There are times when you should use vanilla bean paste and times when you should use vanilla extract. This post will help you know when to use each one. They are both vanilla and taste pretty much the same, but their differences can change how your favorite desserts look and feel.
Using new ingredients, trying different flavors, and testing new recipes is a joyful experience for most home bakers. As we know, vanilla extract is a common ingredient in many recipes. People use it to add vanilla flavor to baked goods. It also enhances the flavors of sugar, milk, eggs, etc. , similar to how salt enhances a steak’s flavor. Using vanilla can even help you get more comfortable with gluten-free baking if you have a gluten intolerance. As you get better at baking, vanilla beans or vanilla bean paste will probably show up in the list of ingredients. This raises the question; what is the difference between them?.
Vanilla extract is probably nothing new to you. It’s an essential ingredient in baking because of its flavor qualities. It’s easy to use, so it is the most popular way for bakers to use vanilla. However, it doesn’t provide as intense a flavor. That’s why bakers use paste and whole vanilla beans in certain foods. To make vanilla extract, you must soak vanilla beans in alcohol which extracts the flavor. The extract is a liquid and doesn’t add visual appeal to your food. It is only to enhance flavor.
It’s important to note that vanilla extract must contain at least 25% alcohol in order to be considered an extract. Anything less than that is just a flavor and not an extract. To make their products taste like vanilla, some brands use artificial flavoring; however, real vanilla beans are not in those brands. Always use vanilla extract or flavor made with real vanilla beans to get the best taste in your baked goods.
Before talking about paste, let’s first talk about beans. What makes each species of vanilla bean taste a little different is the type of plant it comes from and where it is grown. They add vanilla flavor to frosting, sauces, syrups, ice cream, drinks, and many other desserts and dishes, no matter where they are grown. Another benefit of using vanilla beans is that they will add vanilla specks to the food. But vanilla is the second most expensive spice, and whole beans can be expensive and take a long time to use. So, people started making a paste to make recipes that call for a whole bean easier to follow.
Vanilla bean paste is used by bakers instead of vanilla beans in recipes that need the look, feel, and taste of real vanilla beans. We make vanilla bean paste with double-strength extract, ground vanilla bean specks, sugar, and natural thickeners. It has the consistency of honey despite the name paste. If you want vanilla to stand out, you can get vanilla specks by using vanilla bean paste. This will show that you’re using real, high-quality vanilla.
There are still plenty of reasons to use whole vanilla beans. Vanilla beans are what you need to make vanilla extract or vanilla sugar from a vanilla bean pod that you have left over. Still, in most cases, vanilla bean paste is a great option to make baking simpler. It can be fun to use a vanilla bean if you haven’t done it before, so keep them on the baking shelf of your pantry.
As a home baker, I’m always seeking out new ingredients and techniques to take my treats to the next level. Lately, I’ve noticed vanilla bean paste popping up in more and more recipes. This intriguing ingredient piqued my interest, so I decided to do some digging to find out exactly what it is and how to use it.
In this article, I’ll share everything I learned in my vanilla bean paste exploration. Read on to discover what sets vanilla bean paste apart from extract, how to incorporate it into both sweet and savory recipes, helpful usage tips, and more!
What is Vanilla Bean Paste?
Vanilla bean paste is a thick, concentrated vanilla product made from vanilla bean pods. It consists of vanilla bean seeds soaked in vanilla extract, resulting in an ultra-vanilla flavor The vanilla bean seeds give the paste a speckled appearance and add to its intense flavor.
The paste has a smooth, spoonable texture almost like softened butter. It is tan in color with tiny brown vanilla bean flecks throughout. The flavor is complex, robust, and undeniably vanilla.
Vanilla bean paste differs from vanilla extract in a few key ways:
- It contains vanilla bean seeds, while extract does not.
- It has a thicker, spreadable consistency compared to thin, liquidy extract.
- It provides a more intense and multifaceted vanilla flavor.
- It’s easier to evenly distribute throughout a recipe.
Now that you know exactly what vanilla bean paste is let’s look at the myriad ways it can be used to enhance your culinary creations.
