Vanilla Sauce

This classic, silky vanilla sauce can easily be made from scratch and tastes delicious on any dessert from apple strudel to bread pudding!

This homemade German vanilla sauce (or Crème Anglaise) made with egg yolks, cream, and real vanilla beans is easier to make than you think and is totally worth the effort! It’s a rich, custardy sauce that is just thick enough to pour over your favorite dessert.

We love it on our homemade German Apple Strudel but it is so versatile, you can serve it over fresh berries, pancakes, waffles, cakes, and of course bread pudding. Let me show you how easy it is to make a creamy vanilla custard sauce from scratch in less than 20 minutes!

Ingredient notes

Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom for quantities.

• Heavy Cream – Makes the sauce rich and creamy! For a lighter sauce, you can also use half milk and half heavy cream.
• Egg yolks – The egg yolks thicken the sauce and give it a deep, rich flavor and texture. They also give the vanilla sauce its color.
• Vanilla bean – A fresh vanilla bean gives you the best flavor! But you can also use vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or vanilla sugar.
• Sugar – Adds sweetness to the sauce. You can replace it with the same amount of vanilla sugar.

How to make this recipe 

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.

1. Vanilla: Cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds, using the back of a knife.
2. Combine: In a small saucepan combine vanilla pod, seeds, sugar, and cream. Bring to a boil while whisking constantly, take off the heat, and let sit for 10 minutes. Then remove the vanilla bean.
3. Mix: Whisk the egg yolks, then pour them into the warm cream mixture while stirring constantly.
4. Bake: Put back on medium heat and heat just until simmering. Don’t let the mixture boil! Keep whisking until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. It will thicken more while it cools.

Expert tips for success

• Vanilla: You can use one tablespoon of pure vanilla extract in place of one vanilla bean. But using vanilla beans gives you the best result!
• Curdling: Don’t let the sauce boil after adding the eggs. This prevents the egg from scrambling and the sauce from curdling.
• Consistency: Ensure to cook the sauce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. It should have the consistency of a nice gravy.
• Overcooking: Don’t overcook the vanilla sauce! Cooking it too long will make it thin and makes it taste eggy.
• Cover: Cover the sauce with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the sauce. This prevents skin from forming.
• Serve: You can serve the sauce warm or cold. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving so it can thicken properly.

Recipe FAQs

Serve it with

Vanilla sauce is a tasty alternative to whipped cream! It can be served warm or cold and adds a wow factor to any dessert. Spoon it over fresh blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries to add some sweetness.

Try serving this vanilla-flavored sauce over simple pound cakes, fruit cakes like our German Strawberry Cake, or apple pie. In Germany, it is also served over apple pancakes, “Rote Gruetze” (red fruit compote), “Dampfnudeln” (sweet dumplings), and baked apples.

Make-ahead, storage, and freezing

Store the cooled sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat or use cold right from the fridge after giving it a quick whisk.

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