Learn • Bert’s Recipes

Simple Vanilla Syrup (Coo Coo’s Style)

This is the house vanilla syrup: simple, repeatable, and built to disappear into coffee, iced drinks, and lemonade without tasting like candy. A tiny jar of “coffee shop at home” that makes every drink feel a little more intentional.

Difficulty: Very easy Time: ~15 minutes + cooling Keeps: About 2 weeks refrigerated Use in: Coffee, tea, lemonade
Small bottle of vanilla syrup next to a cup of coffee
One small bottle, a lot of happy mugs and glasses.

Ingredients

Think of this as a gentle, coffee-friendly vanilla — enough flavor to show up, not so much that it steamrolls the beans.

Small Batch (About 1 cup / 240 ml)

  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
  • 1 1/2 to 2 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean
  • Optional: tiny pinch of fine sea salt

Double Batch (About 2 cups / 480 ml)

  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (240 ml) water
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or 1 whole vanilla bean
  • Optional: 1 small strip of lemon or orange peel for brightness (remove after steeping)
Sugar choice: Plain white sugar keeps the syrup neutral and versatile. If you want a deeper vibe for fall/winter, you can swap up to half for light brown sugar.

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Heatproof spoon or whisk
  • Measuring cups/spoons or a scale
  • Heat-safe jar or bottle with a lid

Step-by-Step

  1. Combine sugar and water. Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan. If you’re using a vanilla bean, split it lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the pan, then add the pod too.
  2. Heat gently and dissolve. Place over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture looks clear. You don’t need a rolling boil — just a gentle heat.
  3. Simmer briefly. Let the syrup simmer very lightly for 1–2 minutes to help everything come together, then remove from heat.
  4. Add vanilla off the heat. If you’re using vanilla extract, stir it in now, off the heat. Add a tiny pinch of salt if you like; it rounds the sweetness and helps the vanilla feel more “grown-up” than candy.
  5. Let it cool and steep. Leave the syrup to cool in the pan. If you used a vanilla bean, let the pod sit in the syrup for at least 20–30 minutes to infuse more flavor, then remove it.
  6. Strain (if needed) and bottle. If there are bits of vanilla bean or citrus peel, strain through a fine mesh into a clean jar or bottle. Label with the date and store in the fridge.
Storage: Kept refrigerated in a clean, closed container, this simple syrup is happiest used within 10–14 days. Make smaller batches more often for the freshest flavor.

How to Use Vanilla Syrup (Coo Coo’s Style)

  • Hot coffee: Start with 1–2 teaspoons in a mug, stir, and adjust to taste.
  • Iced coffee: Add 1–3 teaspoons directly to the glass before or after adding coffee. Syrup dissolves way better than sugar in cold drinks.
  • Lattes at home: Use 1–2 tablespoons in your Home Latte without a Big Espresso Machine.
  • Affogato: Drizzle a tiny bit over ice cream before you pour on the coffee in the Easy Affogato.
  • Lemonade + tea: Sweeten Small Batch Lemonade or House Iced Tea with vanilla syrup for a softer, rounder sweetness.

Easy Tweaks & Variations

  • Vanilla brown sugar syrup: Swap half the white sugar for light brown sugar for a caramel-y note that loves hot lattes.
  • Vanilla cinnamon syrup: Add 1 small cinnamon stick while heating; remove it once the syrup cools.
  • Strong vanilla: For drinks that need the vanilla to shout a bit louder (think: non-coffee kids’ drinks), bump the vanilla extract slightly.
  • Decaf-friendly treat: Use this syrup to make cozy vanilla steamers with warm milk and no coffee for nighttime “still part of the coffee club” vibes.

Build Your At-Home Coffee Bar with Coo Coo’s Coffee

Later, if you decide to bottle or sell house syrups, this recipe becomes the “Coo Coo’s baseline”: same vibe, just scaled up and labeled for the shelf.