Sweet Uses for Vanilla Bean Paste
Vanilla bean paste really shines in desserts, pastries, and other sweet treats. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
Bake it into cakes, cookies, and more
Just like vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste can be incorporated into cake, cookie, brownie, muffin, quick bread, and pancake batters. Use it in place of extract at a 1:1 ratio. The paste disperses evenly throughout batters and infuses baked goods with extra vanilla oomph.
Fold it into buttercream frosting
Adding vanilla bean paste to buttercream or cream cheese frosting results in a beautifully speckled look and intense vanilla flavor. Use 1-2 tablespoons per batch of frosting.
Swirl it into ice cream
Homemade ice cream is taken to new heights with vanilla bean paste swirled in before churning or freezing. The vanilla bean flecks look stunning against the icy cream. Start with 1-2 tablespoons per quart of ice cream base.
Flavor vanilla custards and puddings
For exceptional vanilla custards, puddings, crème brûlée, and pots de crème, replace the vanilla extract with paste. Whisk just 1-2 teaspoons into the dairy base before cooking.
Boost vanilla syrups
Infuse simple syrup or other flavor syrups like caramel or pumpkin spice syrup with vanilla bean paste. Just 1 teaspoon per cup of syrup does the trick. Use to flavor drinks, sweeten pancakes, or drizzle over cakes.
Spread it in crepes and pancakes
In place of powdered sugar, spread a thin layer of vanilla bean paste inside sweet crepes or on top of pancakes and waffles before topping with fruit, whipped cream, or other fillings.
Make marshmallows and meringues
For next-level marshmallows or meringues, replace 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract with paste in your recipe. The vanilla flecks make these light treats even more interesting.
Savory Uses for Vanilla Bean Paste
While best known in sweets, vanilla bean paste can also add an unexpected depth of flavor to savory recipes like:
Seafood
Stir a small amount of paste into seafood chowders, bisques, sauces, or broths. It enhances the creamy base while letting the seafood flavors shine.
Pork and chicken
Rub savory pork and chicken with a blend of vanilla bean paste, herbs, oil, and spices before roasting. The vanilla highlights the meaty flavors.
Oatmeal and yogurt
For a touch of sweetness in otherwise plain savory oatmeal or yogurt, mix in a teaspoon or two of vanilla bean paste.
Salad dressings and vinaigrettes
Whisk a bit of paste into the emulsified base of homemade dressings and vinaigrettes. It adds warmth and texture.
Beans and legumes
Stir paste into pots of beans, lentils, or chickpeas while cooking to impart a hint of vanilla aroma.
Helpful Tips for Using Vanilla Bean Paste
Through testing vanilla bean paste in a variety of recipes, I discovered some useful tips for handling this versatile ingredient:
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Always use an inert utensil like a wooden spoon or silicone spatula when measuring out paste to avoid discoloration.
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Make sure to stir paste well before using, as the vanilla seeds can separate and settle.
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When baking, add paste to batters at the end of the mixing process so the seeds don’t get over-incorporated.
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Add paste slowly and taste as you go when using in frostings and glazes – a little goes a long way.
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Opt for paste over extract when speckles are visually desired, like in ice cream or custards.
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Store unused paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator to prevent drying out.
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If a recipe calls for a vanilla bean, you can substitute 2-3 teaspoons of paste for one bean.
With these tips in mind, you can seamlessly incorporate vanilla bean paste into all sorts of recipes.
Vanilla Bean Paste vs. Vanilla Extract
Now that you know how to use it, you may be wondering when to choose vanilla bean paste over good old vanilla extract. Here are a few reasons why paste can be preferable:
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You want visible vanilla bean specks in a recipe.
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You prefer a rounded, nuanced vanilla flavor over one-note extract.
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You don’t want to fuss with splitting and scraping a whole vanilla bean.
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Your recipe already includes a vanilla bean, and you want to layer in more vanilla flavor.
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You don’t have any vanilla beans on hand.
Of course, traditional vanilla extract is irreplaceable in many recipes. But vanilla bean paste is an excellent option when you desire extra vanilla oomph.
