What Is Vanilla bean and How Can I Use It?

What is vanilla bean?

Vanilla is the second most expensive spice after saffron, due to the extensive labor required to grow the vanilla seed pods. Despite the expense, it is highly valued for its flavor.

Despite its high cost, vanilla is widely used in both commercial and domestic baking, perfume manufacture and aromatherapy.

Types of vanilla bean

Specific kinds of vanilla bean and the recipes that use them.

Vanilla extract

Vanilla extract is cured vanilla beans steeped in alcohol until their flavor moves into the liquid. By US federal standard, the pure version must be at least 35 percent alcohol and made with a set minimum of beans, which is why the real bottle smells boozy and the price stings.

More than 8,000 recipes on Recipeland reach for it, mostly a teaspoon at a time.

Pure extract carries over 250 flavor and aroma compounds. Imitation vanilla carries essentially one, vanillin, usually synthesized rather than extracted.

That sounds like a rout, but it is not the whole story.

Vanilla syrup

View vanilla syrup recipes →

Vanilla glaze

View vanilla glaze recipes →

Recipes using vanilla bean

There are 103 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Blueberry & Rum Milkshake

Fresh or frozen blueberries macerate in dark rum and vanilla bean seeds, then blitz with ice cream into a grown-up milkshake with berry-booze swirls and creamy vanilla richness.

Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vanilla bean chocolate chip cookies with real vanilla bean seeds scraped into buttery dough. The vanilla beans create flecked, fragrant cookies with sophisticated flavor and optional walnuts for crunch.

Vanilla Bean Banana Bread

A welcome twist on the classic banana bread recipe. It incorporates the rich, aromatic flavor of vanilla beans to elevate the taste of the moist and tender banana bread. The vanilla bean adds a depth of flavor and a subtle sweetness that perfectly complements the natural sweetness of the ripe bananas.

Kiwi Sorbet

Kiwi sorbet made with puréed fresh kiwis, a vanilla bean simple syrup, and a squeeze of lemon. Optional Cointreau for grown-up flavor, plus a Champagne variation.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

Custard-base cinnamon ice cream infused with whole cinnamon sticks and a real vanilla bean. Egg yolk-thickened French style with heavy cream finish. Makes 12 servings.

Chocolate Vanilla Hazelnut Ice Cream

We have been making several ice cream this summer, this chocolate hazelnut ice cream tastes heavenly delicious. Creamy, nutty and vanilla-y, you can find chunks of chocolate in every bite.

Vanilla Bean & Pomegranate Parfaits

Creamy and rich custard on top. Sweet and sour pomegranate compote at the bottom. One spoonful of this parfait has all the deliciousness with great texture you are looking for.

Christmas Pudding With Vanilla-Bean Custard

This Christmas pudding has plenty of delicious fruit and nuts, but it's really simple to make - just plan ahead and then make the warm vanilla-bean custard on the day.

Cherry Vanilla Bean Milkshake

Creamy cherry milkshake made with frozen cherries, vanilla ice cream, and real vanilla bean. This lighter version uses low-fat ice cream and skim milk for guilt-free indulgence.

Orange Marmalade Vanilla Bean Bread Pudding

Just like the name, this bread pudding is buttery, creamy and it looks beautiful as well. I adapted this recipe from Donna Hay magazine. If you love bread pudding, give it a try and you will love it.

Coffee Liqueur

This is the best "Kahlua" recipe I've found. I added about 1/4 cup brandy to the recipe.

Vanilla Bean Tapioca Pudding

Creamy and very vanilla! Vanilla beans are infused into milk and tapioca, during the long and slow simmering, all the delicious vanilla flavor completely goes into the pudding. A light and tasty dessert to end the meal!

Buttermilk Custard Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

A rich vanilla frozen yogurt. The rich custard taste and mouth feel come from the egg yolks with a smooth vanilla flavor from the vanilla bean.

