Whether you want to flavor your espresso drink or your black coffee, this recipe adds just that touch of sweetness to break the acidity you often taste in coffee.
Make Your Own Starbuck’s Vanilla Syrup
Copycat Starbucks Vanilla Syrup Recipe – Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
How to Make a Copycat Starbucks Vanilla Syrup Recipe – Instructions
- Boil the water and add the sugar, stirring until dissolved.
- Remove from heat (very important), and add the vanilla (I do a heaping tsp).
- Cool completely before adding the vanilla syrup to your pump container. It will melt the bottle and shrink it if you don’t let it cool.
Note: We always double this to fill our pump container 2/3 of the way up. Looking for a recipe that shows how to make a sugar-free vanilla syrup? Why not try this version at Health Starts in the Kitchen.
My Coffee Story
My husband and I met at church. After that, he made sure our mutual friend planned an event we would both be at. That night we began to get to know one another.
The next event that he got himself invited to was my birthday celebration. When the evening was wrapping up, he walked me to my car.
As we were saying goodbye he said, “Do you drink coffee.”
My response? “No.”
Pretty sure his heart dropped at that moment. You see, he loves coffee. Apparently he still thought I was worth pursuing because he responded, “Well, I bought you a Starbucks gift card for your birthday.”
“I like hot chocolate,” I replied.
OK – Maybe I did know coffee could be made sweet. After all, I have found much delight in my Kahlua pie with coffee whipped cream.
Being born, raised and residing in the Seattle area, it only make sense that I follow the culture here and fall in love with coffee. Drinking coffee is a relational thing around here.
In England, you will gather at the local pub for a pint. Italy? Relationships are built around wine. In China, people bond around tea. For Seattlites, it is coffee.
Making Our Own Starbuck’s Vanilla Syrup
.We haven’t looked back. I can’t imagine how much money we have saved.
. Over $25? Eek. What I would do is buy it once. Then, you have the container that you can re-fill with with your own homemade vanilla syrup.
My husband has a very particular pallet and can taste nuances that I cannot detect at all. He says there’s no taste difference in this concoction and the one you would buy at Starbucks. I believe him.
Do you know how much cheaper this version is to make? It’s a simple 1-1-1 ratio.
Copycat Starbucks Vanilla Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
Copycat Starbucks Vanilla Syrup Recipe - Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
How to Make a Copycat Starbucks Vanilla Syrup Recipe - Instructions
- Boil the water and add the sugar, stirring until dissolved.
- Remove from heat (very important), and add the vanilla (I do a heaping tsp).
- Cool completely before adding the vanilla syrup to your pump container. It will melt the bottle and shrink it if you don't let it cool.
Notes
Need a pump?
Espresso Supply 750-Mililiter Syrup Bottle Pump,
Here’s the bottle to start with:
Starbucks® Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup (1-L.)
Starbucks Vanilla Syrup (1-L.)
If you are a daily Starbucks drinker, we have saved so much money having our own espresso machine like this:
DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine
Need Breakfast Ideas to Serve with Your DIY Starbucks Vanilla Latte?
Whether you are looking for eggs, breakfast pastries or other unique breakfast recipes, I encourage you to look at my breakfast tab for some fabulous morning food options. To help get you started, here are some of my favorite:
Cinnamon Sour Cream Scones with Sugar Pearls
My Favorite Fluffy Pancake Recipe
Note: This post was originally written in 2012. I have learned a lot about blogging since that time. Therefore, I have kept the recipe the same, but taken the opportunity to update this post with new pictures and a more friendly reader format. It was re-published in October of 2018.
ABOUT JODI
Wife of the perfect partner for me. Mother of Three. Lover of fun, creativity, cooking, adventure, puzzles, games, family but most importantly Jesus. I run the blog Meaningful Mama. The heart of my blog is the character development series for teaching kids. The icing on the top consists of parenting tips, crafts, recipes, cakes and more. Read more...
Become a part of the Meaningful Mama community to receive encouragement, ideas, tips and tricks.
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SEEN ON
Jodi – thanks for sharing! So easy – can’t wait to add it to my coffee tomorrow morning!
can’t wait to try it! do you use it in lieu of sugar and where can i find a pump bottle like that. any other suggestions of a kind of bottle?
Hello, Jane! Yes, you can use it in lieu of sugar. I bought the bottle originally from Starbucks because I used to just use their vanilla syrup. You can find flavoring like this at a number of coffee stores. The pump we purchased from a store here called “Cash and Carry.” I saw these online http://www.ebay.com/itm/281082399586?hlp=false&var=. Just type in pump for Starbucks vanilla syrup to see your options. It does not need to be refrigerated. I just keep it stored on my counter.Enjoy!
i forgot to ask if it needs to be refrigerated afterwards?
heya does it stay runny or go thick like a syrup i made this recipe and its watery is it meant to be like that?
