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    Home » Recipes » Sauces and Compote Recipes

    Creamy Vanilla Sauce (perfect for dessert!)

    Published: Sep 20, 2022 · Modified: Feb 12, 2025 by Kristi · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    There’s nothing like a drizzle of creamy vanilla sauce to take your favorite desserts to the next level. This easy homemade vanilla sauce is rich, smooth, and infused with real vanilla flavor, making it the perfect finishing touch for cakes, bread pudding, cobblers, crumbles, crisps, and pies.

    Or keep things simple - spoon it over fresh berries or sneak a taste straight from the spoon (no judgment here!). With its luxurious texture and just-right sweetness, this versatile vanilla cream sauce complements just about anything sweet.

    Creamy vanilla sauce on a spoon over a bowl of sauce.

    I developed this recipe with my Swedish Apple Pie recipe in mind, but it is a perfect match for almost any dessert, including Swedish Spice Cake, Spiced Pear Cake with Cardamom and Cardamom Peach Cobbler. With a short list of easy-to-find ingredients, you are just 10 minutes away from enjoying this custard-like vanilla sauce.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • How to Make Vanilla Sauce
    • Expert Tip
    • Recipe FAQs
    • What to Serve with Creamy Vanilla Sauce
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe

    Ingredients

    Labeled ingredients for Creamy Vanilla Sauce.
    • Half and half - is my dairy ingredient of choice for this recipe.
    • Egg yolks - provide richness without giving the sauce an overly eggy flavor.
    • Sugar - brings sweetness.
    • Salt - balances out the sweetness of the sugar.
    • Vanilla extract - adds its quintessential comforting flavor.
    • Cornstarch - serves as the thickener.

    See the recipe card below for exact amounts and detailed instructions.

    Substitutions

    • Substitute whole milk or cream for the half and half. The whole milk version will be a little less rich and the cream will be more so.
    • Use the paste from a vanilla bean in place of the extract.

    Variations

    • Almond Vanilla Sauce: Add a just a few drops of almond extract in with the vanilla.
    • Spiced Vanilla Sauce: Add a sprinkle of cinnamon, cardamom and/or nutmeg to the sauce. This is a lovely variation for autumn!
    • Vanilla Bourbon Sauce: Add a splash of bourbon or whisky to the sauce.

    How to Make Vanilla Sauce

    Vanilla sauce in a saucepan next to a whisk and a towel.
    • Step 1: Combine the half and half, egg yolks, sugar, salt and cornstarch together in a large saucepan. Heat over medium low, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
    Vanilla sauce in a strainer over a glass bowl.
    • Step 2: Remove from the heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine. Serve the sauce warm, cold or room temperature on top of your favorite dessert!
    Slice of Swedish Apple Pie topped with Vanilla Sauce next to a fork and apples.

    Expert Tip

    Be sure to keep a close eye on the sauce while it cooks, ideally whisking it the entire time. Any dairy-based sauce such as this one can easily scorch on the bottom on the bottom of the pan.

    Creamy Vanilla Sauce in a pitcher with a spoon.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I make this Creamy Vanilla Sauce in advance?

    Yes! This sauce can be made up to three days ahead of time. Simply store it tightly covered in the refrigerator. It can be served warm or cold so you can either enjoy it straight from the refrigerator OR you can warm it in the microwave or the stovetop.

    What desserts go well with this sauce?

    Really anything that would go well with vanilla ice cream would be an excellent pair with this sauce. Think cobblers, crumbles, pie, cake, bread pudding.....you name it. See a full list of recipe suggestions below!

    What to Serve with Creamy Vanilla Sauce

    In addition to the recipes I mentioned above, here are a few more that are delicious with this sauce:

    • Gingerbread Cobbler with Apples and Pears
    • Swedish Apple Pie (pictured above)
    • Swedish Apple Cake
    • Spice Cake with Dates and Rye (use in place of the caramel sauce)
    • Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake
    • Old-Fashioned Norwegian Rhubarb Crumb Cake
    • Rustic Strawberry Rhubarb Rye Galette
    • Finnish Strawberry Almond Tart

    Related Recipes

    Looking for more sweet sauce ideas? Check out these blog favorites:

    • A jar of caramel sauce with a spoon
      3 Ingredient Salted Caramel Sauce
    • Close up of a spoonful of blueberry cardamom compote.
      Blueberry Compote with Cardamom
    • Close up of lingonberry sauce on a spoon.
      No Cook Lingonberry Sauce (Stirred Lingonberries)
    • Close up of pear compote in an a jar.
      Simple Pear Compote

    If you tried this Creamy Vanilla Sauce recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

    Recipe

    Close up of Creamy Vanilla Sauce.

