If you love desserts, this homemade vanilla cream sauce is better than whipped cream. This is an old-fashioned sauce for a cake you don’t want to miss! Not only is this sauce a winner on cakes and pies, but it is the perfect vanilla sauce for bread pudding!
This creamy homemade vanilla sauce is made from scratch in just minutes. I found this recipe years ago in my Grandmother’s recipe box. It is made from simple, wholesome ingredients because fresh is always better than store-bought!
This vanilla cream sauce is so good for desserts. Feel free to drizzle it on some of these Gluten Free Dessert Recipes.
Why This Sauce Is Great:
- This sauce is versatile, quick, and easy to make.
- It is the classic vanilla cream sauce recipe that my Grandmother used to make.
- This old-fashioned vanilla sauce is so easy to make that I can say it is foolproof.
Perfect! Made for an amazing dessert drizzled over pound cake and berries. Loved it!”
Jackie M., Pinterest
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Vanilla Beans – Let’s talk vanilla, as it is the most important ingredient for this recipe. Vanilla comes from a pod full of vanilla beans. Each pod has to have the vanilla beans scraped out. Using vanilla beans is the best way to get the pure vanilla flavor to shine in this dessert cream sauce.
- Cornstarch – You can substitute tapioca starch for cornstarch.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter. You can use coconut oil if you are dairy-free.
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Step 1: Add sugar and cornstarch to a small pot. Add a little hot water and whisk to blend the sugar sauce.
Step 2: Add the rest of the hot water, butter, vanilla, and a lemon slice and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Simmer until the vanilla sauce thickens. Use a wire whisk to blend it.
Step 3: Cool and serve. I love that this vanilla cream sauce is made without heavy cream!
You will love serving my easy vanilla sauce over your favorite desserts. Try it on my Grandma’s Homemade Bread Pudding recipe!
Recipe FAQ:
This sauce is naturally gluten free, and this sauce can be made vegan if you substitute coconut oil instead of butter. It is perfect for those who have food allergies.
Store this vanilla sauce in an airtight container. It will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
This homemade vanilla sauce also makes a great edible gift!
More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes:
- Gluten Free Chocolate Donuts – These are easy to make in a donut maker or baked in a donut pan.
- Gluten Free Banana Bread Pudding – The vanilla cream sauce is incredible over this bread pudding!
- Gluten Free Sweet Crepes – These crepes are another great way to use this vanilla sauce.
- Gluten Free Lemon Bundt Cake – If you haven’t tried vanilla cream drizzled over a cake, it is one of my favorites.
Homemade Vanilla Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch * see note
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 slice of lemon
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla beans or one pod
- tiny dash salt
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, add sugar and cornstarch.
- Pour in a little of the hot water and whisk quickly to blend.
- Turn on the stove onto low heat and add the rest of the water, butter, vanilla, and lemon.
- Simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
Notes
- You can use tapioca starch or arrowroot starch instead of corn starch.
- This vanilla sauce will keep up to 6 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze it up to 4 months.
- Slather this cream sauce on pie, ice cream, and cakes.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This recipe was updated from an old August 2018 post with more recipe details.
Would love to try this out! What does the lemon do to the flavor? If I excluded the lemon would it completely change the taste?
I haven’t tried it without the lemon but I assume it would still be delicious. Please let us know if you try it :-).
I bet the salt cuts the sugar so that it is not too sweet. I left the lemon in and it is a delicious sauce.
I am so glad you liked it Debbie. If you have time, I would love it if you could give it a star rating so others can see.
This is a recipe my mother used to make, though she never added lemon. I love that addition and will try it this Christmas on our Gingerbread cake … that was what this sauce was always made for in our home.
I love the ideas recommended here. Sounds like it is time for me to start back to making bread puddings!
Thanks for a great new version to an old recipe!
My grandmother made this vanilla sauce all of the time. I am so glad to help bring a fond memory back for you. Have a wonderful holiday.
I think thos the recipe for a vanilla sauce that we poured over chocolate cake (bowls, for sure). This was my whole families birthday cake. I think I wlll double it and have as a surprise for Thanksgiving. Thanks!!!!!
I am so glad you like this recipe Robin. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know 🙂
I love the idea of using this with bread pudding, it would be such a great pairing. I’ve never heard of vanilla sauce so i’ll have to try it next time i bake!
This vanilla sauce is good as a base in cocktails too :-).
I absolutely loved this recipe Sandi! It’s easy doable and full of flavors. The best part is that it is such a good company to many desserts.
Aw, Thank you so much Sonal. I hope you like it as much as we did.
This looks so simple and delicious! It would be great on sticky toffee pudding, or bread pudding, or chocolate lava cake, or pretty much anything. Love the idea!
I like how you think Danielle 🙂
sounds so delicious!! Imagine this cream with a very delicious warm apple pie!! yummm
I am so glad he liked this Camila. Thank you so much for coming back to let us know.
This would be dreamy on a bread pudding! I’d be tempted to just eat it with a spoon.
That’s so simple and I’m a real sucker for anything lemon flavoured so I love this recipe. It would be great drizzled on so many cakes, puddings and desserts.
This vanilla sauce would be amazing drizzled on anything!
I never tried making vanilla sauce at home (I usually make vanilla ganache with white chocolate), but it looks perfect and a great addition for so many desserts I just have to try it!
I hope you enjoy this vanilla sauce Natalie 🙂
This is really delicious. It looks really easy to make and I love vanilla sauces. You can put that on anything.
Definitely 🙂
I love vanilla and homemade sauces are the best. I’d drizzle that on pretty much everything! 😉
Awesome Lisa, I can’t wait to see what you do with this vanilla sauce.
I want to put this on everything, that’s totally normal, right? I bet it would be great on French Toast!
OMG I like how you think Lisa 🙂 Sounds yummy!
I love that you can make this sauce ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. It’s perfect for bread pudding, and I can think of many other desserts I’d serve it with too!
Thank you so much April 🙂