Vanilla Custard Sauce

Vanillesoße is a vanilla custard sauce, perfect for so many German desserts and with only 6 ingredients it’s quick to make! I love putting it on anything that I would add vanilla ice cream to!

Vanilla custard sauce with only five ingredients, is perfect for many German treats.

Vanillesoße aka vanilla custard sauce is creamy and flavorful without being heavy. It tastes a little like high quality melted vanilla ice cream. It goes so well with many desserts, including apple strudel and poppyseed strudel as well as my apple and blackberry tart!

Tips for making Vanille Soße

• This recipe is very simple, however once you put the pot on the stove, don’t walk away from it.
• When the recipe tells you to keep stirring, it is important to keep stirring – this will prevent the milk from burning and the corn starch from clumping.
• The moment the custard is ready, remove it from the heat and pour through a sieve to prevent it from cooking further.

Ingredients for Vanillesoße

• Milk: Milk is the base of this custard; however, I have made it with almond milk and coconut milk and they have both worked. I prefer to use whole milk to make the recipe nice and creamy.
• Egg Yolks: Egg Yolks add richness to the vanilla sauce but are also an important ingredient in causing the sauce to thicken.
• Granulated Sugar: Sugar is needed to sweeten and thicken the sauce!
• Corn Starch: Corn starch helps to thicken the sauce slightly and keeps it from curdling. Arrow root starch or potato flour will work as well.
• Butter: A bit of softened butter thickens the sauce and makes it beautifully smooth and rich.
• Vanilla Bean Paste: I love using vanilla bean pasted because it’s quick and easy and I never feel like I’m wasting any part of the vanilla bean but you can also use a whole vanilla bean!

How to make Vanilla custard sauce?

• In a small sauce pot, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar.
• Pour in the milk and whisk to combine.
• Add in the egg yolks and whisk once more.
• Place the pot over medium low heat, whisking slowly but continuously and make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot.
• In 5-10 minutes the sauce should start to thicken. It will become noticeably thicker and should bubble at least once.
• When the sauce has thickened, immediately remove it from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla bean paste. Pour through a sieve into a heat proof bowl or jar.
• Cover the surface of the sauce with plastic to prevent it from forming a skin, and allow it to cool before putting it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.