Simple Vanilla Syrup

Let's talk coffee!! It's a great distraction and well it is the hidden pun in my name after all so it's time we get to it!!

Coffee and delicious drinks are ultimately my favorite. To say I'm obsessed is an understatement. It all started with coffee though because I was SUPER picky when I went to coffee shops. So many tasted bitter or gave me headaches. Then of course there was a large handful that were UH-MAZING. So over the years, I simply just started paying attention to what ingredients the best coffee shops were using and taught myself to make amazing drinks at home (let's just say my habit got expensive). But also, I wanted drinks to be as clean as possible, due to adverse reactions I'd been having when going to coffee shops, and that's easiest at home.

Some store bought syrups are cleaner than others. Torani is one that has the most preservatives and always gave me an instant headache. While the brand 1883 has no preservatives, tastes great, and doesn't cause adverse reactions for me. But the cleanest option will always been when you can make simple syrup yourself. And truth is it is so easy!

Simple Vanilla Syrup Recipe

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of water

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (just ordered actual vanilla beans so a simple vanilla bean syrup recipe is to come!)

Put the sugar and water in a pan. Set it to a low medium heat and continually stir to dissolve the sugar. Don't let it boil or the sugar will crystalize.

Pour it into a heat safe container (I use a mason jar). After it's in that jar, add the vanilla and stir.

Then let it cool on the counter top for a bit. Once it is mostly cool, move it to the fridge. The cooling process lets it thicken into syrup. I usually keep mine in the fridge but you don't have to. It's just sugar and water so it will also last awhile on your counter too. Keeping in the fridge just gives you a little extra length to its freshness.

That's it! Simple vanilla syrup!

Stay tuned for my next post on putting this delicious syrup into a iced vanilla latte.