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    Home » Recipes » Spices and Seasonings

    Easy, Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste Recipe

    January 25, 2022 by Kelly 28 Comments

    Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste has a rich, robust vanilla flavor and is simple to make at home. More intense than vanilla extract, it’s made from grinding the whole vanilla pod. Use in place of vanilla extract anytime you want luxurious vanilla flavor that won’t evaporate when heated or leave a boozy taste.

    a spoon of vanilla bean paste this recipe!

    Jump to Section

    • Why you’ll love this Vanilla Bean Paste
    • What is Vanilla bean paste?
    • When to use Vanilla Bean Paste instead of vanilla extract
    • Why this recipe works
    • Ingredients in Vanilla Bean Paste:
    • How to make Vanilla Bean Paste
    • Substitutions and Variations:
    • Substitute for Vanilla bean paste
    • More Vanilla recipes for you to love:
    • Easy, Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste Recipe

    Why you’ll love this Vanilla Bean Paste

    • Rich, intense vanilla flavor
    • Flavor won’t evaporate when heated
    • Doesn’t leave a boozy bite
    • Beautiful specks of vanilla bean
    • Mixes easily without clumping
    • No waste – no seeds left behind and the pod has tons of flavor!
    • Easy to make
    • More economical
    • No chemical additives
    a bowl of vanilla bean paste

    What is Vanilla bean paste?

    Vanilla bean paste is pure vanilla with natural vanilla bean seeds in a convenient, syrupy, paste form. It gives a rich, intense vanilla flavor and can be used in any recipe that calls for vanilla extract. 

    When to use Vanilla Bean Paste instead of vanilla extract

    Vanilla Bean Paste can be substituted for vanilla extract in any recipe. Because it doesn’t have an alcohol base, it doesn’t lose flavor when it’s heated. It’s an excellent choice when you want vanilla to be the star flavor or anytime you want the luxury of tiny specks of vanilla bean. It’s also perfect for those avoiding alcohol.

     Vanilla Bean Paste shines the best in custards and creams where the vanilla is added after cooking and where vanilla extract would leave a boozy bite. Use it in:

    • vanilla frosting
    • custards
    • puddings
    • pastry cream
    • whipped cream
    • vanilla ice cream
    • panna cotta
    • crème brulée

    1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste = 1 tablespoon vanilla extract = 1 whole vanilla bean = ½ tablespoon ground vanilla bean powder

    *Different types of vanilla bean paste and vanilla bean powder have different strengths. When using store-bought paste or powder, check the label.

    Why this recipe works

    • This method of making vanilla bean paste is easy and mess free. And very importantly, it’s waste free! Vanilla beans are expensive and I can’t bear to see flecks of precious vanilla bean seeds stuck to the knife, cutting board, or my fingers. Plus, the pod contains tons of flavor!
    • Drying the vanilla bean before adding it to the syrup allows it to be ground to a fine powder. That means no big chunks of vanilla pod and no waste.
    • Combining the vanilla bean powder and the syrup in the jar means no vanilla seeds are left behind clinging to the blender jar or in the pan. Once again, no waste.

    Ingredients in Vanilla Bean Paste:

    • Vanilla Beans – Since we’re drying out the vanilla beans, it’s ok to use Grade B vanilla beans.
    • Sugar and water – to make the simple syrup
    • Corn syrup – just a tablespoon helps prevent the syrup from crystalizing over time.
    vanilla bean paste ingredients

    How to make Vanilla Bean Paste

    Make the Vanilla Bean Powder:

    The first step is to make the Vanilla Bean Powder by drying out the beans. There are several ways of doing this:

    • Leave vanilla beans out on the counter for several weeks.
    • Bake the vanilla beans in a 150 degree F oven for about an hour.
    • Bake the vanilla beans in a 350 degree F oven for about 5 minutes.
    • Microwave the vanilla beans for about 20-30 seconds. They should puff up and become crisp.

    I personally prefer to bake the vanilla beans in a 150 degree F oven. It’s not so hot that the beans will easily burn. Baking them in a 350 degree oven is a little more risky, although quicker. The beans can burn very quickly, ruining their flavor, so keep a close eye on them.

    If your oven doesn’t go down to 150°F, you can use the lowest temperature your oven has, just for a shorter time.

