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Homemade Vanilla Simple Syrup is a great kitchen staple that can be used for flavoring everything from cocktails to coffee recipes to cakes. All it takes is three ingredients and five minutes to make this liquid sweetener right at home.

A hand pours vanilla simple syrup into a glass of iced coffee set on a white marble tray.

The flecks of real vanilla bean make this homemade simple syrup a real stunner - and it's so easy to make. You'll never buy it from the store again!

(Just like you'll never buy a caramel-flavored syrup from the store, either! I have a great homemade caramel simple syrup recipe that's perfect for coffee! And, a peppermint simple syrup recipe, too!)

If you felt so inclined, you could make a delicious vanilla lavender simple syrup, too!

Ingredients for this recipe

Making vanilla simple syrup

This is just a brief overview, find detailed instructions in the recipe card below!

Water gets poured into a pan of sugar on a white marble background — Combine the sugar and water.

A shallow saucepan filled with plain simple syrup. — Combine the sugar and water.

Storing Simple Syrup

After it is cooled, vanilla simple syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for next to forever. Sugar is a natural preservative and slows the growth of bacteria in many processed and canned foods.

Because of this, simple syrup lasts a very long time in the fridge.

I like to keep my simple syrup covered in the fridge for up to for six months (if it lasts that long).

A small glass bottle is filled with homemade vanilla simple syrup on a white marble tray. The flecks of real vanilla bean can be seen in the syrup.

How to use

This vanilla simple syrup is perfect for coffees! It’s perfect for adding to iced cold brew because it mixes in so well to the cold liquid. Add a splash to your hot vanilla latte (or an iced vanilla latte!), cappuccino, or brewed coffee before serving.

Making a cake that won’t be served right away? A bakery trick is to brush the top of the cake with simple syrup before frosting to keep it moist. The vanilla adds another fantastic layer of flavor to your dessert while helping to keep it fresh!

A glass filled with vanilla iced coffee that has been made with vanilla simple syrup sits on a white marble tray with a clear straw in it.

Kinds of vanilla

This recipe calls for vanilla extract to be added to the syrup after the sugar dissolves. (You can learn how to make your own with my homemade vanilla extract recipe!) You can also use vanilla bean paste or scrape a fresh vanilla bean and mix the seeds right in.

For even more flavor, let the scraped vanilla bean steep in the syrup for 10 minutes!

Go forth and flavor your coffees and cakes with this delicious syrup!

A small glass jar filled with homemade vanilla simple syrup

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Vanilla Simple Syrup

Homemade Vanilla Simple Syrup is a great kitchen staple that can be used for flavoring everything from cocktails to coffees to cakes. All it takes is three ingredients and five minutes to make this liquid sweetener right at home.

Cook Time5

Total Time5

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Coffee Syrup, Homemade Coffee Syrup, Simple Syrup, Vanilla Simple Syrup

Servings: servings

Calories: 18kcal

Author: Amanda Gajdosik

Equipment

Small Saucepan
Jar with a Lid

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a shallow saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until sugar has dissolved into water and mixture is homogenous.
Remove syrup from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
Pour syrup into a glass jar with a lid and allow to cool, uncovered, to room temperature, before sealing and placing in fridge.
Serve simple syrup in cocktails, coffees, or cakes as desired.

Notes

Syrup can be properly stored, covered in the refrigerator, for up to six months.

Nutrition