Homemade Vanilla Coffee Syrup

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on Aug 30, 2019, Updated Feb 21, 2024

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Homemade Vanilla Coffee Syrup: With only a few ingredients, you can make delicious homemade vanilla syrup to flavor your coffee, tea, sodas, and cocktails.

Adding vanilla coffee syrup to a glass of iced coffee

MAKING FLAVORED COFFEE AT HOME: SO EASY!
HOW TO MAKE VANILLA SYRUP
OTHER WAYS TO USE HOMEMADE VANILLA SYRUP
FAQS
Homemade Vanilla Coffee Syrup Recipe

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 a minimum of five bucks a visit for a latte. I mean – really, it’s just steamed milk and espresso.

Jar adding water to a sauce pot with ingredients for vanilla coffee syrup

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.

Milk pouring into a glass of iced coffee

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 the kids up and ready for the day. I am not about that life.

Pouring vanilla coffee syrup intro a jar

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.

Vanilla coffee syrup in a glass mason jar

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

Milk being poured into a glass of iced coffee with vanilla coffee syrup

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.

Pouring milk into a glass of iced coffee and vanilla coffee syrup

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.

Glass of vanilla iced coffee with a straw

FAQS

How do I store this vanilla coffee syrup?

Store the syrup in a jar or bottle in the refrigerator.

How long will it last?

Here’s the thing: Vanilla coffee syrup is basically a fancy simple syrup, and simple syrups don’t really go bad if they’re kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

In the recipe card notes I tell you that it will last for at least 2 weeks out of an abundance of caution. But if you don’t touch the syrup with your hands or any dirty utensils and keep it sealed in the fridge, it should last a really long time.

Be sure to discard the syrup immediately if you notice that it doesn’t smell right or if you see anything growing on the surface or the sides of the bottle/jar.

What if I don’t have a vanilla bean?

If you don’t have any vanilla beans handy, you can still make this vanilla coffee syrup. Simply omit the bean and use 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste in its place, adding it at the same time as the vanilla extract.