Homemade Vanilla Coffee Syrup
Homemade Vanilla Coffee Syrup: With only a few ingredients, you can make delicious homemade vanilla syrup to flavor your coffee, tea, sodas, and cocktails.
MAKING FLAVORED COFFEE AT HOME: SO EASY!
Guys, I love Starbucks. I really do.
But if I’m being honest, I don’t love forking over five bucks a visit for a latte. I mean – really, it’s just steamed milk and espresso.
I work from home, and if I’m keeping it real, that translates to yoga pants, t-shirts and Birkenstocks until at least 11 am everyday, so making coffee in my own kitchen is totally the way to go.
There are lots of flavored syrups you can buy at the store or from Amazon. But what happens if you run out and forget to buy more?
I know I do not want to be left without my iced coffee before I have to get Elle up to get ready for school. I am not about that life.
So instead I make my own vanilla syrup at home! Perfect for flavoring both hot or iced coffee and I promise that it couldn’t be easier.
If you make your own cold brew concentrate at home, you can grab your homemade vanilla syrup and have a whole coffee shop experience without getting out of your slippers.
HOW TO MAKE VANILLA SYRUP
This vanilla coffee syrup recipe couldn’t be easier to make. It only takes a few simple steps:
- Boil water, sugar and a vanilla bean for about 5 minutes
- Add in a little vanilla extract
- Let it cool, bottle it and store it in the fridge
You could even make a big batch of this homemade Vanilla Coffee Syrup and gift some to any coffee lover in your life! Pour it into a pretty bottle or jar and package it up with some locally roasted coffee for a special gift.
OTHER WAYS TO USE HOMEMADE VANILLA SYRUP
This vanilla syrup is great for flavoring coffee, but it can do so much more than that!
Stir it into tea or add it to sparkling water for a homemade vanilla soda.
You could even keep a small bottle of it stocked as part of your bar cart. Add it to pineapple vodka for a delicious cocktail, or use it to add some vanilla flavor to holiday wassail.
You could even add a splash to homemade strawberry lemonade.
I know you’ll find all kinds of ways to use this vanilla syrup and it will quickly become a recipe you make over and over.
Homemade Vanilla Coffee Syrup
Homemade Vanilla Coffee Syrup: With only a few ingredients, you can make delicious homemade vanilla syrup to flavor your coffee, tea, sodas, and cocktails.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split in half
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together water, sugar, and vanilla bean.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
- Simmer for about five minutes - the sugar should be completely dissolved.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Once simple syrup has cooled, remove the vanilla bean and pour the syrup into a glass jar or bottle.
- Store in refrigerator.
Notes
- Homemade vanilla coffee syrup will keep within the refrigerator for about 1 week.
This post may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Out of curiosity, if someone doesn’t have a vanilla bean handy, would just using more vanilla extract work?
Carolyn-
If you do not have a vanilla bean, simply add in 1 more teaspoon of extract or more to taste. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
I love this recipe! This is soo easy, too. I am like you and totally think it’s ridiculous the amount of money we fork over for fancy coffee and especially when it’s so easy to make it at home.
Tiffany-
So very true!! Thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie
This is a great syrup recipe. It’s always a great idea to keep a few syrups in the refrigerator to liven up your morning beverages (or evening cocktails)!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Meagan!
The recipe calls for a vanilla bean split in half. The instructions say to add vanilla extract. I am confused. I have never used a vanilla bean. How much vaniilla extract do you use if you don’t use a split vanilla bean. Should the recipe say add the split vanilla bean? I want to make this recipe. It should be a good one. I love the jar you show for the syrup. Where do I get some of them? Great gifts for neighbors this Christmas!!!
Marlene-
As indicated in the ingredient list, this recipe calls for both a vanilla bean and vanilla extract. If you do not have a vanilla bean, simply add in 1 more teaspoon of extract or more to taste. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
Love this!! I am def trying this soon!!
Thanks for stopping by, Julie!
I keep homemade vanilla syrup in my fridge too. My son loves it to make Italian sodas or to sweeten ice tea. It’s so simple, there is never any reason to buy vanilla syrup at the store! And this website http://www.indrivanilla.com/ is a great source for inexpensive vanilla beans. While you at it make your own vanilla too! I LOVE my Nespresso machine as well. It makes authentic espresso from those little pods!
That is two whole cups of sugar in there.. yikes!
