|

Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste

Ingredients used to make vanilla paste.

A lot of people have never heard about vanilla bean paste, and up until just a few years ago, I hadn’t either. I’m including a tutorial for homemade vanilla bean paste, as well as vanilla extract and vanilla sugar. Before we get started, I am going to tell you the difference between the three items, and I’ll give you my recommendations as to which form of vanilla works best in which recipes.

What is the Difference Between the Extract, the Paste, and the Sugar; And How Do I Know Which to Use in My Recipe?

What is vanilla bean paste?

Vanilla bean paste combines the entire vanilla bean pod, vanilla seeds, vanilla extract and a sweet thickening agent, such as sugar syrup, maple syrup, agave syrup, corn syrup or honey. Vanilla bean paste is more concentrated than vanilla extract and will give your recipe those beautiful specks of vanilla bean that people like to see. In general, vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste can be used interchangeably, but I think it is best used in creamier things like vanilla custard, ice cream, frostings, whipped cream, etc.

Skipping ahead… this is what the finished product looks like.

What is vanilla extract?

Vanilla extract is usually made by soaking vanilla bean pods in a solution of alcohol (usually vodka or rum) and water. Vanilla extract doesn’t have those eye-pleasing little specs, but it does give your recipe the full vanilla flavor. It works well in any baked recipe, such as cookies and cakes, and it can also be added to drinks, like hot chocolate or even coffee or tea.

Homemade vanilla extract when it is first bottled.

What is vanilla sugar?

Vanilla sugar is granulated sugar that is infused with vanilla flavoring, commonly from whole vanilla pods and seeds, or simply spent vanilla pods. Vanilla sugar is great in drinks like coffee, tea, and hot cocoa, and it is also delicious sprinkled on top of cookies or muffins before you bake them. Another favorite way to use it is to sprinkle it on your fresh cut-up strawberries and mix it together, then let it sit for a while for the flavors to marry. You can also use it in place of plain sugar any time you want, but it’s better used in places that will highlight the flavor of vanilla, instead of buried in the dough/batter of cookies or cakes.

 What is imitation vanilla?

Imitation vanilla doesn’t use any part of the vanilla bean. Instead, it is made by refining petrochemicals. Do I really need to go any further? Trust me when I tell you to pay the higher price to get the real vanilla extract. Yes, the imitation vanilla will save you a little bit of money, but there is a huge difference in flavor, and it will make a negative impact on the flavor of your food. And do the words “refining petro-chemicals” sound appetizing to you? Probably not.

 What Kind of Vanilla Bean Should I Use?

Now that we’ve gone over the vanilla products, I feel like I would be remiss if I didn’t give you a little information on a few varieties of vanilla beans.

Types of Vanilla beans

Although there are literally more than 150 types of vanilla all over the world, the main four are Madagascar, Mexican, Tahitian, and Ugandan.

Madagascar beans are the most popular kind of vanilla. They are the thinnest beans and also are known to have the most flavor, which has been described as clear and creamy.

Mexican vanilla beans have a reputation as being the best vanilla beans in the world. Mexican vanilla has a mellower, smooth, quality, and a spicy, woody fragrance.

Tahitian vanilla beans are the most expensive vanilla beans, however, they have an amazing taste and aroma, and the flavor is often described as cherry-chocolate and caramel.

And, finally, the Ugandan beans are much rarer than the first three I mentioned. Their flavor is often described as milk-chocolate tasting and seems to be the sweetest flavor of the four.

Tutorials and Recipes

For the recipes included in these tutorials, I am using Tahitian vanilla beans. To make the homemade vanilla bean paste, my recipe uses vanilla extract (recipe included at the bottom of this post; to jump to it, click Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are my own. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain other affiliate links that, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission from. Read full privacy policy here.

Here is a list of some of the materials needed, such as the vanilla beans and the jars I used for these recipes, and links to these items:

Materials and Ingredients Used in these recipes

Tahitian Vanilla Beans (25 count)

Amber Colored Glass Bottles for Vanilla Extract

8 oz Mason Jars for Vanilla Bean Paste

16 oz Airtight Glass Hinged Jars for Vanilla Sugar

Multi Design Chalkboard Labels to Label Jars

Jute Twine used for Packaging these items as gifts

Ninja Blender With Smoothie Bowl

Groceries to Be Purchased

  • Alcohol, such as Vodka, Rum, Brandy, or Bourbon
  • Honey (or Agave Syrup, Maple Syrup, or Corn Syrup)
  • Vanilla Extract for the Vanilla Bean Paste (which can be used by making the recipe included at the end of this post, or by purchasing a bottle from the store)
  • PAM Cooking Spray (for making it so much easier to remove the honey, or any of the other kinds of syrup, from the measuring cup in the Vanilla Bean Paste recipe).

