The uses for vanilla extract go way beyond baking. Learn how to add vanilla to tomato sauce, salad dressing and even seafood.
Vanilla does offer more than just a bit of floral flavor. Sometimes it’s a flavor enhancer and sometimes it’s a flavor balancer. But to be honest, unless it’s a vanilla cookie, it’s not a true dealbreaker. Especially if you’re making cookies that have lots of other flavors going on, like coconut or dark chocolate.
Boost Brown Butter Sauce
It’s a given that vanilla and brown butter go hand in hand when you’re baking. The same goes for your savory dishes. The roasty, toasty qualities of the two ingredients can add a new twist to your old favorites. Combine them in this recipe for Cranberry Ricotta Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sauce.
Your roasted vegetables are already caramelizing in the oven, and what goes great with caramel flavor? Vanilla, of course. Vanilla extract can boost the flavor of roasted vegetables in two ways. First, it intensifies their sweetness, and then, the alcohol adds another layer of caramelization as it evaporates. Find more secrets for best-ever roasted vegetables.
You may not always think about it when you’re baking, but vanilla is a tropical ingredient. So naturally, it will complement the flavors of other tropical ingredients, like coconut. Stir some vanilla extract into Coconut Curry Cauliflower Soup while it simmers. It just might whisk you away to the islands!
Don’t have any vanilla on hand? Neilsen-Massey is our go-to vanilla extract.
Magnify the Taste of Maple
Can maple be any better? Only if you add some vanilla! Almost any recipe with maple will benefit from this secret ingredient, especially roasted vegetables that already have a bit of natural sugar. We like to add vanilla extract to this Maple Glazed Acorn Squash recipe.
Expert’s Guide to Vanilla: Extract, Paste, Powder, and Whole Beans
FAQ
What does vanilla do in cooking?
What does adding vanilla to a recipe do?
What is vanilla mostly used in?
How do you use vanilla in food?
What is vanilla powder used for?
Vanilla powder is vanilla beans ground into a flour. This powder is often mixed with sugar, but the best kind isn’t. Like vanilla paste, vanilla powder packs an aromatic wallop. It can be used in place of extract. It can also go where extract can’t: dusting hot-from-the-oven cookies, or sprinkling on newly made doughnuts and cakes.
What are the benefits of vanilla essential oil?
Vanilla essential oil soothes the palate. It can relax the mind with its beautiful and satisfying aroma. Vanilla extracts will also help to restore the skin and help to maintain the healthy skin. The vanilla essential oil is rich in anti-oxidants and phenolic compound which helps to remove the free radicals and reduce the skin damage.
Why is vanilla so important?
“It’s an essential ingredient, adding not just flavor, but also body and soul into a dish,” says Francis Ang, a San Francisco-based pastry chef and owner of the pop-up Pinoy Heritage. Vanilla is, of course, integral to countless pastries and desserts, adding a sense of familiarity to everything from ice cream to sugar cookies.
What can you use vanilla beans for?
Use one vanilla bean pod for each teaspoon of vanilla extract. Another great use for vanilla beans is to make vanilla sugar that you can use in cooking and baking or add to beverages. Vanilla bean paste is a combination of vanilla powder and concentrated vanilla extract. It creates a paste that has the consistency of maple syrup.