Vanilla extract substitute
For each teaspoon of vanilla extract, use 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, or the seeds from about a third of a vanilla bean (roughly 2 inches). Maple syrup also works 1:1 in cakes and muffins.
Out of vanilla extract mid-recipe?
Tell Sous Chef what you are missing. It swaps the ingredient and rewrites the steps that use it, and keeps your original recipe.
What are you making?
-
Vanilla bean paste
Great fit1 tsp vanilla bean paste
For this dish: Same flavor, with specks of vanilla bean.
How: Swap teaspoon for teaspoon. Stir it into the wet ingredients (America's Test Kitchen).
What changes: Same strength, with visible vanilla seeds. Nielsen-Massey, America's Test Kitchen and Wilton all treat it as 1:1. Nigella Lawson's site notes the ratio can depend on the brand, so check the jar.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
-
Vanilla powder
Great fit1 tsp pure vanilla powder
For this dish: Mixes into batter or dry ingredients easily.
How: Swap teaspoon for teaspoon (Nielsen-Massey). Healthline suggests starting with half as much and adding more to taste.
What changes: Alcohol-free and dry, so Nielsen-Massey suggests it for icings and dry baking mixes. It dissolves easily in liquids.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
-
Imitation vanilla
Great fit2 tsp imitation vanilla flavoring
For this dish: Hard to tell apart from pure extract once baked with other flavors.
How: Use 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons per teaspoon of extract, with the higher amount in no-bake recipes (Wilton). In baked goods where vanilla is hard to taste, Wilton and Healthline say 1:1 is fine.
What changes: Weaker and simpler than pure extract. The Wicked Noodle notes the flavor lacks complexity, which is usually fine in baking.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
-
Maple syrup
Great fit1 tsp pure maple syrup
For this dish: A warm, sweet note that suits cakes and muffins.
How: Swap teaspoon for teaspoon. Use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup (Wilton). Use twice as much for a stronger maple note.
What changes: Adds a maple flavor and a little sweetness and moisture. Wilton suggests it for cakes, pound cakes and muffins.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
-
Vanilla bean
Works⅓ vanilla bean, seeds scraped (about 2 inches)
For this dish: Works well, though the flavor is hard to notice in a busy batter.
How: Split the bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Nielsen-Massey counts one whole bean as about 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of extract, and Wilton suggests about 2 inches of a 6-inch bean per teaspoon.
What changes: Rich, floral flavor and visible seeds, and no alcohol. Beans vary in size and strength, and some charts give up to half a bean per teaspoon, so taste and adjust.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
What vanilla extract does in a recipe
Vanilla extract is vanilla beans steeped in alcohol, and FDA's standard requires at least 35% alcohol by volume. It rounds out sweetness and softens eggy flavors in cakes, cookies and custards. A teaspoon adds almost no liquid, so a swap is about flavor, not structure.
Swap it in your recipe with Sous Chef
A substitution is more than one ingredient line. The steps that use it change too. Sous Chef edits both on a working copy of your recipe, so the original is always one tap away.
You ask Sous Chef
"I don't have vanilla extract."
Sous Chef edits the recipe
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Swap teaspoon for teaspoon. Stir it into the wet ingredients (America's Test Kitchen).
When not to substitute
In vanilla-forward recipes like vanilla ice cream, panna cotta or plain vanilla frosting, the vanilla is the dish. Use paste, a bean or powder there, not imitation vanilla or maple syrup.
Common questions
How much vanilla bean equals 1 teaspoon of extract?
About a third of a bean, or roughly 2 inches. Nielsen-Massey counts one whole bean as about 1 tablespoon of extract, and Wilton suggests about 2 inches of bean per teaspoon.
Is vanilla bean paste the same strength as vanilla extract?
Yes, for most brands. Nielsen-Massey, America's Test Kitchen and Wilton all swap it 1:1. Check the jar, since some brands differ.
Does vanilla extract contain alcohol?
Yes. FDA's standard for vanilla extract requires at least 35% alcohol by volume.
Related
- Maple syrup substitutes
- Honey substitutes
- Brown sugar substitutes
- Powdered sugar substitutes
- All ingredient substitutes
- How to substitute an ingredient
Sources
- Nielsen-Massey introduces 2-ounce vanilla bean pastes (Nielsen-Massey)
- Pure vanilla powder (Nielsen-Massey)
- Vanilla paste taste test (America's Test Kitchen)
- Using vanilla paste (Nigella Lawson)
- Clever substitutes for vanilla extract (Wilton)
- Vanilla extract substitutes (Healthline)
- Vanilla extract substitutes (The Wicked Noodle)
- 21 CFR 169.175 Vanilla extract (Cornell Legal Information Institute)
Cook with what you have.
Import any recipe into Sous Chef and ask for the swap. It rewrites the ingredient list and the steps, and never loses the original. Free on iPhone.