The vanilla guide
Vanilla bean paste
For when you want the little black specks of a real vanilla bean without splitting one.
Vanilla bean paste is a thick syrup made of vanilla extract, vanilla seeds and a sweet thickener such as sugar syrup. It has the flavour of extract and the visible specks of a fresh bean, and you use it spoon for spoon in place of vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon of paste replaces 1 teaspoon of extract, and 1 tablespoon replaces about one vanilla bean.
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Vanilla bean paste vs vanilla extract
| Vanilla bean paste | Vanilla extract | |
|---|---|---|
| Texture | Thick, like honey | Thin liquid |
| Seeds | Full of visible vanilla seeds | None |
| Strength | Same as extract, spoon for spoon | Same as paste, spoon for spoon |
| Best for | Custards, ice cream, crème brûlée, frosting, whipped cream | Cakes, cookies, dark batters, anywhere specks will not show |
| Keeps | Several months to a year, closed and cool | Years |
Use paste where people will see the vanilla. In a chocolate cake, the specks disappear, so extract does the same job for less.
How to make vanilla bean paste
Homemade vanilla bean paste
You need
- 4 vanilla beans
- 60 ml (¼ cup) vanilla extract
- 60 ml (¼ cup) light honey, glucose syrup or light corn syrup
Nutrition (estimate): 16 calories and 3 g sugar per 1 teaspoon. The recipe makes about 24 servings.
Method
Scrape the seeds
Split the beans lengthwise and scrape out all the seeds.
Blend the pods
Chop the empty pods as finely as you can, or blitz them with the extract in a small blender, then strain out the fibres.
Stir it together
Stir the seeds, the extract and the syrup together until the seeds are spread evenly.
Jar it
Spoon into a small clean jar, close it, and keep it somewhere cool and dark. Stir before using.
Substitutes for vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon paste = 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you lose the specks, not the flavour).
- 1 tablespoon paste = the seeds of 1 vanilla bean.
- 1 teaspoon paste = about 1 small sachet (8 g) of real vanilla sugar, less a little of the recipe’s sugar.
Questions
Does vanilla bean paste contain alcohol?
Usually a little, because most pastes are made with vanilla extract. Check the label if you need to avoid alcohol completely; some brands use glycerine instead.
Does vanilla bean paste need to go in the fridge?
No. Keep it closed in a cool, dark cupboard. The fridge can make it stiff and harder to spoon.
Is vanilla bean paste worth it?
For recipes where vanilla is the main flavour and you want to see it, yes. For everyday baking, extract is cheaper and tastes the same.
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