Mascarpone Vanilla Ice Cream

Silky and rich. This mascarpone ice cream is absolutely delicious, it's so easy to be addicted.

Star Anise Poached Pears In Red Wine

Poaching pears in red wine is a classic way to make pears into a dessert. Pears are poached in red wine with star anise, cloves and cinnamon sticks infused, which makes the pears tender, soft and tasty. Serve the warm pear with the syrup sauce and some good quality ice cream.

Christmas Marshmallow Snowflakes

Make your own marshmallows, then cut out shapes into snow flakes; elegant looking with delicious flavour will definitely impress your family and friends at your Christmas party!

Pannacotta with Blueberry Coulis

Pannacotta is a bit like like very creamy "Jello", this one is sweetened slightly with sugar and gently flavored with a real vanilla. Panna cotta has roots as an Italian dessert. It is eaten all over Italy typically being served with fresh berries, caramel and chocolate. This recipe was inspired by a recipe in one of Gordon Ramsay's cookbooks.

Vanilla Bean Blancmange

Literally means "white food". Blancmange is a delicate, quivering snow-white pudding that goes back to the 16th century that was extremely popular in the Victorian age.

Baked Creamy Rice Pudding

Creamy, smooth and light. It's an easy yet delicious pudding that ends the meal with an abundance of joy.

Jack Daniel's Chocolate Ice Cream

Jack Daniel's chocolate ice cream folds whiskey into a French custard base with vanilla bean and melted chocolate. Boozy, smooth, scoopable Tennessee whiskey dessert.

Vanilla Custard Macarons

These vanilla custard macarons are loaded with vanilla flavor, the custard filling is made with milk, egg yolk and vanilla beans. If you love vanilla, you will for sure love these vanilla custard macarons.

Almond Vanilla Ice Cream

This is a real ice cream that can beat Hagen daz. It's silky and creamy, toasted almonds infused custard has a rich and delicious almond taste. Toasted almond chunks being added at the end of the churning give the ice cream another layer of nutty and rich almond flavor and a little crunchiness when you have it in your mouth. A pure indulgence and enjoyment.

Caramel Pastry Cream

Rich and creamy custard style pastry cream perfect for eclairs or any other dessert use. Part of the sugar is carmalized and it infuses a rich caramel flavor throughout the cream.

A1 World's Best Tomato Sauce

This recipe is based on the one from Jean Christoph Novelli's grandmother Louise's recipe. He call's it "The Most Amazing Tomato Sauce on the planet" I agree. This is not the exact recipe (I tweaked it very slightly and made some educated guesses on the amounts of various ingredients but based upon the taste I believe it is probably very close.

Banana Jam

This makes a spectacular breakfast jam spread on toast, or as a topping for ice cream or banana muffins.

Guilt Free Low Fat Maple Creme Brulee

I love Creme Brulee but with the high fat have been working on a no-guilt low fat version of this French delight. It had to be creamy with the subtle flavors I remember from when I was in Cannes France. Last weekend my father came to visit and here it is, low-fat no guilt Creme Brulee using Canadian maple syrup and a Madagascar vanilla bean. Guaranteed to knock the socks of any guest and you can feel the guilty feeling they have once they taste it. Then they're so relived when you tell them the ingredients. Truly no guilt.

Rice Flan Tart with Candied Ginger

The low-calorie rice pudding flan is so delicious by itself that you may want to save the calories and fat in the crust, and serve it without the pastry.

Tart of Rhubarb with Strawberries & Cinnamon Ice-Cream

A show-stopping rhubarb tart in an almond pastry shell, served with fresh strawberry-kirsch sauce and homemade cinnamon ice cream. Three components, one unforgettable spring dessert.

Tart of Rhubarb with Strawberries & Cinnamon Ice-Cream

A show-stopping rhubarb tart in an almond pastry shell, served with fresh strawberry-kirsch sauce and homemade cinnamon ice cream. Three components, one unforgettable spring dessert.

