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Home » Cocktails » Syrups

Vanilla Syrup

May 24, 2022 by Lauren Pacek · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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This Vanilla Syrup is sweet, super easy to make, and can be used to sweeten and flavor just about any beverage!

Looking for more flavored syrup recipes? Try my Honey Syrup or Demerara Syrup, too!

swing top bottle full of vanilla simple syrup
Jump to:
  • 🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • 💭 What is vanilla simple syrup?
  • 📝 Ingredients
  • 👩🏻‍🍳 How do you make it?
  • 🛠️ How should you use vanilla syrup?
  • 🔗 Other syrup recipes
  • ❓ FAQs/Tips and tricks
  • 🖤 Share your creations and follow me on social media
  • ✨ Recipe
  • 📌 Pin this recipe for later!

🌟 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.

🛠️ How should you use vanilla syrup?

You can use this vanilla syrup in a variety of ways.

For me, the most obvious way is to sweeten drinks. Personally, I've been using this syrup to sweeten cold coffee drinks. Take these Iced Lattes, for example. Simple syrup is a great option for sweetening cold coffee (or any cold drink, for that matter) because it will combine readily with the drink. Unlike regular sugar, which will have a hard time dissolving in cold liquid, resulting in a gritty drink.

You can also brush this syrup onto the layers of a cake (before frosting, naturally). This not only imparts some additional flavor, but also helps to keep your cakes super moist!

🔗 Other syrup recipes

Looking for more syrup recipes? Take a look at the photos and links below for more inspiration.

  • small glass jar full of cinnamon dolce syrup
    Cinnamon Dolce Syrup
  • homemade grenadine syrup being poured into a small glass bottle
    Grenadine Syrup
  • small jar of peppermint syrup
    Peppermint Syrup
  • a jar of gingerbread syrup with twinkle lights behind it
    Gingerbread Syrup
  • Cherry Simple Syrup from A Nerd Cooks
  • Strawberry Simple Syrup from A Nerd Cooks
  • Rosé Wine Simple Syrup from Jaylynn Little
  • Demerara Syrup from A Nerd Cooks
  • Raspberry Simple Syrup from A Nerd Cooks
  • Rosemary Simple Syrup from Feast and West
  • Blueberry Simple Syrup from A Nerd Cooks
  • Peach Syrup from A Nerd Cooks

❓ FAQs/Tips and tricks

Does simple syrup go bad?

Yes, it will eventually go bad. It should last approximately a week or two in the fridge if stored in an airtight container.

How long does simple syrup last?

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.

Does simple syrup need to be refrigerated?

Yes, it needs to be refrigerated. Make sure to store it in the fridge in an airtight container.

🖤 Share your creations and follow me on social media

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I'd love to know what you thought of this recipe! Don't forget to leave a comment and ⭐️ star rating below!

✨ Recipe

swing top bottle full of vanilla simple syrup

Vanilla Syrup

Lauren Pacek
This Vanilla Syrup is sweet, super easy to make, and can be used to sweeten and flavor just about any beverage!
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 0 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Additional Time 0 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Course Syrups
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 101 kcal

Equipment

  • Heavy-bottomed saucepan
  • Wet measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Whisk

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

Serving: 1Calories: 101kcalCarbohydrates: 25gSodium: 2mgSugar: 25g

Disclaimer: Nutritional information is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

Keyword vanilla syrup
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📌 Pin this recipe for later!

pinterest pin for vanilla syrup

More Flavored Syrup Recipes

  • a small bottle of mint simple syrup
    Mint Simple Syrup
  • a small swing top bottle full of pumpkin spice syrup
    Pumpkin Spice Syrup
  • a small jar of irish cream syrup
    Irish Cream Syrup
  • jar full of honey syrup, a spoon is drizzling more syrup into the jar
    Honey Syrup

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Comments

  1. Neil Meiskey

    June 11, 2022 at 1:38 am

    Hi, before I try this.....would this be a healthier version of Starbuck's Vanilla Syrup?

    Reply
    • laurenpacek

      June 11, 2022 at 11:04 am

      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.

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Lauren! I'm the recipe developer, photographer, and writer here at A Nerd Cooks. I'm a 30-something wife, mom, and scientist with a passion for mixing cocktails, brewing buzzy coffee drinks, and making other delicious beverages at home.

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