Easy Vanilla Sauce
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With 4 simple ingredients, this rich, buttery vanilla sauce is ready in less than 10 minutes. While it might seem basic and simple, the flavor is out of this world. Use this vanilla sauce for bread pudding, bundt cakes, regular cakes and it’s rather dreamy over ice cream.
Sauces can add so much moisture and flavor to baked goods; this vanilla sauce recipe is one you will want to keep handy; drizzle over pear bundt cake, Kentucky Butter cake, or this fan favorite Cinnamon Swirl cake.
I have had a love affair with this sauce for over a decade. Back when my boys were toddlers, I was part of MOPS (Mother’s of Preschoolers) and one evening, during a meeting, our hostess served us amazing pear cake slathered with vanilla sauce.
If I am honest, most of us thought, “uh, pear cake, how boring” but as the plates were handed out, this cake and sauce became legendary.
You could hear a pin drop as each woman, gracefully (or not) gobbled up this cake and vanilla sauce. Finally, one of the gals, said, “would it be rude if I licked my plate?” We all laughed and I am pretty sure each and every one of us ladies, licked our plates clean. THIS VANILLA SAUCE IS AMAZING!
I have been making it ever since, if you need a slam dunk dessert sauce, this is vanilla sauce is your recipe!
Ingredients for Vanilla Sauce
Only 4 ingredients! Love this type of recipe, don’t forget the printable recipe card at the end of the post has all the measurements and details.
- BUTTER | Use real butter, remember if it’s soft coming out of the fridge it’s a blend, the results won’t be the same results.
- HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM | Another must here, no fat-free stuff in this decadent vanilla sauce, uh-uh!
- SUGAR | I use all-natural cane sugar in all of my baking, but regular refined white sugar is fine too.
- VANILLA | The good stuff, in fact, I encourage you to make your own homemade vanilla extract, try this bourbon vanilla too!
Instructions
In a small heavy-bottomed sauce pan (I like this one), over medium-low heat, melt the butter, sugar, heavy whipping cream and vanilla. Stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and has a syrup consistency.
HINT | It should coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Sauce is best served warm, it will thicken as it cools, so if you need it thicker, allow it to cool until desired consistency.
What are the types of dessert sauces?
Here are 9 sauces you need to have the recipes for, these will serve you well to make a dessert a bit more fancy.
- Hot Fudge Sauce | A classic sauce! My favorite of favorites, over ice cream there is nothing better! Use on Mud Pie, drizzle over half baked chocolate chip cookies or on this easy Fried Ice Cream cake and of course for the class Hot Fudge Sundae!
- Salted Caramel Sauce | I’ve taken this one a step beyond and added a splash of bourbon, however; feel free to omit! Drizzle over Dutch Apple Pie, even in place of frosting these carrot cupcakes.
- Crème Anglaise | A classic dessert sauce, it will elevate any dessert! I love it on this Chocolate Bread Pudding.
- Easy Chocolate Ganache | An essential recipe in every bakers kitchen, keep it runny and use as a glaze on cakes or let it thicken up and slather between cookies, the sky is the limit with this amazing sauce.
- Butterscotch Sauce | A sticky, sweet sauce with that classic butterscotch flavor.
- Strawberry Sauce | Make this fresh strawberry syrup, in minutes! Pour over strawberry shortcake for wow!
- Blueberry Sauce | Made with fresh blueberries, this sauce is amazing, if you are looking for a syrup, try this one!
- Chocolate Shell | Yes, you can make this super simple chocolate shell, using a little coconut oil to help it firm up as soon as it hits the cold ice cream.
- Praline Sauce | Pour over pumpkin pie, any vanilla based bundt cake or snack cake, or over vanilla ice cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but honestly it will last in your fridge in a well-sealed jar for several months. Simply reheat when ready to use.
The right sauce will enhance a dessert in both appearance of course added flavor. A sauce such as this vanilla butter sauce, can also add moisture to cakes and other baked goods.
Since this sauce has cream in it, I store it in the fridge. It will last in a well-sealed container for over a month, if not longer.
Best Containers for Storing Sauce
I love WeckJars, I get asked about these jars all the time. These heavy glass jars are sturdy enough to stand up to high-pressure canning, yet pretty enough to give as a gift, like this DIY Sugar Scrub. Here are a few of my favorites, I might have a bit of a fetish with jars!
- Mini Tulip Jars | I use these for gifting from hand scrubs, to pumpkin pie spice to these pumpkin yogurts.
