In her many baking videos, Martha often mentions pure vanilla extract. That's because she wants you to know that not all vanilla extract is the same, and using the right type has a big impact on your finished cakes and cookies. Vanilla lends a delicate, even divine, flavor to everything from chocolate chip cookies to bread pudding—as long as you use the right vanilla extract.
The world of vanilla is vast and varied, and vanilla can refer to a host of products, ranging in price, taste, quality, and ingredients. To explain the differences and why they matter, we connected with an extract and flavorings expert and a chef and baker whose restaurant has a standout pastry program.
- Jennifer Kellison, director of innovation for Frontier Co-op and Simply Organic, brands specializing in top-notch extracts, flavorings, and spices.
- Kelsey Bush, chef-owner of Bloomsday restaurant, and the forthcoming cafe, Loretta's, both in Philadelphia
What Is Pure Vanilla Extract?
It might surprise you that not all vanilla extract is made with vanilla beans. But the best is, and it's the type that Martha and our baking experts recommend. "The ingredient list for pure vanilla extract is short and simple: pure vanilla extract is made by steeping real vanilla beans in ethyl alcohol and water, resulting in the amber-colored and fragrant ingredient we love," says Jennifer Kellison, director of innovation for the member-owned cooperative, Frontier Co-op and Simply Organic, brands that sell premium spices, seasonings, extracts, and flavorings.
"Pure vanilla is much more complex, nuanced, and subtle than imitation vanilla," says Kelsey Bush, chef-owner of Bloomsday, a restaurant in Philadelphia known for its pastries and sweets. "It's like olive oil or vinegar: you can taste the difference," says Bush.
Vanilla Explained
Vanilla "beans" are actually long, skinny pod-like fruits holding thousands of itty bitty black specks with a heady vanilla scent and flavor, which can be scraped directly into recipes—or used for extracts and flavorings. Native to Mexico, the pods grow on climbing Vanilla planifolia orchids of the genus Vanilla and are the only edible fruits of the orchid family. Today, most vanilla beans are derived from orchids cultivated in the South Pacific, with extract labels touting Tahiti or Madagascar as places of provenance.
What Is Artificial Vanilla Extract?
A cheaper alternative, artificial vanilla does not contain any vanilla bean; it is made in a lab: "Imitation vanilla uses vanillin that's usually lab-synthesized from other sources—often from paper manufacturing waste streams or petrochemicals," says Kellison. The taste of synthetic vanillin tends to be more pronounced and one-note, adds Bush.
Buying Pure Vanilla Extract
When shopping for authentic vanilla products, scrutinize the bottle's ingredients.
What to look for: Keywords like "pure" indicate that it's made from real vanilla beans, says Kellison. To be labeled as "pure vanilla extract," the product must have a minimum of 35 percent alcohol and 100 grams of vanilla beans per liter, she says.
What to avoid: Other descriptors may be misleading. "Watch out for phrases like 'all-natural,' 'naturally and artificially flavored,' or 'with other natural flavors,' which mean the product can still include added sugars, colors or preservatives," says Kellison.
Why Using Pure Vanilla Extract Makes a Difference
Baked goods made with pure vanilla extract allow you to savor gradations of flavor, while those made with imitation vanilla products can be more assertive. The distinctions are more evident in certain treats. "You may notice the difference more in delicately flavored recipes and lower-heat dishes like ice cream and frozen desserts, icings, and custards," Kellison says.
Vanilla Flavoring: Vanilla flavoring is similar to vanilla extract, but it uses water and vegetable glycerin instead of alcohol, so it is suitable for those avoiding alcohol, says Kellison. It also comes in two types; look for pure vanilla flavoring which can be made with real vanilla, rather than synthetic.
Vanilla Terroir
We've told you how important it is to use pure vanilla extract in your baking, and it's true. If you want to take the nuance further, explore pure vanilla extract from different countries. The vanilla beans used in pure products bear unique characteristics formed by the regions from whence they emanate. "Just like wine, pure vanilla absolutely has terroir," says Bush. "Vanilla beans from Madagascar taste markedly different from vanilla beans from Mexico, which, in turn, taste very different from beans from Tahiti."
- Madagascar vanilla: The island country of Madagascar is the world's largest vanilla bean producer. These beans, says Kellison, have a classic buttery and smooth taste.
- Bourbon vanilla: Demystifying this popular extract, Kellison says the name denotes a variety of vanilla beans from a region in Madagascar and neighboring islands in the Indian Ocean—not the beloved brown spirit.
- Indonesian vanilla: "Indonesian vanilla beans tend to have an earthy, smokey, sometimes floral profile that pairs well with chocolate and other rich foods," says Kellison.
- Mexican vanilla: Complex yet mellow, with notes of cinnamon and cocoa, these beans boast a distinctive woody aroma.
Vanilla Subsitutions
We always reach for pure vanilla extract over artificial vanilla options, but as Bush notes, pure vanilla extract is expensive. If you don't have any, there are other non-vanilla flavors you can use instead, such as maple syrup or bourbon, which can give similar depth. Generally we would reach for these alternatives before using artificial vanilla extract.
When You Might Want to Use Artificial Vanilla
There may be recipes, like homemade Dunkaroos, where synthetic vanilla extract taps into the nostalgic aspect of baked goods, says Bush. "You won't be transported back to childhood with expensive Madagascar vanilla; here, only the fake stuff will do," she says.
Chemistry is responsible for that pronounced vanilla kick. "When heated to a high degree, the alcohol in pure vanilla extract evaporates, and sometimes those subtle complexities can get lost," she says. "If you're looking for a strong vanilla flavor in these situations, artificial vanilla flavoring might be the boost you need."