Is vanilla powder better than vanilla extract?

You're familiar with vanilla extract, but what about vanilla powder? Made from vanilla beans, vanilla powder has a more intense vanilla flavor than vanilla extract and can be used not only in baking recipes but as a natural sweetener. The purest form of vanilla powder comes from vanilla beans.

What vanilla do professional bakers use?

Best for Baking: Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract . Best for Using Raw: Singing Dog Pure Vanilla Extract. Best with Beans: Heilala Alcohol-Free Pure Vanilla with Seeds. Best for Beginners: Watkins Organic Pure Vanilla Extract.

Which is better baking vanilla or vanilla extract?

If you're baking, imitation vanilla extract is a great substitute for pure vanilla extract . However, if you're making icing, pudding, creams, or a no-bake dessert, artificial vanilla can sometimes have a bitter aftertaste, so experts recommend sticking to pure vanilla extract.

What is powdered vanilla used for?

The clean, potent flavor of vanilla powder makes it a great addition to dry mixes—think just-add-butter-and-eggs cookie, cake, or waffle bases—or as a powdered sugar substitute for coating just-fried doughnuts or sifting over cake .

What is the best form of vanilla?

Bourbon vanilla beans are the most popular type of vanilla, resulting from their clear and creamy flavor and the fact that Madagascar is the world's top producer of vanilla. These vanilla beans are the thinnest of the four types and also have the most flavor.

Is it worth buying expensive vanilla extract?

If you use vanilla regularly in baked goods like cookies and cakes, there's no reason to spring for the fancy stuff, or even the real stuff—artificial extract will do just fine. If you drink a lot of nog or make uncooked ice cream bases or cold desserts like panna cotta, you might consider buying real extract.

Why is French vanilla better than vanilla?

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.

How do you bake vanilla to make your house smell good?

Put a drop of vanilla extract on your light bulbs. Then when you turn them on, the bulb heats up, making your home smell like fresh-baked treats. Same idea, different method: Put a couple teaspoons of vanilla in a mug and bake at 300 degrees for an hour .

Is vanilla powder any good?

Vanilla powder is pure, unadulterated vanilla bean, and lends so much flavor to anything you're baking. Since extracts use alcohol as carriers for the aroma, most of the high heat of the baking process evaporates the alcohol (and the flavor along with it).

How long can you keep vanilla powder?

Vanilla Powder Frequently Asked Questions Vanilla powder will last for up to two years in a cool, dry place, out of light.

Is vanilla powder healthy?

Studies have shown that vanilla flavour can promote mental clarity, reduce mental fatigue and improve cognitive performance . Adding vanilla to your diet or using it in personal care products can provide valuable support for brain function.

What is healthier than vanilla extract?

You can replace vanilla extract with almond extract at a 1:1 ratio. That means, replace every 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of vanilla extract in the recipe with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of almond extract.

Why Vanilla Powder Is Better Than Vanilla Extract, According to Professional Bakers (2024)

If you're an avid home baker, it might be time to stock vanilla powder in your pantry. Also known as vanilla bean powder and ground vanilla, vanilla powder is essentially whole vanilla beans that have been dried and processed into a powder. The ingredient might seem elusive at first, but with some practice and creativity, it could be just what you need to add warmth and flavor to baked goods and desserts. We spoke to experts to learn what makes vanilla powder so popular with professional bakers.

Our Guide to the Different Types of Sugar Available at the Grocery Store

Why Vanilla Powder Is Better Than Vanilla Extract, According to Professional Bakers (1)

Vanilla Powder vs. Vanilla Extract vs. Whole Vanilla Beans

How is vanilla powder different than the vanilla extract or vanilla beans you already have in your kitchen?

Vanilla Powder vs. Vanilla Extract

The two ingredients differ in terms of medium—and therefore, how their flavors incorporate into a recipe. Essentially, vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in a medium of clear alcohol. This infuses the alcohol with vanilla flavor, resulting in vanilla extract. And while its liquid form makes extract easy to add to recipes, it also increases your risk of losing flavor.

