Easy Vanilla Butter Sauce Recipe (2024)

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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, it takes this Cranberry Christmas cake over the top or this fan-favorite Cinnamon Swirl cake.

I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!

A little history behind this epic vanilla sauce

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!

Simple Ingredients for Vanilla Sauce

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 my baking, but regular refined white sugar is fine, too.
Vanilla Extract | The good stuff, in fact, I encourage you to make your own homemade vanilla extract, try this bourbon vanilla too!

Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.

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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!
Janet

How to make vanilla butter sauce

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.

That’s it! The butter sauce will thicken as it cools, so if you need it thicker, just make ahead and allow it to cool.

Fresh Tips

It should be thick enough to 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.

Storage Tips

Seal this sauce in an airtight jar or container and tuck in the back of your fridge. It will last up to 2 months, maybe longer, do the sniff test. 🙂

How to reheat vanilla sauce

When ready to rewarm your sauce and use, place the contents in a small saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer. Whisk in a splash of cream or a teaspoon of butter if needed.

Or you may microwave it, make sure it’s in a microwave-safe container and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each heating until hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze vanilla sauce?

Yes, but honestly it will last in your fridge in a well-sealed jar for several months. Reheat when ready to use.

Why is sauce important in dessert?

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.

How long will vanilla sauce last in the fridge?

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 or this amazing Gingerbread Bundt Cake.
A little drizzle over this pumpkin spice cake would be dreamy!
Definitely over ice cream! It will harden slightly and get chewy, so delicious! Try it over my old fashioned chocolate ice cream or easy vanilla ice cream.
Fruit | Keep it simple; vanilla sauce is terrific over fresh fruit.
Drizzle generously over this Chocolate Croissant bake for more of a dessert than a breakfast!

Try my other popular sauce recipes

BestHibachi SauceRecipe (Yum Yum Sauce)
Easy Secret Smashburger Sauce Recipe
Best Homemade Italian Marinara Sauce Recipe or my Grandpa Frank’s Spaghetti Sauce

I hope you loved this vanilla butter sauce recipe — if you did, would you share your creation onInstagram,FacebookandPinterest? And be sure to comment below!

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Easy Vanilla Butter Sauce Recipe

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.

4.82 from 38 votes

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Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 serving (approx 2 tablespoons)

Calories: 251kcal

Author: Kathleen Pope

Equipment

Ingredients

▢ ½ cup butter use real butter, nothing soft coming out of the fridge
▢ ½ cup heavy whipping cream not fat-free, or heavy cream
▢ 1 cup granulated sugar I used all-natural cane sugar but you can use white granulated
▢ 1 ½-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

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.
Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and has a syrup consistency. 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.

Last step! Leave a RatingRate this recipe here. This helps other readers and helps support this website.

Notes

STORAGE

Since this sauce has cream in it, I store it in the fridge. It will last in a well-sealed container for 1-2 months, 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. If necessary, whisk in a teaspoon of cream or butter.

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:

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!

Nutrition

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FAQs

What are the 4 basic dessert sauces? ›

Crème anglaise, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and the many fruit sauces and coulis are the most versatile. One or another of these sauces will complement nearly every dessert.

Keep Reading ›

Is custard the same as vanilla sauce? ›

The nearest equivalent in the UK is custard and sometimes vaniljsås is translated as custard, but the two things really aren't the same. Vaniljsås is not quite as thick, has a more subtle flavour and is nice hot or cold, whereas cold custard really isn't very pleasant.

Explore More ›

What is bread pudding sauce made of? ›

A traditional bread pudding sauce is made from just a few simple ingredients: milk, sugar, vanilla extract and cornstarch. Variations of vanilla bread pudding sauce includes rum sauce, bourbon sauce, caramel sauce and lemon sauce.

Get More Info ›

Why use vanilla paste instead of vanilla extract? ›

Vanilla bean paste is thicker and more gelatinous than vanilla extract, but it can be used almost interchangeably. It's a great product because you get the specks that vanilla beans provide, but it's easy to scoop out of the jar and it's also more affordable than the beans themselves.

