If you love caramel, you’ll LOVE this easy buttermilk syrup recipe! It’s the perfect topping for waffles, pancakes, or french toast, but it’s also delicious over ice cream and spice cake!
This Homemade Syrup Tastes Like Caramel!
Our homemade buttermilk syrup recipe is a surefire way to take a your breakfast or dessert to the next level. It’s like liquid gold! There’s so much to love:
🍓 EASE: This simple recipe uses just a handful of simple ingredients, and only involves some measuring, stirring, and timing. No fancy skills required!
🥞 FLAVORS: Buttermilk syrup actually doesn’t taste like buttermilk at all! Instead, it tastes like a buttery caramel sauce, with a kiss of vanilla. It’s such a fun alternative to maple syrup!
💡 TOP TIPS: Make sure to use a nice, big pot! The syrup will foam quite a bit while cooking, so you’ll want to have plenty of room.
Happy cooking! xo, Emily
Gather Your Ingredients
This easy homemade syrup starts with a simple ingredients list. Let’s take a look:
How To Make Buttermilk Syrup, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- Combine. In a large pot, combine butter, buttermilk, corn syrup, sugar, baking soda, and salt. (Do NOT add vanilla at this point.)
- Boil. Stirring regularly, bring syrup to a boil (the syrup will get quite foamy). Boil 6-7 minutes, stirring very regularly. The foamy syrup will turn a golden color.
- Remove From Heat & Finish. Remove pan from heat. Allow bubbles to settle, then stir in vanilla. Serve warm over pancakes, waffles, french toast, spice cake, ice cream, and more!
- Store leftover syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Syrup will thicken significantly in the fridge, so bring it to room temperature or warm it up on the stove or in the microwave before using the leftovers.
Yummy Ways To Serve Buttermilk Syrup
Now for the best part: the eating! Honestly, you’ll basically want to pour it on everything, BUT here are a few of our favorite ways to use buttermilk syrup…
- Pancakes! Level up your pancake breakfast with this yummy syrup. A stack of fluffy pancakes + buttermilk syrup are a match made in heaven! I love it with our Oatmeal Pancakes or Pumpkin Pancakes, but a batch of homemade buttermilk pancakes always hits!
- Waffles. More of a waffles person? Drizzle this buttery syrup over Belgian Waffles, Banana Waffles, Pumpkin Waffles, or Gingerbread Waffles for a fun treat!
- French Toast. Classic French toast, French Toast Cups, French Toast Casserole, French toast sticks…you name it!
- Spice Cake. One of my forever favorites is serving this homemade syrup with our famous Apple Spice Cake. It’s the perfect complement to the warm spices and apple flavors in the cake.
- Ice Cream. Leftover buttermilk syrup is DELICIOUS over ice cream! Try adding toffee bits, too!
- Dutch Baby or German Pancakes. Another fun use!
- Crepes. Take a batch of crepes to a whole new level with a drizzle of buttermilk syrup and a side of fruit or fresh berries!
- Apple Desserts! The caramel flavor of buttermilk syrup makes it the perfect pairing for Apple Crisp, Apple Crumble Cheesecake, or slices of Apple Bundt Cake!
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Buttermilk Syrup
Can I Use a Buttermilk Substitute for Buttermilk Syrup? Buttermilk is the key ingredient, so your results will not be the same here with a substitute. I don’t recommend buttermilk substitutes like buttermilk powder, milk + lemon juice, or milk + vinegar here.
Vanilla Tip. If you accidentally add the vanilla with the other ingredients, don’t worry. The vanilla will actually pretty much cook off during the boiling, so just add another 1-2 tsp after it comes off the heat.
Try An Extra Pinch of Salt. For an almost salted-caramel vibe, add an extra pinch of salt to the syrup when it comes off the heat.
Extra Flavors To Try. We love the caramel-like flavor of this buttermilk syrup recipe exactly as written, but you can jazz things up by adding a generous pinch of cinnamon, or a few drops of coconut extract or almond extract to complement the flavors of your favorite breakfast foods & desserts!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Homemade Buttermilk Syrup recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Homemade Buttermilk Syrup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 1/2 cups sugar (300 grams)
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Combine. In a large pot, combine butter, buttermilk, corn syrup, sugar, baking soda, and salt. (Do NOT add vanilla at this point.)