It’s not as thick as a syrup but it is not as runny as water. I would say the consistency is a bit more watery than syrupy. Did you like the taste?
I put my syrup in a newer style washed ketchup bottle. It works fantastic! The recipe was great! I surprised my wife with it one day when she walked in from a bad day at work!
Nice! I love that you surprised your wife with it to lift her spirits! Way to be a good hubby! Great idea with the ketchup bottle too!
When you put vanilla, do you mean vanilla extract?
Yes. Sorry that wasn’t clear.
I usually buy the Starbucks sugar-free syrup. Do u know what the right amount of artificial sweetener is called for
Man – I have no idea. I tried using the baking stevia once, and I wasn’t a big fan. That said, I’m just not used to the artificial sweetener taste. I just followed the directions for the proper ratio. Sorry I’m not more help!
i dont know if anyone will stumble upon this like i have, it being an older recipe and post. the sugar free syrups you buy use splenda (sucralose). the bags in the baking aisle are 1:1 with sugar so it should be an even swap in this recipe. stevia can be weird, i find it real bitter in hot drinks so while a baking stevia could work for these unless its used in only cold drinks it might be very bitter. even in cold drinks if too much stevia is used it gets bitter/weird when it gets overpowering. looking at several recipes it seems things some of the other sweeteners also have a habit of crystalizing the way regular sugar does, but it happened to people rather quickly. the one online that used the other sweetner also used xanthan gum to try to stabilize it while the ones with splenda dont seem to need anything else. im thinking since ive gotten into buying the syrups recently, and have tried at least 5 sugar free brands, theres a reason they all use splenda when there are so many really popular sugar alternatives out there right now.
Perhaps. I’m not really a fan of any of the sugar alternatives, so I just stick with straight sugar. Thanks for commenting.
Made this for my sis with a mock peppermint mocha that I also made. She thought I’d gone out to starbucks just for her to get her mocha with vanilla syrup. She even paid me the money for it!
That’s hilarious! So glad you are enjoying the recipe. Thanks for reporting back. 🙂
How long does this last? Thanks!
I keep it in a Starbuck’s pump container, and it lasts a long time. I’m not sure how long. I would say to make 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla at a time to see how quickly you use it up. We have lattes daily at our house and make the 2:2:2 ratio without a problem. Enjoy!
Looks good, but I strongly wonder what is “vanilla extract.”
I came onto here because I was wondering what the particular kind of vanilla Starbucks uses. I was concerned because vanilla production may or may not be vegan.
Interesting. Let me know what you find out!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I went to Starbucks yesterday (after a long absence from coffee; 3 years) and they said it would cost $12.95; I was shocked!! The last time I purchased it was $7.95; all I could think of was I wish my cost of living raise was that ratio!! I will make this today. Again, thank you.
So glad it was helpful. It really is ridiculous how much it costs. I just made some yesterday. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Actually, it tastes better than Starbucks! Perhaps it’s because I use Spice Islands Pure Vanilla Extract, which uses Bourbon Vanilla Bean extractives and alcohol. (Just don’t get too fond of it!) By the way, using powdered sugar distills easily in the boiling water. Jodi Durr for President!
LOL – So glad it was a winner for you. We love it too. I’m without a kitchen right now, and my sugar and vanilla is packed away. I can’t stand to go to Starbucks and pay $12. I think I need to run to a friend’s house to make some. Thanks for commenting!
I used to buy the Starbucks vanilla syrup at Barnes and Noble until they stopped selling it. It was $10. Starbucks charges 13 or 14, so I bought one bottle and have rationed it carefully. As a result, it has lasted over 4 months. But if this make-your-own recipe works, I can stop the rationing! Thanks for the tip.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I can’t spend that kind of money now that I know how easy it is. Enjoy!
Well, I’m not disappointed. Worked like a charm. Thanks again.
Fabulous report. So glad you like it. You’ll be saving yourself a lot of money!
Hi, I am so happy and grateful you posted this recipe for all of us vanilla syrup lovers. I am going to follow your recipe and make my own like you did. I am almost out of my Starbucks vanilla, and I am thinking (as you said) that it will taste just as good as SBs’ vanilla syrup. I tried the SB brand on my finger, and it does have what I would think is the same taste that would seem similar to your recipe.
I do have one question though. Do we have to refrigerate the syrup that we make? I was hoping we didn’t have to, just like I don’t refrigerate with Starbucks’ vanilla. Then again, SB probably uses preservatives so that we don’t need to keep it cold.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us!! I will let you know how it turns out! 🙂
Hello! I’m so glad you are excited to find the recipe. There is no need to refrigerate it. We just use the SB pump. That said, we do make 2 lattes a day (one for me and one for my husband), so we use it up fairly quickly. If you are concerned, you could half the recipe. Do check back to let me know what you think. I’m glad I get to save you some money!