Crystal Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée

Vanilla bean creme brulee tartlets, silky custard set in a crisp buttery pastry shell and finished with a torched, crackly caramel top. Crowned with whipped cream and fresh berries for an elegant dessert.

Vanilla Popcorn

Stovetop popcorn popped with a real vanilla bean right in the hot oil, then tossed with melted butter, sugar, and scraped vanilla seeds. Sweet, fragrant, and wildly addictive.

Juniper Berries Relish

Spiced cranberry relish caramelizes sugar, then cooks fresh cranberries with diced orange, lime, raisins, ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla bean for a complex holiday relish that improves with time.

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Plums & Rosemary

Pork tenderloin seared and roasted until juicy, served with plums slow-roasted in balsamic, vanilla bean, and rosemary. A bistro-style main that reduces its own pan liquid into a glossy, sweet-tart sauce.

Spiced Red Wine Fruit Soup with Candied Orange

Elegant red wine fruit soup with poached pears, candied orange slices, pineapple, and a crème fraîche finish. A stunning French-inspired dessert layered with star anise, vanilla, and cardamom.

Poppy Seed & Vanilla Pound Cake with Citrus Plum Compote

This buttery, moist and delicious cake is served with spiced and citrus plum compote, perfectly paired!

Mango-Coconut Pie with Mango Coulis

Mango-coconut pie layers a graham cracker and toasted coconut crust with a vanilla bean coconut custard, diced fresh mango, and whipped cream. A bright mango coulis poured over each slice doubles down on the fruit.

Ostrich Steak with Vanilla

You gotta love the spices in this unique certain to amaze dish of healthy red meat.

Almond Tasty

A sweet and delectable homemade liqueur made with vodka.

Maple Creme Brulee

Maple creme brulee sweetened with pure maple syrup instead of granulated sugar. Rich, silky custard made with 10 egg yolks and a whole vanilla bean, baked in a water bath until set.

Banana Chocolate Cream

Banana chocolate cream dessert layered over rum-soaked coconut macaroons with homemade custard, whipped cream, and grated chocolate. An elegant no-bake showstopper.

Shellfish Soup with Cilantro

Shellfish soup with shrimp and sea scallops in a white wine and shrimp shell stock infused with vanilla bean and cilantro. Spring vegetables simmered just one minute to stay crisp.

Strawberry Pastries with Vanilla Custard

Flaky puff pastry layered with real vanilla bean custard, whipped cream, and sliced fresh strawberries, dusted with powdered sugar. A homemade take on the classic French mille-feuille.

Frosted Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake

A sweet treat to impress: frosted cherry chocolate cheesecake.

Citrus Fruity Rose & Vodka

Try this citrus fruits, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick infused rose, vodka and rum mixture, you wil be so impressed by the tangy flavor.

Maple Syrup Ice Cream on Sable Rafts

Homemade maple syrup ice cream served in crisp sablé pastry barquettes with a maple custard sauce. A French-style plated dessert made from real vanilla beans and pure maple syrup.

Strawberry Fool

Strawberry fool with crushed berries folded into whipped cream and sour cream, drizzled with a spiced port wine syrup. The classic English dessert updated for summer dinner parties.

Pears Belle Helene

Poires Belle Helene, the classic French dessert of vanilla-poached pears served with vanilla ice cream and warm dark chocolate sauce. Elegant and timeless.

Ruby Pears

Ruby pears poached in Beaujolais wine with currant jelly, rosemary, vanilla bean, and whole cloves. Pressure cooked and chilled 24 hours for deep ruby color.

Orange & White Chocolate Muffins

Orange and white chocolate muffins scented with fresh orange zest, vanilla bean seeds, and melted white chocolate chunks. Tender crumb, golden tops, perfect with morning coffee.

Caramels Au Chocolat (Chocolate Caramels)

French chocolate caramels made with real vanilla bean, melted chocolate, and butter cooked to the ball stage. Old-world confection technique with rich, chewy results.

What Is Vanilla bean and How Can I Use It?