    • Bake vanilla beans in a 150°F oven on a parchment lined baking sheet for about an hour to an hour and a half. You want them to get nice and dried out but not burnt. They will still be somewhat pliable when you take them out of the oven, but will become brittle as they cool. It’s necessary for the beans to become brittle for a finely ground powder.
    • After they cool, cut them up into smaller pieces and grind them up in a coffee or spice grinder.

    Make the syrup:

    • Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Take off the heat.

    Combine the vanilla powder and the sugar syrup:

    • Put the vanilla powder into a glass jar. Pour in the sugar syrup. Stir to combine.
    • Store at room temperature for several months.
    pouring sugar syrup into a jar with vanilla bean powder

    Substitutions and Variations:

    • You can use agave syrup or honey in place of the sugar syrup and corn syrup. Simply stir in the vanilla bean powder.
    • For extra flavor, stir in a tablespoon of vanilla extract.

    Substitute for Vanilla bean paste

    To replace vanilla bean paste in a recipe:

    • Use an equal amount of vanilla extract.
    • Use an equal amount of vanilla powder
    • Use 1 whole vanilla bean for every tablespoon of vanilla bean paste (or 2 inches of bean for every teaspoon)
    a spoon of vanilla bean paste

    More Vanilla recipes for you to love:

    • Homemade Vanilla Powder
    • French Vanilla Ice Cream
    Print
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    a bowl of vanilla bean paste

    Easy, Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste Recipe


    ★★★★★

    5 from 2 reviews

    • Author: Kelly
    • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    • Yield: ⅔ cup 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste has a rich, robust vanilla flavor and is simple to make at home.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 5 vanilla beans
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup water
    • 1 tablespoon corn syrup

    Instructions

    Make the Vanilla Bean Powder:

    1. Bake vanilla beans in a 150°F oven on a parchment lined baking sheet for about an hour to an hour and a half. You want them to get nice and dried out but not burnt. They will still be somewhat pliable when you take them out of the oven but will become brittle as they cool. It’s necessary for the beans to become brittle for a finely ground powder.
    2. After they cool, cut them up into smaller pieces and grind them up in a coffee or spice grinder.

    Make the syrup:

    1. Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Take off the heat.

    Combine the vanilla powder and the sugar syrup:

    1. Put the vanilla powder into a glass jar. Pour in the sugar syrup. Stir to combine.
    2. Store at room temperature for several months.

    Equipment

    Image of vanilla beans

    vanilla beans

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    Image of spice grinder

    spice grinder

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    Notes

    • You can use ⅔ cup agave syrup or honey in place of the sugar syrup and corn syrup. Simply stir in the vanilla bean powder.
    • For extra flavor, stir in a tablespoon of vanilla extract.

     

    To dry the vanilla beans you can also:

    • Leave vanilla beans out on the counter for several weeks.
    • Bake the vanilla beans in a 350° F oven for about 5 minutes.
    • Microwave the vanilla beans for about 20-30 seconds. They should puff up and become crisp.
    • Prep Time: 5
    • Cook Time: 70 minutes
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: vanilla bean paste, vanilla

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    1. Cookie Monster

      January 26, 2022 at 7:15 am

      Excellent recipe, very well presented and easy to prepare

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Kelly

        February 10, 2022 at 11:57 am

        Thanks so much, Cookie Monster!

        Reply
    2. Chef Mimi

      January 26, 2022 at 8:30 pm

      Amazing! I’ve never even heard of the paste, but wow. What fabulous flavor!

      Reply
      • Kelly

        February 10, 2022 at 11:58 am

        Thanks so much, Mimi!

        Reply
    3. David Scott Allen

      January 29, 2022 at 3:49 am

      What a good idea to make your own! I will definitely try this.

      Reply
      • Kelly

        February 10, 2022 at 11:58 am

        Thanks so much, David!

        Reply
    4. Valentina

      February 16, 2022 at 12:24 pm

      Hi Kelly! I'm absolutely doing this. I've been using paste much more often than extract lately and I love it. I happen to have a few pods in my pantry. Yay! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
      • Kelly

        May 31, 2022 at 12:40 am

        I love how it uses the whole bean and doesn't leave a boozy aftertaste to uncooked foods. Thanks so much, Valentina!

        Reply
    5. Thistle

      May 15, 2022 at 2:11 pm

      Thanks so much for posting the recipe! I love how concise and easy the instructions are.