Where to Buy Vanilla Bean Paste
Thanks to its popularity, vanilla bean paste has become widely available at grocery stores and online:
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Find it in the baking aisle at well-stocked supermarkets, often near vanilla extract.
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Specialty baking supply shops like Sur La Table carry paste in stores and online.
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Order from online outlets like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Williams Sonoma, and specialty vanilla bean retailers.
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Check farmer’s markets and local spice shops for artisan-made pastes.
With vanilla bean paste accessible at so many retailers, it’s easy to get your hands on this versatile vanilla product.
Time to Experiment with Vanilla Bean Paste
Home cooks and bakers shouldn’t be intimidated by vanilla bean paste – it’s simple to use and opens up a world of opportunities for infusing recipes with extra vanilla flavor and visual appeal.
I encourage you to try swapping paste for extract in your go-to recipes to discover just how much it enhances the vanilla presence. Get creative and come up with your own ways to incorporate its complex flavor and pretty speckles. Vanilla bean paste will be your new secret weapon for elevating both sweet and savory dishes!
How and When to Use Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Bean Paste
Vanilla is used to give baked goods a smooth vanilla flavor and to make other things, like sugar, milk, eggs, and other ingredients, taste better. Vanilla is truly beautiful when it mixes with other ingredients to make the flavors stronger. When you bake, you should never skip adding vanilla.
People use vanilla extract for simple recipes such as cookies, cupcakes, and vanilla cakes. If you want to make something more complicated, like ice cream, frosting, pudding, crème brulee, or something with a thicker consistency, you might use vanilla bean paste instead. ,. ). Do you remember cakes, ice cream, or panna cotta that had little black spots on them? That’s because the seeds of a vanilla bean were used? Vanilla bean paste is a cheaper and more effective way to get those classic specks in your desserts.
The main difference between vanilla bean paste and extract is that paste is thick, like honey, and has tiny vanilla bean seeds in it. It’s usually used for desserts that need a thicker consistency or that want to look like vanilla beans. Vanilla extract is a liquid and does not contain any of the specks from a vanilla bean. It’s more commonly used for home baking and will be the first choice for most recipes.
Vanilla Bean, Extract and Paste Equivalencies
If the recipe uses vanilla beans, it will likely call for ½ to one entire vanilla bean. If you choose to use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla bean seeds, you need to know how much to use. 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. So one grade-A vanilla bean will be the equivalent of 3 tsp. or 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract.
Vanilla bean paste can be used to flavor smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, and pancakes, as well as make desserts taste even better. Let’s say you want to make your favorite foods look really good. In that case, vanilla bean paste is perfect for you.
How I Use Vanilla Bean Paste
FAQ
How much vanilla bean paste to use instead of extract?
Is vanilla bean paste better than extract?
Do you refrigerate vanilla bean paste?
Can I use vanilla paste in coffee?
How do you use vanilla bean paste?
The overall flavor in vanilla bean paste is slightly less intense than whole vanilla beans (because it spends time on the shelf), but it still packs a powerful punch. How to Use: Like vanilla extract, add 1 to a few teaspoons of vanilla bean paste to your favorite baked goods and pastry recipes.
What is a substitute for vanilla extract?
The healthiest choice is vanilla blossom, but other good cooking options are almond extract, maple syrup, lemon or orange zest, and honey.
Can I use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract?
Easy. Use the same amount as you would of vanilla extract. Or, if you have a recipe that calls for a vanilla bean pod, substitute one tablespoon vanilla bean paste. I like to use vanilla bean paste in recipes where the flecks will really show, like pound cake, vanilla ice cream, pudding, crème brulee, etc.
What is vanilla bean paste used for?
Vanilla bean paste can also be used to flavor beverages. Whether you’re making a latte, a smoothie, or a cocktail, a small amount of vanilla bean paste can add a delicious and aromatic vanilla flavor. You can stir it into hot or cold beverages, and it dissolves easily, so you don’t have to worry about it leaving a gritty texture in your drink.