What is it?

Pure vanilla extract, made by macerating vanilla beans in an alcohol-water mixture, is an easy way to add vanilla flavor to baked goods, as it mixes easily into batters. (It’s also a less costly alternative to vanilla beans.) Aside from being used in overtly vanilla flavored desserts, vanilla extract enhances other flavors (particularly chocolate, coffee, fruit, and nuts) and is used in all kinds of cookies, cakes, and pastries. Imitation vanilla extract is made only from artificial ingredients. While cheaper than pure vanilla extract, its flavor can be harsh.

Kitchen math:

1 tsp. extract = one 2-inch piece vanilla bean

Don’t have it?

Use vanilla beans or vanilla bean paste.

How to choose:

The flavor of the vanilla extract is affected by where the vanilla beans were grown. In general, Madagascar, which is what you’re most likely to find, is sweet and creamy. Tahitian vanilla is known for its tropical fruit and floral aromas; and Mexican vanilla tastes nuttier, with hints of spice. The rarer Indonesian vanilla is smoked during the curing process, lending the beans a smoky flavor, but that dissipates with cooking. Many good brands are available in larger volumes at discounted rates. Always buy pure vanilla extract (it will be called that on the label), never imitation. Double-strength versions are stronger than single-strength.

How to prep:

The strength of the extract will dissipate with prolonged heat, so if you’re adding extract to something cooked on the stovetop, such as a custard or a poaching liquid, add it after the custard or liquid is off the stove and starting to cool. If using double strength use half as much as called for unless you want a very pronounced vanilla flavor.

How to store:

Because vanilla extract is sensitive to heat and light, keep the bottle in a cool, dark place; it should last for up to a year. And, if there’s a bean in it, may even get stronger.

Cross Reference

vanilla beans

Click here to purchase

Recipes

• 
  Recipe

  Overnight French Toast Muffins

  A true crowd pleaser, this dish offers the best of two breakfast favorites: the classic flavor of French toast packaged in the easy grab-and-go shape of muffins. Since the preparation…

• 
  Recipe

  Brown-Butter Overnight Waffles

  Brown butter and malted milk powder enhance the warm, rich, toasted flavors in these crisp yeast-raised waffles. Make most of the batter ahead, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next…

• 
  Recipe

  Orange, Olive Oil, and Rosemary Cake

  A syrup of macerated orange segments and a dollop of crème fraîche embellish this rustic cake, a nod to the Sephardic desserts of Italy and Spain. Olive oil gives the…

• 
  Recipe

  Spiced Cranberry-Pecan Chocolate-Chip Cookies

  Here’s the perfect holiday-season chocolate-chip cookie: loaded with chunks of chocolate, nuts, and dried fruit; a little crisp around the edge; and chewy in the middle. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and…

• 
  Recipe

  Glazed Oatmeal Spice Bars

  Ginger and spice and everything nice, that’s what these cookies are made of. They’re best eaten the day they’re baked. But you can bake the bars and glaze them ahead…

• 
  Recipe

  Thumbprint Cookies

  If kids are nearby, get them to help make these cookies. They’ll love poking the balls of dough to make the pocket for the jam.

• 
  Recipe

  Maple-Bacon Ginger Cookies

  Savory bacon and sweet maple syrup give a modern spin to classic ginger cookies. Just like the classics, these are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. If…

• 
  Recipe

  Italian Neapolitan Cookies

  These buttery cookies are a traditional Italian treat and easier to make than they look. The recipe uses one dough divided onto three portions and flavored with almond, mocha, and…

• 
  Recipe

  Chocolate-Dipped Cherry-Pistachio Biscotti

  These sweet and tart cookies are crunchy because they’re baked twice, which makes them ideal for dunking into espresso or dessert wine. Dipping them in melted chocolate is optional, but…

• 
  Recipe

  Pecan Tassies

  Buttery, nutty, and satisfying, these two-bite pecan tartlets are as easy to make as they are to like.