Keep Reading ›

What's the difference between vanilla flavoring and vanilla? ›

Vanilla Extract: What's the Difference? Vanilla flavoring uses artificial ingredients and additives like synthetic vanillin, corn syrup, and lignin, an ingredient typically extracted from wood pulp. By contrast, pure vanilla extract uses only two ingredients: real vanilla beans and alcohol.

See Details ›

What sauce is best for a simple dessert? ›

ANSWER. The correct answer is Option D - Rich Sauce. The rich sauce is the best sauce for simple desserts.

Discover More Details ›

What is the main dessert sauce that is usually used? ›

Dessert sauce is typically drizzled or poured atop various desserts, and may also be drizzled or poured on the plate. Dessert sauce examples include caramel sauce, custard, crème anglaise, chocolate sauce, dulce de leche, fruit sauces such as blueberry sauce, raspberry sauce and strawberry sauce.

What are the 5 mother sauces in bakery? ›

The five mother sauces are hollandaise, tomato (sauce tomat), bechamel, Espagnole, and veloute. French chef Auguste Escoffier identified the five mother sauces, forever associating them with French cuisine.

Is vanilla pudding just custard? ›

While most custard and pudding recipes both typically call for eggs, the main difference is that pudding uses a starch for thickening, whereas custard's thickening agent is the egg itself (or egg yolk, in most instances). Custard's texture also tends to be firmer than pudding.

Get More Info ›

Is crème anglaise just custard? ›

Crème anglaise (French: [kʁɛm ɑ̃glɛz]; French for 'English cream'), custard sauce, pouring custard, or simply custard is a light, sweetened pouring custard used as a dessert cream or sauce. It is a mix of sugar, egg yolks, and hot milk usually flavoured with vanilla.

View Details ›

What do Americans call custard? ›

The US equivalent of custard is custard. We also have pudding which is thicker and more set than custard usually with flour or cornstarch. We do not refer to the dessert course of a meal as pudding. Custard has no cornstarch or flour and is often served as a sauce over berries or poundcake.

What is queen of pudding made of? ›

Queen of puddings is a quintessentially British dessert made of a custardy bread base, fruit, and meringue. This layered concoction begins with a sweet mixture of milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, and fresh breadcrumbs. Fruit is added either to this base or between the base and the meringue top—the choice is yours.

Discover More Details ›

What is the royal pudding made of? ›

Puding Diraja (Pahang Hilir: Pudéang Deghaje; Jawi: ڤوديڠ دراج) also known as Royal Pudding, this dessert was developed and served to the royal family of the Malaysian state of Pahang. Its basic ingredients are pisang lemak manis (a local cultivar of banana), evaporated milk, prunes, candied cherries and cashew nuts.

Tell Me More ›

What is real vanilla made from? ›

Vanilla extract—the kind that explicitly says “pure vanilla extract” on its label—is made by soaking vanilla beans in an alcohol solution to “extract” (get it?) all of their flavor compounds. According to the FDA, vanilla extract must be at least 35% alcohol with a minimum of 100 grams of vanilla beans per liter.

What makes vanilla taste like vanilla? ›

Tasting Notes

The characteristic flavor of vanilla comes from the aromatic compound “vanillin” which is described as tasting like a marshmallow. In vanilla pods of exceptionally high quality, the crystallized vanillin may be visible on the surface in the form of tiny white needles.

Is all vanilla made with vodka? ›

80 proof Alcohol: Vanilla extract is most commonly made from vodka, but you can use bourbon, brandy, or rum instead. I usually use vodka, but the one bottle of bourbon vanilla I made 7 months ago is DIVINE. No need to splurge on expensive alcohol.

What is McCormick vanilla made from? ›

McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract: Ingredients

Vanilla bean extractives in water, alcohol (35%), and corn syrup.

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