completely before storing it in the fridge.
Substitutions or variations
- Use different forms of vanilla: I used store bought vanilla extract as a matter of convenience. But you could also use homemade vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Use a different sugar: If you want to give this syrup a bit more depth and complexity, you can use brown sugar, turbinado sugar, demerara sugar, etc. It will change the overall appearance of the syrup, but will be delicious and versatile nonetheless.
How should you use vanilla syrup?
- Sweeten coffee and lattes - whether you're into iced vanilla lattes or hot vanilla lattes, you have options
- Sweeten hot or cold tea
- Make an Italian Soda - you can use any flavored syrup, including vanilla!
- Use it to keep cakes and cupcakes moist - brush some vanilla syrup onto the tops of cake layers and cupcakes to help keep them super moist
- On pancakes or waffles
- Over ice cream
FAQs/Tips and tricks
Yes, it will eventually go bad. It should last approximately a week or two in the fridge if stored in an airtight container.
It should last approximately a week or two if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You can prolong its shelf life a bit by adding about half an ounce of vodka to the syrup.
Yes, it needs to be refrigerated. Make sure to store it in the fridge in an airtight container.
Other syrup recipes
Looking for more syrup recipes? Take a look at the photos and links below for more inspiration.
✨ Recipe
Vanilla Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the water and sugar to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine.
- Whisking occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil. The sugar should be completely dissolved into the water at this point.
- Turn off the heat and add the vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
- Allow the simple syrup to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Notes
- You can add about half an ounce of plain vodka to the syrup in order to extend its shelf life a bit
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Neil Meiskey
Hi, before I try this.....would this be a healthier version of Starbuck's Vanilla Syrup?
laurenpacek
Hey Neil. It's really similar to Starbucks' Vanilla Syrup, but my recipe is only made with water, sugar, and vanilla extract. Theirs has water, sugar, natural flavor (the vanilla), potassium sorbate (preservative), and citric acid. So if, for you, healthier = no preservatives, then yes! But otherwise, it's pretty similar. It just won't have as long of a shelf life due to the lack of preservatives.