- 12.5 oz Tulip Jars | This is what I used in these pictures, a slightly larger jar perfect for gifting.
Variations
For a simple way to change up this sauce, you can use different types of vanilla or extracts, try these:
- Bourbon Vanilla Extract
- Almond extract | try this one by Rodelle, so pure and good.
- Use Vanilla Bean Paste for those gorgeous little flecks of vanilla.
- Try using a teaspoon of rum, whiskey or brandy, yum!
- Try a teaspoon or two of your favorite liqueur or cordial.
How to use Vanilla Sauce:
- Pour over any cake, like the pear cake above; especially delicious on vanilla based cakes, you can pour on hot, for a glaze that will sink in making the cake incredibly moist, or wait and drizzle it on for serving.
- This vanilla sauce is incredible for bread pudding, or try over my friend Amy’s Sticky Toffee Pudding.
- A little drizzle over this pumpkin spice cake would be dreamy!
- Definitely over ice cream! Any and all kinds, it will harden slightly and get chewy, so delicious!
- Fruit | Keep it simple, vanilla sauce is amazing over fresh fruit.
- Drizzle generously over this Chocolate Croissant bake for more of a dessert than a breakfast!
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and comment below the recipe!
Vanilla Sauce Dessert Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter | use real butter, nothing soft coming out of the fridge
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream, not fat-free
- 1 cup sugar | I used all-natural cane sugar, but you can use white
- 1 ½-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small heavy-bottomed sauce pan (I like this one), over medium-low heat, melt the butter, sugar, heavy whipping cream and vanilla. Stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and has a syrup consistency.
- HINT | It should coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Sauce is best served warm, it will thicken as it cools, so if you need it thicker, allow it to cool until desired consistency.
✱ Kathleen’s Tips
STORAGE
Since this sauce has cream in it, I store it in the fridge. It will last in a well-sealed container for over a month, if not longer. It may be frozen as well. If your sauce crystalizes at all, just place desired amount in a small saucepan, reheat over low heat, whisking constantly until warm and sugars have dissolved.VARIATIONS
- Bourbon Vanilla Extract
- Almond extract | try this one by Rodelle, so pure and good.
- Use Vanilla Bean Paste for those gorgeous little flecks of vanilla.
- Try using a teaspoon of rum, whiskey or brandy, yum!
- Try a teaspoon or two of your favorite liqueur or cordial.
Ways to use Vanilla Sauce:
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Fresh Cooky is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Kathleen Pope
Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer
Hi, I’m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen. Read more about Kathleen here.
Great white sauce my family love it
So glad you all loved it, Joyce!
Whats the life on this? How long until it expires
Tara, it should last in a sealed container in your fridge for at least 7 days, but I’ve had mine last much longer. It might crystallize a bit but that is easily remedied by slowly bringing back up to heat while stirring.
I made bread pudding for 100 for a senior lunch and made this sauce to go with it. The seniors said it was the best sauce they ever had.
A keeper for sure
Thank you so much, Janet; what a kind comment! So glad they loved it!! What a beautiful thing you did for those seniors.
Just an amazing sauce! I could’ve licked the pot clean! I’m not much of a sweets eater but this sauce poured over vanilla ice cream was worth the cheat. Soo many other possibilities! Dang it!
Thank you so much Debra! So many possibilities!
THIS SAUCE…Just Amazing 🤩
I seriously could’ve licked the pot clean! I seldom eat sweets but this sauce over Vanilla Ice Cream was worth the cheat!! Soooo many more possibilities! Dang it!
So glad you loved it so much!
Family loved this!!!
I just spooned it over a serving of white cake(made from a box mix) And it was a hit!
Quick and easy!
What a fabulous way to dress up a plain white cake! Thank you for your kind words, Mary – I so appreciate it!
Thanks for this recipe, Kathleen! Our German friend is in town, so we made dampfnudel. I whipped up this easy sauce (with your bourbon vanilla recipe) to go with it. Soooooooooo good, and the leftovers are in a pretty bottle in the fridge, just waiting for me :).
So so very glad you enjoyed it on dampfnudel! YUM! It’s perfect with a German dessert!
Yum
Thanks!
Your cake is amazing and the vanilla sauce puts it over the top! Awesome!
Way over the top Teri, thank you!
SO right about the vanilla sauce! It’s amazing. I was there that night-the story and the sauce are legendary!
Yes, yes, you were! I can see all of our faces still!!