Why isn’t my syrup clear?

If you’re used to seeing clear or light yellow vanilla syrups at coffee shops, the brown color of this syrup might surprise you. By using pure vanilla extract or vanilla beans, you’re creating a syrup with completely natural color in it, which isn’t always the case with the syrups found in coffee shops.

I used vanilla beans and now there’s little black specs in my syrup. Why?

These are little flecks of flavor from the inside of the vanilla bean. As it steeps in the hot syrup, it’s very possible that your vanilla bean has released a few of the flecks from inside of it. (This will be especially true if you cut the vanilla bean in half before putting it into the syrup.)

How long will vanilla simple syrup last in the refrigerator?

Vanilla simple syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Discard it if the syrup becomes cloudy or you see any change in its color.

What should I store my syrup in?

I highly recommend using an air-tight glass jar - like a pint mason jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Plastic containers can give off the flavors of whatever was stored in them last, which will impact the flavor of your syrup. Using glass avoids this.

Quick Homemade Vanilla Simple Syrup for Coffee

Vanilla Syrup Recipe for Coffee

Print Recipe

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5 from 1 review

This delicious vanilla simple syrup is easy to make at home and delicious in your morning cup of coffee.

Author: Katy McAvoy
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 5 min
Total Time: 10 min
Yield: 12 oz 1x
Category: Simple Syrup
Method: Stove Top
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

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1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract or 1-2 large vanilla beans

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Instructions

Bring water to a low boil in a small pot over medium heat. Add sugar. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Add in vanilla extract or vanilla bean. Remove from heat.

Let the mixture sit until it reaches room temperature. (This is especially important if you’re using a vanilla bean instead of extract.) Remove vanilla bean, if using, or leave it in for a stronger vanilla flavor.

Pour into a glass, airtight container.

Store syrup in the refrigerator until ready to use. Syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.