Elicia-
You can adjust the amount of sugar to whatever measurement you want, just make sure to adjust the water ratio as well. You can read more about different types of simple syrups and their ratios here: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/03/cocktail-101-how-to-make-simple-syrup-technique-rich-syrup-recipe.html
-Jamie
In order to make a syrup, a form of candy, you have to have a certain ratio of sugar to water. For coffee you are only using a tablespoon of the whole mixture. People freak out at the ingredients but don’t consider the serving size :)
Recently spent $12 on an 8 oz bottle of vanilla coffee syrup… it wasn’t bad but this recipe is robust with flavor, so easy to make and inexpensive!! I am thrilled to indulge in a beautiful cup of coffee with my vanilla syrup!!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the syrup, Pam! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
I work for a direct sale company. In one training video they said to set up the vacation reply on your email. Thank people for writing and let them know you will respond. Better than leaving them wondering or writing a million times :)
I don’t know what I did when I worked, because being home all day leaves me not enough time to get everything done. It is crazy! Love this homemade syrup, so much better than buying it!
Thanks for visiting Erin!
-Jamie
Love my Nespresso pixie machine and the pods, but just ordered a couple of packs from HiLine to see how they compare. Thanks for the new coffee source – I hope I like them! I would love to see more giveaways like the Nespresso machine! Would love one for my office!!
Thanks for visiting Becky!
-Jamie
I love making my own coffee syrup and creamer! It’s the way to go! This looks delicious!
Ashley-
Thanks for visiting!
-Jamie
I tried your recipe since I ran out of simple syrup and being so close to Christmas didn’t want to drive the half hour to get more. I doubt I will ever buy more! This is delicious!!Where did you get that fantastic container with the pump for your syrup?
Carri-
I ordered the pump on Amazon, it’s so perfect for dispensing the syrup!
-Jamie
Hi! One question: on the photo there is a jar with lid with dozing pump. This lid is custom made? It looks like made from the liquid soap dozer. I like it very much
Borys-
I purchased the jar and pump from amazon, but you can definitely find the same type of set-up at many craft stores.
-Jamie
Hello, do you know how to make coffee syrup?
I don’t, but I bet it’s delicious!
-Jamie
Coffee extract!
I am curious to know if you have any experience with vanilla bean powder? I am hoping to make this a cost-effective syrup. I don’t want just extract but that damn split bean starts to get really expensive!
Tyler-
I haven’t tried it with vanilla bean powder, but I’d love to hear how it turns out if you do. Thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie
Just use a tad more vanilla extract.
Hi!! Looks delish! Perfect for London fogs! Can I use all brown sugar??
Carole-
I haven’t tried it with all brown sugar but I think it would work. It would just be a little richer. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
-Jamie
How much much does this make? It looks like a decent amount for one person to try and consume in a week. Do you really think it would go bad that quickly (you mentioned a week)? I am wondering if I should just make half the recipe, or if it might last 2-3 in the fridge.
Thank you so much for this! It’s crazy all the weird things they put in something that should be simple like your recipe. Did you know that vanilla ‘flavored’ things, or ingredients labeled ‘natural vanilla flavor’ instead of vanilla extract, is usually made from a beaver or civet’s perianal gland?? Research it. So called “natural flavors” are gross.
Keep up the great work!!
Deja-
It should yield about 2 cups to 2 1/4 cups. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
Hi There,
I am looking for something that is sugar free and still great tasting. What could I use to sweeten this in place of the sugar?
Thanks
Thanks a lot this is really easy. I have a big can of the white vanilla powder i will try and see if it would work also I grew mint in a pot and will try this method too.
Hi, Noora! I hope you enjoyed it!
I make this all the time, but never thought to add brown sugar as well. Vanilla bean paste w/ the vanilla bean works great too, or even as a way to use up dried out vanilla beans.
My kids swill this down, adding it to cold milk. They say it tastes just like a vanilla bean frappachino (ice and a blender and it matches in texture as well). So so good. Have to go buy the pump now, that is fantastic :D
If you want the syrup to last longer just add a touch of citric acid to so the simple syrup so the suspended sugar doesn’t begin to crystallize.
Has anyone ever made this with dark brown sugar? It’s my new favorite thing! I’ve been trying to sub it in place of light anytime that I can! Just wondering if it would work here…
Rob: I think it would be great, probably giving it a richer flavor. Let me know how it turns out!
