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Crème Brûlée Coffee Syrup

Crème Brûlée Coffee Syrup

Updated October 28, 2026

Sugar cooked to deep amber for that burnt-sugar brûlée edge, loosened into a pourable syrup with a splash of cream and real vanilla. Stirs right into hot or iced coffee.

Before you start: heat the 1/2 cup water until hot, in a kettle or a second small pot. The syrup thickens in the fridge but stays pourable. If it gets too thick, set the jar in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes.

Dairy-free version: skip the cream and add 2 tbsp more hot water. It keeps up to 1 month in the fridge. Also good drizzled over vanilla ice cream, stirred into oatmeal, or shaken into a cold brew with milk.

Cook time
39 min
Rating
…

Ingredients

Scale
Measurement units
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup water (for cooking the sugar)
  • ½ cup hot water (for thinning the caramel)
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ⅛ tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

Dissolve the sugar
Combine sugar (1 cup) and water (¼ cup) in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar dissolves and the syrup turns clear, about 2 minutes.
Equipment: heavy-bottomed saucepan
Cook to deep amber
Stop stirring and raise the heat to medium-high. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, brush them down with a pastry brush dipped in water.
Let it boil, swirling the pan now and then for even color, until the caramel is a deep amber, like an old copper penny, smells toasty and reaches about 350°F, about 6 minutes. Watch closely at the end; it darkens fast.
Equipment: heavy-bottomed saucepan, pastry brush, instant-read thermometer
Loosen with hot water
Take the pan off the heat. Standing back, slowly pour in hot water (½ cup); it will bubble and steam hard.
Set the pan over low heat and stir until any caramel that hardened is completely dissolved and the syrup is smooth, about 2 minutes.
Equipment: heavy-bottomed saucepan, long-handled wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Add the cream and vanilla
Take the pan off the heat and stir in heavy cream (¼ cup) until smooth; it will bubble a little.
Stir in vanilla (1 ½ tsp) and salt (⅛ tsp).
Equipment: long-handled wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Cool and store
Let the syrup cool in the pan until warm, then pour it into a clean glass jar, about 20 minutes.
Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons into a 12 oz cup of hot or iced coffee, or a latte.
Equipment: glass jar

Tomorrow's Meal

Crème Brûlée French Toast

Thick bread soaked in a syrup-sweetened custard and griddled until the edges caramelize, then finished with another drizzle of the syrup.

You'll need to pick up:

4 thick slices brioche or challah2 eggs1/2 cup milk1 tbsp butter

Quick overview:

  1. 1.Whisk the eggs, milk and 3 tbsp of the syrup in a shallow dish
  2. 2.Soak each slice of bread 20 seconds per side
  3. 3.Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the slices 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and caramelized at the edges
  4. 4.Drizzle with more syrup and serve

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