French Vanilla Cappuccino
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When I first came to Canada, my go-to order was a “double double.” I’d order this because I just heard everyone else get it, so I got it too! Two creams, two sugars. I’m not a black coffee kind of guy to say the least! I’d also order half hot chocolate, half coffee, which I suppose would be how I came to become a Cafe Mocha lover!
The Cafe Mocha is my favourite order at any coffee shop, but a French Vanilla holds a special place in my heart when I’m actually feeling like skipping on the chocolate that day! My girlfriend was the one who got me into them. She said it was her favourite Tim’s drink, and when I finally tried it with her, I was hooked! Back in our university days, we’d like to go to Tim Horton’s during evening classes for a French Vanilla pick-me up, paired with tasty donuts! If you’ve followed me on Instagram for awhile and you check out my stories (which you really should be doing to see my daily kitchen experiments and for recipe sneak peaks), then you’ve definitely seen French Vanillas pop up a lot!
Be sure to watch the video below so you can follow along with the recipe - I always find that with cooking it’s more tangible to watch instead of reading alone! Subscribe to me on YouTube if you haven’t yet so you’re notified when the videos go live - I’m currently uploading a new recipe every Monday and Friday along with on the blog!
What’s a french vanilla?
If you go on Tim Horton’s website to the French Vanilla menu item page, you’ll see a not-so-useful explanation of what the drink is. Straight from the website, this is the description:
ummmm okaaay! 😂 what about those folks who’ve never had a French Vanilla? What’s this supposed to mean?
Since there’s no real definition of a French Vanilla, I’ll tell you from my personal experience. If you want to quote me on this definition in the future, then by all means go for it!
From doing some research on Reddit, some former employees have stated that the French Vanilla is similar to a hot COCOA (not hot chocolate, there is a difference! Read about hot cocoa vs hot chocolate here!), in the sense that it’s made from a machine. Some mysterious powder is added to boiling water and I guess they manage to add milk foam on top? Tim Horton’s workers, feel free to chip in the comments how this is actually done!
Regardless of how it’s made at the coffee shop, I’m going to try to replicate the iconic drink the Anadi way! Turns out that Tim Horton’s actually sells a French Vanilla powder, as shown:
Source: Amazon.ca
You add three tablespoons to hot water or milk and this should give you an instant French Vanilla at home. To be transparent, I’ve not tried this and I’m not totally sure if I want to. While the reviews are mostly decent, they do state that they’ve had to adjust to their own ratios to mimic the actual French Vanilla flavour, the powder does not make the drink frothy as stated in the product description on Amazon, and even with anecdotal adjustments many reviewers state that the drink from the shop is still the best. Maybe one day I’d try for fun, but if you know me I just love to make things from scratch. It’s much more special! Furthermore - side note - but the ingredient list of that powder is quite long! Let’s make ours as natural as possible! Read on to find out more!
Tips for a perfect french vanilla!
Make sure to stir the milk occasionally to ensure it does not burn while coming up to a simmer.
Keep a close eye once the milk is simmering to ensure it does not boil over, lower the heat once simmering.
This recipe can be made with whole vanilla bean pods as well. If you cannot find vanilla bean paste, split the whole bean in half and boil with the milk.
The ratio to keep in mind is 1 parts coffee : 1 parts milk and 1 parts milk foam.
Ingredients for Tim Horton’s French vanilla
As stated earlier, I’m going to make a frothy French vanilla as simply as possible. There aren’t many recipes out there, but from what I have seen, a vanilla powder tends to be used. I planned my ingredients for this semi- last-minute (as I tend to do, guilty!), and was researching where the heck to buy vanilla powder in my city. Uh… nowhere!
So, I didn’t have the time to order a $20 CAD jar of vanilla powder that I’ll use once from Amazon, since I was planning on recording the recipe the following day. That got me thinking - I’m not going to make a recipe with a product that’s hard to find! I don’t know about you, but I like to purchase my groceries in person! Furthermore, I don’t like to purchase niche ingredients that I’ll use once then forget about in my pantry. Guilty, I still have some products like that, but I’ve made a conscious effort to avoid that!