Love this recipe, I’ve made a ton of it (I can never find vanilla bean so I just use a whole tablespoon of extract). I was wondering if this would work with hazelnut, just replacing the vanilla extract with a hazelnut extract?
Hi, Helen! I would think that could work. If you give it a try, please let me know!
What is the calorie content per tablespoon? thanks!
Hi, Dgal! I’m not sure exactly what the calorie count is, but you could plug the ingredients into this nutrition calculator if you like. I hope you enjoy the syrup!
Does it taste bad after a week in the fridge?
Hi, Juliana! I usually use it within the week, so I’m not sure if it tastes bad or not. My recommendation is to use it within a week for best results. I hope you enjoy it!
This is a great recipe.
In bartending and commercial kitchens having simple syrup on hand is a must.
A 1:1 simple syrup will keep in the refrigerator for one month.
A 2:1 (2 parts sugar, 1 part water)will keep in the refrigerator for two months. That’s closer to what you have her.
They never last that long without being used up though. :)
Thank you for the tips, Christina!
Let’s all just enjoy the vanilla coffee experience,and not worry about calories and sugar content (unless of course if you are diabetic or on dialysis) in today’s world we tend to over analyse and disrupt the enjoyment of it all I wonder what a scoop of ice cream would be like on a steaming cuppa….hmmm
Sounds delicious to me, Jane! Happy Holidays to you and yours!
-Jamie
I’ll go farther than Christina to say Refrigeration is unnecessary.
I’ve been making simple syrup for about five years – call it bar syrup.
Embury, in his Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, recommends a very rich 3-to-1 sugar-water ratio. 3 cups in 1 cup water perfectly fills a 750ml bottle.
However, this results in crystals, so I’ve cut back the sugar to 2:1 or 3:2. I’ve never used brown sugar and have never refrigerated. That much sugar is hostile to foreign growth – refrigeration is unnecessary.
I just finished off my last batch of vanilla syrup – it took three months to exhaust a 16-oz, reused Toriani Vanilla bottle. I suggest some room temp experimenting and reporting back.
Nice tip on the vanilla source. Now to find an extract method.
I’d like to add that Penzey’s offers a double-strength extract – and recommends no adjusting in baking (you get double-vanilla). We tried this and report that it seems to work well and conclude it’s difficult to over-vanilla baked goods.
Double vanilla invites less syrup, which may appeal in coffee drinks.
Thanks so much for your input, Jahn.
What does it mean to split a vanilla bean? Do you remove seeds or not?
Thanks
Hi LA – In this case, you’d use a knife to cut the bean in half lengthwise, but you don’t need to remove the seeds for this recipe. Hope that helps!
-Jamie
Are you able to make a larger batch and process for long-term storage? Maybe a day of canning with coffee flavoring…?!
Hello! I haven’t attempted storing this recipe long-term, so I am not sure of the result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how they turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Am I crazy for keeping this in the fridge for three months and using it? Tasted smelled and looked fine.
Simple syrups tend to last quite a while, so as long as it smells ok, it should be fine! Happy baking.
Jamie
I just made this – two vanilla beans and three cinnamon sticks. Totally skipped the vanilla extract – I didn’t like the flavor in my last batch. This is crazy delish with the cinnamon!!
Oooh I love this idea! I’ll definitely be giving it a try. Thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie
or you can make London Fog…. Earl Grey tea, frothed milk and vanilla syrup…mmmm :)
I wanted to make a London Fog tea and this created the vanilla syrup I was needing. Thank you!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the syrup, Kim! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
This is my favourite coffee syrup ! thanks for sharing. I’ve tried a few others and they never turned out as well as this one!
So happy to hear you enjoy the syrup, Lynz! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
When a friend of mine fell on hard times, she sadly told me she would have to give up her vanilla syrup. I reminded her that it’s just simple syrup with vanilla. She made it every Sunday…and still does.
Change it up by changing the extract. I use raspberry syrup in margaritas & chocolate (extract) syrup all the time.
Finally! Thank you for a non-chocolate recipe. I rarely eat/drink chocolate. I realize I’m in the minority, but I still appreciate good things.
Looks like a great recipe! The recipe doesn’t say to scrape the vanilla bean before placing it in the saucepan. Do you just throw the bean in or scrape it and then throw it in the saucepan?