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This classic German homemade vanilla sauce is so much better than anything you’ll find in a box. It’s made with just five everyday ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen, and it comes together in minutes, with no artificial flavors or mysterious additives, just real food goodness. It pairs beautifully with all your favorite desserts such as warm apple strudel, fruity berry pudding, classic baked apples, a slice of German strawberry cake, or simply a bowl of fresh fruit.
Growing up in Germany, I watched my mom and grandma make this from scratch, and I’ve carried on that tradition countless times. Even though the iconic Dr. Oetker vanilla sauce is now a staple in many households, I’m confident you won’t look back to store-bought – and you might just find yourself wanting to drizzle it on everything!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Recipe
Vanilla Sauce Ingredients
- Milk: I prefer whole milk for its creaminess but you can use 2% if that’s what you’ve got
- Egg Yolk: Adding an egg yolk is the secret to that rich, smooth consistency and creamy texture.
- Sugar: I like to use regular white granulated sugar for sweetness, but could use brown sugar or honey for a slightly deeper flavor.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract is the easiest here but you could also use vanilla paste or one whole vanilla bean and scrape out the mark.
- Starch: Adding some cornstarch or potato starch is the trick for a thicker cream.
How To Make
This is just a summary of the steps involved. For the full instructions, see the recipe card further down in this post.
- In a medium saucepan, bring most of the milk to a boil over low-medium heat.
- Mix together the remaining milk, the sugar, cornstarch, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.
- While constantly stirring, slowly add the cornstarch mixture and cook over low heat until thickened.
✔️ Recipe Tips
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Fresh milk and eggs make a noticeable difference in the taste and texture of your sauce. I also recommend using pasture-raised eggs as the deep color of the yolk gives this vanilla sauce its beautiful yellow color without any food coloring. I also recommend using real vanilla.
- Add Some Cream: You can substitute some of the milk with heavy cream to make this basic vanilla sauce even more decadent.
- Stir Constantly and Gently: Use medium-low heat and stir continuously to avoid lumps or burning. Should your German vanilla sauce get too thick, you could always add a bit more milk.
- Warm the Milk First: Heating milk before adding it to the egg mixture helps prevent curdling.
- Don’t Rush Cooling: Allow the sauce to cool at room temperature before chilling in the fridge if you want it thicker.
Recipe Variations
- Make It Vegan: You can use almond or oat milk and replace egg yolks with a bit more cornstarch.
- Extra Vanilla Flavor: You can increase the amount of vanilla or add some vanilla pods while warming the milk, but remove them before adding the cornstarch slurry.
- Thicker Custard Style: Cook the sauce a bit longer on low heat while constantly stirring until it coats the back of a spoon for more of a vanilla custard sauce.
- Serve Warm or Cold: You can serve this creamy vanilla sauce both ways: serve it right after making it while still warm or chill the finished sauce.
What To Serve With German Homemade Vanilla Sauce
Apple Strudel: Pouring some warm vanilla sauce over classic apple strudel is the perfect finishing touch.
Fresh Berry Pudding: A bit of this creamy sauce compliments the gentle tartness and fruitiness of this German summer berry pudding.
Waffles: Why not drizzle some vanilla sauce over your morning waffles instead of maple syrup?
German Pancake: Traditional German pancakes are even better with a good helping of vanilla sauce.
Baked Apples: Wintery baked apples wouldn’t be complete without a good drizzle of rich vanilla sauce.
Strawberry Cake: You can always pour some vanilla sauce over a slice of strawberry cake instead of – or before adding – whipped cream.
Fruit Crisps: Instead of vanilla ice cream, you can pour some of this sauce over any fruit crisp.
Bread Pudding: You’ll love a nice helping of this sauce over your favorite bread pudding.
Vanilla Sauce FAQs
Yes! You can make it ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you like it warm, just reheat it very gently before serving.
This can happen with too-high heat, adding the cornstarch slurry too quickly, or cooling it too fast.
You may have to gently cook it for a bit longer. If that doesn’t help, you can add a bit more cornstarch.
Homemade Vanilla Sauce | Vanillesoße
This silky German homemade vanilla sauce is so much better than anything you’ll find in a box.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 141kcal
- 16 oz whole milk
- 3 ½ TBSP sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 TBSP cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Pour 12 oz of the milk into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil over low-medium heat.
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In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, egg yolk, cornstarch, and vanilla extract with the remaining milk. Whisk until combined.
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Once the milk is boiling, remove it from the heat. While constantly stirring, slowly add the cornstarch mixture.
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Put the saucepan back on the stove and, while still whisking, cook over low heat for 1 minute until thickened. Let it cool down at room temperature.
- for extra creaminess, you can substitute some of the milk with heavy cream
- you can adjust the sweetness by adding a little more or less sugar
Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 46mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 16g | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 0.1mg