Oh, goodie. I’m happy that I don’t have to refrigerate it. I just finished making it 5 minutes ago. It’s perfect…and I am glad I will save money because I go through this stuff fast. 🙂 Thanks for everything!! I’m sure lots of people would love to know this nice little secret.
Half it? Ha. Not me. Honey, it was so good that I doubled it like you do but wish I had tripled it!! haha 🙂
Hello! I thought I would share something since I got this wonderful idea and recipe from you. Well, with me being in a hurry one day, I decided to microwave my water and sugar. This option does work; however, I make sure that I stir my sugar and water several times while it is heating. I bring it to a good boil in the microwave and then take it out. Stirring is very important if you do go this method. I have done this twice now, and this 2nd one seems to be better since I did stir it more. So this worked out pretty well as long as I stir. I do still prefer heating the way you told me, but I wouldn’t hesitate to use the microwave if you are having one of those days where you need to make this faster than usual.
However, I have to laugh now about my big mistake and wanted to share this, too. I’m sure you ladies are a lot brighter than I am when it comes to cooking and doing it right! I’m not quite that way always though. I made a mess and really should have known better. I impatiently didn’t let my vanilla syrup cool down long enough, though I did cool it some. Well, I went to pour my syrup in the Starbucks container, and lo and behold, I looked and noticed the bottle looked smaller. Up came my syrup gradually, in addition. This happened so fast that it didn’t quite hit me at first what was going on. I didn’t cool the syrup long enough at all. As soon as I realized what was going on, I quickly removed it from the Starbucks bottle and poured it into a big glass Pyrex measuring cup as fast as I could. I wish I could post a picture but either way, I threw away my bottle. When it was all said and done, you would have laughed if you saw the bottle. It had shrunk into HALF the size!! Ha. Now I have go buy a new bottle from Starbucks, just to have to conveniently store my syrup. 🙁 I’ve just for now been storing mine in the same glass measuring cup until I went by Starbucks to get a new one.
You probably aren’t as clumsy in the kitchen as I am, but I wanted to add that you need to always make sure you let the syrup cool down completely, unlike what I did; otherwise, you will have a big mess and you will lose so much of your syrup and melt the bottle. I guess it’s a bit funny to me now, but it wasn’t at the time. Those bottles from Starbucks just can’t take too much heat at all, so next time I will let my syrup cool down completely and not just partially. I guess I will be making a trip to get a new bottle soon. I just love using the pump. It’s so convenient and I miss mine already! 🙂
Hope you all are doing great. You are so sweet!
You might not be as clumsy as you think…or you’re giving me too much credit. I’ve to ally done the same thing. I’m going to add that to my instructions. I should have done that earlier. Thanks for the reminder. Good to know the microwave instructions. Really appreciate you adding that information. Glad you love the recipe.
That’s a little comforting to know that I’m not the only person who spills things or has these little accidents. Ha. Every time I make this syrup I think of you. :So that means I am thinking of you now while I am making another batch. 🙂 I had to go to Starbucks and get a brand new bottle, but all is well that ends well. I will just make sure that this syrup cools down before I pour it today. Have a wonderful day!!
You’re not the only one. 🙂 At least you have one partner in crime. Nice to be thought of too. Adds a smile to my face.
I don’t drink coffee. I know…weird! But I love vanilla tea. This is just what I am looking for to flavor plain tea. Thanks! Sounds easy and SWEEET!
It should be perfect for you. Enjoy!
I don’t drink coffee much either, but I love vanilla in my coke!! Thanks
Oh! Great idea. DIY Vanilla Coke. Wouldn’t have thought of it. Thanks for commenting.
How long does it last?! I’m going to make this. I like hazelnut I could just add that flavoring!? Thanks
I’m pretty sure you could just add hazelnut instead. We use 8 pumps (2 per latte) daily and just go until it runs out. As long as the container starts out clean, it lasts quite a while with no problems. If there is any bacteria in the container of if you let it sit uncovered on the stove too long before transferring it, it will start to taste a bit musty at the end, so just make sure you are not getting anything in the syrup to contaminate it. Hope that helps.
Thanks for the great recipe. I am going to try this with Splenda and see if I can make a “sugar free” version. Since I’m already used to the sugar free flavour it shouldn’t be as much of an issue for me, taste wise. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Curious though, if the consistency is a little waterier than a typical syrup, have you had to adjust your number of pumps? I like my coffee like a hot caffeinated milkshake (or so said an old friend) so I use 6 pumps in my grande coffee each day (there are 4 pumps in a typical grande). What have you ladies found?
I tried it with a fake sugar once and wasn’t a huge fan, but I think I’m more sensitive to fake sugars. Let me know what you think since you are more used to it. To answer your pump question, I started out using the typical 4 pump that you’d find in a typical grande. I actually have cut back recently to make it less sweet at 3 pumps. I do think it is a pump for pump comparison though. I, like you, started out wanting something that really just tasted sweet and yummy. I think my tastes are changing slightly. I really hope this one works for you! Let me know.