Vanilla Maple Syrup

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Looking for a way to class up your pancakes? This vanilla maple syrup is almost too easy to taste this good. All you need is a couple of real vanilla beans and traditional maple syrup! The rest is flavor history.

Have you ever had infused syrup before? I don’t mean those sugary, corn syrup-based “syrups” on the table at your local diner. I mean real maple syrup infused with an aromatic ingredient like fresh vanilla beans or a cinnamon stick?

The maple syrup soaks up all those flavor compounds, and then you have a magical taste that takes any recipe to the next level.

The first time you try this recipe, you’ll be hooked. Vanilla and maple are a perfect pair, and this recipe couldn’t be any easier, so let’s get started!

If you enjoy this recipe, try infusing cinnamon sticks in this cinnamon maple syrup or add the bold, aromatic flavor of cardamom to cardamom maple syrup. They’re all just as easy (and delicious) to make as this recipe!

What is Vanilla Maple Syrup?

This is an infused maple syrup. When you combine vanilla beans with organic maple syrup, you get a luxurious and decadent sweetener for your favorite tea or topping for French toast and pancakes. The scent is absolutely heavenly!

Ingredients for Vanilla Infused Maple Syrup

Organic vanilla beans – Opt for Grade A beans; Grade B may be too dry for the thick maple syrup to infuse properly.

For this recipe, you can use any vanilla bean you’d like. I usually use organic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean for recipes like this because it has a strong, traditional vanilla flavor.

Real maple syrup – Real maple syrup tastes so much better than the fake stuff! Choose either golden or amber syrup; otherwise those maple flavors may overpower the delicate vanilla.

I prefer organic ingredients, so I pay a little extra for organic vanilla beans and USDA organic maple syrup. Feel free to use whichever quality you can afford.

Equipment

• Sharp knife & cutting board
• Funnel
• 12 oz glass jar

How to Make Vanilla Maple Syrup

1. Insert a funnel into your syrup bottle to make it easier to catch all of the vanilla bean specks and syrup.
2. Carefully slice open each Madagascar vanilla bean to scrape out the vanilla caviar. Add the caviar and the scraped vanilla beans into your bottle.
3. Cover the pods with maple syrup.
4. Let the mixture infuse for a few days to a week. When the vanilla flavor is strong enough, you can remove the pods or leave them in the syrup to increase flavor.
5. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

How to Use Vanilla Infused Maple Syrup

This is the fun part! The delicate flavor of vanilla will make your syrup taste even better. Try these ideas:

• Stir into your morning coffee
• Pour it over your waffle topped with fresh fruits
• Stream onto your French toast topped with butter and powdered sugar
• Drizzle over ice cream
• Bake into maple nut cookies
• Spoon over your greek yogurt
• Use to make vanilla maple granola
• Whip into the best-tasting maple whipped cream

How to Store Vanilla Maple Syrup

It’s important that you keep your syrup in the refrigerator! Maple syrup may be sold shelf-stable, but it can go bad after opening, especially if you use real maple.

I once brought home a fancy, expensive bottle of maple syrup from Wisconsin thinking it’d last me a long time. Unfortunately, it molded within about a month.

Since the ingredients for this recipe are expensive, you definitely don’t want this happening to you!

You can store the mixture indefinitely in the freezer. Be sure to leave at least 1-2 inches of headspace in your bottle and then keep it in your freezer. The maple will not freeze all the way and you can bring out a bottle whenever you need a refill.

Tips & Variations

Don’t have any maple syrup? Feel free to turn this into vanilla honey. You’ll need 1-2 vanilla beans and a cup of regular honey.

Feel free to make a smaller batch! Try to keep at least 1 bean per 8 oz of maple syrup. In this recipe, I used 2 small vanilla beans for 12 ounces of syrup.

If you add only 1 vanilla bean, you’ll still end up with a delicious treat but it will take longer to cure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you add vanilla extract to maple syrup?

If you’re trying to make vanilla maple syrup and don’t have fresh beans, you can add pure vanilla extract to your syrup. According to Nielsen-Massey, you’ll need two teaspoons of vanilla extract per cup of maple syrup.

How long does infused maple syrup last?

Properly stored maple syrup can last in your pantry for approximately a year. Once you open your maple syrup, you need to store it in the fridge and plan to use it within 6 months to a year.

Infused syrups should be consumed within approximately 6 months.

To store your vanilla maple syrup for more than 6 months, try freezing it to keep it fresh even longer.

Which grade of maple syrup is best for infusing?

Have you ever run to the store to grab maple syrup only to be confronted with all the different syrup grades? Choosing the right one for your recipe and your wallet can be a little overwhelming!

All syrup is now rated as an A, but that category is broken down into four types:

• Golden
• Amber
• Dark
• Very Dark

When infusing maple syrup, choose a syrup that won’t overpower the vanilla flavor notes. For this recipe, look for golden or amber syrup.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Share your experience in the comments below!

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• Vanilla Muffins
• How to Make Vanilla Sugar
• Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup
• Vanilla Infused Honey
• Spiced Vanilla Pear Liqueur