Vanilla vs French Vanilla: The Ultimate Guide to Vanilla Ice Cream (2024)

FAQs

Vanilla vs French Vanilla: The Ultimate Guide to Vanilla Ice Cream? ›

The main difference between vanilla and French vanilla ice cream is the addition of egg yolks in French vanilla ice cream. This gives French vanilla ice cream a richer, creamier texture and more complex vanilla flavor. Vanilla ice cream, on the other hand, has a simpler flavor and a lighter texture.

What makes French vanilla “French” is that the base for the ice cream contains egg yolks, while the base for regular vanilla ice cream does not. The egg yolks lend a pale-yellow color to French vanilla ice cream and also gives it a richer, smoother consistency and mouthfeel.

French-style ice cream:

Ice cream made with an egg custard that's cooked and then completely chilled before churning. It takes more time and effort, but the results are ultra-rich, creamy, and delicious.

The “French” part of the name doesn't signify where the vanilla came from, as it does with Madagascar vanilla or Tahitian vanilla. It's actually a reference to vanilla custard. French vanilla cake mimics a custard flavor by including egg yolks in the batter, making it a rich yellow cake.

You have plain vanilla, french vanilla and vanilla bean. They all taste like vanilla with subtle differences. The vanilla bean is a stronger flavor (just like vanilla bean ice cream has a stronger flavor). Per Torani, the French Vanilla is more custard like in flavor.

Vanilla ice cream is made with vanilla extract, while vanilla bean ice cream uses vanilla beans to flavor it. French vanilla can be made with either vanilla extract or vanilla beans, but a double-strength vanilla extract will achieve a strong, rich, complex flavor without scraping vanilla beans.

The type of vanilla used to flavor ice cream varies by location. In North America and Europe consumers are interested in a more prominent, smoky flavor, while in Ireland, a more anise-like flavor is desired.

Vanilla beans, paste, and extracts have more depth of flavor than imitation vanilla, but many of those flavor notes break down at the high temperatures used during baking. For this reason, imitation vanilla is preferred by some bakers for cookies and cakes.

French Vanilla Flavor

Because of the egg yolks, French vanilla ice cream tastes richer and more custard-like than its yolk-free vanilla counterpart. While the French vanilla label technically only applies to ice cream, you'll find many products — coffee creamer, for example — marketed as French vanilla-flavored.

The main difference between vanilla and French vanilla lies in the ingredients used and the flavor profile. While vanilla is typically made with vanilla bean extract, French vanilla often contains egg yolks, which gives it a richer and creamier taste.

Does Starbucks use Torani? ›

They use there own brand of syrup. However my local starbuck also has a couple of Torani Syrup because of supply chain issues.

Madagascar vanilla beans work extremely well with apples, eggs, fish, ice cream, melon, milk, peaches, pears and strawberries. Mexican vanilla beans, from the genus planifolia, have a reputation for being the best vanilla beans in the world – vanilla did originate in this area so you shouldn't be surprised.

The closest thing Starbucks has to French Vanilla flavour is combining vanilla syrup and hazelnut syrup. You can do this for almost any drink, including lattes, mochas, frapps, and steamed milks.

Anna: French Vanilla is really unique because it's technically a custard flavor. This means we've added more egg yolks into the vanilla ice cream base itself. It's rich and thick, creamy, and more savory than our other vanillas, but still sweet.

The term French vanilla was originally used to describe a vanilla custard or ice cream made with cream, egg yolks and vanilla extract. The flavor French vanilla, in addition to vanilla extract contains hazelnut, caramel or butterscotch flavors as well as spice notes such as anise and cassia.

Because of the egg yolks, French vanilla ice cream typically has a creamy, yellowish color, where standard vanilla is more of a clean white color.

French ice cream is made with eggs so it's thick and custardy whereas American ice cream (also called Philadelphia-style) is made with sugar, milk and cream. I find French ice cream to be silkier and it doesn't develop nearly as many ice crystals as its little-bit-lighter cousin.