- Boil. Stirring regularly, bring syrup to a boil (the syrup will get quite foamy). Boil 6-7 minutes, stirring very regularly. The foamy syrup will turn a golden color.
- Remove From Heat & Finish. Remove pan from heat. Allow bubbles to settle, then stir in vanilla. Serve warm over pancakes, waffles, french toast, spice cake, ice cream, and more!
- Store leftover buttermilk syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Syrup will thicken significantly in the fridge, so bring it to room temperature or warm it up on the stove or in the microwave before using the leftovers.
Notes
- Choose A Big Enough Pot. This syrup will foam and bubble significantly as it cooks, so it’s important to choose a large enough pot to accommodate this so it doesn’t boil over.
- Vanilla Tip. If you accidentally add the vanilla with the other ingredients, don’t worry. The vanilla will actually pretty much cook off during the boiling, so just add another 1-2 tsp after it comes off the heat.
- Try An Extra Pinch of Salt. For an almost salted-caramel vibe, add an extra pinch of salt to the syrup when it comes off the heat.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/buttermilk-syrup/Recipe originally shared December 2010. Fully updated with improved recipe notes, new photos, and video and republished 2025.
I use this weekly. It is perfection.
You’re the best.
I love this so much! It feels magical and delicious. I want to pour it on everything. Cakes, icecream, pancakes- you name it
Curious if I can sub out most of the sugar for corn syrup? I have a ton of karo syrup, but only a sugar dish full of sugar right now!
Meg – I probably would wait until you can get sugar to make it. I don’t think it would work if you used corn syrup as a sub for sugar in this situation. I’m sorry!
Absolutely brilliant! Thank you
I made the syrup and it was wonderful. After it cooled to room temp it started to crystalize. I went to use it the next day and it looked like watery brown sugar. I tried to warm it up and the grit didn’t go away. Any idea what I could have done wrong?
Paula – I’ve never had that problem with this syrup, though I HAVE had it when making caramel. With caramel sauce, I hadn’t heated it quite long enough. I’ve “undercooked” this syrup though and not had that issue, so I’m not quite sure… SO SORRY!
I just can’t imagine what I did… It was beautiful, smooth, caramely until it cooled, Maybe I had the heat too high. I guess it’s just try, try again. 🙂
Thank you.
Paula
Thanks, Emily! I made it tonight and I must say it is absolutely delicious!!! We decided to try the syrup tonight with some green apples and it was phenomenal. This will definitely be staple in our house!
Hi Emily:
I was wondering, how long will the buttermilk syrup last? I’m hoping to make waffles Saturday but wondered if I could make the syrup in advance. Also, do you typically store the syrup at room temperature or in the refridgerator? Thank you! 🙂
Kristin- You can definitely make the syrup a few days ahead of time. It keeps for about a week in the refrigerator and reheats very well in the microwave or on the stove. You for sure want it in the refrigerator because of the buttermilk/butter content, but feel free to make it in advance. Hope you like it!
Emily, I have tried the waffles and the syrup and both were scrumptious! I usually make Blueberry Stuffed French Toast for Christmas morning but, I believe I have found another special breakfast. Super!! Janet J.
Emily I loved the waffles we gave them a trial run and they are a go for Christmas morning with some baby quiche on the side. I added them to our family cooking site called the Anderson Appetite. Thanks for shareing
Terri, I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for the feedback.
Oh Emily, it looks like straight-up caramel–and completely delicious! What a perfect addition to a holiday breakfast…a or late-night snack. 🙂
If you are an egg nog lover, I highly recommend you try this recipe with egg nog instead of buttermilk. It is just as fantastic. So yummy! I use the same recipe but minus the corn syrup. I’ll definitely have to try your recipe.
What do you use instead of corn syrup for sweetness?
Also, can you refrigerate this recipe… sorry if I missed that instruction.
Sherry – You can absolutely refrigerate it and reheat it. It’ll keep for 4-5 days at least in the fridge!
I have GOT to try this ASAP!!
Oh, Emily, that looks scrumptious! I could definitely go for this on some homemade waffles one morning. Thanks for sharing! Also, I’m having a cookies and cookbook giveaway that you should enter!
Emily, you need not be so understated in singing the praises of Sam’s Buttermilk Syrup.
We also agree this recipe is one of the all time tastiest additions to a meal, that can turn a delicious breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack into an unforgettable encounter with food heaven nirvana.
If only I had the words…