This Vanilla Simple Syrup Recipe is the perfect Starbucks Copycat and perfect for coffee, mixed drinks, Italian sodas and more! Learn how to make vanilla syrup in the comfort of your own home without needing to buy Torani or other. See below for our sugar free instructions.

Vanilla Simple Syrup is popular year-round. It is mostly used for coffee, and sometimes cocktails/ mocktails, but we love to use it in Italian Cream Sodas (try mixing raspberry with it- our favorite!). We also like adding it to hot chocolate for a little more depth of flavor. My kids even put it on their pancakes, but I prefer a thicker pancake syrup on mine.
This was inspired by my Peppermint Syrup and our Brown Sugar Syrup recipes on this site, and pairs well with our Oat Milk Hot Chocolate and add a splash to our Peanut Butter Overnight Oats. Or add it to our Nature's Cereal!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy - this syrup is SO easy to make. Even if you have zero cooking experience, you can make this recipe
- Allergy Friendly - with only 3 ingredients, this is top 8 free without any substitutions, making it a win for everyone in your life with food allergies
- Party Friendly - this is so perfect to serve with a Hot Chocolate Bar, Mix Drinks Bar, Coffee Bar, Italian Soda Bar, regular Soda Bar and more.
- Original Friend, Coworker or Neighbor Gift - put it in a cute container and put a little bow and label on it and you have a very nice homemade gift!
- Versatile - the possibilities are truly endless with the vanilla syrup. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, mocktails, mix drinks, Italian sodas, basically any drink you can think of, splash some in a smoothie or into some overnight oats. Pancakes and waffles (it's a little thin, but my kids do it, see below in our "variations" section to make it as pancake syrup).
- Inexpensive - a high quality product at a fraction of the price.
Why Homemade Syrup?
The most obvious: it costs less. A lot less. Homemade syrup is very cheap to make. Also: It's extremely easy to make homemade syrup and they only use basic ingredients. For me the biggest reason is that there are only 3 ingredients, and one of them is water! I don't like putting all the preservatives and food dyes in my body when I can help it. I also like that I can add a little extra (or less!) vanilla and tailor it to my particular liking.
Ingredients
Make your Vanilla Syrup with just 3 easy ingredients!
- water - I used filtered, but regular tap water works great too.
- sugar - regular, granulated white sugar
- vanilla - pure vanilla is HIGHLY recommended for this recipe. It does make a big difference in something like this where the vanilla is the prominent flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
1. Place water in a small saucepan (I used a 1.5 quart size) over medium high heat. Pour in the sugar.
2. Using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, stir until sugar dissolves. Once sugar is dissolved, do not stir again.
3. Bring the sugar water to a boil then boil for 1 minute (still not stirring).
4. Remove from heat (still not stirring) and let sit 1-2 minutes, then stir in the vanilla.
Hint: Don't make this on high heat. Be patient and use medium high heat. It won't take much longer and will allow for plenty of time for the sugar to dissolve before it starts boiling.
Substitutions
- Sugar Free - substitute in 1 cup of zero/low calorie sweetener, such as allulose. When making sugar free, do Not bring to a boil. Heat over medium heat until steam begins to rise. Stir in the vanilla, then allow to cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge. The syrup will thicken as it cools.
- Other extract - you can use other extracts to make other types of syrup.
- Vanilla Bean Paste - use ½ Tablespoon vanilla bean paste for an even richer flavor.
Variations
- French Vanilla - use a French Vanilla extract instead of regular pure vanilla.
- Vanilla Bean- add a small amount of vanilla beans (about ⅛ teaspoon) at the same time as the vanilla. Can add or more to taste.
- Vanilla Spice- add a pinch of cinnamon and an even smaller pinch of cloves for an aromatic vanilla spice syrup.
- Vanilla Pancake Syrup - use 1 ½ cups sugar instead of 1 cup. Follow the rest of the directions and ingredients as stated.
See this Peppermint Syrup on my website.
Ways to Use:
- Hot Chocolate - try it with our Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
- Latte- make a vanilla latte or add it to our caffeine free Pink Beetroot Latte
- Other Cold Coffees or cold brews
- Drizzle it over some Greek yogurt and Homemade Granola
- Use it to make Italian Sodas
- Add it to your favorite soda for a creamy vanilla flavor- we love it in root beer
- Drizzle it over some mixed berries or Nature's Cereal
- Mixed drinks, cocktails, and mocktails
- Make our pancake variation and pour it over pancakes and waffles and french toast.
- Brush it over a freshly baked vanilla cake
- Sweeten up your favorite herbal tea with it
- Experiment using it as a sweetener replacement in things like smoothies and oatmeal.
Equipment
Storage
Store in the refrigerator for about a month. After a month or so, it will start to crystalize.
We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Top tip
Don't stir the syrup too much. Once the sugar is dissolved, there is no reason to keep stirring. Stirring while it's boiling will result in syrup that crystalizes over time.
FAQ
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Don't stir again. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Heat water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in pure vanilla extract.
Also Try:
Recipe
Vanilla Simple Syrup (Coffeehouse)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place water in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Don't stir again once the sugar is dissolved.
- Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and (still don't stir) let it sit for 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla and stir to combine. Pour into jar. Let sit undisturbed at room temperature for 1-2 hours, until it's no longer warm. Move to the refrigerator.
Notes
- This is a coffeehouse syrup. For pancake syrup, increase the sugar to 1 ½ cups and follow the other ingredients and instructions.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. After a month, the syrup will start to crystallize
Nutrition
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Nicole
Love this homemade Vanilla Syrup Recipe! Better than Starbucks and Torani, and seriously so easy to make.