The reason? Alcohol evaporates at high temperatures, including those used during baking, says Robert Norman, vanilla specialist at chocolate and vanilla company Beyond Good. This means some of the vanilla flavor will be lost in the oven. On the other hand, vanilla powder isn't carried in a medium. It's nothing more than powdered vanilla beans, so the ingredient (and ultimately, flavor) isn't at the mercy of a liquid like alcohol.

Vanilla Powder vs. Vanilla Beans

When bakers buy whole vanilla beans, the most expensive form of vanilla, they are typically only using the seeds. The whole bean is used to make ground vanilla, which minimizes waste—something that Nik Sharma, author of The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking, really appreciates. "It takes about three years to grow a [vanilla] bean," he says. "The pollination is typically done by hand."

Vanilla powder is also easier to use than vanilla beans.

When to Use Vanilla Powder

Ground vanilla is a versatile ingredient—but these are the best ways to use it, according to our experts.

In High-Heat Recipes

Since vanilla powder isn't carried in a medium that easily evaporates, it's ideal for high-heat recipes. "When you cook or bake with pure ground vanilla, you don't need to worry about losing flavor [through heat and evaporation]," Norman says.

For example, if you were to heat vanilla powder in a dairy (or dairy alternative) ingredient for something like an ice cream base, pudding, or custard, the heat will infuse the dairy with vanilla's flavor compounds—rather than making them evaporate. Or, if you add vanilla powder to a cake batter or cookie dough, "its flavor is incorporated throughout in the same way any other ground spice would be," says Norman.

For the Look

Vanilla powder is also excellent if you want to visually emphasize the ingredient in a recipe. Typically, this approach will manifest in the form of toppings or coatings, such as doughnuts tossed with a sugar and vanilla powder mixture, says Sandra Palmer, chef-instructor of pastry and baking arts at the Institute of Culinary Education.

Similarly, if you're making vanilla bean marshmallows or vanilla ice cream, adding ground vanilla will visually highlight the flavor and effort of the recipe, she explains. In turn, those enjoying the treat will be able to "taste with their eyes" and anticipate how wonderful the flavor will be. "Using it in frostings, cakes, or meringues always gives a more elevated look," says food stylist Molly Wenk.

To Balance or Elevate All Kinds of Flavors

Vanilla powder can also be added to a savory spice mix to help round out other flavors, says Palmer. "It can play a lovely background role of balancing sharper notes like ginger and cardamom," she says. The ingredient pairs particularly well with sweet potatoes and pumpkins, says Norman—"and a little bit can create depth in stews and sauces." Additionally, if you eat meat, you can add ground vanilla to your favorite dry rub, he adds. Try rubbing salt, black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne, and a bit of pure ground vanilla onto pork chops the night before you prepare them.

Finally, if you simply want to elevate the vanilla notes of your creations, the ingredient might be just what you need. Try combining the powder and extract to amplify the warmth of vanilla in your favorite recipes.

Substituting Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Powder

Naturally, sweets like frosting and cookies are prime candidates for ground vanilla—but typically call for extract. As mentioned, you can use powder alongside extract or as a substitute, depending on the flavor profile you'd like to achieve. To utilize it as a vanilla extract substitute, use about half by volume to start, suggests Palmer. If possible, do a test batch so you can determine the best ratio for your specific recipe.

Shopping for Ground Vanilla

In any form, vanilla is an ingredient that is challenging to produce in terms of time, labor, and cost. "As with most other specialty ingredients, it's important to know where and how your vanilla is sourced," says Wenk. "Ideally you are buying from a company that has high ethical standards and protects its workers and environment." Sharma agrees, citing climate change as a factor that heavily impacts vanilla production.

Be sure to pay close attention to labels and source the best you can find. "There's a substantial difference between vanilla extract or vanilla powder and vanilla flavoring," says Wenk. "You always want to go with the real thing if you can."