Homemade Vanilla Syrup

Those of you who know me are positively certain that one of the keys to my heart is through a  latte.  I’d stop at the coffeeshop nearly daily to get my fix; for years.  But once our home was blessed with two little kiddos it just wasn’t so simple.  Most of the time we were rushing out the door for our morning activities so stopping to get myself a coffee was out of the question.  Getting both kids in an out of carseats and lugging them into the coffeeshop wasn’t too exciting either.  Not to mention the money I was spending weekly was just plain crazy.  So, we decided to bite the bullet and buy ourselves this little gem of an espresso machine.  People.  Life changing.  I can have my latte whenever I want, however I want.  Trouble, you may think?  But somehow I have managed to control myself and refrain from turning into a human walking coffee bean.  I have one a day. Except on days where nap times are short, temper tantrums are happening, potty accidents are frequent or when I am just plain tired.  So basically, I have two a day.  But hey, we’re still saving bucks over here!

I love a little vanilla syrup in my lattes so I decided to play around with making my own for a couple of different reasons.  1)  have you seen how ridiculously expensive that stuff is to buy?  It’s infuriating.  Especially when you know how simple it is to make and how truly inexpensive it is.  2)  the sugar.  I played around with many sugar substitutes and found that coconut sugar was a sure thing.  It’s not only a much more healthful option, the taste is so very wonderful.  It’s so incredibly sweet that I tend to use much less in my lattes…I typically only use a teaspoon.

Now don’t let me pigeonhole you into thinking that this stuff can only be used for lattes.  This recipe is so versatile.  Use it for regular coffee instead of sugar…it mixes in so well and you don’t have that “grainy” texture from the sugar.  Omit the vanilla and use it as a syrup to throw into a mojito (invites are always welcomed over here), substitute peppermint extract for vanilla for your green tea or hot chocolate…the options are endless.  How will you use it?

Note:  You can find coconut sugar in most grocery stores in the natural section.  My favorite is this one from Trader Joe’s…it’s significantly less expensive than other brands as well.

Homemade Vanilla Syrup

Ingredients

1 Cup Coconut Palm Sugar

1/2 Cup Water

1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions

Place all ingredients into a small saucepan, stir and bring to a light boil.  Boil until sugar is completely dissolved, about five minutes.  Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container.