      Reply
      • Kelly

        May 22, 2022 at 8:16 am

        Happy you found it useful! Thanks so much!

        Reply
    6. David @ Spiced

      June 01, 2022 at 6:13 am

      Oh what a cool idea, Kelly! I love using vanilla bean paste when I want a strong vanilla flavor...but I've never thought about making my own. I'm totally bookmarking this for the next time I have some vanilla beans to use up!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Kelly

        June 04, 2022 at 9:54 pm

        Thanks so much, David!

        Reply
    7. Kathy

      October 23, 2022 at 2:39 pm

      If using agave syrup or honey instead of the sugar and corn syrup, should the agave syrup or honey be combined/heated with the 1/2 cup of water before adding to the vanilla powder?

      Reply
      • Kelly

        October 23, 2022 at 3:39 pm

        Hi Kathy, you can just stir the vanilla powder into the agave or honey. No water or heating needed.

        Reply
    8. Louise Choroser

      January 05, 2023 at 11:45 am

      Hi, I am new to making my own vanilla products. I would very much like to make the vanilla paste. The vanilla beans I bought are already split (oops), how should I dry the split beans? Can I still put in the oven? I don't want to ruin the beans. Thanks so much

      Reply
      • Kelly

        January 05, 2023 at 1:50 pm

        Hi Louise! That shouldn’t be a problem since it’s all going to be dried anyway. I would dry them the slowest way you can so that any exposed parts don’t get scorched. (Either counter or very low oven)

        Reply
        • Louise Choroser

          January 05, 2023 at 4:53 pm

          Thank you so very much!! Louise

          Reply
    9. Louise

      January 19, 2023 at 4:30 pm

      Hi Kelly, I made your vanilla bean paste using your recipe. It is very thin in consistency, I thought it would be thicker? Did I do something wrong, and if so, is there anything I can do to correct it? Thank you. Louise

      Reply
      • Kelly

        January 19, 2023 at 5:36 pm

        Hi Louise, Yes it does have a thin consistency and it thickens up over time. To have an even thicker paste, use less of the sugar syrup or add more vanilla powder. You will have a more concentrated paste in that case and will need to use a smaller amount in recipes. One advantage of a thinner consistency is that it mixes into other ingredients more easily.

        Reply
        • Louise

          January 19, 2023 at 7:05 pm

          Thanks for the help Kelly!!

          Reply
    10. Jan Rice

      March 19, 2023 at 8:07 pm

      Does it take several months to complete or is does it stay good for several months?

      Reply
      • Kelly

        March 21, 2023 at 3:36 pm

        Hi Jan! It stays good for several months. It completes right away.

        Reply
    11. Susan

      June 04, 2023 at 9:29 am

      Can’t wait to try this! I love vanilla bean paste… But I am doing a keto diet… Can I substitute the sugar in this recipe for allulose or some other keto approved sweetener? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kelly

        June 04, 2023 at 6:16 pm

        Hi Susan! Allulose works great in this recipe because it doesn’t crystallize.

        Reply
    12. Cate Long

      June 15, 2023 at 7:39 pm

      This looks fantastic! QUESTION: If I only need 1 tsp. of vanilla bean paste and I am going to use it immediately, do I still need to use the corn syrup? Thank-you!! Cate

      Reply
      • Kelly

        June 15, 2023 at 11:13 pm

        Hi Cate! It wouldn’t be needed. It’s only to keep it from crystallizing as it sits.

        Reply
    13. Michael Milligan

      August 12, 2023 at 7:53 pm

      Hi Kelly, just an fyi that what we smell & taste as "vanilla" is actually the combined aromas/flavors of hundreds of different flavor molecules. The most sensitive of these are denatured/destroyed at 161°F/71°C. Baking at 350°F will always destroy many of these molecules.

      Reply
      • Kelly

        August 28, 2023 at 4:22 am

        Thanks so much for the very useful info, Michael!

        Reply

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    Kelly Shaban

    Hi there! So nice to meet you! Welcome to my little corner of the internet. I’m so glad you're here! I’m Kelly, a homeschooling mother of five (and a CPA in a previous life). When I’m not teaching differential equations or Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, you’ll find me in the kitchen, whipping up something good to eat for my hungry crew. Read More About Me

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