Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in vanilla paste? ›

Cane Sugar, Water, Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Bean Seeds, Gum Tragacanth (a natural thickener).

Both forms of vanilla work well in desserts and use similar quantities (one teaspoon of vanilla bean paste works the same as one teaspoon of extract).

Just remember this ratio: 6 vanilla beans per 8 ounces of alcohol. So if your jar is 12 ounces, use 9 vanilla beans. If it's 16 ounces, use 12 beans.

Store it: Vanilla paste can be stored for up to 3 years when kept in a cool, dark environment. Do not refrigerate your paste, or the container will form condensation and spoil the vanilla. Ready to stock up on vanilla paste?

Serial bakers will love the Vanilla Bean Kings vanilla bean paste. This product is ideal for baking all sorts of pastries and dishes, including cookies, cakes, puddings, ice cream, and shortbread.

Because vanilla extract contains no physical vanilla, the flavor is slightly lighter and less robust than vanilla paste.

If your recipe calls for paste but you only have extract on hand (or vice versa), you can substitute an equal amount of extract for the paste. For example, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract can be substituted for 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste.

If you don't have time to scrape vanilla beans, or you won't use them before they dry out, vanilla bean paste is a great alternative. While it's offered by only a few companies, including Nielsen-Massey and the Spice House, our Test Kitchen pros agree it's worth the search.

Vanilla Bean, Extract and Paste Equivalencies

One tablespoon of paste is equal to one gourmet bean. Vanilla bean paste can also replace extract in a recipe with 1 teaspoon (tsp.) = 1 tsp. For vanilla extract, one teaspoon is approximately equal to a 2-inch piece of vanilla bean.

Grade B is typically recommended for making homemade vanilla extract. These beans are supposed to be drier and perfect for long soaking in alcohol. I've used both – and maybe I've been lucky but both beans were easy to cut open and use.

Is it cheaper to make your own vanilla extract? ›

Step-by-step photos and instructions for how to make the best Homemade Vanilla Extract! All you need is vodka, vanilla beans and a few tips and tricks. You'll find that homemade vanilla is less expensive (store-bought vanilla extract can cost $4 an ounce) and more flavorful than store-bought, and it's so EASY to make!

Pure vanilla extract (the kind made with real vanilla beans and at least 35 percent alcohol) has an indefinite shelf life. unless it's been stored improperly.

The ratio of vanilla beans per ounces of alcohol is imperative, but so is the amount of time the vanilla infuses the alcohol. We discussed ratio above, so let's chat about how long to infuse the vanilla. Homemade vanilla extract tastes better and becomes darker in color the longer it sits.

Around 80% of the world's supply of natural vanilla comes from the African island, but due to a number of challenges, from devastating storms, the pressures of deforestation, and intensive labor, the dwindling supply of the product makes it very difficult to meet the high demand (via Forbes).

The main difference between extract and vanilla bean paste is that paste has a thick (honey-like) consistency and vanilla bean specks. It is often used for desserts with a thicker consistency or where the visual appeal of vanilla beans is desired.

If your recipe calls for paste but you only have extract on hand (or vice versa), you can substitute an equal amount of extract for the paste. For example, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract can be substituted for 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste.

Instead, it's flavored primarily with synthetic vanillin (a lab-produced version of the same chemical compound that occurs naturally in real vanilla). Typically labeled as “vanilla essence,” this artificial vanilla is usually derived from, uh, less-than-organic material (like petroleum).

Vanilla bean paste is thicker and more gelatinous than vanilla extract, but it can be used almost interchangeably. It's a great product because you get the specks that vanilla beans provide, but it's easy to scoop out of the jar and it's also more affordable than the beans themselves.