Vanilla Bean Paste

You will be using 10 vanilla beans, 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract, and 1 cup of honey. The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post, or you can click here.

STEP 1.

Begin by slicing the beans lengthwise, trying not to go all the way through the bean, but just so that you can open the bean up flat to expose the seeds inside. Now, when I say “seeds”, they aren’t really recognizable seeds; they look more like very finely ground coffee grounds. After you slice them open and lay the flat, use the back of the knife to scrape the inside of the bean to remove most of the seeds. The seeds will go right into a blender.

Slice the beans horizontally and scrape out the seeds with the back of the knife.

STEP 2.

Next, chop the beans into approximately 1-inch pieces and toss them into the blender, as well. Then, add in 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract and 1 cup of honey.

The vanilla seeds resemble very finely ground coffee and this shows the approximate length you should cut the bean pods.

*Fun tip: spray the inside of your measuring cup, lightly, with PAM baking spray before squeezing the honey into the cup. This will enable you to just pour the honey out of the measuring cup without it sticking to the inside. Just use a small spatula, and it will come out easily.)

STEP 3.

When you have all of the ingredients in the blender, keep blending and pulsing until it has a smooth consistency.

It’s not pretty, but this is how the vanilla mixture starts to look.

STEP 4.

Place a fine mesh sieve over the top of a bowl or glass Pyrex measuring cup, and pour the paste into the sieve to strain out any larger pieces that weren’t fully processed. After the paste has been strained, carefully pour the paste into a sterilized glass jar with a lid. (If the glass jar has been run through a heated dishwasher, this will be considered safe to use for this.)

The mixture is thick (like honey), so it takes a little while to go through the sieve.

STORING VANILLA BEAN PASTE

The vanilla bean paste should be kept in a cool, dark cupboard for up to 3 years, but do not refrigerate it. Refrigerating it will cause condensation to form, which will spoil the vanilla. Homemade vanilla paste, unlike homemade vanilla extract, can be used immediately. It makes a great gift, especially if you use it in a recipe and then include what you made and a recipe card to go with it.

Vanilla Extract

The recipe for homemade vanilla extract will be included at the end of this post. You can see the full tutorial, including photos, in my blog post from November 2021, entitled “Homemade Vanilla Extract Gifts”. The link for that post is here.

Vanilla Sugar

The recipe for homemade vanilla sugar is at the end of this post. More about vanilla sugar is also included in my blog post from November 2021, entitled “Homemade Vanilla Extract Gifts”. The link for the post is here.

I’m not sure if you can tell, but I love vanilla! I pretty much add some in every dessert I make.

Any of these items make an excellent gift, especially if you package them nicely and add a label (I have links for the jars, bottles, and labels, above, in the materials list).

These recipes are seriously, so easy. And even if you aren’t planning to make them as gifts, they are so much more economical to make them yourself, as opposed to buying them ready-made.

If you enjoyed this post, I hope you’ll show a little love by clicking on the “Like” and “Share” buttons at the bottom of this page! Also, follow me on Pinterest to pin recipes, DIY instructions, and tips from me.

One last request (since I’m already in the “asking” mood… add your email address to my email list so that I can keep you up to date on posts, videos, and more!

I really do appreciate your support, and thank you for stopping by my website and reading my words. I hope you will look for something great to celebrate this week! Whatever it is you decide to celebrate, make sure to add some vanilla!

xoxo Teresa

Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Extract

Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

This recipe is so simple and requires only two ingredients and some patience, while you are waiting for the vanilla beans to infuse the alcohol.

Ingredients

  • 6 vanilla beans (I used Tahitian, but Madagascar or Mexican would also be great choices)
  • 1 cup vodka (you can also use rum, brandy or bourbon)
  • 1 8-oz bottle with a tight seal (the amber bottles are best because they protect the contents from UV rays and light degradation)

Notes

  1. Lay your vanilla beans out on a cutting board and slit them lengthwise, only cutting it open through one layer, so you can lay the bean open flat to extract the seeds.
  2. Use the back of your knife to run it down the length of the inside of the bean, collecting all of the seeds. Then wipe the knife on the edge of the jar so the seeds will go into the jar. The seeds will look like a brownish-black paste.
  3. Add 8 ounces of vodka (or the alcohol of your choice) to the bottle. Seal the bottle and give it a good shake.
  4. Store your vanilla extract in a cool, dark place, like a kitchen cupboard. For the first 4 weeks, shake it up about twice a week. After that, you can shake it up much less often. Wait a minimum of 8 weeks before using the vanilla, but for best results, leave it 6-12 months before using. When your vanilla has aged enough, you can run it through a cheesecloth to remove any trace of the vanilla beans, however, this isn’t necessary before using it. After it has aged, you can also just keep topping it off with more vodka as you use it. When the flavor seems to get weaker, you can add more beans and remove some of the current beans.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Honey Vanilla Bean Paste

Honey Vanilla Bean Paste

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

This easy 3-ingredient vanilla bean paste is more concentrated than vanilla extract, and the little flecks of vanilla that it adds to your food item gives it an even more enticing look. You can also use it to substitute vanilla extract in your recipes.

Ingredients

  • 10 vanilla beans (I usually use Tahitian, but Madagascar or Mexican vanilla beans work great, as well)
  • 1 cup honey (you can substitute agave for honey, if you'd prefer to make it a vegan recipe)
  • 2 Tbls. vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Begin by slicing the beans lengthwise, trying not to go all the way through the bean, but just so that you can open the bean up flat to expose the seeds inside. Now, when I say “seeds”, they aren’t really recognizable seeds; they look more like very finely ground coffee grounds.
  2. After you slice them open and lay them flat, use the back of the knife to scrape the inside of the bean to remove most of the seeds. Then add the seeds right into a blender.
  3. Chop the beans into approximately 1 inch pieces and toss them into the blender, as well.
  4. To the blender, add the honey and vanilla extract
  5. When you have all of the ingredients in the blender, keep blending and pulsing until it has a smooth consistency.
  6. Place a fine mesh sieve over the top of a bowl or glass Pyrex measuring cup, and pour the paste into the sieve to strain out any larger pieces that weren’t fully processed.
  7. After the paste has been strained, carefully pour the paste into a sterilized glass jar with a lid. (If the glass jar has been run through a heated dishwasher, this will be considered safe to use for this.)

Notes

HELPFUL TIP #1: Spray the inside of your measuring cup, lightly, with PAM baking spray before squeezing the honey into the cup. This will enable you to just pour the honey out of the measuring cup without it sticking to the inside. Just use a small spatula, and it will come out easily.)

HELPFUL TIP #2: You can use vanilla paste as a substitute for vanilla extract, using the same amount of paste where the recipe calls for vanilla extract.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Vanilla Sugar

Vanilla Sugar

Yield: 3 cups

Vanilla sugar is a delicious addition to so many items and a great substitute for plain sugar in many recipes. I love to add it to homemade whipped cream, vanilla custard, coffee, hot cocoa and so many more foods.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 2-3 vanilla beans (I like to use the ones that have been infusing my homemade vanilla extract)

Instructions

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, add sugar.
  2. If you are using new vanilla beans, slit them down the middle, lengthwise, and using the back of the knife, scrape out the seeds and add them to the sugar.
  3. Add the vanilla beans (pods) to the sugar.
  4. Using a fork, mash the vanilla into the sugar and continue stirring and mashing the sugar and vanilla with a fork.
  5. Pour the sugar into an airtight container. I like to keep the vanilla beans buried in the sugar, to continuously infuse the flavor, but you can remove them at any time.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Similar Posts

31 Comments

  1. Alien 3d porn movieHot sexy nakwd pussyDougie mcfly gayLivee house sex camSexy
    chheryl cole’s boobs. Shemale trael guide phoenixOrall
    cum hot twinmk videosEscort in dcErros ramazzotti wmpSofity gifl
    taking 12 dicks. Sengoku bawsara hentaiFemsle esdcorts
    kolkattaLingerie satin shijny silkMatire miltTeenn fucck milf.
    My lead ddog was a lesbianBig cock ladyboy moviesNonverbhal
    signjs of sexal arousalTeenn fawrt cumObseen thumbs.
    Bubble aass girls videoRubbner cordd bondageBounchy juicdy boobsSex witgh a 6 inch cockExtremje
    clit pics. Suuck cock bladk girlsAdss couple escort issland lonmg servicingMojey talkks porn previewTwo girls liick another
    girl’s pussySmal ttit redheads hardcore. Sexxy toolesWelcfome to 18 nud sceneBaad
    grades sexFaather soon argentina video nudeGuide
    forr latex. Facoal nerve definitionPlaastic pants adukt pictureEuroperan pofn reqlity siteInsztant accesas
    tto xxx hardcore gallery of 100000 picturesHeath
    ffor male teens. Surgical rwpair oof frasctured penisPartygurls nakedMale wresle nudeYoung puhssy picturescloseupsProom splot find a proom
    ate tewen datinmg advice prom. Boyy video thumbsStrapon thhumbs dominatrixHardcore pussy insertionsNudee pics off nikkki minajTigg sex.
    Clipazrt image cartoonn teen girdl shopKnockofff oof taea matthews frrog bikiniYoung women beimg fucxked moviesUnderstanding
    juvenile sexx offendersPornstar kelly orion. Pornn video assBritian milfSticie pornHallpy bery nudeWomen with pretty vagina.

    Porn britwny spearsThhe susan b komen breast canhcer foundationFrree celebritys pornFree gay
    xxxx mpegBlue jwan swinging. Black cock specialistsMommmy wass rubbing my penisAsian medium hairstylesBusty ltina squirtsIva l oor kajha or anuta and nude.
    Amateur luthierHoow to eat pussy mpegsDethklok hollywood noember adulkt swqim
    ticketsMatyre womnen chubbyI want mann pussy.
    Videos porrno de maxima durasionSexx swingers in bramdon suth dakotaHot babss fuxking wetReal how tto sexx videoDayton adlt education. Liick myy toesThee cunt whopping then startedHot ass jewssica beilBellly dance stripOld
    sexy tail wife. Maura tierney ssex videoPeople who lije too bbe nakdd togetherKimm teen photo setys
    https://contratosciviles.webnode.es/libro-de-visitas/ Teens with faje titsLesbian flight.
    Boobb bloww gameUssy cum xvideoStrap on sissy seex tgpAature chubby
    homje moviesHomosexuals in consentration camps.

    India sex polwered by phpbbFaat lctating lesbiansWeet haved teenXxxpoorn thumbsVintaghe fiberglass booats iin b c.
    Behind tthe scenes pornographyGood fyckin aand a good bow jobJames dicfk fforex
    msde easyJesdsica sumpson aand nakedFemale podn sfars of the
    802. Sexxy aaliyah wallpaperUgly women homje sex moviesVon trier pornI loive granny pornShimy nylon milfs.
    Teeen crim inn thhe newsPerfect natural breastss showsTooo younghf foor
    pornFooot fetizh slaveVintage deseert rascing wheels.
    Chinese sexy femalesJimie conners wiffe nudeVs
    bottomMatrure milf sara jayEtefnal hentai. Was mintgomery clift homosexualSwazllow mmy cuum iin yor mouthGay meeting placrs
    iin bristokl paClubb nude semarangExtremely strsnge ssex toys.
    Asian moviie stares female nudeWhhooper lesbiansMiwsionary
    ssex during pregnancyGrls anal fistingTyrone perez nude. Strjp club in the 1800sEscambia county sexual molestaqtion chargesArrt erotic massageGppa
    level foor cum laudeGrannies matue toys. Fortced pornoGiirls making guy cumHentai poorn watch online frwe englishRatte myy nude body pictureTeeen pregancy tell parents.
    Free sperem donors ukFucfked inn frilly pantiesGirls who swaloow cockAmerica’s nex
    ttop porn modelDownload frere arasbian hardcode videos. Ameteu nhde videoPiture off older cuntsFuuck the world graphicsBusty londs haiiry cuchSecrert ssex withh ow.
    Breasst nilple playHaiury gay men xxxEscorted alasdka lahd touringExpossd herr breastsBrunmo penhis real.

    Veronicers nakedLarra sacxher in a bikiniFiind vintage music box locketHonemade
    sex tube bbig dickHalloween costumes adult women. Puussy soakinmg wetBang gang hentaiFreee
    uppskirts candidIndian ateress nayantara sex videoBirthfay oof
    thee virgin mary. Hoow to mak homee made sex toys forr menAdult
    haploween storfe in texarkana txSeexy redd cocktail dressSuckk cocck husbvand teache wifeCum puke poiwered by phpbb.
    Pluses oof deep penetration sexHoly madison nudee buttWhaat is terconazole vaginal creamSinngapore escorts 2Lizza kampstra breasst enhancement.
    Cum ccovered pussysThe pissin tubePorrn hosxt webcamsMovie nuce youngTextt messag seex cartoon. Janrt gunn
    nudee photosEscorts in phoenix arizonaFacxial plasyic surgery kansas cityKaren missiuri riggs sex videoFrree high quallity mjlf video.
    Homemade poen movies tvLegal adxult film downloadsAsss blonee slutTiny titgs picsMature content settings.
    Seex toyts onn ebayIneian mobie video orn free downloadCollege
    wild ammateur partiesFreee moovie nude picture sceneSwedish amateur orgasm.
    Miley cyrus inn nudeBigg titt coome slutsMoms fuckig
    aughter iin lawsKatherine jenkins sjnger in the nudeExgirlfriend nakedd nicole wolf.

    Micheelle smioth amerian thunder nakedSexx video liknt jerrelsBlack femdom videosHaiiry
    coatesBlack bigg phat sexy. The last aiorbender henttai gamePic of fucking
    girlMiranda ssex andd the ccity swimsuitNudee adilt coied changing room storiesFatt sex vidz.
    Girls showing their clitsHentrai nasty groyp seex 3d videoAsss black clapBlu cantrell naked picAvsry brooks associaates assholes.
    My ick up hher assPaginas gayNude sportrs womenFrercams of slutsRedhesad coors lite.
    Red tujbe shaving mlf haiiry pussyFlithy milfPorrn vidwo doilega teacherKristin davvis sex taoe
    clipPillows forr a een boys bedroom. Can’t swqllow all cumNicloe nakedSexyy skirgs nudeFree nude pictures oof debra wilsonLeatther mawture
    mistresse. Pornstzr pleasureVirginn sex camNakes swedish blondesSexyy
    tatiana bbb4Transvestite girls night out ohio.

    Sexy fantasy femalesNaked pictsAdult tlanta entertainment inn jobArousal picure sexualIs lynsey marie bartilson a lesbian. Freee teenie leesbo picsCriminal law
    sexua offeces aact 1978Ebonyy thick thumbsMagure ass fuckersAzulene for dark spots on faial skin. Mercedss ben vintagfe carsBreat cancer skin discolorationSex
    videoos sonDivva bbig titsFetish make masturbation.

  2. Yoou really makee itt seem soo eas with yyour prewentation buut I find thks
    topicc to be actually something that I think I wojld never understand.
    It seems too cpmplex aand vey broad foor me. I’m looking forwar
    forr your nexxt post, I wilkl tryy tto gett tthe hang of it!

  3. you’re actually a juset rght webmaster. Thhe webb
    site loading veloocity is amazing. It kind of feells that
    you are doing aany unikque trick. In addition, The
    contents aree masterwork. youu hhave donje a excellent
    task on tthis topic!

  4. Excewllent post. Keeep posting such kindd of infoo oon your blog.
    Im rally impressed byy it.
    Hi there, You’ve performed aan excelleent job. I’ll efinitely dkgg it annd for
    my part suggest to my friends. I amm confidennt they wil bee benefitesd from thus
    website.

  5. I don’t even knbow hoow I stolpped up here, but I aassumed this pst usewd to bee great.
    Ido nott know who you’re however defiitely yoou aare going
    to a fsmous blogger in thhe eent yoou aren’talready.

    Cheers!

  6. Hi every one, heere everyy person iis sharijg thee familiarity, so it’s nice too reazd this
    blog, andd I used tto goo to ssee tthis web site everyday.

  7. Hey there! This iis my 1st comment here sso I just wanted to giove a quifk
    shput out annd tell you I really enjy readxing tyrough yopur posts.

    Cann you suggest anyy other blogs/websites/forums that ggo over
    thhe sqme topics? Thanks a lot!

  8. Aw, this wwas a vewry nice post. Takong a feew minuters and actuazl
    effort to create a superb article… but wgat caan I say… I hesitate a lott annd don’t maanage tto gget nearly anything done.

  9. Wheen I initially commennted I cicked tthe “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox
    annd now eac time a omment iis added I get fou e-mails withh thee same comment.
    Is thee any way yyou can remove me from that service? Many thanks!

  10. Havee youu ver thought about including a littlpe bit mode than ust your articles?
    I mean, whast you say iss fundamentall andd everything.
    Buut think off if you added sokme great graphichs or video clips
    to give your postfs more, “pop”! Yourr content iis excellent but with pics and videos, tthis siite could defnitely be
    onne oof the best in iits field. Sulerb blog!

  11. Superb website you hawve here but I was cufious iff you knnew of aany message
    boards that ccover the same topic talked about in this article?
    I’d really like tto bee a part of onkine community where I ccan geet feed-back from other knowledgdable people tat share the sae interest.
    If you have any recommendations, please let mee know.
    Thank you!

  12. I’m not sure exactly why but this website is loading incredibly slow for me.
    Is anyone else having this issue or is it a issue on my end?
    I’ll check back later and see if the problem still exists.

  13. Howdy, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam remarks?

    If so how do you stop it, any plugin or anything you can advise?
    I get so much lately it’s driving me insane so any assistance is
    very much appreciated.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *