Vanilla paste is a fantastic thing to have on hand in your spices and herb collection because you can substitute it for vanilla extract, and the flavor is better. It can get expensive, so learning how to make vanilla paste from vanilla beans for food and drinks can save you a lot of money over time. This is my homemade vanilla bean paste recipe, plus tips on how you can DIY it to make a batch for yourself.
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Vanilla paste vs. vanilla extract.
Vanilla bean paste can be substituted one-to-one for vanilla extract. You can also use these beans to make vanilla extract, but that takes time. Typically, you split the beans, put them in vodka, and let them sit anywhere from six to twelve months for the flavor to fully develop. I want something I can use right away, so paste is the better option. While it does benefit from sitting for about a month to mellow and deepen, grinding everything together lets you start using it right away.
One of the reasons I love vanilla paste is that it includes the seeds, which look beautiful in baked goods and give a strong, rich vanilla flavor. Today I’m using ten beans to see how much paste I get. This Vanilla Bean Kings brand come in larger quantities like 25 or 50, but I wanted to test it out with a smaller amount first to get a feeling of how much I would be able to make from the smallest amount.
Which beans to use to make vanilla paste.
I also need to point out the difference between high-quality beans and what you usually find at the grocery store. Store-bought beans often come one to a jar and are not Grade A. They tend to be dry and hard to scrape. The bean that I bought at the store would be useless in making vanilla paste, so don’t try this with the ones that you get at the grocery store in jars.
The Vanilla Bean Kings beans I’m using are Grade A, which means they’re plump, soft, and oily, with a lot of moisture in them. You can actually feel the oils on your hands, which is exactly what you want. Compared side by side, the difference is obvious.
Normally, you’d split a vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds for baking, or soak the split pods in vodka for extract. My professional baking book says that to make vanilla extract, you should chop and split the beans, soak them in vodka for a few months, strain them, and then add two whole split beans back in.
For paste, though, I’m grinding everything up so nothing goes to waste, and the flavor is available right away. The paste won’t last as long as extract, but it will keep for up to three years if stored in a dry place. It’s important not to refrigerate it, since moisture can affect the texture and shelf life.
Vanilla paste recipe that I used.
There are a lot of vanilla paste recipes online, and some don’t use vodka, while others substitute vanilla extract. Since extract already contains alcohol, it doesn’t really avoid that issue. I’ve also seen glycerin used, but I’m cautious about how that might affect baked goods. I recommend finding a recipe you’re comfortable with and following your blender’s instructions for the order of ingredients. You can adjust the amount of sugar if you don’t want as much, the important part is the liquids and the vanilla beans.
The recipe that I used:
- 10 vanilla beans cut into small pieces
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 3 Tbsp corn syrup
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
Using a small, high-speed blender (I used the Oster personal blender here: Oster Blender #ad), mix up the ingredients EXCEPT FOR THE XANTHAM GUM for a couple of minutes to make sure that everything is completely ground up. When it’s all ground, sprinkle the gum on top and blend for another 30 seconds. Store in an airtight jar in a dark, dry area at room temperature. Don’t store in the fridge because it can absorb moisture there.
You don’t have to use the Xanthan gum, but it will help to thicken the mixture and make it into a paste, not a liquid. It helps keep the seeds suspended in the paste so they don’t settle at the bottom. If you skip it, you’ll just need to stir the paste before using it.
How much this makes, and how to store it.
From one bag of ten beans, I ended up with between six and seven ounces of vanilla bean paste. The smell is incredible, and the flavor is intense. This really only works with high-quality, Grade A beans. Grocery store beans just won’t give you the same results. These beans were soft, oily, and perfect for grinding.
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