Homemade Coffee Syrup Recipes: Vanilla, Caramel, and Hazelnut
Key Takeaways
- Simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, dissolved) is the base for all flavored coffee syrups
- Vanilla, caramel, and hazelnut cover the most common café flavor profiles and are all achievable at home
- Homemade syrups refrigerate for 2–4 weeks and cost significantly less than commercial equivalents
Almost every flavored coffee drink at a café — vanilla latte, caramel macchiato, hazelnut coffee — gets its sweetness and flavor from a bottled syrup. Making these at home is straightforward for most flavors, costs a fraction of the commercial product, and allows you to control sweetness and intensity.
Basic Simple Syrup
The foundation for all flavored syrups. Most café syrups are diluted variations of this.
Ingredients (makes ~300ml)
- 200g (1 cup) granulated white sugar
- 200ml (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) water
Method: Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar fully dissolves. The mixture does not need to boil — remove from heat as soon as it is clear. Cool completely before transferring to a clean glass jar. Refrigerate.
Vanilla Syrup
Ingredients
- 300ml simple syrup (above)
- 1 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
Method
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add both the seeds and the pod to the sugar-water mixture before heating. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Cool, remove the pod, and transfer to a jar.
Using extract instead: If vanilla beans are unavailable, add 2 tsp vanilla extract to the cooled simple syrup and stir. Do not add extract to hot syrup — the flavor will partly cook off. Extract-based syrup works well and is significantly cheaper.
Use: 1–2 tbsp per drink in lattes, iced coffee, cold brew, or milk-based drinks.
Caramel Syrup
Caramel requires more attention than other syrups but produces a result close to commercial caramel sauce.
Ingredients
- 200g (1 cup) granulated white sugar
- 2 tbsp water (for initial caramelization)
- 100ml (7 tbsp) heavy cream or whole milk, warm
Method
- Combine sugar and 2 tbsp water in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat
- Do not stir — swirl the pan occasionally as the sugar melts and begins to color
- Continue until the sugar turns a deep amber color (about 5–7 minutes from first color)
- Remove from heat immediately and pour in the warm cream slowly in a thin stream
- Stir vigorously — it will bubble violently then settle to a smooth sauce
- Cool before transferring to a jar
Safety note: Caramelized sugar reaches temperatures above 170°C (340°F). Use a long-handled spoon and oven mitts when adding cream. Add cream gradually, not all at once, to control the bubbling reaction.
Hazelnut Syrup
Ingredients
- 300ml simple syrup
- 1–2 tsp hazelnut extract
- Optional: 50g (1/2 cup) toasted hazelnuts
Method
Extract method (fast): Add hazelnut extract to cooled simple syrup and stir. Adjust amount based on desired intensity.
Infusion method (more natural): Add toasted hazelnuts to the sugar and water before heating. Simmer 15 minutes. Cool fully, then strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth.
Lavender Syrup
Ingredients
- 300ml simple syrup
- 1 tbsp dried culinary lavender
Method
Add dried lavender to the sugar and water before heating. Once sugar dissolves, remove from heat, cover, and steep 10–15 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Do not simmer too long — lavender becomes bitter when overcooked.
Storage and Dosage Reference
| Syrup | Refrigerator life | Per drink |
|---|---|---|
| Simple syrup | ~4 weeks | 1–2 tbsp |
| Vanilla syrup | 2–3 weeks | 1–2 tbsp |
| Caramel syrup | 2–3 weeks | 1 tbsp |
| Hazelnut syrup | 2–3 weeks | 1 tbsp |
| Lavender syrup | 2–3 weeks | 1 tsp |
Summary
- Equal parts sugar and water, dissolved, is all simple syrup requires
- Vanilla: infuse vanilla bean in warm syrup, or add extract to cooled syrup
- Caramel: dry or wet caramelization followed by cream addition — watch the temperature
- Hazelnut: extract method is fast; nut infusion method produces more nuanced flavor
- Store refrigerated in clean glass jars; label with date made
About the Author
Coffee Guide Editorial
A team of writers and baristas passionate about coffee. We cover everything from bean selection and brewing methods to café culture.
Team Credentials
- Certified baristas
- Specialty roasting café experience
- Coffee import industry experience