Creamy Swedish Vanilla Sauce (Vaniljsås)

ByKristi Bissell
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This easy Swedish Vanilla Sauce (Vaniljsås) is rich and smooth, making it the perfect finishing touch for cakes, bread pudding, cobblers, crumbles, crisps, and pies. 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.

Vaniljsås (vanilla sauce) is a beloved staple of Swedish home cooking and a classic accompaniment to many traditional desserts. This creamy, pourable custard sauce is served warm or cold and is especially popular with fruit-based desserts such as Swedish apple cake (äppelkaka), berry pies, and fruit crumbles.

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.

Creamy Vanilla Sauce (Vaniljsås) at a Glance

  • Origin: 🇸🇪 Sweden
  • Ready in: 10 minutes
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Best for: Serving over desserts such as cakes, cobblers, crisps, crumbles, pies and bread pudding
  • Why you'll love it: Rich, creamy and full of vanilla flavor, this classic Swedish dessert sauce comes together in just 10 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients!

Ingredients

Ingredients needed to make vanilla sauce: Half and half, eggs, vanilla, sugar and cornstarch.
  • 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.
  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.
  1. 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.

Decorative lingonberry.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 Swedish 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. I do not recommend freezing this sauce as it can become grainy in texture.

Help! My sauce is too thin/too thick!

Vanilla sauce should be smooth, creamy and pourable. If your sauce seems too thin, return it to the stove over medium-low heat and cook a little longer, whisking constantly, until it thickens slightly. Keep in mind that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. If your sauce is too thick, simply whisk in a splash of milk or cream until it reaches your desired consistency.

Is vanilla sauce the same as custard?

Swedish vanilla sauce is similar to a pourable vanilla custard, but it has a thinner consistency than traditional custard or pastry cream. It's designed to be poured over desserts rather than eaten on its own.

Should vaniljsås be served warm or cold?

Either! Vanilla sauce is delicious served warm or cold. Try warm vanilla sauce over apple crisp or bread pudding, or serve it chilled alongside a slice of cake or fruit dessert.

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:

Looking for more Scandinavian-inspired dessert sauce and topping ideas? Check out these blog favorites:

If you tried this Creamy Swedish Vanilla Sauce (Vaniljsås) 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 Swedish Vanilla Sauce (Vaniljsås)

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 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 100kcal
Author: Kristi Bissell

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

  1. 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. The finished sauce should lightly coat the back of a spoon but still be thin enough to pour easily.
  2. 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!
Course: desserts, sauces
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Swedish
5 from 10 votes

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22 Comments

  2. 5 stars
    An excellent alternative to whipping cream - and took about the same amount of time, Plus, I almost always have half and half and eggs in the house.

    Served with Crustless Apple Pie - delicious!

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    This was wonderful. I used it with your crustless Swedish apple pie, which was also fabulous. A question…it was smooth when first made, but as it cooled I noticed it became somewhat grainy. Is this to be expected? I will probably use a caster sugar the next time.

    Reply

    1. Hi Sally,
      Thanks for your comment and question! It's likely the sugar wasn't full dissolved and the crystals reformed after it cooled. Caster sugar would definitely help it dissolve faster. Also, keeping the heat nice and low and stirring constantly will help keep the texture silky smooth. Straining it, as the recipe suggests, is another safeguard. You did everything right...just a couple of small tweaks should make it perfectly smooth next time!
      Kristi

      Reply

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

    1. 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

  8. 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

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

      Kristi

      Reply

  9. 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

    2. 5 stars
      That idea sounds delicious, Danielle. The butter sauce recipe I'm looking for is almost clear at the end of cooking time, and I believe it also used the juice from the canned pineapple tidbits I needed for the lime jello salad. My maternal grandmother used to make that lime jello salad with the clear butter sauce and it was delicious. My siblings and I used to eat up the sauce and skip the jello! The lime jello salad had cottage cheese in it and so is full of protein.

      Reply

  11. 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