Vanilla-Maple Syrup (Clean-Ingredient)

This is the syrup behind our Clean-Ingredient Vanilla Latte — real maple syrup standing in for the cane-sugar syrup our Standard tier uses, plus the same real vanilla extract either way. There’s no stovetop step at all: maple syrup is already a thin, pourable liquid, so this is a 2-minute whisk, not a simmer.

What “Clean-Ingredient” Means Here

Two ingredients you could read off the label without a dictionary: maple syrup and vanilla extract. No water, no dissolved granulated sugar, no gums. The standard tier already uses real (not imitation) vanilla extract, so the actual swap here is the sweetener — real maple in place of a cane-sugar syrup.

This batch (10 servings)$4.80 total

Per 2 tbsp serving~$0.48

Assumptions: real maple syrup at typical grocery pricing ($8-9 for a 12oz bottle, same figure our Pumpkin-Maple Base uses) and Costco-size pure vanilla extract ($0.30/tbsp). Maple syrup is the entire cost of this batch — it’s also why this tier costs more per drink than the Standard or Sugar-Free vanilla syrups. See the Clean-Ingredient Vanilla Latte for the full per-drink math against café pricing.

Storage & Shelf Life

• Keeps about 2 weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge, same as the Standard syrup.
• Give it a shake before using if any vanilla bean seeds have settled at the bottom.
• Double the batch if you go through vanilla lattes quickly — everything scales evenly (1 1/2 cups maple syrup, 4 tbsp vanilla extract).

Swaps & Notes

• Honey works too as a whole-food swap for maple syrup, at a similar cost — it shifts the flavor toward floral instead of maple’s caramel-like note.
• This isn’t a lower-calorie swap. Maple syrup runs slightly higher calories per tablespoon than table sugar — the point of this tier is real, whole-food ingredients, not fewer calories. If calories or added sugar are your main concern, see the Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup instead.

What to Make With This

2 tbsp of this syrup, stirred into hot espresso before adding steamed milk, is the Clean-Ingredient Vanilla Latte — our top-recommended vanilla tier. If cost matters more than ingredient sourcing, the Vanilla Syrup (Standard) uses the same method with cane sugar; if minimizing sugar is the priority, see the Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup.

Recipe Card Summary

Vanilla-Maple Syrup (Clean-Ingredient)

• 3/4 cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp real vanilla extract — no cooking
• Makes ~10 servings (2 tbsp each) · Prep: 5 min · Total: 5 min
• Cost: ~$4.80/batch, ~$0.48/serving

FAQ

Why no water in this version, when the Standard syrup uses it?

The Standard syrup dissolves granulated sugar into water to make a pourable liquid. Maple syrup is already pourable on its own, so there’s nothing to dissolve and nothing to thin.

Is this lower in sugar than the Standard syrup?

Not meaningfully — it’s a similar amount of sugar, just from maple instead of cane. If sugar content specifically is your priority, see the Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup instead, which is built to minimize it.

Do I need to make this every time I want a latte?

No — one batch covers about 10 drinks over two weeks. The Clean-Ingredient Vanilla Latte recipe assumes you already have a jar on hand.