    Creamy Vanilla Sauce

    This Creamy Vanilla Sauce is an easy and delicious compliment to all sorts of desserts including bread pudding, cobblers, crumbles, crisps and pies and cakes.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: desserts, sauces
    Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Swedish
    Prep Time: 8 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 100kcal
    Author: Kristi

    Ingredients

    • 1 ¾ cups half and half or whole milk or cream
    • 2 large egg yolks
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
    • Pinch of salt
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • Combine the half and half, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a large saucepan and heat over medium low. Whisk the mixture constantly until it begins to simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
    • Remove from the heat and pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract. Serve warm or cold.

    Notes

    This sauce can be made up to three days ahead of time. Store it tightly covered in the refrigerator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 252IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @TrueNorthKitchen or tag #truenorthkitchen!

    More Nordic/Scandinavian Sauce & Compote Recipes

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      Easy Swedish Meatball Sauce (Perfect for Frozen Meatballs!)
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      Warm Mustard Dill Sauce (Perfect for Salmon or Chicken)
    • Overhead view of salmon, greens, Horseradish Yogurt Sauce and a lemon wedge on a plate next to a fork.
      3 Ingredient Horseradish Yogurt Sauce
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      Strawberry Rhubarb Compote (Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce)

    Comments

    1. Tammy says

      May 14, 2025 at 4:07 pm

      5 stars
      I made it for a banana apple Tartan I didn’t have heavy whipping cream so I melted French vanilla ice cream and it was delicious!

      Reply
    2. Janet says

      May 08, 2025 at 11:10 am

      5 stars
      Was looking for a creamy topping for strawberry cobbler and came across this recipe. Made it as written, at first :), and found the flavor to be excellent. I added 1 additional tsp. of cornstarch only because I wanted the sauce to be a bit thicker. It was perfect for the cobbler. I will use this recipe many times going forward. Thanks for a great recipe.

      Reply
      • Kristi says

        May 11, 2025 at 1:45 pm

        Thanks so much for your feedback, Janet! Strawberry cobbler sounds amazing with this!

        Kristi

        Reply
    3. Kristi says

      November 14, 2024 at 8:05 am

      Hi Linda,
      That's really strange! There aren't too many eggs in the recipe and they are just yolks which shouldn't create much of an eggy taste. I wonder if it had something to do with the eggs you were using? I would give it another try!

      Reply
    4. Linda Ripley Nuttall says

      November 12, 2024 at 12:16 pm

      This looks fabulous. Going to make it to serve tomorrow with my Eve’s Pudding to some company.

      Reply
      • Michelle Alexander- Leach says

        April 17, 2025 at 10:04 pm

        Hi Mary, your recipe turned out fantastic, very delicious.. I am going to pour it over my bread pudding! Any ideas for a great bread pudding? I need it for Saturday. Good job!
        Michelle Alexander- Leach.
        Thank you so very much!

        Reply
    5. Mary S Ritter says

      November 26, 2023 at 11:29 am

      5 stars
      This creamy vanilla sauce is absolutely delicious and easy to prepare. It was the perfect complement to the Swedish Apple Pie I made yesterday from your recipe.
      Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Kristi says

        December 01, 2023 at 9:57 am

        Thanks, Mary! It is such a delicious sauce. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! It is much appreciated.

        Kristi

        Reply
    6. Danielle says

      November 25, 2023 at 2:18 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe! I love it on its own for so many of my desserts. I tweaked it a little bit for my gingerbread spiced bundt cake. Instead of 1 and 3/4 cup of a singular dairy, I use 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup half-and-half, 3/4 cups eggnog. I added a good dash of nutmeg and drizzled it over my gingerbread Bundt cake. It was a perfect pairing to it.

      Reply
      • Kristi says

        December 01, 2023 at 9:58 am

        Danielle,

        Ooh...eggnog! That is genius! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for leaving a comment!

        Kristi

        Reply
    7. Cabbie says

      July 14, 2023 at 10:31 am

      5 stars
      Made sauce to drizzle over strawberries and shortcake . It was excellent consistency and flavor ! Yum!

      Reply
      • Kristi says

        July 14, 2023 at 10:57 am

        So glad you enjoyed it. What a perfect compliment to strawberry shortcake!
        Kristi

        Reply
        • Cindy says

          November 02, 2024 at 12:53 pm

          Thanks this is perfect.

          Reply
    8. Sheila says

      May 10, 2023 at 1:15 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely awesome recipe! I have been hunting for a vanilla sauce recipe for years. This reminds me of a sauce I had as a kid. It is delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe. All the others I have tried have been too sweet.

      Reply
      • Kristi says

        May 10, 2023 at 1:22 pm

        Thank you, Sheila! I'm so glad you liked it. It definitely goes with almost everything!

        Kristi

        Reply
    5 from 6 votes

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