You’ll see what we’ll use to get a bold vanilla flavour, so read on! I was going to make my own vanilla powder, but I had also realized that my blender isn’t strong enough to break down a vanilla bean into powder. So if that’s been your concern too, then don’t worry! With that being said, it’s time to go over the ingredients that we’ll need to make this awesome Tim Horton’s French Vanilla recipe! Remember, the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD with all ingredient quantities is at the bottom of this post! You can save the recipe for later, and the recipe card will allow you to adjust the number of servings based on how many drinks you want to make! I promise, you won’t have to adjust ratios willy nilly as those using the drink mix powder have had to do! The card will give you all the information you need for the perfect creamy, smooth and vanilla-loaded drink!
Your choice of milk: I’m using whole milk to yield a very thick and creamy drink. I don’t know what they use at Tim Horton’s, but all I know is that you get a smooth and rich consistency. Of course you can use any milk of your choice, but for best results I’d go for whole milk or at least 2%.
Sugar: Just ordinary granulated white sugar here. You can add more or less depending on how sweet you want the drink to be. A typical French vanilla is quite sweet, so we’ll be using a fair amount in this recipe.
Brewed coffee: Brew your coffee however you like to. I just used some Starbucks ground French roast I had on hand. I’m not the coffee drinker of the household, so I worked with what I had! If you want an even stronger vanilla flavour, you could use a vanilla-flavoured coffee. This coffee was dark roast and quite strong, so I’m not using much here. The prominent flavour should be the vanilla and the sweetness!
Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean paste: This is the key to getting a strong vanilla flavour without making your own vanilla powder or buying it from a store. Vanilla bean paste is way stronger than vanilla extract, plus you can see the bits of vanilla in it as well. I first tested the recipe with vanilla extract and it is no where close to the flavour and fragrance of the vanilla bean paste. You’ll nail the flavour with this! I also don’t consider this a niche product, since I like to add it to other recipes such as in my Homemade Whipped Cream or in some my Healthy Mango & Vanilla Protein Ice Cream! Definitely recommend you get this! You’ll find so many uses for it, and it really tastes incredible!
Ground cinnamon: For garnish. Bonus points if you have some Pumpkin Spice on hand! I actually had a bit leftover and sprinkled some on top - really enhances the cozy vibes of this drink! See how I make my own Pumpkin Spice here, it’ll only take you a few minutes and I’m sure you have all the spices on hand to make it!
Equipment for French Vanilla Cappuccino
Saucepan: To bring the milk to a simmer.
Frother: You could also use a blender, but I actually did go out and got a handheld frother for this recipe! I didn’t realize how inexpensive they are! If you’ve got a coffee machine that does froth milk, then by all means feel free to use that. You could also use an immersion blender if you have one.
Mixing bowl: To froth the milk by hand. You’ll reserve some milk to froth on top.
Coffee mug: Of course use whatever you have, but the linked mugs are awesome! I just love how they’re clear so you can see the prettiness of the drink! Not only do they look good and showcase your drink in their best light, but these cups retain heat so well, and the outside doesn’t get hot! That way, you can have a piping hot drink without worrying about spilling it when you hold your cup!
How to Make a french vanilla
Pour the milk in a sauce pan and starting warming the milk. Stir the milk occasionally to ensure the milk does not burn.
Once you start seeing some steam from the milk, add the vanilla bean paste and sugar. Taste and adjust either of these ingredients to match your preference.
Pour half the warm milk to a bowl and start brewing 1 Cup of coffee. Using a milk frother or a blender, froth the milk until it increases in volume. Keep the rest of the milk warm.
The cup you use to serve should be made of 1 part coffee: 1 part milk and 1 part vanilla-milk froth. Pour the coffee 1/3rds of the way, followed by 1/3rd of the milk and then finally top with the vanilla-milk foam.
Sprinkle some cinnamon or pumpkin spice and serve hot!
More Coffee-Flavoured Recipes!
Watch How to Make French Vanilla Cappuccino here:
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