Vanilla Sauce

5 from 1 vote

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

Prep Time2

Cook Time8

Resting Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: German

Servings:

Cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds.
In a small saucepan combine vanilla bean, 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.
Whisk the egg yolks, then pour them into the warm cream mixture while stirring constantly.
Put back on medium-low heat and heat just until simmering, while stirring constantly (Do not boil). Keep whisking until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, abiout 4-5 minutes .
It will thicken more while it cools. Pour sauce into a bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap. Serve warm or let it cool to room temperature before serving.

Vanilla: You can use one Tablespoon of 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.