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Vanilla Bean Coffee Syrup

BySammi Ricke
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This homemade vanilla bean coffee syrup recipe is sweet, flavorful, and perfect for adding coffee shop flavor to your morning coffee. With just three ingredients, you won’t find any artificial ingredients, just pure vanilla goodness. If you’ve ever had a vanilla latte at your favorite café and wished you could make it at home, this recipe is your answer!

Be sure to try our gingerbread coffee syrup, pumpkin spice coffee syrup, and peppermint mocha coffee syrup, too!

A glass bottle with a cork lid filled homemade vanilla coffee syrup.

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Vanilla Bean Coffee Syrup

  • Coffee Shop Quality – Real vanilla bean makes a huge difference in flavor and aroma.
  • Budget-Friendly – Skip the expensive store-bought syrups and make your own in minutes.
  • Versatile – Use it in coffee, tea, cocktails, or drizzle over pancakes and ice cream. Add more or less sugar to taste to make it your own and suit all your needs.  
  • Simple Ingredients – Just three pantry staples and no preservatives.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!

A vanilla bean pod, glass of water and bowl of sugar on a white marble countertop.
  • Water – This helps dissolve the sugar into a smooth syrup.
  • Granulated Sugar – This adds the right amount of sweetness. You can substitute a sugar-free sweetener for a low-sugar syrup, if preferred.
  • Whole Vanilla Bean Pods – Split and scraped for maximum vanilla flavor, you won’t get with vanilla extract. If vanilla beans are hard to find, you can substitute 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract, adding it after the syrup cools.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Water and granulated sugar in a small metal soup pot.
  1. Combine. In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and sugar.
A knife with vanilla bean paste on a cutting board next to a vanilla bean.

2. Prep the vanilla. Slice the vanilla bean in half, and use a sharp knife to scrape out the seeds. Then, add both the seeds and the pod to the pan.

Vanilla bean in sugar and water in a small metal pot.

3. Heat. Stir the mixture over medium heat, bringing the liquid to a boil.

Clear vanilla bean coffee syrup in a small soup pot with a vanilla bean pod.

4. Strain. Cool the syrup for about an hour. Then, strain it to remove the seeds. Use immediately, or store for later!

Ways to Use Homemade Vanilla Syrup

  • In Coffee: Add 1–2 tablespoons to hot or iced coffee or cold brew for a café-style vanilla latte coffee drink.
  • In Tea: Stir into chai or black tea for a sweet, fragrant twist.
  • In Cocktails: Perfect for espresso martinis or vanilla-spiked old fashioneds.
  • For Breakfast: Drizzle over protein powder pancakes, chocolate waffles, or French toast.
  • In Desserts: Sweeten whipped cream, brush over cake layers, or drizzle over fresh fruit for extra flavor.
Looking down into a glass bottle of homemade vanilla bean syrup.

Storage & Tips

  • Shelf Life: Lasts up to 1 month in the fridge in a sealed jar or bottle.
  • Vanilla Intensity: For a stronger flavor, let the pod steep in the syrup overnight before removing.
  • Gifting Idea: Bottle it in a small glass jar, tie with ribbon, and add a coffee-themed gift tag.

More DIY Recipes

Flecks of vanilla bean in a bottle of homemade vanilla bean coffee syrup.

Vanilla Bean Coffee Syrup Recipe

Sammi Ricke
Skip overpriced store-bought options, and make this homemade vanilla bean coffee syrup recipe with three whole food ingredients! Sweeten to taste.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Rest Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine All American
Servings 16 Tablespoons (1 Tablespoon/serving)
Calories 49 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean

Instructions
 

  • In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar and water.
    1/2 cup water, 1 cup sugar
  • On a cutting board, cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape the seeds out. Put both the seeds and pod in the saucepan.
    1 vanilla bean
  • Stir the mixture over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
  • Boil for 1 minute then remove from the heat.
  • Once the mixture has cooled (about an hour), remove the vanilla bean pod and discard the pod.
  • Pour the thickened syrup into a glass jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Notes

Usage Tips – This syrup is delicious in coffee, hot cocoa, tea, and cocktails. This syrup is a “rich simple syrup” and is sweeter than simple syrup so use less than what a drink recipe states, you can always add more.
Storage Tips – This vanilla syrup is considered a “rich simple syrup” because there are 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. Because of the higher sugar concentration, the syrup can be stored for longer than a standard simple syrup (2 weeks).
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1TablespoonCalories: 49kcalCarbohydrates: 12.6gProtein: 0gFat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0gMonounsaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0.1mgPotassium: 0mgFiber: 0gSugar: 12.6gVitamin A: 0IUVitamin C: 0mgCalcium: 0mgIron: 0mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Did you enjoy this Homemade Vanilla Bean Coffee Syrup Recipe? We’d love it if you left a rating and review to let us know, and don’t forget to tag us in your recreations on Instagram! 

Sammi Ricke is a talented cook with a knack for coming up with creative new ways to healthify recipes without sacrificing any of the flavor. Sammi has built a beautiful life with her high school sweetheart and enjoys her primary role as a stay-at-home mom to their two children. If Sammi's not in her kitchen, she's probably exploring a new hiking trail, enjoying coffee with a friend, or binge-watching the latest "Food Network" show on Netflix. Sammi's full Bio.

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20 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Yum! I made this with monkfruit. I used a netted strainer to remove the sugar and to get it more of a syrup. I used it for London fog tea, a chia seed pudding, and in my coffee with heavy whipping cream. It is really delicious and still sweet, even though I strained the sugar out. This recipe is a keeper!

    Reply

    1. Oh, I love how you made this recipe your own, Realynn! We LOVE using monkfruit in our recipes too. It’s such a lovely alternative to regular sugar. Thanks for your sweet comment and sharing all the ways you use this vanilla syrup. Blessings!

      Reply

  3. This sounds so good! I’ve just recently started drinking a little coffee with a lot of milk and sugar, so this will be perfect to try! Thanks for sharing on the Homestead Blog Hop!

    Reply

    1. Hi Julie! My husband’s favorite coffee flavor is hazelnut too 🙂 We should buy stock in Hazelnut k-cups. LOL I would be so curious to know if this syrup caused a headache. Maybe it’s the sugar alternatives?? Blessings to you!

      Reply

    1. Give it a try, Dara! I used to buy Torani syrups, now I just make them 🙂 My favorite is the Peppermint Mocha Syrup recipe…just as good as Starbucks!! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply