Once you've tasted vanilla paste in baked goods, you'll never want to go back! Let me show you how my quick and easy vanilla bean paste recipe will elevate your own treats at home with intense vanilla flavor for bakery-style results.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my bourbon vanilla extract, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Simple to Make - You don't need any specialty tools or chef-level techniques to make your own vanilla paste. This recipe for homemade vanilla bean paste comes together quickly and is ready to use right away!
True Vanilla Flavor - Because vanilla bean paste is more concentrated and made up of actual vanilla beans, you can taste and see the difference vs. vanilla extract! And a little goes a long way.
👉🏾 Over many years of home cooking, I've learned that homemade basics really make a difference in our meals. Check out my Creole seasoning recipe, easy cherry jam, or orange juice salad dressing next!
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What You'll Need for this Recipe
Vanilla Beans, of course! Use fresh-packed, whole vanilla beans that are still moist for the best results. Dried vanilla beans will need a bit of rehydrating, so I prefer to use them when making vanilla extract instead.
Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans are widely considered the standard for making paste; however, you can use what is most accessible to you. I've had great results with Ugandan, Mexican, and Tahitian vanilla beans.
Bourbon Whiskey acts as a preservative to keep the paste shelf stable. And since this is a flavor enhancer, I recommend using the good stuff!
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
No Alcohol - Food-grade vegetable glycerin is a common alternative to making vanilla paste with alcohol.
Other Types of Alcohol - You can actually use any kind of whiskey, not just bourbon. Or you can use vodka, rum, or cognac. I don't recommend using gin, tequila, mezcal, or any liqueurs because the flavors don't jive as well.
Sweetener - I like to use brown sugar because it adds a subtle bit of molasses flavor; however, you can use what you prefer, including honey or agave, granulated sugar, or even a sugar-free option like stevia.
How to Make Easy Vanilla Bean Paste
- Step 1: Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse until a thick paste forms.
- Step 2: Transfer to an airtight container to store.
Pro Tip #1
Using the whole vanilla bean pods reduces waste, but they do have a coarser texture, so I recommend pausing and scraping down the sides of the carafe, then repeating the blending process a couple of times to get the mixture nice and smooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark pantry or cupboard. Do not refrigerate or freeze, as this will make the paste stiff and can introduce condensation to the container. Be sure to stir before use if you notice any crystallization, and seal the container tightly between uses. Keeps for up to a year.
How to Use Vanilla Bean Paste in Recipes
Vanilla paste is excellent anywhere you would use vanilla flavoring--from desserts like cakes, cookies, and ice cream to mixing up cocktails or coffee drinks--just mix it in as you would any extract.
It's fantastic in frostings where you can really see the vanilla bean flecks, like my brown butter carrot cake's cream cheese frosting. And I love the taste and aroma it adds to cozy stewed apples!
Vanilla bean paste vs. vanilla extract conversion: I recommend using about ¾ as much vanilla paste as vanilla extract because the flavor is stronger.
More Favorite Vanilla Bean Paste Uses in Cooking
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you'll enjoy this recipe for making vanilla bean paste soon and very soon. And sharing is caring, so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Easy Vanilla Bean Paste Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Blender or food processor
- 1 airtight container
Ingredients
- 3.5 ounces vanilla beans
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup bourbon whiskey or other whiskey, rum, cognac, or vodka
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the carafe of a blender or food processor, then cover and pulse until a paste starts to form.3.5 ounces vanilla beans, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup bourbon whiskey
- Pause the blending process, then open and scrape down the sides of the carafe. Cover and resume blending. Repeat this step until the paste is smooth, thick, and uniform.
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